Hidden True Crime - Jennifer Soto: Document Deep Dive | The Disturbing Case of Madeline Soto

Episode Date: September 9, 2024

Case Background: Madeline Soto was a 13-year-old girl living in Kissimmee, Florida. She was initially reported missing on February 26, 2024, after her mom, Jennifer Soto, went to pick her up from school and Madeline was nowhere to be found. At the time, Jennifer Soto told police that Madeline was dropped off across the street from her school in a church parking lot by her mom's long-time/live-in boyfriend, Stephan Sterns. Stephan Sterns said he watched Madeline walk from the church parking lot towards the school but didn't watch Madeline walk all the way to see that she made it in. A massive 4-day search effort by multiple law enforcement agencies to find Madeline quickly ensued. In the immediate aftermath of her disappearance, investigators turned their attention to Stephan Sterns. Law enforcement found several disturbing pictures and videos on his phone of Madeline. He was later arrested on 60 charges, including capital sexual battery, lewd or lascivious molestation, and unlawful possession of materials depicting sexual performance by a child. Tragically, on March 1, 2024, Madeline was found deceased near a wooded area on Hickory Tree Rd. in Osceola County. This is the same area where Stephan Sterns's car was reported as being seen on the day Madeline went missing. Through several press conferences and news statements, law enforcement has stated that they believe that Madeline was already dead the morning she disappeared and that Stephan Sterns was actually moving her body at the time he was supposed to take her to school. Police also revealed that security footage shows Stephan Sterns dumping Madeline's backpack and her school laptop in an apartment complex dumpster at 7:35 am that morning. Additionally, police have video footage of Stephan Sterns returning to the dumpster, with what appears to be Madeline visibly deceased in the car. In April of 2024, Stephan Sterns was indicted on first-degree murder by a grand jury. On June 10, 2024, prosecutors announced that they will be seeking the death penalty against Stephan Sterns for Madeline's murder. About Hidden True Crime: Lauren Matthias was a television reporter for a decade and has followed the Lori Vallow and Chad Daybell case since 2019. She and her husband, Dr. John Matthias, a criminal psychologist, started Hidden True Crime in 2020 with their Season, 'Beyond the Veil,' a psychological deep dive into the doomsday murders and prophet. What started as a simple conversation at their dinner table became a captivating podcast. Join the dynamic duo of Dr. John Matthias, a forensic psychologist, and Lauren Matthias, an investigative journalist, as they delve into the psychological facets of unthinkable crimes every week. Their unique perspectives and in-depth analysis offer a fresh take on true crime storytelling. Thank you for your support through sponsorships, subscribing, listening, and becoming a Patreon member at Patreon.com/HiddenTrueCrime Our Sponsors:* Check out Acorns: https://acorns.com/HIDDENTRUECRIME* Check out Acorns: https://acorns.com/HIDDENTRUECRIME* Check out Armoire and use my code HIDDENTRUECRIME for a great deal: https://www.armoire.style* Check out Effecty and use my code HIDDENTRUECRIME for a great deal: https://www.effecty.com* Check out Happy Mammoth and use my code HIDDENTRUECRIME for a great deal: https://happymammoth.comSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/hidden-a-true-crime-podcast1836/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Lately, I've been trying to be more intentional about what I wear, intentional about everything, just choosing pieces that feel effortless, still put together, timeless, but also not overthinking it every morning. It's why I keep going back to quince. Their pieces just make getting dressed easier and I feel so classy. I feel elevated. The fits are flattering. The fabric is really high quality. Everything is wearable day to day. I actually got this really, really, beautiful yellow V-neck midi dress from them, and I paired it with some Italian leather sandals. It's one of those outfits that just works. It feels polished but still comfortable. It's exactly what I've been looking for. What surprises me, though, is the quality for the price.

Quince uses premium materials like European linen, organic cotton, but they cut out the middleman. So everything is priced way lower than you'd expect. Refresh. every day with luxury you can actually use. Head to quince.com slash hidden true crime for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns. That's quince, quince, u I and c e.com slash hidden true crime for free shipping and 365 day returns. Quince.com slash hidden true crime. Many of you have emailed us requesting we continue to discuss the Madeline Soto case. For those new to the case, we do have few episodes now, two evidence episodes. We recommend you starting there, as well as Dr. John Matthias's initial thoughts on this case. As I've continued to delve further, a lot has been

released since that initial episode, and it has been difficult to the point where I've actually stopped several times, not sure if I want to be able to continue researching and investigating this case, but I want to be able to be a voice for Madeline, as I I continue to look at the details of the police docs, the one thing that is certain is that nobody stood up for Madeline. And so in this episode, we are going to cover a lot of those details and they are hard. I'm going to read verbatim from several different police reports. So this video is a summary of the evidence and our research that we are going to discuss very soon with Dr. John. And it is a lot. Madeline Soto is a third.

13-year-old girl from Florida who was reported missing by her mother on February 26, 24, after Madeline didn't show up to school when her mom went to pick her up. She learned this. Tragically, her body was discovered on March 1st in a wooded area, and she had been murdered. The last person confirmed to have seen Madeline before her disappearance was 37-year-old Stefan Stearns, Madeline mother's boyfriend. He actually told police that he took Madeline to school that day. But again, Madeline never made it to school. Through the investigation, law enforcement learned and discovered that Stefan actually never did take Madeline to school that morning. Surveillance footage from that morning when Stefan says he was taking Madeline to school

shows Stefan and Madeline in the car, but she is slumped over, leading detectives to believe that Madeline was already deceased. Stefan was also captured on surveillance video that morning, throwing items into the apartment complex dumpster, including Madeline's backpack and her school laptop. During the investigation into Madeline's disappearance, law enforcement discovered horrifying material on Stefan Stern's bone, images depicting Stefan sexually abusing Madeline. And now at the time of this recording, Stefan Stern's is charged with over 60 sex crimes and the first degree murder of Madeline, and he is facing the death penalty. We're going to go over what's been revealed through hundreds of pages of court documents

released by various law enforcement agencies specifically focusing on Madeline's mother, Jen Soto, her interviews and statements. And again, if you haven't listened to our podcast episodes or our YouTube video going over Jen's first two police interviews, as well as Stefan's police interviews, we recommend you start there, as well as the initial assessment by Dr. John Matthias. The links to those episodes are in the description of this video. And while Stefan has been charged in Madeline's disappearance in her murder and been charged with abusing Madeline, her mother, Jennifer Soto, has not been charged with anything at this time. And as a warning, again, clearly some of the evidence that I'm about to discuss and read verbatim from police

docs is difficult and they're difficult for us too. So please be aware. Let's start by going over some of the documents from the Orange County Sheriff's Office. And because these are facts and evidence taken directly from police docs, I'm going to make sure to read so I get the facts accurate. On February 28th, two days after Madeline was reported missing, Jennifer Soto and Stefan Stearns arrived at the Orange County Sheriff's Office, and they were interviewed separately. Jennifer was interviewed by a detective with the Orange County Sheriff's Office Homicide Unit and the Orange County Sheriff's Office Sex Crime Unit, two separate detectives.

And during the interview at the Orange County Sheriff's Office, Jennifer said that on a rare occasion, Madeline and Stefan slept in the same bed. And rare, I say in quotes, that is from Jennifer. According to Jennifer, the reason this is so was that so she could get some sleep because sometimes all three of them slept in the same bed. According to the Orange County Sheriff's Office incident reports, quote, Jennifer also confirmed that she and Stefan had been sexually interested. She was then presented with various images that were recovered from Stefan's cell phone. The first image was a hand placed intimately on a white female. After viewing the image, Jennifer identified this hand as belonging to Stefan. The detective then presented Jennifer with another image of a male's genitals.

And again, Jennifer viewed this image and identified it as belonging to Stefan, end quote. The supplemental report also includes a tip that came in, into law enforcement on February 29th. According to court documents, a woman who will refer to by her initials MA, this person, MA, called the Orange County Sheriff's Office and reported that she had information in regards to this investigation. Detectives went to her house to speak to her. MA reports that she came to know Stefan Stern's through working with him at Disney. She explained the relationship became intimate around December of 2022. ended in May of 2023. M.A. stated Stefan Stearns told her he still slept at Jennifer Soto's residence

and specifically in the bed with Madeline. M.A. said Stefan Stearns justified this behavior by saying he needed to cuddle with her so Madeline could fall asleep. M.A. further recalled a conversation she had with Stefan Stearns where he told her that he woke up in the bed with Madeline and was roused and had to turn around in the bed. M.A. felt the comment Stephen Sterns, made to her about sleeping with Madeline were inappropriate, and she stopped talking to him shortly after they were made. Going further on M.A. Statements to law enforcement in a report from the Kissmee Police Department by Detective Smallwood, it states, quote, on February 29, 2024, we responded to a residence and met with M.A. for an interview. M.A. provided a sworn verbal statement

summarized as follows. M.A. saw a Facebook post. regarding the disappearance of Madeline and recognized Jennifer in the post. M.A. knew of Jennifer because she dated Stefan in the past. The next morning, a friend from M.A.'s job advised her there was an arrest involving the investigation and that the person was Stefan Stearns. Emma explained she dated Stefan in the past and contacted the Orch County Sheriff's Office to provide any information that may help in the investigation. In 2022, M.A. and Stefan were in a brief, intimate

relationship. During that relationship, M.A. would invite Stefan to spend the night with her at her house, but Stefan would refuse. Stefan told M.A. that he needed to stay at Jennifer's house because Jennifer and Madeline could not sleep without him there. He further explains, specifically Madeline would not sleep if he wasn't there and advised he would sleep in the bed with Jennifer and Madeline. M.A. displayed her discomfort with the sleeping situations, but Stefan continued to live and stay with Jennifer and Madeline. M.A. ended the relationship not long after finding out this information. I asked M.A. about their intimate relationship more in depth. She disclosed that Stefan had a tough time having an erection, mainly described one, quote, very weird occasion,

where Stefan had her lay face down completely flat, as if she was dead and had intercourse with her. M.A. said that was the only time he was ever very erect. I asked M.A. if Stefan never disclosed being sexual with Madeline, but he never did. End quote. Now, going back to the Orange County Sheriff's Incident report. Let's go back to that for a second. A supplemental report details an interview that Jennifer had with a detective Kevin O'Malley. Quote, on Friday, March 1st, 2024, and let me insert, this is the day that Madeline's body was discovered. So, quote, on Friday, March 1st, 2024, Jennifer Soto came to the Orange County Sheriff's Office and agreed to be interviewed again in regards to this case. I asked Jennifer to go over the timeline of events of the past week and told her that I wanted to start from Sunday and move through the next week.

Jennifer started telling me about their day and evening on Sunday, February 25th, 2024. And I'm going to insert here really quickly, this would be the day before Madeline was reported missing. I'll continue now. Quote, their family was having a birthday celebration for Madeline, but Jennifer could not attend because she had just started a new job. Stefan Stearns came to the birthday celebration and brought Madeline back to their residence after the celebration. When Jennifer arrived back home around 10.30,

Madeline and Stefan were both awake. And Madeline was getting ready for bed and doing her nighttime routine. Around 11 p.m., Jennifer told them, Madeline and Stefan, that they needed to go to bed. And she advised they, Madeline and Stefan, went to bed upstairs together, and she stayed downstairs in her own bedroom. She remembered that sometime through that evening, Stefan woke up to use the restroom downstairs and then returned upstairs where he was sleeping with Madeline. Jennifer said on the morning of Monday, February 26th, 2024, she was awoken by Steppen coming into her bedroom to get the dog, to walk the dog. She never got out of bed or left the room.

She told me she heard noise in the kitchen and originally assumed it was Madeline getting ready for school, but admitted it could have been anyone inside the residence and was not aware whether or not the noise she heard was in fact Madeline. Jennifer told us she did not wake up and leave the bedroom. until approximately 9 a.m. on Monday, February 26th, 2024. She left and went to a doctor's appointment and did not return home until 11 or 1115 a.m. When she did return home, Stefan was back at the residence. He told her he accidentally left his cell phone at the residence when he left that morning to bring Madeline to school,

but said that everything went well and described the morning detailing that Madeline got up early, got ready quickly, and then he told her that Madeline slept. quote, slept the whole way to school. He detailed that he offered her McDonald's multiple times, which was the original plan for breakfast, but that she said no. He also told her he had gone to the vape shop, in quotes, but they were closed.

The two hung out at the residence alone, and Jennifer said Stefan was sitting at their computer chair and started talking about updating his phone. While sitting there, he told her that he had just accidentally factory reset his cell phone, Yeah, I do that on accident too. Sorry, I'll just keep reading. Quote, soon after, Stefan told her that he was planning on going out and shopping at a few, quote, gaming shops.

And then we would return home to go pick up Madeline from school with Jennifer. Jennifer said she stayed at the residence until approximately 2.30 p.m. And Stefan had not returned home. She said she tried calling him, but he did not get an answer. approximately 10 minutes after she had left to pick up Madeline from school. And you know what? Just so you guys know, pick up, Madeline's redacted, but I am filling this in. Ten minutes after she had left to go pick up Madeline from school, Stefan called her and advised

he was sorry, but that again he had left his phone at home. Stefan told Jennifer Soto that while he was gone, he got a flat tire, in quote, somewhere on I-92 or 192 and described that the tire was shrug. and fell apart. Okay. Jennifer then went to school to pick up Madeline, but she was not at school, and she eventually figured out that she never went to school on February 26, 2024. After reaching out to friends and family, Jennifer notified law enforcement that Madeline was missing. She then called Stefan and verified that he dropped her off for school on that date. He said he did. And after law enforcement arrived, Jennifer and Stefan returned to her residence in separate vehicles. As the night

started winding down, Stefan told her he was going to go out and cruise and look for Madeline. Jennifer confirmed that Stefan took her 22 Nissan Centra to go look for Madeline and said that he drove up and down 192. He did not tell her the exact location of where he searched, but admitted in the morning that he took her car. The following day, February 27, 22, Jennifer said Stefan slept most of the day while she woke up and called various resources to try to help find Madeline. Later in the day, Jennifer said reporters came to the residence to interview them regarding Madeline's disappearance and said that Stefan was awake at the time. Jennifer described a webcam-based interview with the new station Fox 35. She described

Stefan as emotional and ugly crying during the interview with Fox 35. The interview moved Wednesday evening, which was February 28th, 2024. Orange County detectives asked Stefan for his cell phone and permission to search it. Jennifer said Stefan gave his phone to detectives, but then while in the car with her, he began to get nervous about not having his phone. At one point, while detectives were searching their residence, Stefan began using Jennifer's phone inside the car. Jennifer Soto and Stefan were trying to log into his email while using the phone. During the course of the search of their residence, Jennifer said she felt as if law enforcement was honing in on Stefan, and she felt as if they were going, quote, after the wrong suspect, end quote. So she recommended that he get a lawyer.

She said they called Stefan's father and said, in quotes, I think we need to get you a lawyer, end quote. Once they realized they could not go back into the residence, Chris Stearns, Stefan Stern's father, assisted them, Jennifer and Stefan in getting a hotel room. And according to Jennifer, she began getting ready for bed, and Stefan Sterns immediately fell asleep in one of the beds and was asleep by the time she had come out of the bathroom to go to bed. On the morning of February 28, 2024, when she woke up, Stefan Stern was awake and had a cup in his possession. He told her he had gone to 192, which is where he got the cup, but did not tell her that he drove to Northport, Florida, which is where his parents live. During the course of their relationship, Jennifer decided that she and Stefan were not going to work out and said that they needed their own space.

Stefan moved to the upstairs bedroom of their residence in June of 2023 and lived in that bedroom on his own until December of 2023 when he moved back in with his parents. Jennifer said she and Madeline have a good and open relationship, but admitted that she tends to share more with Stefan and said that within the last week at the time of this interview, Madeline told Stefan that she had a crush on a boy at Scotland. which Stefan told Jennifer about. Jennifer did not know if Madeline told Stefan in person or via the phone about having a crush on a boy at school. I asked Jennifer how she felt Stefan reacted to Madeline having a crush on a boy and she said he was excited for her and that it was super cute. We began speaking about the living situation in the residence and it appeared common

that Madeline and Stefan slept in the same bed together, even though they were not blood-related or even extended family. Jennifer said that she had a rule that Madeline was not allowed to sleep in the bed with Stefan. Jennifer claimed Stefan never requested to sleep in the same bed as Madeline, but she struggled to maintain focus when she answered the question. Jennifer claimed Madeline asked for sleepovers with Stefan and said she wanted to watch movies and eat snacks and then went into talking about the three of them staying in the same bed together back in June of 2020. and she would describe that she would sleep on one side of the bed,

Madeline would sleep in the middle, and Stefan would sleep on the other side. Jennifer Soto also acknowledged she eventually okayed the sleepovers between Madeline and Stefan. The interview continued in a path as to find out if Jennifer had any knowledge about the current location of Madeline's body, but Jennifer remained steadfast that she did not know where the body of Madeline was,

continue to deny all involvement in regards to having knowledge of Madeline's murder and continued to deny all knowledge of Madeline's victimization by Stefan. During portions of the interview, Jennifer continued to protect Stefan, was questioned about why she prioritized Stefan over Madeline, and even at one point referred to the sex stuff as not evil, but the murder of as evil. Evil. This is straight from police docs. the interview eventually ended, but Jennifer did not show the same level of emotion or care

in regards to Madeline's ongoing victimization by Stefan Stern's than she did in Madeline's disappearance. It appears to me that she has already accepted that the victimization was happening and her emotion appears fictitious, end quote. That's a pretty shocking description by that detective. So next, we're going to go over documents again by the Kissimmee Police Department. And then once again, I'm still going to continue just reading these verbatim from the police docs. In one supplemental incident report by Detective Mark Morris, it states, quote, on February 26, 2024, at approximately 8 p.m., Madeline Soto, a 13-year-old, was reported missing to the Orange County Sheriff's Office by her mother, Jennifer Soto.

Jennifer completed a sworn written statement to Orange County deputies to the following. Jennifer stated on 2.26, 2024, at approximately 8 a.m., that she saw Madeline getting ready for school. So a little insert for me, that's interesting that she stated that on February 26, the day she went missing, that she saw Madeline getting ready for school. I'll continue. Jennifer stated Stefan Stearns took her to school and dropped her off close to the school. Jennifer said Stefan dropped Madeline off on Town Loop Boulevard between Town Center Boulevard and Hunters Park Lane. Jennifer said Stefan dropped her off between 830 and 845. Jennifer stated Madeline never made it to school.

Jennifer went to Hunter's Creek Middle School around 4 p.m. to pick Madeline up, and she never came out of the school. Jennifer stated she searched around the area and then went to her mother's office but could not locate Madeline. Now, if you are noticing inconsistencies here, you are not alone. This is coming verbatim from the reports, and that's why I am reading all of them, even if some of it feels repetitive, because there are differences between each of these reports, and I just want to point that out. In fact, in a different report, Detective Hunt says, quote,

while completing interviews, and after reviewing available information using investigative resources, I noticed that there were several inconsistencies. provided Jennifer originally provided Deputy Joseph that she last saw Madeline on the morning of February 26th, 2024, getting ready for school at approximately 8 a.m. And in my interview with her, she stated that she last saw Maddie on February 25th, around 11 p.m. when she sent Stefan and Madeline to bed together. On February 28th, at 302 p.m., Detective Hunt says, quote, I offered Jennifer a courtesy ride from the hotel that she and Stefan were staying in at the OSCO Central Operations Building. She accepted the offer and I transported her in my vehicle.

During the transport, Jennifer and I had a brief conversation. While speaking, I noted that Jennifer referred to Madeline using the past tense several times when she mentioned her. I inquired about whether or not it was normal to allow Madeline and Stefan to sleep in the same room unsupervised. Jennifer replied this was not common practice. However, she did not have any suspicion that anything inappropriate would occur between the two. Jennifer said she used to be very hypervigilant around Stefan. However, as the years have gone by, she has allowed Madeline and him to be alone because they get along very well. Most people don't realize how much their personal information is being bought and sold every day. Data brokers are making billions, pulling details about you from public records and the Internet. and then packaging and selling it, usually without your consent.

That's how your information lands in the hands of scammers, spammers, even stalkers. It's why you get endless robocalls and why ads seem to follow you everywhere. That's where ORA comes in. ORA actively removes your data from broker sites and keeps it off. They also instantly alert you if your information shows up in a breach or on the dark web. But ORA goes beyond data protection. With one app, you get a VPN, antivirus, password manager, spam call protection, dark web monitoring, and even up to $5 million in identity theft insurance,

all backed by 24-7 U.S.-based fraud support. Other companies might sell just credit monitoring, or just a VPN. ORA gives you all of it, together, at the same price competitors charge for just one service. Start your free trial today atora.com slash remove. Protect yourself now at aura.com slash remove. What's one financial lesson you learned the hard way?

I'll go first. It's not too late to start saving. Today's episode is sponsored by Acorns. Acorns is a financial wellness app that makes it easy to start saving and investing for your future. You don't need to be an expert. Acorns will recommend a diversified portfolio that matches you and your money goals. You don't need to be rich. Acorns lets you get started with the spare money you have right now.

And one of the best things about acorns is they allow you to see projected growth on their website. Simply go online, type in how much money you'd put in and see the potential future balance of your account. up now and join the over 13 million all-time customers who have already saved and invested over $22 billion with Acorns. Head to Acorns.com slash hidden true crime or download the Acorns app to get started. Paid non-client endorsement compensation provides incentive to positively promote Acorns, tier one compensation provided. Investing involves risk, Acorns Advisors, LLC and SEC registered investment advisor. A few important disclosures at acorns.com slash hidden true crime. Later on in the report, Detective Mark Morris talks about the day that the arrest warrant was written for Stefan regarding the sexual abuse allegations on February 28, 24.

He says, in quotes, quote, at approximately 445, I contacted Jennifer in a conference room at the sheriff's office. Jennifer was asked questions about Madeline being missing and the dynamics of the household. Jennifer stated that her and Stefan had been dating on and off for approximately seven years. Stefan had moved out of the home in the later part of 2023. Jennifer stated while they were together they would either all sleep in the same bed or Madeline would sleep with her when Stefan was not there. Okay. But when asked if it was normal for Stefan and Madeline to sleep together without her being there,

she said yes. Jennifer stated that if she needed a good night's sleep, due to her anxiety, she would ask them to sleep in a different bedroom. I know. It's upsetting to read. I'll continue. Quote, Jennifer said she ended the relationship with Stefan because he was a messy person. Jennifer said that they didn't have a sexual relationship because her medications affected her sex drive. I asked Jennifer who drives her vehicle, and she said only her and Stefan.

Jennifer said Stefan took her vehicle Monday night because he decided to go drive around searching for Madeline. Orange County detectives had previously shown Jennifer photographs of Stefan's penis for identification purposes. Jennifer did not want to believe that Madeline and Stefan were engaged in sexual activity. Jennifer asked to see the image of Stefan. I pulled out a printed picture from Steffin. Stephen's Google drive that showed Madeline with Stefan. And Jennifer said she didn't recognize anything in the picture as if she was in denial. And by the way, I edited this part myself because I can't even read this.

It's upsetting. But what they showed her at this moment, Jen at this moment, was a Google drive that showed Madeline being sexually abused by Stefan. I'll say that much. So Jennifer said she didn't recognize anything in the picture as if she was in denial. however she became visibly upset. I asked Jennifer additional questions unrelated to this particular case. I excused myself and told her that I was going to go speak with Stefan.

End quote. Later on in the report, so this is continuing, later on in the report, it mentions the same information again, but Detective Mark Morris states the following about this. So this is Detective Mark Morris now. quote, I contacted Jennifer in a conference room at the sheriff's office. Jennifer was asked questions about Madeline being missing and the dynamics of the household. Jennifer stated her and Stefan had been dating on and off for approximately seven years.

Stefan had moved out of the home in the later part of 2023, so November to December. Jennifer stated, while they were together, they would all sleep in the same bed or Madeline would sleep with her when Stefan was not there. When asked if it was normal for Stefan and Madeline to sleep together without her being there, she said yes. Jennifer stated if she needed a good night's sleep due to her anxiety, she would ask them to sleep in a different bedroom. Jennifer stated she was woken up the next morning by Stefan attempting to put a leash on their dog. Okay.

Stefan told Jennifer to go back to bed because he would take care of walking the dog so Jennifer went back to sleep. Jennifer stated Madeline must have gotten dressed for school in her room because her phone was left on the nightstand. Jennifer stated Stefan said he was impressed and how quickly they were able to get out of the house to go to school. Stefan told Jennifer that Madeline was asleep most of the ride to school. However, he was still able to ask her about eating at McDonald's according to Stefan. Jennifer stated they recently ended their relationship and he moved back to Northport, Florida, to stay with his parents. Then it says, quote, on February 29th, 2024, at approximately 5 p.m., we contacted Jennifer.

I advised Jennifer that our crime scene technicians were there to collect additional items that were seen in Stefan's photographs. Jennifer confirmed on the morning of 226, 2024, she was woken up by Stefan trying to put a leash on their dog. Jennifer got up and Stefan told her not to worry about it and go back to sleep. Jennifer said she doesn't remember Stefan coming back in to tell her. her goodbye or saying goodbye to Madeline. I asked her about writing a statement in Orange County deputies about seeing Madeline on the morning of 2.26, 2024. And Jennifer stated that she wanted to believe she saw Madeline, but she actually did not

see Madeline. Jennifer said Madeline picked out close to where on the evening of 225, 24. I asked Jennifer to explain her and Stefan's sex life, which she described as Vanilla, that Stefan would want to have sex with Jennifer, but she said she didn't want to. We later spoke about what medication Madeline was taking. Jennifer stated that Madeline was taking 20 milligrams of Adderall, 25 milligrams of hydroxazine,

which was a sleeping medication and anxiety medication and me relax for constipation. I asked Jennifer, what is her morning routine with Madeline? She said that she made sure Madeline had her school items ready, while making her breakfast and lunch. Jennifer said that she made sure Madeline takes her medications before school, then she would take her to school. And Jennifer said her entire life was dedicated to Madeline.

When I asked Jennifer about the sleeping arrangements, Jennifer said Madeline would sleep with her most of the time, and when Stefan was there, they would all sleep in the same bed together. Jennifer said when her and Stefan broke up, she could only think of a few times that Madeline slept with Stefan in a separate room. Jennifer said that she didn't feel comfortable with Madeline sleeping with Stefan, and it didn't look right to her. I asked Jennifer when she started feeling comfortable with it, and she said that she never was comfortable with it. I challenged Jennifer about telling them to go sleep together on February 25th, and she admitted or said it was a selfish move because she wanted a good night's sleep.

On March 1st, 2024, at approximately 12 p.m., Detective Smallwood and I contacted Jennifer at her residence for a follow-up interview. I advised Jennifer that we would be taking her to the Orange County Sheriff's Office to retrieve her vehicle. I advised Jennifer that I would be taken over the investigation and there would be a press conference this day to announce it. Jennifer asked when I said that if we meant homicide. I told Jennifer, we meant we, as a Kissimmee Police Department, but that yes, we would be working it as a homicide because we had a strong belief that Madeline was deceased. Jennifer became silent for a few moments, and then she started to cry. Jennifer said she had been avoiding the internet because of the things being said or leaked to the media and it was traumatizing for her. I asked Jennifer where all she had physically

looked for Madeline since she had gone missing, and Jennifer said she had not looked anywhere for Madeline because she wanted to be home in case Madeline came home. Jennifer said she had since been staying at her sister's house because she did not want to be seen in public. Jennifer said she had to go out and purchase some small items and she felt like she shouldn't be outside because of the attention this case had received. Jennifer said she didn't want to end up hospitalized for her mental health. Detective Smallwood asked Jennifer what medication she was using to help her sleep. Jennifer said the bottle said

Zeprasidone. Jennifer said she had taken it with food and within 30 minutes to an hour she was asleep. Jennifer said Madeline would take hydroxamine for anxiety and also to help her sleep. Jennifer was asked if Stefan had attempted to reach out to her since he was arrested

and she became upset and said no and it would be stupid if he did. Jennifer stated that we asked her about Stefan's sexual kinks and she said that she remembered last night that he had an anal sex kink, Jennifer said that she always refused Stefan when he would want anal sex with her. Jennifer also remembered that Stefan would be easily angered and very irritable and negative about things. Jennifer said Stefan would only get angry at Madeline over normal

parenting things or if Madeline didn't want to do what was asked of her. Jennifer stated that she had given Stefan the benefit of the doubt when he told her he dropped her off at school. Jennifer said Stefan is a master liar and a master manipulator, and she had recently had this conversation with Chris, Stefan's father. Jennifer assumed law enforcement was looking into Stefan because he was the last person to see Madeline, and she wanted to believe that he had nothing to do with her going missing. Jennifer said once we showed her the photographs,

that is when she realized that Stefan was guilty. I asked her what she thought Stefan was guilty of. And she replied, quote, he's been grooming and abusing my child, end quote. I asked Jennifer if she thought Stefan killed Madeline, and she said, quote, at this point, I do, end quote. I asked her why she thought that, and she said that we showed her a photograph of Madeline slumped over in Stefan's vehicle. Jennifer said she felt like Stefan dumped her body somewhere, but she didn't know where. I pressured Jennifer on where she thought Stefan would have dumped Madeline's body, and she kept saying that she didn't know.

Jennifer became upset and said she would tell us that she knew because she wanted her child back. Detective Morris also spoke to a man Jennifer was previously married to named Stephen, not to be confused with Stefan. So now we're going to talk about Stephen, an ex-husband of Jennifer's. And in the report it states, quote, quote, I asked Stephen how the relationship with Jennifer was when they were together. Stephen states it was good in the beginning, but later on in the relationship, Jennifer began

having mental health issues. Stephen said there were times when he would have to care for the household when Jennifer was having a bad time with her mental health. Stephen decided to remove his daughter from that atmosphere, which is when they decided to get divorced. Stephen said he considered Madeline as his daughter due to the amount of time they spent together. His daughter and Madeline would play games online once a month for a few years. Stephen would join the game just to talk to Madeline. Stephen stated he loved and cared for

Madeline even though the relationship with Jennifer didn't work out. Stephen said he thought Madeline was in good hands, so he tried to become a friend with Stefan since he was going to be in Madeline's life. Stephen said he visited Jennifer and Stefan when they lived in Northport, Florida, Stephen was playing games with Stefan, which ended in a small argument, and ever since argument over board games, they haven't spoken since. Board games. Stephen would move to Colorado in 2022. Stephen would keep in contact with Madeline and would inquire how she was being treated by Stefan. I asked Stephen to explain the sleeping arrangements when he was living with Jennifer. Stephen said Madeline would sleep with Jennifer, but he was not comfortable with Madeline.

sleeping with them in the same bed. I asked Stephen if he had seen any demeanor changes in Madeline. Stephen said Madeline seemed off for the last few years, which he thought it could have been Madeline going through puberty, but it started during the end of elementary school, her being off. Stephen said Jennifer wasn't different, but that she was always trying to figure out her mental health medications. Jennifer recently disclosed to Stephen where a recent medication that she had been taking

knocks her out, quote, meaning tired and sleeping. I asked Stephen how he heard about Madeline, and he stated that his wife saw something online. I assume that Madeline being missing. Stephen talked with Jennifer on 227, 2024. When Jennifer stated, Stefan took Madeline to school and made a bunch of mistakes afterwards, like deleting his phone. Jennifer also stated that Stefan and Madeline both forgot their phones

when he took her to school. Stephen said that he believed Madeline forgot her phone but thought it was odd that Stefan forgot his phone because he always had his phone and was typing on it all of the time. Stephen said he wanted to make sure they spoke with Jennifer over the phone because he wanted to hear her voice.

Stephen described Jennifer's tone as being anxious if something was wrong. Stephen said they were speaking over speakerphone and Stefan was with Jennifer. Stephen made the comment that he felt guilty because he forgot his phone, and then he accidentally reset it. Stephen couldn't believe that Stefan was saying this over the phone. Jennifer began saying what time she thought she woke up because of the dog, and Stefan interjected and told her that he would take care of the dog so she could rest. I asked Stephen if he knew why Jennifer didn't go to

Madeline's birthday party. Stephen said Jennifer's family can be a lot to handle sometimes, and she was starting a new job, he understood why she wasn't there. I asked even if he thought Jennifer had anything to do with Madeline, and he said he doesn't feel like she would deliberately known. And so I read that twice, and I know that doesn't make sense, but that is verbatim from the police report because she had family that could have helped her with the situation, end quote. The Kissimmee Police Department also discusses how Madeline was found.

So here we go to prepare you. Detective Mark Morris says, quote, Captain Lory Mignon and Sergeant Cherise Swan responded to the area that Thomas identified. Sergeant Swan knew the property owner who provided access to the locked gates of the property. Captain Mignon walked towards a row of bamboo trees to the left of the open gate. She located a small body wearing blue jeans and a green sweater. The body had dried grass and hay on top of the body. It was decided by the sheriff's office forensics unit that they would process the scene. I asked to be brought to where the body was located.

Forensic supervisor, Emily Seda, walked me to the area where the body was. Based upon the clothing description seen on several videos, the body did appear to be that of Madeline. The lock to the farm was still locked and didn't appear to be tampered with. Stefan would have had to drop Madeline's body over the barbed wire fence or where the gate was and then move her body to the location where she was found. I contacted the medical examiner's office and asked them to respond to collect Madeline. When Madeline was removed from underneath the dry grass and hay, I immediately was able to identify her by the specific mole she had on her cheek. Madeline showed signs of decomposition to one side of her face and her hands. Madeline was wearing a

green hoodie. The hoodie portion was over the top of her head, blue jeans, and white, and white. socks. The bottom of Madeline's socks were clean, which indicates that she did not walk anywhere where the socks would have had dirt on the bottom. Madeline was transported to the medical examiner's office where an autopsy would be performed the following day. I placed a telephone call to Jennifer to let her know that we had located Madeline and that she was deceased. Jennifer started to cry over the phone and handed the phone to her father to continue the conversation. I told him that I would be in touch with the family in the next day or two. On March 2nd, 2024, at approximately 10,100 hours, Detective Smallwood and I responded to the

medical examiner's office for Madeline's autopsy. The autopsy was performed by Dr. Stefan Giles. Prior to the autopsy, I examined Madeline's body when it was initially uncovered. I noticed her socks were clean on the bottom, which confirmed my observations when she was located in St. Cloud. During the autopsy, Dr. Giles expressed concern over the hyoid bone in Madeline's neck. Dr. Giles stated that the right portion of the bone was not intact, which could possibly be related to her being strangled. Dr. Giles listed the initial outcome of the autopsy as pending. Madeline's death was later officially ruled a homicide by strangulation.

Again, that concludes the evidence that I want to go over today. I know that this has been difficult. In one thing we want to do on hidden true crime is lay out the evidence first before Dr. John comes in to explain and assess the evidence. And so that's what this is. Again, as difficult and as dark as this case is, again, there were times where I kept saying to John, and we've assessed this many times, should we keep going with Madeline's case? should we not. It's been difficult. But we've been listening to your emails and we've been reading the documents and this is actually something that Dr. John feels really important. One thing he has done

for nearly 30 years now is assess criminals, but particularly sex offenders. And we just feel like it is really important to continue covering this case, to share this evidence. And the next episode will be Dr. John assessing what we just read and what we just went over together and what this means because it certainly leaves questions in my mind. And this is what we've been talking about in our houses. What doesn't mean, you know, to have Jen willing to let her daughter sleep with the man who ended up murdering her and abusing her? What's happening here? clearly Stefan Stearns is behind bars and where he should be facing the death penalty, but many questions still remain.

Like how this happened to little Madeline. And it's something that we will be discussing soon right here on Hidden True Crime. Most people don't realize how much their personal information is being bought and sold every day. Data brokers are making billions, pulling details about you from public records and the internet, and then packaging and selling it, usually without your consent. That's how your information lands in the hands of scammers, spammers, even stalkers. It's why you get endless robocalls and why ads seem to follow you everywhere. That's where ORA comes in.

ORA actively removes your data from broker's sites and keeps it off. They also instantly alert you if your information shows up in a breach or on the dark web. But ORA goes beyond data protection. With one app, you get a VPN, antivirus, password manager, spam call protection, dark web monitoring, and even up to $5 million in identity theft insurance, all backed by 24-7 U.S.-based fraud support. Other companies might sell just credit monitoring, or just a VPN. ORA gives you all of it, together, at the same price competitors charge for just one service. Start your free trial today atora.com slash remove.

Protect yourself now at aura.com slash remove.