Madeline Soto’s death: What is known about the case that has shaken Florida

• Madeline Soto’s murder has shaken the country.
• There are still many unanswered questions.
• What happened?

A child should not have to worry about anything in this life other than being happy.

A few weeks ago, news broke that a 13-year-old girl named Madeline Soto had disappeared.

You might also be interested in: Was an autopsy performed on Madeline Soto?

Tragically, her body was found in a wooded area on Friday, March 1, in Osceola County, Florida.

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According to Univisión, Madeline Soto’s mother went to pick her up from school shortly after four in the afternoon.

However, school staff told Jennifer Soto that her daughter had not arrived at school that day.

Meanwhile, the Orange County sheriff John Mina reported that there was security video footage of the girl in the suspect’s car.

«We believe she was already dead at that time, and that Stephan Sterns moved her body in the early hours of that morning,» he said.

What we know about Madeline Soto’s murder

As the days passed, more details of Madeline Soto’s murder were revealed.

On the day of her disappearance, Sterns was seen discarding the girl’s backpack and computer in a dumpster.

It is worth noting that Stephan Sterns was her mother’s boyfriend and was charged with sexual abuse and possession of child sexual abuse material.

At this point, the exact cause of her death and how long she had been deceased when her remains were found are still unknown.

Was she abused by her mother’s boyfriend?

But this tragedy does not end here, as there are more details about Madeline Soto’s murder.

According to court documents, she may have been abused by her mother’s boyfriend, starting when she was 11 years old.

Police found information about this on Stephan Sterns’ phone.

Sterns had attempted to delete the material but was unsuccessful.

Saying goodbye to Madeline Soto

According to Univisión, a mass was organized for Madeline Soto and was attended by her loved ones.

One of them, Joseph Andrade, revealed that she confided in him that her mother’s boyfriend was very mean to her. This was in 2022.

Her mother, Jennifer Soto, claims she last saw her daughter when her boyfriend took her to school.

However, police believe he returned to the complex with her body in his car later that morning.

‘My thoughts and prayers are with Maddie’s family’

According to The Independent, Jennifer Soto is not a suspect in this crime… at least for now.

Meanwhile, the superintendent of Orange County Public Schools in Florida paid tribute to the student.

«To lose a child so suddenly and tragically is extremely difficult, especially for family and friends.,» said Dr. María Vázquez.

Sheriff Marcos López was criticized for accidentally sharing a photo of the crime scene on social media, which he later deleted.