Authorities have released the cause of death for 13-year-old Madeline Soto, whose disappearance prompted the arrest of her mother’s boyfriend earlier this year.
Soto was found dead in a wooded area on March 1, days after she was reported missing on Feb. 26, from her Kissimmee, Fla., home, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office previously said.
A medical examiner has now ruled the manner of her death as homicide and determined she died as a result of strangulation, FOX 35 Orlando, WESH and Click Orlando report.
Before her body was found and while investigating her disappearance, police arrested her mother’s boyfriend Stephan Sterns, 37, on charges of sexual battery and possession of child sexual abuse material, the sheriff’s office said.
He was not facing these charges in connection with the teenager’s disappearance, but police said they considered him a prime suspect in the case.
Orange County jail
In April, Sterns was charged with first-degree murder in connection with Soto’s death, Osceola County authorities announced. Investigators “found several disturbing pictures and videos” which led to 60 charges including capital sexual battery, lewd or lascivious molestation and possession of child pornography, the State Attorney’s Office said in a statement.
The sheriff’s office said they had evidence indicating Soto “was never dropped off near her school” on the morning of Feb. 26, as shared on X (formerly Twitter). Sterns was the last person to be seen with her.
On the night before she disappeared, Soto’s mother allegedly sent her to sleep with Sterns because the mother needed to rest after returning home late from work, she told authorities, according to a “supplemental case report” cited by WESH.
The next morning, Sterns was seen in video discarding items in a trashcan in the apartment complex where he lived with Soto and her mother, investigators said, per WESH. Authorities later recovered the child’s backpack and laptop from the trashcan.
About an hour later, Sterns was seen with Soto in the car and the sheriff’s office believes the teen was already dead at the time, per WESH.
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Sterns is accused of sexually abusing Soto and recording his abuse on video, authorities alleged, per the Orlando Sentinel, WESH and Click Orlando. His alleged abuse has been traced as far back as to 2022 when Soto was 11, per authorities.
Sterns has pleaded not guilty to all 60 charges, per Click Orlando and the Osceola News-Gazette.
If you or someone you know has been a victim of sexual abuse, text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.
If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
