Madeline Soto: Bombshell documents reveal how Stephan Sterns might have allegedly killed teen, dumped her body

OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. - Madeline Soto's body was found on March 1 in rural Osceola County after a multi-county search by multiple law enforcement agencies that lasted several days. Now, new documents are shedding light on how the 13-year-old's body got there and, ultimately, how she died. 

The new documents from the Kissimmee Police Department were obtained by FOX 35 on Monday. 

Madeline was first reported missing on Feb. 26 after it was learned that she didn't make it to school that day. Investigators eventually determined that the 13-year-old girl had never set foot at Hunter's Creek Middle School that Monday morning, and she was dead likely hours before then. Stephan Sterns, the boyfriend of Madeline's mother, was charged in the teen's murder about two months later after already having been in custody for dozens of crimes of a sexual nature against Madeline, including sexual battery and molestation. 

In Sterns' indictment, investigators said Madeline was likely killed between Feb. 25-27. 

New documents from the Kissimmee Police Department reveal that Madeline's body was found inside a locked, fenced area in the 5600 block of Hickory Tree Road on March 1. This area is where a witness told police they saw Sterns on the side of the road with a tire iron in his hand near his "broken down vehicle" at around 1:20 p.m. on Feb. 26. 

"[The witness] stated Stephan had a scared look to him, but [the witness] thought he was upset due to the vehicle being broken down on the side of the road," the case supplemental report said. 

The teenager was wearing a green hoodie, blue jeans and white socks, which were clean on the bottom, indicating that she didn't walk anywhere, police said in the report. 

There was dried grass and hay on top of her body, investigators said. 

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"When Madeline was removed from underneath the dry grass and hay, I immediately was able to identify her by a specific mole she had on her cheek," the report continued, citing observations from a medical examiner investigator. "Madeline showed signs of decomposition to one side of her face and hands."

Investigators also said that due to the area still having been locked, and the lock not having been tampered with, Sterns "would have had to drop Madeline's body over the barbed wire fence or where the gate was" before moving her body to where it was eventually found, the report said. 

Madeline's body was transported to the Medical Examiner's Office for an autopsy. Previously, the Medical Examiner's Office said Madeline's autopsy report won't be released, citing a statute that prohibits the release of a report of a minor whose death is related to an act of domestic violence. 

The new documents, citing a summary of the medical examiner's report, listed Madeline Soto's cause of death as strangulation, and the manner as homicide. However, the medical examiner's office has not released the official autopsy report.

In the report, a doctor "expressed concern over the hyoid bone in Madeline's neck." Additionally. the doctor said it was possible that Madeline was strangled, as the right portion of the aforementioned bone "was not intact," the report added. 

The hyoid bone is the U-shaped bone in the middle of the neck that supports the tongue, according to the National Institute of Health. 

At the time, the initial outcome of the autopsy report was listed as "pending."

After police found Madeline's body, an investigator called her mother to inform her of the latest development. 

"Jennifer started to cry over the phone and handed the phone to her father to continue to the conversation," the report said. 

In a previous interview with police, Jennifer said she believed Sterns was "guilty," adding that he is a "master liar" and a "master manipulator."

Below is an excerpt from the supplemental case report:

"Jennifer states she had given Stephan the benefit of the doubt about when he told her he dropped her off at school. Jennifer said Stephan is a master liar and a master manipulator, and she had recently had this conversation with Chris, Stephan's father. Jennifer assumed law enforcement was looking into Stephan because he was the last person to see Madeline, and she wanted to believe he had nothing to do with her going missing. Jennifer said once we showed her the photographs [redacted] and that is when she realized Stephan was guilty. I asked her what she thought Stephan was [redacted]. I asked Jennifer if she thought Stephan killed Madeline and she said ‘at this point, I do.’ I asked her why she thought that and she said we showed her a photograph of Madeline slumped over in Stephan's vehicle. Jennifer said she felt like Stephan dumped her body somewhere, but she didn't know where. I pressured Jennifer on where she thought Stephan would have dumped Madeline's body, and she kept saying she didn't know. Jennifer became upset and said she would tell us if she knew because she wanted her child back." 

The new Kissimmee police documents come days after the Orange County Sheriff's Office also released new evidence amid the investigation into the teen's disappearance and death. The latter set of documents revealed that Madeline's mother, Jennifer Soto, might have known about the alleged abuse her daughter endured at the hands of Sterns. 

A detective wrote in an incident report that, based on conversations and interviews with the teen's mom, she continuously protected Sterns and, at one point, referred to "the sex stuff" as "not evil."

To be clear, Sterns is the only person charged in Madeline's death at this time. A spokesperson for the Kissimmee Police Department told FOX 35 last week that the agency doesn't have any other charges pending other than the 38-year-old. 

The investigation, however, remains open and ongoing, prosecutors and investigators said in a previous press conference, adding that additional evidence could lead to more charges at a later date.

"Everyone that was close to Madeline is considered suspect until we have proven otherwise," Kissimmee Police Chief Betty Holland said in March.

Homicide Unit Chief Will Jay continued this narrative about others possibly involved in the case at a press conference in April.

"This is not over," he said. "There is an ongoing investigation to uncover more evidence." 

The State Attorney's Office said in early June that they intend to seek the death penalty against Sterns. 

Several of Sterns' court hearings have been pushed back. As of right now, Sterns is scheduled to appear in court for a status hearing in mid-October. 

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