The body of a missing 13-year-old Florida girl has been found, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office confirmed.
Madeline Soto’s body was recovered around 4:30 p.m. in a wooded area in Osceola County.
Earlier, Orange County Sheriff John Mina said investigators were “confident” that a missing 13-year-old Florida girl is d*ead.
Madeline Soto, 13, was reported missing after she didn’t show up to school on Monday. A day later, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement issued a Missing Child Alert for the teen.
Detectives said Madeline was never dropped off at school, instead, they believe she was already de*ad on Monday.
Mina said investigators believe that Stephan Sterns moved Madeline’s body in the early morning hours of Feb. 26.
“We have video evidence that shows Stephan Sterns discarding items in a dumpster in that apartment complex in Kissimmee at 7:35,” Mina said. “Detectives later recovered Madeline’s backpack and her school-issued laptop from that dumpster.”
Mina said a video showed Sterns returning to the complex with Madeline in his car about 45 minutes later.
“We believe she was already dea*d at that time,” Mina said.
Detectives believe Madeline was killed in Kissimmee and that her body was moved.
Since the girl’s body was last spotted in Kissimmee, the Kissimmee Police Department will be taking over the investigation.
Kissimmee Police Chief Betty Holland said there may be more charges in the case in the future.
On Friday, the Orange County Public Schools Superintendent released the following statement regarding Soto’s body being found:
“I am heartbroken to hear from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office of the tragic de*ath of our precious student, Madeline Soto. My thoughts and prayers go out to Maddie’s family and her school community. To lose a child so suddenly and tragically is extremely difficult especially for family and friends. Counselors continue to be available for any student or staff member dealing with the news. I ask that you keep the entire Hunter’s Creek Middle School community in your prayers as they grieve the loss of one of their own.”
Sterns, who was Madeline’s mother’s boyfriend, was arrested late Wednesday after the sheriff’s office said “disturbing images” were found on his phone.
The girl’s mother is not a suspect in the case.
