OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. – Two trial dates have been set for the man accused of killing Madeline Soto.
The 13-year-old was reported missing on Feb. 26 and law enforcement later found her body on March 1 in the woods along Hickory Tree Road. Her mother’s boyfriend, Stephan Sterns, was arrested originally on charges of sexual battery and child pornography and later charged with first-degree murder.
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During a pretrial hearing on Monday, an Osceola County judge scheduled a Feb. 24, 2025 trial date for the child sex battery case, and Sept. 22, 2025, for the homicide case.
Last month, detectives released a video showing Sterns being questioned after Soto’s disappearance.
Sterns, who faces the death penalty if convicted of killing Soto, has pleaded not guilty.
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