KISSIMMEE, Fla. (TCD) — A 13-year-old girl was found dead in a wooded area several days after she failed to show up to school.
Madeline Soto was last seen Monday, Feb. 26, around 8:30 a.m. when her mother’s boyfriend claimed to have dropped her off near Hunter’s Creek Middle School. When Soto’s mother went to pick her up from school that afternoon, she learned the teen never showed up.
The mother contacted the sheriff’s office, and officials began an extensive search.
According to Orange County Sheriff John Mina, investigators were able to access Soto’s phone, which she left at home that day, and found messages saying she “wanted to go live in the woods” once she turned 13. Her birthday was Feb. 22.
On Feb. 28, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office announced the mother’s boyfriend, Stephan Sterns, was arrested for sexual battery and possession of child sexual abuse material. Officials reportedly “discovered disturbing images” on Sterns’ phone that they said were “criminal, and sexual in nature.”
There was allegedly evidence that Sterns tried deleting some of the content from his phone.
MADELINE SOTO’S BODY HAS BEEN FOUND.
At about 4:30 p.m. today, off of Hickory Tree Road, Osceola County Sheriff’s Office search teams located the body of Madeline Soto in a wooded area.
Madeline’s family has been notified. We have no additional information to release at… https://t.co/s4H8bK3IJv
— Orange County Sheriff’s Office (@OrangeCoSheriff) March 1, 2024
@OrangeCoSheriff
Two days after Sterns’ arrest, on March 1, Mina said in a morning press conference investigators were “confident” that Soto was dead because evidence showed she was never actually dropped off at school.
Mina said, “We believe she was already dead and then Stephan Sterns moved her body in the early morning hours of that day.”
Video footage from Feb. 26 at 7:35 a.m. reportedly showed Sterns throwing some items away in a dumpster at the apartment complex where they lived. Detectives discovered Soto’s backpack and her school-issued laptop inside the dumpster when they later searched it.
At 8:19 a.m., Sterns reportedly returned to the apartment complex, but Soto was allegedly visible in the car. However, investigators believe she was deceased.
Later in the day on March 1, law enforcement officials announced Soto’s body had been found in a wooded area in Kissimmee.
Sterns’ arrest warrant identifies him as Soto’s stepfather. During an interview with detectives, Sterns allegedly said he “accidentally performed a factory reset on his phone” the same day Soto went missing. Investigators detailed in the warrant some of the sexual images they reportedly found on his phone, which involved Soto. Detectives also allegedly found some of the clothing items Soto and Sterns were seen wearing in the photos and videos.
According to WKMG-TV, a photo taken of Soto’s body at the scene was reportedly shared on Osceola County Sheriff Marcos Lopez’s official Instagram account with the caption, “Great day with our seniors.”
A spokesperson for the sheriff’s office said in a statement to WKMG, “Earlier today a post was made on social media about a community event for seniors. In the post, an investigative photo was accidentally included. The photo was immediately removed. We deeply apologize for any confusion or disturbance this may have caused. As with any investigation, the information obtained is confidential and any mistaken disclosures will be immediately rectified.”
State’s Attorney for the Ninth Judicial District Andrew Bain said he was “deeply disturbed” about the photo leak.
Sterns was transported from the Orange County Jail to the Osceola County Jail, where he is being held without bond.
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