OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla.
– Judge Keith Carsten sentenced
Stephan Sterns
to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the murder of 13-year-old Madeline Soto. Sterns has also been sentenced to life in prison for 20 sex offenses, including sexual battery of a child.
Sterns pleaded no contest to first-degree murder and guilty to the 20 counts of sex crimes on Monday afternoon.
Family and friends, including Soto’s father Tyler Wallace, spoke through tears while addressing the court and prior to the official sentencing.
“I can’t grasp the selfishness of you, the deplorability
of your actions. You’re depraved, you’re weak, you’re a coward,” Wallace said. “It doesn’t heal with time.”
I just got into the courtroom where Stephan Sterns is expected to change his previous “not guilty” pleas in the rape and murder of 13-yr-old Madeline Soto last year. Follow along for updates.
Sterns did make a statement in court after Judge Carsten announced the sentence.
“It is not fair Madeline is not here” he said. “I prayed to God countless times to trade places with her and take me instead. She truly was a joy. I apologize for all the pain.”
Sterns previously pleaded not guilty to raping and murdering Soto, who was the daughter of Sterns’ former girlfriend.
While searching for the girl, investigators said they uncovered images on Sterns’ phone and Google Drive that showed him raping the teen.
He was expected to go on trial this week in the sexual battery case, but with the plea hearing, Sterns could accept guilt or plead no contest to both of the cases he is facing. This includes the capital murder case, and with a change of plea, Sterns could avoid the death penalty.
[WATCH: News 6 series “Justice for Madeline” on YouTube]
Soto was reported missing on Feb. 26, 2024, when she didn’t show up to Hunter’s Creek Middle School. Law enforcement later found her body on March 1, 2024, in the woods along Hickory Tree Road near St. Cloud.
Authorities believe Soto was sexually molested, strangled, and dumped in a wooded area by Sterns.
Investigators said Sterns had been caught on surveillance cameras throwing items into a dumpster at a Kissimmee apartment complex the morning Soto went missing. Soto’s backpack and school-issued laptop were later found in that same dumpster.
At some point during the day, Sterns told Soto’s mother that he had factory reset his phone while trying to update it.
Despite Stern’s factory-resetting his phone, detectives said they were able to find child pornography and evidence that Sterns had been sexually abusing Soto as far back as 2022.
Trial attorney Eben Self, who is not involved in the case,
explained that Sterns could either plead guilty or no contest in both cases.
“Let’s say the agreement is life in prison without the possibility of parole. Then that would clearly be a reflection of a plea bargain. And it isn’t necessarily a sign of weakness by this state attorney’s office. There’s a lot of reasons why defendants get offered life without the possibility of parole rather than the death penalty,” he said.
Prosecutors had announced plans to seek the death penalty for Sterns during his murder trial, which was scheduled for later this year.
