OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. – The State Attorney’s Office released over 1,500 pages worth of documents related to the Madeline Soto investigation on Friday.
And among the records shared was a phone call conversation involving Stephan Sterns after his arrest earlier this year.
The phone call shows that Stephan Sterns spoke to his father, Chris Sterns, while being held in custody at the Osceola County Jail on May 13.
[TIMELINE: Here’s where things stand in the Madeline Soto case]
In the audio, Stephan Sterns begins by telling his father he was unable to call recently due to the jail being on lockdown so often.
“Probably more to do with the staffing,” Stephan Sterns explains.
Afterward, Chris Sterns puts the call on speaker so that Stephan Sterns’ mother could join the conversation.
“Happy birthday — belated birthday, mom,” Stephan Sterns states. “And happy belated Mother’s Day.”
Chris Sterns quickly pivots, though, asking whether Stephan Sterns expected the murder charge brought against him in Madeline Soto’s death. However, Stephan Sterns responds, “No.”
“Obviously, you know, it’s not true,” he says. “You know, I never would have wanted her gone for any reason. So, you know, premeditated first-degree (murder) is kind of a gut punch.”
Then, Chris Sterns asks whether Stephan Sterns had been cooperating with investigators, though Stephan Sterns responds that “there’s been no opportunity for me to cooperate with anything.”
“As I understand, the police keep saying that I’m uncooperative, but they haven’t asked me anything to cooperate with,” Stephan Sterns says.
Stephan adds that his attorneys instructed him to “keep my mouth shut until the trial starts” to avoid hurting his prospects in court.
“Obviously, there’s concerns that (investigators) are artificially inflating everything up as high as they can possibly do it,” he states.
Again, Chris Sterns swivels to ask Stephan about the Saturday night before Madeline Soto’s disappearance in February.
“You were pretty upset about something. Did that have anything to do with things in Kissimmee and events that took place for the next couple days?” Chris Sterns asks.
Stephan replies that he was just “stressed out about money” and other things, claiming that it had been “shaking up to be a great week.”
But then, Chris Sterns broaches the topic of Stephan’s 300-mile trip to North Port shortly after Soto disappeared.
Chris: “Is there some explanation why you left and where you went?”
Stephan: “I was just driving around.”
Chris: “OK, I understood you were driving around, but they know where. They know where you were driving around, and we know.”
Stephan: “I had wanted to grab a few things and get my ducks in a row, kind of prepare myself for whatever was coming, but I couldn’t find what I was looking for. And then I ended up just kind of driving around aimlessly."
Chris: "I mean, you asked me to come up (to the hotel), and we hardly spent 35 minutes the entire time I was there throughout the entire day. And it's like, I wasn't sure why I was there, and then, I was caught off guard by what happened later that afternoon, and obviously, I haven't seen you since."
Stephan: "Well, I just felt like I needed any ally there."
Chris: "Well, I wish you had come to me and talked to me about some stuff, and maybe we could have helped you out in some way... given you some advice. But certainly under extenuating circumstances, what was later discovered obviously couldn't help you any further than what had already taken place. So the most logical thing would be to, you know, face up to it and have a conversation with the appropriate authorities or in the attorney or something."
Stephan Sterns then begins to speak with his parents about his documentation, including his birth certificate, hospital records and social security card.
But Chris Sterns again brings up the charges and how they could impact their future.
Chris: “Well, you know, the penalty for the crimes you have been charged with carry a minimum 40-year sentence. So obviously, we’re going to be gone. Rick will be gone. We’ll all be gone. I mean, we’re sad. We’re sad about that, obviously, because there won’t be anybody here for you when you come out.”
Stephan: “Yeah, well, I’ll be lucky if I have another 40 years left in me, either, so...”
Chris: “I wish there was a way that, you know, you and I can have a conversation, all of us could have a conversation to understand what was taking place, how this came about, how you were right here because it would help us better understand the situation. Because we’re just rather lost for understanding how all this came about. I mean, we’re just totally baffled.
“You didn’t start it, but you participated in it, which is just as bad as not starting it. But that’s for another day.”
Stephan: “If you schedule a visit with me or something, maybe we can find some way to talk.”
Chris: “I don’t know. I think we’re always going to be recorded, so there won’t be an opportunity to do that. Now, we have to make arrangements for you to sign off on the power of attorney so we can do something with this car. And I would have to bring a document over.
“They won’t even let me see you. I would just hand it to the classification officer. He would bring it in, you sign it. They would notarize and give it back to me, probably.”
Stephan: “I think I just got the one-minute warning.”
Chris: “OK.”
Stephan: “Give them whatever you need, and I’ll sign whatever I need to sign. In the meantime, I’ll try to call back in the next couple days, and we’ll talk some more. If you wouldn’t mind putting a little more money in my commissary, as well...”
Chris: “Alright. I can’t do much stuff because we are really — when I say dead-ass broke, I mean dead-ass broke. But I’ll do what I can.
Stephan Sterns and his parents then say their goodbyes before ending the call.
THE CASE SO FAR
Madeline Soto, 13, was reported missing back in February after it was revealed that she had never arrived at school that day.
According to investigators, Stephan Sterns — the boyfriend of Soto’s mother — was responsible for dropping her off, though he alleged that he’d let her out a short distance away.
In the days to follow, investigators said they pieced together enough evidence to suggest that Stephan Sterns was the culprit, such as surveillance footage of Sterns driving around with Soto’s body inside. Detectives stated they believe she was already dead by the time she was reported missing.
Not only that, but investigators also announced they’d found evidence of Sterns sexually abusing Soto for years.
Ultimately, Soto’s body was found in a wooded area off Hickory Tree Road in Osceola County.
Sterns was arrested and now faces dozens of charges, including first-degree murder, child molestation, sexual battery on a child, and possession of child pornography. In June, the SAO announced that prosecutors are seeking the death penalty against Stephan Sterns.
As of the time of writing, a trial date for the child sex battery case is scheduled for Feb. 24, 2025. Meanwhile, the homicide case trial is slated for Sept. 22, 2025.
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