Florida prosecutors need the person accused of murdering his girlfriend’s 13-year-old daughter to face the death penalty if convicted.
Stephan Sterns is accused of killing Madeline “Maddie” Soto, earlier this yr. {The teenager}’s physique was discovered a number of days after her mom, Jenn Soto, and Sterns reported her lacking.
They stated she failed to come back residence on February 26. The pair stated the kid was dropped off close to her faculty that morning however by no means made it to class.
Sterns is at present dealing with greater than 60 fees in relation to the lady’s loss of life. He’s beforehand been charged with the lady’s homicide, capital sexual battery, lewd or lascivious molestation, and illegal possession of kid sexual abuse supplies.
Her mom instructed police that Maddie needed to be dropped off a block from the varsity as a result of she was embarrassed by Stern’s automotive. Sterns claimed that she seemed simply as she did on different mornings when she was dropped off.
Nevertheless, police suppose the lady was killed a day earlier than faculty started.
The Osceola County Sheriff’s Workplace arrested Sterns on February 28 after they found “disturbing pictures” on his cellphone, which he allegedly tried to delete. Authorities discovered her physique on March 1 close to Hickory Tree Street in Osceola County.
Police stated the images had been “legal and sexual in nature”.
Three days later, authorities obtained one other arrest warrant for Sterns claiming that he had been sexually abusing the kid since 2022.
Prosecutors consider that they’ll show the next aggravating circumstances within the case that may permit them to place the loss of life penalty on the desk: Sterns had beforehand been convicted of one other capital felony involving the use or risk of violence, the felony was dedicated whereas he was engaged in an try to commit aggravated little one abuse, the felony was heinous, atrocious or merciless and the sufferer was weak resulting from her age.
A grand jury indicted Sterns on a cost of first-degree homicide in April. A pre-trial listening to within the case has been set for July 10 and the trial is scheduled for July 16.
