After the Orange County Sheriff’s Office stated they thought the 13-year-old was dead, they discovered Madeline Soto’s body in a forested location on Friday afternoon. Madeline was reported missing from her home in Florida.
The boyfriend of Sheriff John Mina’s mother is accused of relocating her body, and a homicide investigation is underway, he stated at a press conference earlier in the day.
In a forested location off Hickory Tree Road, search teams from the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office discovered Madeline’s corpse around 4:30 p.m., according to an update from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.
“We have notified Madeline’s family.” At this moment, we are unable to provide any further information. Leading the charge in this homicide inquiry is the Kissimmee Police Department. As stated by the sheriff’s office, this work is still under progress.
A few blocks from Hunter Creek Middle School in Orlando, Madeline was dropped off by her mother’s boyfriend, 37-year-old Stephen Stearns, on Monday morning, according to the sheriff’s office.
The information currently indicates that Meena was not left off close to her school that morning, she stated during a press briefing on Friday.
“Stearns, whom authorities call the” “prime suspect” “in the case, was arrested Wednesday night on separate charges of sexual battery and possession of child sexual abuse material after detectives found” “disturbing images” “and videos during a forensic examination of his phone that were” “criminal and sexual in nature.”
Stearns transported Madeline’s body early on Monday morning, according to Mina, who stated that it is thought that Madeline was killed in Kissimmee, where her family rented an apartment.
“According to our evidence, Madeline was spotted driving that car when Stephen Stern returned to the scene. Her death, in our opinion, had already occurred. The duration of the video was not disclosed by the authorities.
At 7:35 a.m. on Monday, February 26, at the Kissimmee apartment complex, Stern was seen on surveillance footage taken by the authorities tossing objects into a dumpster. Afterwards, Madeline’s backpack and her laptop that were provided by her school were found by detectives in the trash.
Madeline died mysteriously on Thursday night, and detectives told her mother about it. According to the investigation, he is not a suspect.
The probe becomes a murder investigation, and the Kissimmee Police Department will now take up the case.
During the course of the child’s search, Kissimmee Police Chief Betty Holland had invited members of the public to provide suggestions.
From 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. on Monday, Stearns was observed operating a silver 2010 Lincoln MKZ near State Road 192, Old Hickory Tree, and Nulty Road. He was maybe witnessed changing tires nearby since it’s thought he had a flat tire.
Stearns, according to Meena, has not discussed the case with anybody. After Kissimmee police filed a sexual assault case against him, he was moved to the Osceola County Jail.
Published by : Reshraman.