Madeline Soto case: Alleged killer Stephan Sterns secretly filmed naked roommate, officials say

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Published  October 23, 2024 10:28pm EDT
FOX 35 Orlando
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Audio of interview with Stephan Sterns roommate

Kissimmee police have revealed new information in the ongoing investigation into the murder of Madeline "Maddie" Soto, who authorities believe was killed by Stephan Sterns.

ORLANDO, Fla. - Kissimmee police have revealed new information in the ongoing investigation into the murder of Madeline "Maddie" Soto, who authorities believe was killed by Stephan Sterns.

In interviews conducted shortly after Maddie was reported missing, police spoke with Angelica Negro, a roommate of Maddie and her mother, Jenn Soto. Her answers were given in Spanish and translated by a detective. 

According to police, Sterns had allegedly placed a hidden camera under Negro’s door and secretly took nude photos of her. Recordings of her interviews with detectives reveal the moment she learned about Sterns’ actions and how it shifted her perception of him.

Negro lived with Jenn and Maddie Soto, and Sterns occasionally stayed with them. When detectives asked about Sterns sleeping alone with his girlfriend’s 13-year-old daughter, Maddie, Negro confirmed she had witnessed this, explaining they had a "father-daughter" type relationship.

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The night before Maddie was reported missing, Negro recalled hearing something coming from Sterns’ room, which continued until she fell asleep. She also noted that Sterns was behaving unusually.

"She noticed something odd about him because of the way he was moving around the house," she said. Negro also saw three tools on the table, one of which was a hammer. Sterns was also washing clothes—something she said he never did.

Negro didn’t recognize the other tools but mentioned hearing something the following morning that caught her attention.

"Monday morning, inside the house, she heard something that sounded like a power tool," she told detectives. When Jenn Soto asked Sterns about the tools, he replied that he was "finishing up a project," though he did not specify what the project was.

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New police interviews of Jenn Soto, Stephan Sterns

Newly released videos show detectives questioning both Maddie Soto's mother, Jenn Soto, and her accused killer, Stephan Sterns. Jenn Soto's boyfriend, Sterns, is the only person charged in Maddie's death. He was arrested two days before Maddie's body was found in a field. During the interrogation, detectives expressed doubt that Sterns acted alone. They pressed Jenn Soto, particularly when she defended Sterns, even after detectives showed her photos allegedly depicting him abusing her daughter.

Later in the interview, detectives informed Negro that they had found nude photos of her on Sterns’ phone, allegedly taken without her knowledge. When asked to confirm if the photos were of her, she hesitated, and a detective remarked, "I take that as a yes."

Reflecting on the discovery, Negro admitted that her view of Sterns had changed. 

"Prior to seeing these photos, she couldn’t believe he could do something or hurt Maddie. Now, seeing these photos—yeah, he’s capable of anything, obviously," the detective translated.

Police have not yet filed charges against Sterns for the illegal recording of his roommate.

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