ORANGE COUNTY, FL – A harrowing search came to a tragic end on Friday when authorities discovered the body of a missing 13-year-old girl from Central Florida. The Orange County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the teenager’s identity as Madeline Soto, who had been missing since Monday.
Osceola County Sheriff’s Office search teams located Soto’s body in an undeveloped area near Hickory Tree Road, with Kissimmee police detailing the grisly discovery that occurred around 4:30 p.m.
Sheriff Marco Lopez of Osceola County related during a conference that multiple agencies had participated in a search operation following an anonymous lead.
Forensic experts were then summoned to secure the crime scene and conduct further examination. The Kissimmee Police Department is spearheading the investigation into Soto’s unfortunate death.
Betty Holland, the Kissimmee Police Chief, extended her condolences, declaring, “It is with a heavy heart I inform everyone that as we expected, Madeline Soto is deceased.”
Earlier in the week, intensive search efforts were launched for young Soto, a student at Hunter’s Creek Middle School. Heartfelt condolences poured in from the school and parents alike. The Orange County Schools Superintendent Maria Vazquez expressed grief over the tragic news.
The last known whereabouts of Soto before she vanished involved Stephan Sterns, Soto’s mother’s 37-year-old boyfriend. Sterns had reportedly last seen the teen after driving her to Hunter’s Creek Middle School. However, investigators confirmed Sterns never dropped her off.
A worrying revelation was made when the girl’s mother found out at 4:30 p.m. on Monday that Soto never showed up at school. Her disappearance prompted a local outcry, followed by a heartbreaking revelation, when disturbing images were reportedly found on Stern’s phone, leading to his arrest on charges of sexual battery and the possession of child abuse material.
Sheriff John Mina revealed to the public that Sterns had attempted to remove evidence. Sterns, refusing to cooperate with authorities and requesting legal representation, was transferred to Osceola County jail on Friday.
As the tragic mystery unfolded, authorities gleaned from video footage that Sterns had been spotted returning to the family’s Kissimmee apartment early Monday morning with Soto in the car. The footage also showed Sterns discarding items in a dumpster. As per terrifying conclusions drawn from the investigations, Soto was believed by authorities to have been already dead when seen in the car with Sterns.