The boyfriend of a murdered teenager’s mother, accused of murdering the girl, was allegedly taking a sedative the morning she disappeared, shocking records reveal.
Madeline Soto, 13, was found dead in St. Cloud, Florida — about 27 miles south of Orlando — on March 1, just days after she disappeared and failed to show up to school.
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On February 26, Madeline was allegedly driven to school by Stephan Sterns, her mother Jennifer’s boyfriend.
Sterns has since been accused of sexually abusing and murdering the teenager.
The day after she disappeared, Sterns spoke to police as part of the investigation.
Interview audio files obtained by NBC affiliate WFLA reveal that Sterns could not easily remember the routes he took to drop Madeline off at school, as well as the times.
Read more about Madeline Soto
He allegedly blamed it on being “half-asleep” and taking sedative medications that he claimed were for anxiety.
Police records reveal that Sterns was asked if he had looked for Madeline after she disappeared.
Sterns allegedly told police he didn’t remember because he was “lost” from the medication.
“My brain was a mess and I took a lot of tranquilizers to keep me stabilized,” he told police.
“I was having panic attacks and starting to cry.”
IT DISAPPEARED
Madeline was reported missing on February 26 after failing to attend school.
Sterns told police he left Madeline on the school road because she was allegedly “very specific about the car she (was seen) getting out of in front of the school.”
During his interview with police, Sterns stated that he dropped Madeline off between 8:20 and 8:40 a.m., according to WFLA.
However, detectives questioned the delivery, asking why his car was seen heading south on John Young Parkway — in the opposite direction of the school — around 8:10 a.m.
Later in the investigation, police found video evidence of Sterns discarding items in a dumpster at an apartment complex around the time he said he was taking Madeline to school.
What charges does Stephan Sterns face?
Madeline Soto’s mother’s boyfriend faces more than 60 charges
On March 12, Sterns was charged with:
- 8 counts of sexual assault against a child under 12
- 5 counts of sexual assault with a child aged 12 to 18 (family/custodial authority)
- 7 counts of lewd or lascivious molestation
- 40 counts of unlawful possession of materials depicting sexual performance by a child Ten or more images
On April 24, he was charged with:
- First-degree murder in Madeline’s death
The teenager’s backpack and school laptop were found in the bin.
Her body was later discovered on March 1 in a wooded area near Hickory Tree Road, where Sterns had been driving for a long time between 1pm and 2:30pm on the day Madeleine disappeared.
DOZENS OF LOADS
Just two days after Madeleine’s disappearance, Sterns was arrested and charged with sexual assault and possession of child sexual abuse material.
An arrest affidavit obtained by The US Sun alleged that materials found on his phone showed Sterns sexually abusing the 13-year-old boy for years.
Sterns, who remains in custody, was charged with Madeline’s murder on April 24.
Additionally, he faces 60 additional charges, including sexual assault of a child under the age of 12, lewd and lascivious molestation, and unlawful possession of materials depicting the sexual performance of a child.
The trial in the sex crimes case is scheduled for August 19, while the murder trial is expected to begin in mid-July.
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This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
