Stephen Sterns is a killer from Florida who would plead guilty to the murder of Madeline Soto
According to court documents Stephen Sterns would sexually abuse Madeline Soto over several years, the accusations were proven by phone calls. When Madeline Soto went missing in 2024, a day before her thirteenth birthday, he immediately became the main suspect. At the time of the sexual assaults Sterns was the boyfriends of Madeline’s mother
Police believe that he killed the twelve year old girl and disposed of her body somewhere along Osceola County in Kissimmee Florida
Stephens Sterns would be ultimately arrested and charged with over sixty counts related to the sexual abuse and murder of Madeline Soto. At the last minute Sterns would plead guilty to a number of charges to avoid the death penalty. He will now serve life in prison without parole
Stephen Sterns Case
Stephan Sterns is scheduled to appear in court Monday in Osceola County, where he is expected to plead guilty to the murder and rape of 13-year-old Madeline Soto, potentially avoiding the death penalty if the judge accepts his plea.
Sterns was initially set to go on trial Tuesday, facing 60 charges related to the sexual abuse of Madeline, which allegedly occurred over several years and was recorded on his phone.
Investigators discovered these videos while searching for Madeline after she disappeared in 2024, a day after her 13th birthday party.
Sterns, who was the boyfriend of Madeline’s mother, is believed by Kissimmee police to have killed Madeline and disposed of her body along a road in Osceola County.
Prosecutors had planned to use a conviction in the sex abuse case to argue for the death penalty in the separate murder case.
WESH 2’s legal analyst David Haas said, “Do I think this could have likely resulted in a death sentence? Yes, absolutely just given the sort of heinous nature of the offense that was committed, I think it’s something the prosecutors could have received.”
Sterns is expected to plead guilty in both the sex abuse and murder cases today.
The judge will also hear from Madeline’s family members, who could include her mother, father, or other relatives.
However, there is a possibility that the judge could reject the plea, which would result in Sterns going on trial tomorrow for the sex abuse charges.
The hearing is set to begin at 1:30 p.m.
https://www.wesh.com/article/stephan-sterns-to-plead-guilty-rape-murder-of-madeline-soto/65462095
Stephen Sterns News
The man accused of raping and murdering 13-year-old Madeline Soto is expected to enter a new plea Monday afternoon in court.
Stephan Sterns has previously pleaded not guilty to raping and murdering Soto, who was the daughter of Sterns’ former girlfriend. While searching for the girl, investigators said they uncovered images on Sterns’ phone and Google Drive that showed him raping the teen.
He was expected to go on trial this week in the sexual battery case, but with the plea hearing, Sterns could accept guilt or plead no contest to both of the cases he is facing. This includes the capital murder case, and with a change of plea, Sterns could avoid the death penalty.
Soto was reported missing on Feb. 26, 2024, when she didn’t show up to Hunter’s Creek Middle School. Law enforcement later found her body on March 1, 2024, in the woods along Hickory Tree Road near St. Cloud.
Authorities believe Soto was sexually molested, strangled, and dumped in a wooded area by Stephen Sterns
Investigators said Stephen Sterns had been caught on surveillance cameras throwing items into a dumpster at a Kissimmee apartment complex the morning Soto went missing. Soto’s backpack and school-issued laptop were later found in that same dumpster.
At some point during the day, Sterns told Soto’s mother that he had factory reset his phone while trying to update it.
Despite Stephen Stern’s factory-resetting his phone, detectives said they were able to find child pornography and evidence that Sterns had been sexually abusing Soto as far back as 2022.
Trial attorney Eben Self, who is not involved in the case, explained that Stephen Sterns could either plead guilty or no contest in both cases.
https://www.wesh.com/article/stephan-sterns-to-plead-guilty-rape-murder-of-madeline-soto/65462095
OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. – The man accused of raping and murdering 13-year-old Madeline Soto is expected to enter a new plea Monday afternoon in court.
Stephan Sterns has previously pleaded not guilty to raping and murdering Soto, who was the daughter of Sterns’ former girlfriend. While searching for the girl, investigators said they uncovered images on Sterns’ phone and Google Drive that showed him raping the teen.
He was expected to go on trial this week in the sexual battery case, but with the plea hearing, Stephen Sterns could accept guilt or plead no contest to both of the cases he is facing. This includes the capital murder case, and with a change of plea, Sterns could avoid the death penalty.
Soto was reported missing on Feb. 26, 2024, when she didn’t show up to Hunter’s Creek Middle School. Law enforcement later found her body on March 1, 2024, in the woods along Hickory Tree Road near St. Cloud.
Authorities believe Soto was sexually molested, strangled, and dumped in a wooded area by Sterns.
Investigators said Stephen Sterns had been caught on surveillance cameras throwing items into a dumpster at a Kissimmee apartment complex the morning Soto went missing. Soto’s backpack and school-issued laptop were later found in that same dumpster.
At some point during the day, Stephen Sterns told Soto’s mother that he had factory reset his phone while trying to update it.
Despite Stephen Stern’s factory-resetting his phone, detectives said they were able to find child pornography and evidence that Sterns had been sexually abusing Soto as far back as 2022.
Trial attorney Eben Self, who is not involved in the case, explained that Sterns could either plead guilty or no contest in both cases.
“Let’s say the agreement is life in prison without the possibility of parole. Then that would clearly be a reflection of a plea bargain. And it isn’t necessarily a sign of weakness by this state attorney’s office. There’s a lot of reasons why defendants get offered life without the possibility of parole rather than the death penalty,” he said.
Prosecutors had announced plans to seek the death penalty for Stephen Sterns during his murder trial, which was scheduled for later this year.
Neither the defense of prosecution has said if a plea deal has been reached.
Monday’s hearing is set for 1:30 p.m. News 6 will stream it live at the top of this story and YouTube
