Found Deceased FL - Madeline Soto, 13, Missing Child Alert, 13500 blk Town Loop Blvd, Orlando, 26 Feb 2024 *arrest*

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photographer4 said:
Well, I wonder what makes them believe she was in the vehicle, visible, but deceased? How advanced is their technology? Could they have zoomed in on her and noticed no pulse at the neck? :(
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My guess is much simpler. Once police had his car, a cadaver dog alerted on it. Combined with the video of Maddie in his car, I think that is how police surmised Maddie was dead.
 
Leilei said:
Found :'(
www.wftv.com

Madeline Soto’s body found in rural Osceola County

The Orange County Sheriff’s Office said Friday evening that Madeline Soto’s body has been found. Investigators said Osceola County deputies found the missing 13-year-old girl’s body at about 4:30 p.m. in a wooded area along Hickory Tree Road.
www.wftv.com www.wftv.com
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I hadn't had a chance to watch videos yet. The news report had clips from a few days ago where it looks like the mom is comforting SS. Uuuuggggh. Gave me chills (in a bad way).
 
Noted paragraph is from the ClickOrlando article posted up thread... did the school ever call Madeline's mother on Monday to let her know that Madeline did not show up for class that day? Sorry, if this topic was already discussed, new to this case. TIA


"Madeline’s mother went to the school around 4:30 p.m. Monday to pick up her daughter and was told that she was not there and that she never came to school that day, the sheriff’s office said."
 
Teche said:
Thankfully he is a dumb criminal.
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I was just thinking this. I don't know what happened to the kid - but I do *believe* (I'm not a professional) that this is an unorganized crime scene. I feel like something happened to Madeline and someone panicked. As a result, her body was MOVED in the early morning hours (per the presser earlier today) by SS - to where? We don't know. From where? We're not told. But he doesn't seem to have planned ahead much - dumped her belongings in a dumpster at his residence (cause surely no one would think to look there ever!). He then had her somehow VISIBLE in the car (perhaps laying in the seat at a weird position etc - he's panicked. He hasn't taken time to plan this much ahead.

I think we're going to learn a lot more about his movements and what the family lived like in the years and weeks leading up to this week. :(
 
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Allabouttrial said:
TRANSCRIPTON OF INTERVIEW WITH MUM

REPORTER - Go ahead and tell us what's going on with Maddy.

MUM - Well, Monday morning we took her to school, we dropped her off close to school; across the street from a church which is very... it's right next to the school. She crossed the street and walked to school, what we thought walked to school. My boyfriend who drove her to school, drove away at that point.
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Mack the Knife said:
All from the emergency warrant request:
  • Sterns' home address is on Santa Maria Drive
  • The mother reportedly said that Sterns picked her daughter up on the morning of 2024-02-26 and dropped her off at school
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(both snipped by me)
On the residence(s) of SS and the Sotos...
It is still unclear on if Stephan Sterns lived with Jenn and Maddie, and if he did not, where each of them slept on Sunday night.

It has been said in the thread a few times recently that the Jenn said in an interview that SS picked Maddie up before dropping her off. As far as I can tell, that comes from a conflation between Jenn's TV interview with Fox 35 and the emergency warrant request. In the interview, Jenn says that "we" took Maddie to school, that her boyfriend drove Maddie to school, and that she went to pick Maddie up after school. In the emergency warrant request, the LE states that <redacted's mother> said SS picked <redacted>. It is possible that Jenn used that language, but it isn't a direct quotation, so it is also entirely possible that LE misinterpreted or was simply using imprecise language.

From all the articles I've looked at, I tend to think that they all lived together. Annoyingly, WESH2 has completely edited out the part of their article that used to say that there was an investigative team at the Venetian Bay Villages condos, but it does now say that the photos and videos taken from SS's phone allegedly "took place at the family's home in Kissimmee."
 
arielilane said:
Noted paragraph is from the ClickOrlando article posted up thread... did the school ever call Madeline's mother on Monday to let her know that Madeline did not show up for class that day? Sorry, if this topic was already discussed, new to this case. TIA


"Madeline’s mother went to the school around 4:30 p.m. Monday to pick up her daughter and was told that she was not there and that she never came to school that day, the sheriff’s office said."
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Hmm. This is the bell schedule for Maddie's school:

Bell Schedule

hunterscreekms.ocps.net hunterscreekms.ocps.net
Last bell at 4:04pm.
Her mom, "around 4:30", would be having to navigate car riders, plus the buses, plus the kids that walk home, in order to get into the parking lot and entrance to the school. Plus the faculty who are leaving to go home. It's super busy. I asked hubby (he's a teacher, but we're in GA) about visitors/parents coming into school buildings. Here, they have to be buzzed in. There is a camera at the door that you show your ID to, and then someone verifies you and buzzes you into the building.
Also, he said that, more than likely, front office folks were already packed up and leaving/left for the day.
Just something to ponder IMO.
 
photographer4 said:
He is definitely a creep and he definitely moved her body and got rid of her backpack. But so far, doesn’t mean he killed her. Accessory to murder could be his role here.
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What??? He was literally caught on camera with her body in his car! He's charged with sexually abusing Maddie and having videos/pics of it, starting a couple of years ago, and he's the main suspect in her murder!
Sorry for the exclamation points, my eyes kind of popped out of my head when I read your comment, but dang, do you really think that he's not responsible for her death?
 
I’ve been involved in several devastating cases on here but this is up there with one of the most upsetting for me.

The arrest warrant in all those details shakes me - the hurt & suffering Madeline went through I can’t even begin to comprehend.

Whilst I hoped that she just ran away in my heart of hearts I knew when they didn’t make the mother after the POIs arrest do a ‘come home Madeline you’re safe now’ press release - I knew the police had information that this monster killed her.

I’ve seen a few comments regarding the mother on here mainly due to her comments In the media interview - I reserve judgement on her at this moment as I believe at this stage she could’ve been in a DV relationship and was terrified of him - MOO

My thoughts also go to her school teachers who attempted to reach out to her via her laptop - todays news will devastate them.

I send huge love to everyone who has been apart of this case - its such a traumatic and upsetting case.

I hope they find her body soon

RIP Madeline I’m sorry that this world failed you X
 
MollyHarps said:
I’ve been involved in several devastating cases on here but this is up there with one of the most upsetting for me.

The arrest warrant in all those details shakes me - the hurt & suffering Madeline went through I can’t even begin to comprehend.

Whilst I hoped that she just ran away in my heart of hearts I knew when they didn’t make the mother after the POIs arrest do a ‘come home Madeline you’re safe now’ press release - I knew the police had information that this monster killed her.

I’ve seen a few comments regarding the mother on here mainly due to her comments In the media interview - I reserve judgement on her at this moment as I believe at this stage she could’ve been in a DV relationship and was terrified of him - MOO

My thoughts also go to her school teachers who attempted to reach out to her via her laptop - todays news will devastate them.

I send huge love to everyone who has been apart of this case - its such a traumatic and upsetting case.

I hope they find her body soon

RIP Madeline I’m sorry that this world failed you X
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I agree. I really wish I hadn’t read the arrest warrant. This is such a sad case. And to think of all the children in this world who live like this. But we never hear of them.
 
Reserving my judgement on the family, as hard as that is to do (probably character building to do it honestly). Nothing major similarities between this case and Audrii’s, as many others have raised. I do find it interesting that this question of school attendance monitoring has come up in both cases, and the sad reality in both is that the child was dead hours before it would’ve mattered, so I let that go; it varies a lot city to city, state to state. This kid never had a shot, just like Audrii. So much grief to feel about that.
 
I’ve just read the last page of this thread that Madeline’s body has been found.

I’m devastated but relieved

<modsnip>

Madeline rest in peace angel.

To my fellow websleuthers who have been a huge part of this thread take time to look after yourselves and hug your loved ones tighter tonight x
 
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