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Man Sentenced to Life in Prison without Parole in Florida Girl's Death

OSCEOLA COUNTY, FLORIDA, JUL 21 – Stephan Sterns received 21 concurrent life sentences, avoiding the death penalty through a plea deal after years of sexually abusing and murdering 13-year-old Madeline Soto.

  • Stephan Sterns was sentenced on Monday to multiple life sentences without parole for sexually battering and murdering 13-year-old Madeline Soto in Osceola County, Florida.
  • The crimes occurred in early 2024 after Sterns, Soto's mother’s boyfriend, abused her for years and murdered her before she was reported missing in late February.
  • Investigators found disturbing photos and videos of Soto’s sexual abuse on Sterns’ phone and her body was discovered in a wooded area on March 1st.
  • During a June 21 plea hearing, Sterns admitted guilt to sexual battery and entered a no contest plea for first-degree murder, with prosecutors deciding not to pursue the death penalty in the case.
  • The plea ended both Sterns' separate ongoing trials, avoiding the death penalty while reflecting the case’s severity, as legal analyst David Haas said it could have "likely resulted in a death sentence.
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Stephan Sterns, the victim's stepfather, was sentenced without parole for the murder and sexual abuse of the 13-year-old adolescent

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WOFL broke the news in on Sunday, July 20, 2025.
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