Madeline Soto update: Will the media, public be banned from Stephan Sterns' pretrial court hearings?
The Brief
A court hearing is scheduled for Thursday to discuss a motion filed by a public defender representing Stephan Sterns, requesting that all pre-trial proceedings in his sexual battery case be closed. A similar motion has also been filed in Sterns' separate homicide case.
The defense plans to pursue several motions, including requests to suppress evidence and testimony, such as Sterns' statements to the police and evidence related to minor children. They may also seek a change of venue due to extensive media coverage.
OSCEOLA COUNTY, Fla. - Stephan Sterns, the Central Florida man accused of raping and murdering his girlfriend's daughter,13-year-old Madeline Soto, is due in court on Thursday morning.
The hearing will be held to discuss Sterns' motion to ban the public and members of the press from attending his pre-trial court hearings, specifically related to his sexual battery case.
The motion, obtained through court documentation, states that the spread of information presented in the hearings would prevent Sterns from receiving a fair trial.
FOX 35 News will stream the hearing live in the video player at the top of this page.
According to official court documents, the motion was filed by a public defender representing Sterns on Feb. 19. The motion requests that all pre-trial proceedings be closed in his sexual battery case. A similar motion was also filed in Sterns' separate homicide case.
Sterns' defense attorneys plans to pursue several motions, including requests to suppress evidence and testimony, such as Sterns' statements to the police and evidence related to minor children. They may also seek a change of venue due to extensive media coverage.
What they're saying
"This case has been the subject of unprecedented and highly prejudicial publicity and media attention in Osceola County, adjacent areas of Osceola County, a majority of the state of Florida, outside the state of Florida and even internationally," the motion states. "At every court proceeding, however minor or inconsequential, there has been extensive coverage by the press as well as social media users on YouTube, TikTok, Twitter (now called X) and Facebook. It is anticipated that the press will continue to be active and aggressive in the coverage of all events and proceedings in this case."
What's next
Sterns' sexual battery trial is scheduled to begin on May 5. His murder trial is slated for Sept. 22.
The backstory
Sterns was the live-in boyfriend of Madeline's mother. He is facing a first-degree murder charge in the teen's death.
An indictment said Sterns allegedly killed Madeline between Feb. 25 and Feb. 27, 2024.
Officials originally said Madeline was last seen by Sterns after he allegedly dropped her off a few blocks from her school.
Orange County Sheriff John Mina later announced that Madeline was never dropped off at school and was dead before the school bell rang that day.
Sterns allegedly moved her body in the morning hours of that day after killing her in Kissimmee, investigators said.
The case was ultimately turned over to the Kissimmee Police Department.
The backstory
Madeline was a student at Hunter's Creek Middle School in Orlando.
She was reported missing on Feb. 26, 2024, after her mother, Jennifer Soto, went to pick her up from school and was told that her daughter was not in class that day.
Her body was found days later on March 1, 2024, off Old Hickory Tree Road in rural Osceola County.
Madeline was found dead in the area where Sterns was last seen possibly changing a flat tire, wearing clothing similar to what she was last seen in.
Prior to her murder, Madeline had recently turned 13 and celebrated her birthday the day before she disappeared.
STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 35 ORLANDO:
Download the FOX Local app for breaking news alerts, the latest news headlines
Download the FOX 35 Storm Team Weather app for weather alerts & radar
Sign up for FOX 35's daily newsletter for the latest morning headlines
FOX Local:Stream FOX 35 newscasts, FOX 35 News+, Central Florida Eats on your smart TV
The Source
This story was written based on previous reporting, as well as information gathered from Osceola County court records.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Domestic dispute turns to gunfire, killing 1 man in Tampa: TPD
The Brief A domestic dispute in Tampa turned to gunfire, killing one man, according to police. Police say that all the people involved are related or known to each other. A woman was also hospitalized with serious injuries, but she is now stable. TAMPA - One person is dead and another is injured after Tampa police say a domestic-related dispute escalated into a shootout on Sunday morning on the 1700 block of N Club Court. Investigators say that one of the people involved remained at the scene, and he has been cooperating with them. A man was taken to a local hospital where he later died, and a woman was also hospitalized with serious injuries, but she is now stable. Police say that all the people involved are related or known to each other. At this point, TPD says that the incident appears to be isolated and there is no threat to the public. READ: Trump sends National Guard to LA County amid anti-ICE protests What's next The investigation is ongoing and more details will come from the Tampa Police Department. CLICK HERE:>>>Follow FOX 13 on YouTube The Source Information for this story was provided by the Tampa Police Department. STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA: Download the FOX Local app for your smart TV Download FOX Local mobile app: Apple | Android Download the FOX 13 News app for breaking news alerts, latest headlines Download the SkyTower Radar app Sign up for FOX 13's daily newsletter
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Mormon Madoff's Wife Went from Riches to Rags After He Confessed to Running $20M Ponzi Scheme (Exclusive)
Andrea Merriman's then-husband turned himself in to federal agents in 2009 for running a $20 million Ponzi scheme Merriman and her family had to rebuild their lives and recover from financial hardship Now, Merriman is sharing her story on TikTok, where she's getting millions of views on her storytime videosAndrea Merriman's world came to a stop in 2009. Her ex-husband, Shawn Merriman, told her that he was living a double life, admitting he had been running a $20 million Ponzi scheme for over a decade. Shawn, the head of a successful investment company and a bishop at their church, turned himself in to federal agents and was imprisoned for fraud soon after. The government quickly seized and repossessed all of their assets, most of which were purchased with investors' money. Shawn, dubbed the "Mormon Madoff," was sentenced to 12 years behind bars. Meanwhile, Andrea was left nearly penniless to care for their four children, the youngest of whom was 3 at the time, and had to quickly figure out how the rest of her life would go. Andrea, 58, talks to PEOPLE exclusively about why she's sharing her story now and how she's healed over the past 16 years. "I remember thinking that, at the time, 'I'm humiliated to be married to a criminal. I'm humiliated getting divorced,'" she shares. "I'm humiliated to go from riches to rags, I'm humiliated, but to do it in the public eye compounded it and multiplied." Along with the humiliation, Andrea was also dealing with a "degree of guilt" knowing the man she loved had scammed people out of millions. "There was a lot of guilt around what if I hadn't been such a peacemaker, what if I hadn't been such a kind and supportive wife, what if I hadn't been so trusting," she says. "Would it have been possible for him to do it so long and then guilt all the people who probably trusted him because of the kind of life I lived and the kind of person I was? Yeah, but some of it has been because he was a criminal and I didn't know it." After her husband's conviction stripped them of everything, Andrea moved to Utah with her four children for a fresh start. Now, she's turning to TikTok to share her story of rebirth. Her first video, detailing the first 24 hours after her life was turned upside down, went viral, amassing over 10 million views. She's gained over 70,000 followers, with users eager to learn how she rebuilt her life. Andrea says she always knew she wanted to do something with her story. She was talking to a group of 20-somethings when one of them suggested she start a TikTok account. "When it happened to me, I felt like I was alone in the world, and there was no one who lived my experience," she explains. "I started my blog in 2010 to help at least one person by sharing my story and getting my name out there so they knew who to call or email if they needed advice." Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. "That was why I went to TikTok," she continues. "There's a whole new audience, a new generation. We need messages of hope and encouragement, and we need people to model how to survive and conquer adversity." She shares that her kids were a primary driving force in her recovery and journey, motivating her to forgive and build trust again. "Forgiveness has come with therapy. Faith and religion have helped me," she says. "Being a parent as well, because, as a parent, you cannot require from your kids what you're not willing to do yourself." "When we discovered what happened, my kids looked at me with tears and said, 'What has happened?'" she recalls. "I said, 'I don't know what we're going to do, but the one thing I know we're going to do is we're going to forgive, not for him, but for us.' " Despite everything she's been through, Andrea still "believes in trust" and that "people are good and kind." "Trust is a choice," she says. "Moving forward is a choice. Resilience... it's a skill, but it's a choice. We have more choices than we realize, but when we acknowledge that, we take control of our agency and choose to act rather than be acted upon." Years after the initial shock and heartbreak, Andrea remarried, and her family is doing well. Her youngest recently graduated from high school, and her three oldest kids all graduated from college and "are building careers." "They've grown up and become adults. They're good, kind, hard-working, and have empathy," she tells PEOPLE. "The 16 years of our recovery have been a lesson, a demonstration in resilience and trying new things," she adds. Andrea believes "we each have a life here" and "a mission to fulfill." "Every one of us has the gifts we need to succeed. We must find them and our hard times help us find them," she shares. "I dug deep and found them," she adds. "I got a lot of help along the way from kind people, and now I'm at the point where I can pay it back and share what I've learned and help others, which is a great place to be in." For those who find themselves in a similar situation, Andrea advises them to "focus on something other than your misery in the middle of your horror." "I didn't spend a day in bed. I don't know how, but I was afraid that if I did, I might never get out of bed again," she says. "I didn't let myself indulge in hatred of my ex-husband because I was afraid I would never be able to pull myself out if I did." She continues, telling those who need it to "focus on something other than your misery, have gratitude, [and try] to accomplish something every day." "Being a parent, focusing on my kids helped me," she says. "My worst nightmare in life was to be financially responsible for someone other than myself, and in the end, that's what I got, and I learned I could do it." "I survived, which is a huge thing I learned about myself because I didn't even realize I would be capable of that. We were poor, but we survived." Read the original article on People
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Kewaunee PD seeking suspects allegedly involved in vehicle theft on 2nd Street
KEWAUNEE, Wis. (WFRV) – Officers with the Kewaunee Police Department say they are looking for information or camera footage of two car theft suspects near 2nd Street around 1 a.m. on Sunday. According to a Facebook post, the Kewaunee Police Department states that a vehicle was stolen off of 2nd Street around 12:50 a.m. on June 8. Officers described the two suspects as younger males, one with a white sweatshirt wearing a backpack and one with a blue/black sweatshirt, both with hoods pulled over their heads. Fond du Lac officers investigating shots fired incident near Parish School Apartments The suspects were also seen on 1st Street, Lincoln Street, and in the alley west of 1st Street. Officers are asking anyone with information or camera footage of the suspects to come forward. It was noted that the stolen car was found in a parking lot on Juneau Street and Miller Street. No additional details were provided. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
