Found Deceased FL - Madeline Soto, 13, Missing Child Alert, 13500 blk Town Loop Blvd, Orlando, 26 Feb 2024 *arrest* #2

[Sjöberg]

Thank you for the recap, @photographer4

I took some IMO more interesting bits out from the long list:

- woke up 4:30-5pm every day.

Could be just an early bird, could indicate some drugs he is taking, could indicate a mental condition he has.
But for sure it makes it notably more likely that something happened very early in the morning, not very late in the night as I initially assumed.

- SS told her mom took a lot of medication for a lot of mental health things.

EDIT: So he is talking about the victims, Madeline's mum, who has been referred to as "Jess"? That could indicate a gaslighting-type manipulation and similar (oh she is so crazy) from SS and also that Madeline might not have wanted to "burden" her mother with any worries she might have had or how her mum might have missed some warning signs even more easily.

- Grey clarifies - 3 years ago, he was living with parents when they met. A year later, he was living with Jen (mom). And then they were together for about 6 months and broke up. He then was STILL living with Jen in a guest room. He moved back to his parent's place about 3/4 months ago.

This could be simply that she needs money and he needs a place to stay, but tbh I am getting some DV-style manipulative and on-again-off-again vibes.

- He wouldn't eat - saw him eat once, he had pizza that one time.

Similarly, this could indicate the drugs he takes or a mental condition he has.
Short sleep and lack of eating are common in manic episodes, that can present for example either as an idiopathic primary condition, or as a cannabis-induced and possibly chronic condition (repeated episodes) or as a part of a bipolar disorder, among many other things.
These symptoms can also often present due to bupropion use (used for depression and smoking cessation, among other things), aderall use (that Frank mentioned, used mostly for ADHD), and some other drugs similar to these.

 

[SMK777]

Why throw away backpack etc. Why not pack it with clothes n leave it next to MS to underline she ran away theory . .I'm no Agatha Christie but I feel this is an important point ...like in italics ...this was only necessary because mom didnt know what was going and was in the house that morning?

Good observation.

 

[MassGuy]

Why throw away backpack etc. Why not pack it with clothes n leave it next to MS to underline she ran away theory . .I'm no Agatha Christie but I feel this is an important point ...like in italics ...this was only necessary because mom didnt know what was going and was in the house that morning?

I agree, this looks a hell of a lot cleaner if mom was directly involved in a coverup. There would be more staging, and less sign of a rushed and panicked coverup.

 

[lightofmine99]

- SS told her mom took a lot of medication for a lot of mental health things.

So SS took a lot of medication, or Maddy's mom took a lot of meds? The wording is a bit confusing, just want to clarify.

If so, most likely a benzo like Xanax or Klonopin.

 

[MassGuy]

So SS took a lot of medication, or Maddy's mom took a lot of meds? The wording is a bit confusing, just want to clarify.

If so, most likely a benzo like Xanax or Klonopin.

Allegedly it was the mom who took medication for mental health issues. This could very explain her affect during those interviews, which confused a lot of people.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

 

[Megnut]

Was he even working?

I feel like he labored to pull on the mom's heart strings.

She might have felt beholden because he seemed close to her daughter, never suspecting. Probably felt like he was a caring father figure.

I do not envy her the long, hard road ahead. To have been used by a man to gain access to your child, that's an ugly truth to face all at once. Knee crumbling.

JMO

 

[Sjöberg]

So SS took a lot of medication, or Maddy's mom took a lot of meds? The wording is a bit confusing, just want to clarify.

Oh, I read it as "SS told that his mum took a lot of meds". So 3 options here!
EDIT: Re-read it, is says "her mum", so I guess it is Maddies mum (and just happened to be mentioned close to him living with his mum). I have edited my previous post accordingly, too.

 

[IzzyBlanche]

I listened to it and Frank definitely says it was Madeline's mom taking the medications.

 

[Skigh]

I listened to it and Frank definitely says it was Madeline's mom taking the medications.

But Frank only knows because SS told him. I imagine that SS could have ulterior motives .

 

[SMK777]

To have been used by a man to gain access to your child, that's an ugly truth to face all at once. Knee crumbling.

And it’s made even worse because he murdered the child. More than any one person should have to bear.

 

[arielilane]

Suspect in Madeline Soto’s death sexually abused her for nearly two years, records show https://trib.al/0TQaHrt


Stephan Sterns, the prime suspect in 13-year-old Madeline Soto’s death, had been sexually abusing the girl for nearly two years, according to video and photographs discovered by Kissimmee police investigators looking into her disappearance.

Suspect in Madeline Soto’s death sexually abused her for nearly two years, records show

Stephan Sterns has been jailed for sexual battery but is not yet charged in her murder.

www.orlandosentinel.com

 

[IzzyBlanche]

But Frank only knows because SS told him. I imagine that SS could have ulterior motives .

Oh I agree. I was just interpreting.

 

[arielilane]

Was it ever confirmed that SS employed by Disney? TIA

 

[Megnut]

I want to say this -- the mom made an effort to get MS evaluated, once possibly twice, iirc. That's dialed in. Knew MS was perhaps struggling but didn't know why. And how could she? Single Mother's (unwritten) Handbook -- never leave your daughter alone with your boyfriend/SO. She may have believed she had done that. She was home, he only took her to/from school, trust grown over time, unaware of what was already happening.

She has to feel completely gutted, for how he used her, gained her trust.

In that interview, I think she was actively, genuinely worried for MS, for what happened after the church.

I imagine the world stopped spinning when LE notified her, first that MS's remains had been found and second, that they had some cctv videos to show her.

Perhaps his vehicle driving past the church without stopping.

Him, throwing away her backpack.

Stomach drop. Her life will never be the same.

JMO

 

[MassGuy]

Was it ever confirmed that SS employed by Disney? TIA

No confirmation. I did see a statement where Disney was asked something to the effect of did he currently work there, and did he ever work there? They only answered the former, which I found incredibly telling. To me, that's a confirmation.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

Suspect in Madeline Soto’s death sexually abused her for nearly two years, records show https://trib.al/0TQaHrt

View attachment 488154
Stephan Sterns, the prime suspect in 13-year-old Madeline Soto’s death, had been sexually abusing the girl for nearly two years, according to video and photographs discovered by Kissimmee police investigators looking into her disappearance.

Suspect in Madeline Soto’s death sexually abused her for nearly two years, records show

Stephan Sterns has been jailed for sexual battery but is not yet charged in her murder.

www.orlandosentinel.com

Oh man, I hate hearing that. So he could have started when she was 10. Omg, she was a baby. <modsnip>

 

[Forest_Wood]

I agree, she was simply parroting what she'd been told by her partner about the morning's events. regrettably she used the word we first then later clarified. I am not suggesting she did so for any other reason than she thought of she and SS as a unit, a partnership, and therefore used the term we rather than he.

Well, except I noticed her verbal communication skills were quite good. So it stands out that she would know the difference between pronouns. To me, it sounds like she was trying to make it sound like they both dropped Madeline off. Otherwise, why not specify from the beginning that it was just him dropping her off? Why cover that up by using the word "we". Then suddenly, she corrects herself, saying, well, it was my boyfriend who dropped her off. So, that shows she had awareness that saying "we" was not accurate. And on top of that, we now have the recent friend (Frank) stating they were not an actual couple any more, and he was not even living with her, so far as what SS told his friend anyway. But she called him her partner and boyfriend. A lot of discrepancies unfortunately. I would think she'd want to be forthcoming of the true facts from the very beginning so as to find Madeline as quickly as possible. All together, it seemed as if she was misleading the interviewer. Why might that be? MOO.

 

[daybreaking]

If people want to ban stuff, ban stepdads living with non-biological kids.

My mind keeps coming back to this.

It would be relatively inexpensive to set up a program for schools with something anodyne like draw your family, draw your household, etc., to screen for minors living with unrelated males, and give them an age-appropriate comic book about why bad touches aren't OK even if they're 'family'.

Give mothers getting WIC a similar comic about the prevalence of child abuse with unrelated men living with them, just like they used to give out decades ago detailing proper nutrition. Maybe warn about boyfriends seeming to have 'special bonds' with the kid.

It won't help every child, but might get a few more parents to pay attention to who they're choosing to let into their lives.

 

[Eli9]

Thank you for the recap, @photographer4

I took some IMO more interesting bits out from the long list:


Could be just an early bird, could indicate some drugs he is taking, could indicate a mental condition he has.
But for sure it makes it notably more likely that something happened very early in the morning, not very late in the night as I initially assumed.

EDIT: So he is talking about the victims, Madeline's mum, who has been referred to as "Jess"? That could indicate a gaslighting-type manipulation and similar (oh she is so crazy) from SS and also that Madeline might not have wanted to "burden" her mother with any worries she might have had or how her mum might have missed some warning signs even more easily.

This could be simply that she needs money and he needs a place to stay, but tbh I am getting some DV-style manipulative and on-again-off-again vibes.

Similarly, this could indicate the drugs he takes or a mental condition he has.
Short sleep and lack of eating are common in manic episodes, that can present for example either as an idiopathic primary condition, or as a cannabis-induced and possibly chronic condition (repeated episodes) or as a part of a bipolar disorder, among many other things.
These symptoms can also often present due to bupropion use (used for depression and smoking cessation, among other things), aderall use (that Frank mentioned, used mostly for ADHD), and some other drugs similar to these.

Just noting Madeline's mom is Jenn.
I echo those wondering about SS's most recent employment.