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Madeline Soto Case: Stephan Sterns Sentenced to Life After No-Contest Murder Plea

Stephan Sterns received life without parole after a no-contest plea to first-degree murder in the death of 13-year-old Madeline Soto and guilty pleas to 20 sex-crime counts.
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Stephan Sterns was sentenced to life in prison without parole on July 21, 2025, after pleading no contest to first-degree murder in the death of 13-year-old Madeline Soto and pleading guilty to 20 sex-crime counts involving her. Despite the original headline’s use of “confesses,” the reported legal outcome was a no-contest plea to murder—not a reported confession to that charge.

What happened to Madeline Soto?

Soto, 13, was reported missing by her mother on February 26, 2024, after she did not arrive at school. Her body was found in a wooded area in Osceola County on March 1, four days after she disappeared, according to the State Attorney’s Office. The office’s April 2024 announcement provides the initial official account of the case and the charges filed at that time.

In a later report, ClickOrlando said the medical examiner ruled Soto’s cause of death to be strangulation. The report also covered the subsequent court order designating Sterns a sexual predator.

What were Stephan Sterns’s charges and pleas?

An Osceola County grand jury indicted Sterns for first-degree murder on April 24, 2024. At that point, the State Attorney’s Office described a total of 60 charges, including capital sexual battery, lewd or lascivious molestation, and unlawful possession of materials depicting a child’s sexual performance. That was the case’s initial charging status, not the final outcome.

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On July 21, 2025, Sterns pleaded no contest to first-degree murder and guilty to 20 sex-crime counts involving Soto, according to ClickOrlando’s report on the pleas and sentence. A no-contest plea is distinct from a confession: it is the plea Sterns entered to the murder charge. He pleaded guilty to the 20 sex-crime counts.

What sentence did Sterns receive?

The court sentenced Sterns to life in prison without the possibility of parole on July 21, 2025. The sentence followed his no-contest plea to first-degree murder and guilty pleas to the 20 sex-crime counts. The sentence is the case’s reported criminal disposition; the earlier 60-charge snapshot should not be read as charges still awaiting trial.

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What happened after sentencing?

On September 24, 2025, Circuit Court Judge Keith Carsten signed an order designating Sterns a sexual predator, according to ClickOrlando’s later report. The order requires Sterns to comply with Florida’s registration requirements. That designation and its registration obligations are separate from the life sentence.

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What did investigators say about the case?

Kissimmee Police Chief Betty Holland said: “The evidence shows an individual who was entrusted to keep Madeline safe made calculated moves to dispose Madeline’s belongings and place her body in a wooded area before she was ever reported missing.” ClickOrlando reported the statement. It is the police chief’s characterization of the evidence, not a statement by Sterns or a standalone judicial finding.

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Case timeline

Date Event
February 26, 2024 Soto was reported missing after she did not arrive at school.
March 1, 2024 Her body was found in a wooded area in Osceola County.
April 24, 2024 A grand jury indicted Sterns for first-degree murder; the State Attorney’s Office announced the then-pending charges.
July 21, 2025 Sterns pleaded no contest to first-degree murder and guilty to 20 sex-crime counts, and was sentenced to life without parole.
September 24, 2025 A judge signed the order designating Sterns a sexual predator, requiring Florida registration compliance.

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