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One year since Maddie Soto's disappearance
Today marks one year since Maddie Soto first went missing. The 13-year-old's body was found days later in St. Cloud on March 1. Tributes continue to pour in for the young girl, including a special honor from the City of St. Cloud, who plans to gift a bench in her memory at Lakefront Park.
OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. - Today marks one year since 13-year-old Maddie Soto first went missing in Florida. The teen's body was found only days later on March 1, 2024.
Tributes from across the community are continuing to pour in for the young girl, including a special honor from the City of St. Cloud, who plans to gift a bench in her memory at Lakefront Park.
Stephan Sterns, Maddie’s biological mom’s boyfriend, is accused of killing her.
Sterns is also facing sex crime charges for allegedly abusing Maddie for years. Sterns was arrested on 60 counts of sexual-related crimes, including sexual battery, molestation and possession of child sex abuse material, after voluntarily turning his phone over to law enforcement.
‘A beautiful, courageous, selfless individual’
What they're saying:
Maddie would have just recently turned 14 years old.
Madeline Soto, 13, was reported missing on Feb. 26, 2024, in Orange County, Florida.
On Saturday, community members flocked to Lakefront Park to honor her memory with songs, poems and kind words.
A wall of plush toys was also left behind, because Maddie loved stuffed animals.
"I want Maddie to be remembered as a beautiful, courageous, selfless individual who wanted to be accepted and loved," said Jenny Esquivel, the organizer of the memorial.
Esquivel is a community advocate who has been pushing to make changes this legislative session in honor of Maddie.
"The legacy that she left for us to carry has to do with righting the wrongs that contributed to not only her loss but the loss of children being placed in harm's way at a continuum," said Esquivel.
Maddie’s stepmother’s sister was at the memorial. She said she and Maddie were close and grieved her loss on this somber anniversary.
"I reiterate to you all to be the voice of those who have been silenced and are too weak to speak up," said Terasina Niles, Maddie’s step-aunt on her paternal side. "If you see something, please say something, because time is of the essence and can be unforgiving. … Just when I thought humanity was slipping away, you all proved me wrong."
What happened to Maddie Soto?
The backstory:
Maddie was a student at Hunter's Creek Middle School in Orlando.
She was reported missing on Feb. 26, 2024, after her mother, Jennifer Soto, went to pick her up from school and was told that her daughter was not in class that day.
Investigators found her body four days later in a wooded area off Old Hickory Tree Road in rural Osceola County. The area was where Sterns was last seen possibly changing a flat tire, wearing clothing similar to what she was last seen in.
Documents citing a summary of the medical examiner's report listed Maddie's cause of death as strangulation and the manner as homicide.
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Madeline Soto's body found in woods after 5-day search
The body of 13-year-old Madeline Soto has been found after police have been searching for her for five days. The teen's mother's boyfriend, Stephan Sterns is the prime suspect in the homicide case.
Who is Stephen Sterns?
What's next:
The sexual abuse trial for Sterns is set to start in May. The murder trial is slated for September.
Sterns and his attorneys have filed dozens of motions as both the state and defense prepare for the murder trial, including requests to remove the death penalty as an option, allow him to be unshackled during hearings and trial, and permit him to use a real pen during trial.
Sterns' next court date is for March 20, which concerns a motion to close pre-trial hearings. The motion, obtained through court documentation, states that the spread of information presented in the hearings would prevent Sterns from receiving a fair trial.
Stephan Sterns was arrested and booked into the Orange County jail on charges of sexual battery and possession of child sexual abuse material after detectives found "disturbing" images on his phone, the Orange County Sheriff's Office said.
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The Source: This story was written based on information gathered from previous reporting, as well as information shared by the Osceola County Sheriff's Office.