Found Deceased FL - Madeline Soto, 13, Missing Child Alert, 13500 blk Town Loop Blvd, Orlando, 26 Feb 2024 *arrest* #5

[imstilla.grandma]

“No matter what, he’s not getting out of jail,” professor of forensic studies at Florida Gulf Coast University David Thomas said.

“Originally, I knew they charged him with one or two charges in the very beginning, and that’s fine because they got him off the phone. Now what they’ve done is a complete forensic analysis and recorded almost every incident that he had,” Thomas told WESH.

‘He’s not getting out of jail’: Suspect in Madeline Soto case could face death penalty or life in prison, expert says

An expert weighed in after the man who’s considered the “prime suspect” in the disappearance and murder of 13-year-old Madeline Soto was charged with 60 additional sex crimes, say…

www.wfla.com

"Capitol felonies means that he’ll be in prison for life and there’s no doubt in my mind they have the evidence to secure, to make those charges to support that," Thomas said.

"Give law enforcement, give the medical examiner’s office the opportunity to do their job because it takes time to do a great forensics analysis,” Thomas said. "They want to make sure justice is served, and it's served properly."

Suspect in Madeline Soto case will face life in prison or death penalty, expert says

Stephan Sterns still faces no murder charges in the Madeline Soto case, but an expert says "he's not getting out of jail."

www.wesh.com

 

[Sillybilly]

View attachment 490940

The Soto Family Dynamic: Where is Madeline Soto's Biological Father?

Experts discuss the family dynamic Madeline Soto had to deal with, from not having her father around to living with her alleged abuser.

www.courttv.com

Court TV is an approved source, so we will allow what they have to say about Madeline's bio dad AS LONG AS members don't take up sleuthing him or trashing him.

 

[Beekarina]

It helped to learn from the Court TV link how MS was born shortly before (a couple of months) her biological father married her stepmother.

I wonder if this partly explains JS referring to SS as MS' "stepfather" even though there is no indication JS and SS were ever married? JMO, but I do not consider this a slip of the tongue. I consider it a lie, and a strange thing to say especially considering SS moved in and out of the home. Maybe if SS & JS were engaged and had lived together the entire 8 years(?) they were together it might make more sense. Again, JMO, but MS did not have a stepfather. She had a mother, a father, and a stepmother...and then whatever SS is besides a nasty piece of crap.

 

[ttjo]

It helped to learn from the Court TV link how MS was born shortly before (a couple of months) her biological father married her stepmother.

I wonder if this partly explains JS referring to SS as MS' "stepfather" even though there is no indication JS and SS were ever married? JMO, but I do not consider this a slip of the tongue. I consider it a lie, and a strange thing to say especially considering SS moved in and out of the home. Maybe if SS & JS were engaged and had lived together the entire 8 years(?) they were together it might make more sense. Again, JMO, but MS did not have a stepfather. She had a mother, a father, and a stepmother...and then whatever SS is besides a nasty piece of crap.

IDK, does "stepfather" sound like a more involved person, played a bigger role than a "partner" perhaps said to justify why he was the one to drive her to school? I also wonder if she started off saying stepfather and then reduced it down to BF/partner. (Maybe it means nothing, I'm grasping at straws now)

 

[certainprocedure]

It helped to learn from the Court TV link how MS was born shortly before (a couple of months) her biological father married her stepmother.

I wonder if this partly explains JS referring to SS as MS' "stepfather" even though there is no indication JS and SS were ever married? JMO, but I do not consider this a slip of the tongue. I consider it a lie, and a strange thing to say especially considering SS moved in and out of the home. Maybe if SS & JS were engaged and had lived together the entire 8 years(?) they were together it might make more sense. Again, JMO, but MS did not have a stepfather. She had a mother, a father, and a stepmother...and then whatever SS is besides a nasty piece of crap.

Yes! And what’s interesting to me about it is that it doesn’t seem like anybody else ever referred to SS as MS’s stepfather. As far as I know, JS never actually said anything of the kind herself (and of course, there’s every chance that LE was paraphrasing the overall situation as opposed to directly quoting JS in the missing persons case notes and the probable cause affidavit). While the extended family has been very quiet, there is the ring video with the grandmother and I don’t believe she said anything of the kind either.

I could understand using “stepfather“ as shorthand if JS and SS were in a long-term committed relationship with truly and fully intertwined lives, but that clearly wasn’t the actual case. And from what little we actually know at the moment, he hadn’t even lived in the condo for months.

So weird.

 

[Ontario Mom]

IDK, does "stepfather" sound like a more involved person, played a bigger role than a "partner" perhaps said to justify why he was the one to drive her to school? I also wonder if she started off saying stepfather and then reduced it down to BF/partner. (Maybe it means nothing, I'm grasping at straws now)

The impression I got was that he did function in the role of step-father, and was likely thought of that way by JS, but after the on-again/off-again relationship status that title may have been replaced with partner, depending on how things were going.

This happens with people I know, and they're not lying about who the person is to them and to their kids. The person's title and what role they're filling in the person's life just changes depending on the relationship.

jmo

 

[Beekarina]

IDK, does "stepfather" sound like a more involved person, played a bigger role than a "partner" perhaps said to justify why he was the one to drive her to school? I also wonder if she started off saying stepfather and then reduced it down to BF/partner. (Maybe it means nothing, I'm grasping at straws now)

Yes, and it is confusing as the statements refer to SS as step father and JS said partner in her interview? Maybe it was SS who identified himself as MS' step father?

I think Court Tv gave the suggestion of the role SS may have played, or tried to play in the household....but then MS' grandmother said JS was the one who brought MS to school, and also JS herself said MS would "always come home with me" when explaining MS probably did not know her own address.

It is all very murky, and I think it was an interesting topic to explore--i.e. we know SS & MS had some kind of "close" relationship in addition to the awful SA, but we don't really know the nature of it. From the limited Reddit posts I saw, SS was somewhat deferring to JS as the parent, I felt--i.e.explaining how JS went through the social media during the "Roblox" incident. It seemed to me, and I may be mistaken as I didn't do a very deep dive into his crap lol, that SS was more of a "friend", playing with toys and things with MS. (gag)

SS drove past the school though too, right? Makes me wonder if in addition to being on the cameras, anyone would have known the car he was driving? Like Court TV asked, did teachers know SS? I'm going to assume some of the other kids knew him as we learned from GH vids SS was at the birthday party and a couple of kids were there.

Partner also sounds more serious to me than calling someone your boyfriend. Although if we believe the GH caller Frank, who was SS' current friend, SS & JS were not even together. All extremely weird, IMO.

 

[SleutherGirl]

Now granted I am an adult, but I consider my father's girlfriend my "step-mother". They're not married and probably won't be married but they are committed to each other. Words are wierd and they can mean different things to different people. It would be interesting to know what Maddy herself called him, whether that be by his first name, by his last name, by step-father etc.

 

[Beekarina]

The impression I got was that he did function in the role of step-father, and was likely thought of that way by JS, but after the on-again/off-again relationship status that title may have been replaced with partner, depending on how things were going.

This happens with people I know, and they're not lying about who the person is to them and to their kids. The person's title and what role they're filling in the person's life just changes depending on the relationship.

jmo

So they would refer to someone they're dating as their husband or wife?

That is so weird! I've only known a couple of people who did this and they were engaged. I still thought it was odd, since they technically were not married--yet--but at least there was a context.

Edited to add: and the slipping back and forth (?) must be really confusing for kids, if an adult has more power/parental authority and then they don't? If something like this was going on with MS, it might be easier to control her, I guess. I was thinking maybe JS was The Parent, and SS was Mr Fun and Toys, Toys, Toys when he wasn't being abusive. (If that is even possible, which I assume it is. Those recent charges are just so infuriating!)

 

[Gemmie]

Now granted I am an adult, but I consider my father's girlfriend my "step-mother". They're not married and probably won't be married but they are committed to each other. Words are wierd and they can mean different things to different people. It would be interesting to know what Maddy herself called him, whether that be by his first name, by his last name, by step-father etc.

She probably called him something this site would censor.

 

[Mimimom]

But that begs the question - why would JS not want MoD released?

Probably because she's already getting lots of hate / blame . She wants and needs privacy.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

How did SS create and accomplish these ugly situations so freely about their 1400 sq ft house without mom noticing something that should have made her feel some kind of way? How often was Maddie left alone with him? If mom was out, did she never see any strange interactions between them upon returning? I feel like Maddie had to have a scared feeling inside herself most of the time. Scared of what was happening in her own home? Scared of SS? Scared to get pregnant? Scared her mom would find out? Scared her mom wouldn’t love her anymore? Scared SS would blackmail her with photos?

 

[ttjo]

Probably because she's already getting lots of hate / blame . She wants and needs privacy.

I get that, no matter what the cause of death is, she's gonna get heat either way. Unlikely that anyone is going to change her mind and make her feel like she needs to give anything to the public. Why would she?, what's the gain for her?, I doubt she's feeling like she'd gain any support.

 

[ttjo]

How did SS create and accomplish these ugly situations so freely about their 1400 sq ft house without mom noticing something that should have made her feel some kind of way? How often was Maddie left alone with him? If mom was out, did she never see any strange interactions between them upon returning? I feel like Maddie had to have a scared feeling inside herself most of the time. Scared of what was happening in her own home? Scared of SS? Scared to get pregnant? Scared her mom would find out? Scared her mom wouldn’t love her anymore? Scared SS would blackmail her with photos?

Confirmation Bias? Its about the only thing I can come up with.

 

[CuriousCricket]

Of course, I didn’t mean that you were stating she didn’t, sorry - it just brought the question to my mind. Like, if she isn’t giving permission to release it, why would that be?

Dealing with being in such a spotlight must be overwhelming to someone not used to it. I'd guess thinking the least amount that is out to the public, the less that can be thrown at me.

 

[CuriousCricket]

I do remember. What I heard/saw on a Youtube presser was that she was seen in the car, but law enforcement thought she was already dead, killed at home... Another odd thing is her Mother said that there was a video of Madeline walking near the park, then nothing. Very strange.

Actually, it seems Madeline's mother passed along things that were said to her. This "walking near the park" I think came from the supposed video from the church. Very early, video was found at the church where SS supposedly dropped Maddy off to walk the rest of the way to school. JS did not go to the church. Jen's sister did. She was not allowed to see the video, but was told there was a girl they thought was Maddy who sat and hung out at the church for awhile before getting up - about 9 a.m. - and walking toward the school. Something might have been said about a park and creek in that area. At first JS was reporting that as gospel, as though it was Maddy and this was what she had done, although JS's knowledge came from a sister at the church was was being told what was being found on a very grainy video that was later determined not to be Maddy.

 

[Beekarina]

I get that, no matter what the cause of death is, she's gonna get heat either way. Unlikely that anyone is going to change her mind and make her feel like she needs to give anything to the public. Why would she?, what's the gain for her?, I doubt she's feeling like she'd gain any support.

I don't personally feel JS is innocent of all knowledge and involvement, but if she is, it seems she may have also been told by an attorney not to speak out in any way or share anything as well.

I would think that would be enormously difficult as a parent. I'd want to make sure any and all info that helped SS be held fully responsible as known and I don't think I could just sit back quietly.

 

[johnlair]

I am starting to think what if she killed herself....He abused her once to often and she probably warned an he wouldn't listen or maybe messaged a friend and thats why they deleted her messages..
And the film footage on his phone showed his final abuse of her.

Then again why would he then go through all the trouble of hiding her body and that unless he physically killed her and left marking..

Am not sure....their quietness on the case raises a lot of questions.

 

[johnlair]

How did SS create and accomplish these ugly situations so freely about their 1400 sq ft house without mom noticing something that should have made her feel some kind of way? How often was Maddie left alone with him? If mom was out, did she never see any strange interactions between them upon returning? I feel like Maddie had to have a scared feeling inside herself most of the time. Scared of what was happening in her own home? Scared of SS? Scared to get pregnant? Scared her mom would find out? Scared her mom wouldn’t love her anymore? Scared SS would blackmail her with photos?

Judging by his body language in that video when he was sat behind her cracking his knuckles etc I would say she was very much a victim of his abuse too and probably won't talk openly until she is sure he is put away for a long time ...even then she may forever hold it within and blame herself because one thing abusers are very good at is making the victim blame themselves for the abuse that is happening to them. He was 6`1 ...quite an imposing height to someone her size...

Everyone always has a why didn't she? Even in local domestic violence situations ...why doesn't she report him...why doesn't she leave... Most of them people have never experenced the daily terror or reawakening ...walking on egg shells all day... The sheer anxiety to the point of dissociation qnd dizziness., and the confusion of the Love they feel for their abuser because of course it's not his fault but hers...

Nah it's not easy..

 

[Mimimom]

Everyone always has a why didn't she? Even in local domestic violence situations ...why doesn't she report him...why doesn't she leave... Most of them people have never experenced the daily terror or reawakening ...walking on egg shells all day... The sheer anxiety to the point of dissociation qnd dizziness., and the confusion of the Love they feel for their abuser because of course it's not his fault but hers...

Nah it's not easy..

Unless you've experienced it, it can be hard to understand