The individual accused of the homicide of Florida teenager Madeline Soto is communicating, but not with the authorities.
Instead, Stephan Sterns, 38, has been making phone calls from jail. These calls are recorded, and WESH 2 was granted access to the audio recordings.
“Understand that anything I did was not done while being in my rational mind,” Sterns informed his parents. “I had snapped at that point. I just … I wish I had done the right thing to begin with. You know, I wish I had run downstairs and shaken her awake and called 911 and all that.”
“I wish you had, too,” Sterns’ mother responded. “Maybe she could have been saved.”
Madeline, aged 13, was initially reported missing on Feb. 26, 2024, after staff at her Orlando middle school realized she never made it to class.
Her body was located in the woods in Osceola County four days later, wearing clothes similar to what she had on before she disappeared.
Sterns is charged with strangling her to death and was identified as the last person to see the teenager before she went missing.
Law enforcement suspect Sterns, who was in a relationship with Madeline’s mother, sexually abused the young girl for an extended period.
In another call, Sterns’ mother questioned him about sexual images of the deceased teenager that authorities found on his phone. He mentioned that the girl’s mother was aware of an alleged crush Madeline had on him.
“Well then, why would [the mother] send her in there to sleep with you?” the mother inquired.
The couple frequently shared a bed with the teenager, as reported by FOX 35.
“She used to joke about it,” Sterns claimed during the call. “You know, call it an Electra complex. Used to joke and say, you know, ‘You better not leave me for my daughter when she’s older.’ Things like that.”
Jennifer Soto, Madeline’s mother, has not been charged with any crimes.
Sterns never confesses to murdering Madeline in the hours of audio recordings obtained, but instead insists he stumbled upon her body after she had already passed away.
‘Well, I discovered her in the state that she was in after everything was said and done,” Sterns said. “So I mean, obviously, I can’t get into details, but I was not aware that she had passed on. As you know, I’m up and down throughout the night, and I was not in the room the whole time.”
Sterns also informed them over the phone that he has come to terms with the possibility of facing the death penalty if found guilty.
“Are you accepting this? Are you going to be the fall guy for this? Is that the deal?” Sterns’ father asked.
Sterns stated that it was either that or spending the remainder of his life in a place where nobody will care about him.
“I think whoever is involved in this needs to have justice served on them,” the father responded. “I mean, if you’re not, if you’re not part of this, then you know, let’s get that cleared up. I mean, if not for you, for the families.”
Sterns replied, “I’m pretty positive that this was all an accident. I’m not sure that any one person, maybe no ones to blame or everyone’s to blame a little bit.”
His trial for the murder is scheduled for May.
