Photo and video evidence of abuse found on the suspect’s phone and hard drives led officers and the public to believe Madeline was pregnant with the abuser’s child.
Key Takeaways
- Madeline Soto’s body was found a few days after she was reported missing in February 2024.
- Her mother’s boyfriend, Stephan Sterns, is the primary suspect for the kil*ing and abuse of the 13-year-old.
- While the autopsy has not been made public, many signs hint at her being pregnant when she was mu*dered.
The case of Madeline Soto, the 13-year-old girl from Kissimmee, Florida, whose lifeless body was found on March 1, 2024, has brought significant media attention and mourning from the community.
Photo and video evidence of se*ual abuse were found on the phone of Stephan Sterns, the boyfriend of Madeline’s mother, Jennifer Soto.
Due to this discovery, Stephan Sterns is the primary suspect and is currently being held in Osceola County Jail. He is facing a total of 60 charges, including se*ual battery, mole*tation, and possession of child po*nography.
As the case develops, significant interest has gathered around the circumstances surrounding the m*rder, and many have pointed to the possibility that Madeline was pregnant with the abuser’s child.
Deputies pointed out that a possible pregnancy could have motivated Sterns to take the life of the 13-year-old.
How did Stefan think he would get away with this murder of Madeline Soto? #MadelineSoto#JusticeForMaddie 💖#JusticeForMadelineSoto pic.twitter.com/xNu3MsZPZ9
— Legal Thoughts SideBar ⚖️💜 (@LegalThoughtsSB) September 16, 2024
The autopsy of the body, which was found near Hickory Tree Road, revealed that the cause of de*th was strangulation, as evidenced by the significant damage to her hyoid bone.
However, due to a law passed in Florida only last year, the autopsy report was not released to the public due to Madeline being a minor and the case being related to domestic violence.
Following the media attention Madeline Soto’s case received, a subreddit was created dedicated to it. The subreddit aims to educate, discuss, prove answers, document, and raise valid questions.
One user on the forum created a post questioning whether Madeline could have been pregnant when she was mu*dered.
Could Madeline soto have been pregnant resulting in her being killed?
byu/Automatic-End3454 inmadelinesoto
The post was titled, “Could Madeline Soto have been pregnant resulting in her being kil*ed?” A photo of Madeline on her 13th birthday was attached.
A user replied,
She looks pregnant to me.
REDDIT
She has dark colored bags under her eyes. She didn’t have them before. This can be caused by malnutrition. A 13 year old body is not fit to carry a pregnancy just yet. I believe the dark colored bags are from vomiting & malnutrition.
I believe she’s standing like she’s pregnant. The way she holds herself. I recognize it as the stance of someone which new unfamiliar weight on their belly.
A well-documented complete timeline of the case can be viewed here.
The footage of Jennifer Soto’s (Madeline’s mother) interview was released on Wednesday (Sept. 18, 2024).
When questioned about the possibility of Jennifer being pregnant, she said that she had two pregnancy test kits at home but had not checked to see if they were still there.
Due to the autopsy report not being publicly available, many are left to speculate on the possibility of Madeline’s pregnancy, while the investigators probably already know.
However, as one Reddit user pointed out,
We will know manner of de*th when it goes to trial. Other details might come through the litigation. For example if he is charged with double homicide that would mean she was pregnant, something with controlled substances will mean she was drugged, etc. We will learn a lot, it just won’t be from the autopsy.
REDDIT
In Case You Didn’t Know
- Madeline Soto celebrated her birthday at a party hosted by her grandmother only a day before her disappearance.
- It is believed Madeline was kil*ed in Kissimmee, where her family lived in an apartment.
- Jennifer Soto claims to have been oblivious to the abuse despite allowing her boyfriend to sleep with Madeline unsupervised.
