Body of missing Madeline Soto, 13, found in Florida after video of suspect Stephan Sterns dumping items emerged | RHS9H9W | 2024-03-02 19:08:01
A MISSING teen's body has been discovered four days after her mother's boyfriend claimed he'd dropped her off at college – however she by no means confirmed as much as class.
Madeline Soto, 13, vanished on Monday and her stays have been found in the woods in Central Florida at round four:30 pm on Friday.
"It's with a heavy coronary heart I inform everyone that as we expected, Madeline Soto is deceased," stated Chief Betty Holland of the Kissimmee Police Division.
"This can be a sad day for our group and we mourn the loss of such a younger life."
Cops had stated earlier on Friday that they believed Madeline was not alive.
Stephan Sterns, 37, the boyfriend of Madeline's mother, is considered the prime suspect within the case.
Suspicion shortly turned to Sterns as he was the final individual to see Madeline, who had just celebrated her birthday on February 22, before she vanished.
He advised police that he dropped Madeline off down the street from her faculty on Monday morning.
Family and friends stated that it was odd that he supposedly dropped her off blocks from her faculty.
"We consider she was already lifeless at the time and that Stephan Sterns moved her physique within the early morning hours on that day," Orange County Sheriff John W. Mina stated earlier on Friday.
"We've video evidence that exhibits Stephen Sterns discarding gadgets in a dumpster in that condo complicated in Kissimmee at 7:35 am on Monday, February 26.
"Detectives later recovered Madeline's backpack and her school-issued laptop computer from that dumpster. At eight:19 am, we've got proof that exhibits Stephan Sterns returning to the complicated, and Madeline was seen in that car," Mina stated.
"We consider she was already lifeless at that time."
SAD DISCOVERY
Her body was found in the space of Hickory Tree Street, the same road where Sterns was recognized to have been driving between 1 and a couple of:30 pm on the day Madeline disappeared.
Sterns was arrested on Wednesday night time after detectives found "disturbing" photographs and video on his telephone.
He's being held without bond after he was booked on costs of sexual battery and possession of child abuse supplies.
Investigators discovered that he did a manufacturing unit reset on the gadget the day that Madeline vanished.
Earlier than his arrest, he stood beside Madeline's mother as the teen was lacking and informed native reporters, "I dropped her off [at school] early, but I might have waited longer."
He appeared to have tears in his eyes as he advised native ABC affiliate WFTV, "I dropped her off, every thing appeared nice once I drove away. That's the final time we noticed her."
"She's not the sort that may just run off. We don't know the place she could possibly be and we're scared. We just want her house," he stated.
Further information about how Madeline died and additional costs towards Sterns wasn't immediately out there.
The group held a vigil for the woman on Friday night time.
The Orange County Public Faculties superintendent launched a press release after Madeline's body was discovered.
"I'm heartbroken to hear from the Orange County Sheriff's Office of the tragic dying of our valuable scholar, Madeline Soto. My thoughts and prayers go out to Maddie's family and her faculty group," stated Maria Vasquez.
"To lose a toddler so out of the blue and tragically is extraordinarily troublesome, particularly for family and pals. Counselors continue to be out there for any scholar or employees member dealing with the news.
"I ask that you simply hold all the Hunter's Creek Center Faculty group in your prayers as they grieve the loss of considered one of their own."
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