New details in Madeline Soto's death, one year since the first report

Orlando, Fla. – – It was a year since the first report was submitted after the 12-year-old Madeline Soto disappeared and dead was found in Oscola County days later.

A year later we still learn new details about this case.

The background story:

Madeline Soto was reported to be missing in February 2024 after not published to school. Her body was found in a remote part of Oscola County five days later, officials said. According to court records, it had been strangled.

Stephan Stern was the friend of Jennifer Soto, Madeline's mother. He faces the disappearance and death of 13-year-old Madeline Soto before a first-degree murder accusation and the death penalty.

The parents of Sterns help with the search for Maddie

New details:

According to the report, the North Port police said when they arrived in the House of Stephan Stern's parents, the mother of Stern's mother is near the house near the house, who called Maddies name.

The K-9 search for vehicle provides evidence

What we know:

The Orange County's office had found the surveillance video that they believed that they showed Maddie in the morning that it was reported in the front seat of Stern's car as missing.

New details:

Fox 35 learned from newly published documents that a K-9 search was carried out in Stern's vehicle.

During the search, the K-9 was made aware of chemicals that were found specifically when human bodies decompose.

The story of Sterns changes

What we know:

Stephan Stern told the police that he had put Maddie off at school when she had disappeared and then went to a smoke business.

Officer: “After you have left it, did you go directly to the Smoke shop? “

Hecks: “I went straight to the Smoke Shop. “

In a new interview that was published at FOX 35, however, he changes his story.

New details:

In this newly published interview, Sterns tells the police that Maddie slept in the car seat of the car when he went to the Vape Shop.

OFFICER: “How was she in the front seat? “

Hecks: “Lean back in the seat. Only somehow a nap clamped out. ”

Officer: “Where was your head about the seat? “

Hecks: “Against the seat. I think about it. “

Officer: “This was the seat. Leaning back or space. ”

Hecks: “Leaned back and she leaned back so that she could lean back. “

Latest updates:

Who is Stephan Stern?

What we know:

Stephan Stern was the friend of Jennifer Soto, Madeline's mother.

According to court documents and law enforcement agencies, Stern lived on and out and out with Jennifer, Madeline and another roommate. Sometimes he brought Madeline Soto to school and sometimes slept in the same bed as Madeline and Jennifer, according to court files.

In February 2024 he reported Madeline Soto to school, while the girl's mother stayed in the house again. Hours later, when Madeline's mother picked her up from school, she was told that Madeline never made it to school that day.

Stern is charged with the first degree murder of the girl's death. In a separate case, he is also charged with around 60 cases of sexual abuse and possession of sexual abuse of children after thousands of graphic photos, some including Maddie, found on his cell phone and stored on a Google Drive account, according to court files.

He has not guilty of these charges.

His trial against the first degree murder debt is currently to begin on September 22, 2025.

Who is Maddie Soto?

What we know:

Madeline “Maddie” Soto was a 13-year-old girl who was reported as missing on February 26, 2024. Maddie had just celebrated her 13th birthday on February 22nd, days before she was reported missing.

Madeline was a student on Hunter's Creek Middle School in Orlando. However, she lived with her mother, Hecks and an adult roommate in Kissimmee.

Her body was found on March 1st in a grass area in Oscola County.

Timetable:

2024:

• Sunday, February 25: Madeline Sotos 13th birthday party
• Monday, February 26: Madeline Soto was last seen at 8:30 a.m. and did not make it to school
• Tuesday, February 27: Madeline Sotos missing poster was published. Officials start with the search
• Tuesday evening, February 27: Madeline Soto's mother Jenn Soto speaks to Fox 35; Potential suspect appears in the background
• Wednesday afternoon, February 28: The Sheriff of Orange County, John Mina, is organizing a press conference on the ongoing search
• Wednesday evening, February 28: Mama's friend Stephan Stern because of non -related indictment
• Thursday, February 29: Kissimmee Police Department publishes the arrest of Stephan Stern's affidavit
• Thursday, February 29: Body Language Expert evaluates Stephan Stern's body language in a zoom interview with Jenn Soto
• Friday morning, March 1: Stephan Stern evades questions from FOX 35 while being transferred from Orange County to Oscola County
• Friday afternoon, March 1: Officials say they are “confident” that Madeline is Soto dead
• Friday afternoon, March 1: Multi-agency search for Madeline Soto near the area, in which Stephen Stern was last seen
• Friday afternoon, March 1: Corporate found in the search for Madeline Soto

After Maddie's body was found:

• Saturday morning, March 2: Stephan Stern does without the first appearance in court
• Wednesday, March 6th: New court documents claim that Stephan Sterns had Madeline Soto years before their disappearance, death
• Tuesday, March 12: The public prosecutor's office files 60 additional charges against Stephan Stern
• Thursday, March 21: The chief of police at Kissimmee holds a press conference with updates about investigations
• Wednesday, April 4: The prosecutor Andrew Bain explains why further information was not published in Madeline Soto's death examination
• Wednesday, April 4: FOX 35 received the 911 calls from the morning 13-year-old Madeline Soto was missing by Orange County
• Saturday, April 15: Maddie Sotos family and community members gathered in a vigil on Saturday to remember the 13-year-old, the days after her report in February were reported as missing.
• Wednesday, April 24: A judge of the Oscola district submitted an application to continue the pre -judicial star.
• Wednesday, April 24: A new negotiation date was set for Stephan Stern after a judge of the Oscola district granted the defense application during a hearing for more time.
• Thursday, April 25: Stephan Stern was charged with the first degree murder of the 13-year-old girl in Florida Madeline Soto.

After Stephan Sterns was charged:

• Monday, June 10: The public prosecutor intends to apply for the death penalty against Stephan Stern.
• Wednesday, July 10: Lawyers by Stephan Stern, who was charged with murder on 13-year-old Madeline Soto, have submitted applications to continue both legal proceedings.
• Thursday, August 22: New police interviews with Stephan Sterns, Jennifer Soto, have become “missing” from hours after the teenager
• Friday, August 23: New documents from FOX 35 this week show that the mother of the teenager may have known about this alleged abuse.
• Monday, August 26: Madeline Soto's mother admits that you know that Stephan Sterns “used and abused” her daughter, as documents show.
• Monday, August 26: New documents illuminate how Madeline Sotos came to the rural place where it was finally found, and ultimately how she died.
• Monday, October 14: The hearing date for Stephan Sterns
• Wednesday, October 23: The Kissimmee police unveiled new information in the ongoing investigations. The alleged murderer Stephan Stern secretly shot naked roommates, say officials.
• Friday, October 25th: “I didn't start” these are the words that Stephen Sterns in his parents in a recorded call from prison, Audio, who was published on Fox 35 Orlando.

2025:

• Thursday, February 6th: Stephan Stern and his lawyer hire dozens of applications before his murder process, which should begin in September. Ask to go on strike the death penalty and remove all physical retention devices from rear acids during the court proceedings.
• Wednesday, February 12: Stephan Sterns wants telephone evidence to be thrown in children's crimes before the procedure for sexual crimes.
• Wednesday, February 19: Stephan Stern asks the judge to prohibit the public, press the press before court hearing.
• Wednesday, February 26: Remembered the 13-year-old a year later; accused killer preparations for legal proceedings.

Madeline Soto disappears