A DISTURBING phone call made by a man accused of brutally murdering his girlfriend’s 13-year-old daughter has been released.

Stephan Sterns, 38, faces the death penalty if convicted for sexually battering and murdering young Madeline Soto.

Investigators released a new jailhouse phone call made by Sterns where he said Soto’s body was “ice cold” when he found it, local ABC affiliate WFTV reported.

“For me, I guess, obviously, I can’t get into detail, but no, I was not aware that she had passed on…cause I discovered that she was ice cold,” Sterns said in the call.

On March 1, 2024, Soto was found dead in St. Cloud, Florida, about 27 miles outside of Orlando.

Her body was found in a wooded area off Hickory Tree Road, which Sterns was known to have been driving between 1 and 2:30 p.m. on the day that Madeleine disappeared.

The 13-year-old was last seen on February 26, when her mother, Jennifer’s boyfriend, drove her to school.

Investigators believe the teen was murdered anytime between February 25-February 27.

When interviewed by police, Sterns claimed to have dropped Soto off at school between 8:20 and 8:40 a.m., but he couldn’t recall any information about the route he took to get her there or the exact location of where he left her, local NBC affiliate WFLA reported.

The Florida man blames his forgetfulness on being “zonked out” due to anxiety medication. 

“My brain was mush, and I was on so many tranquilizers to keep me stabilized,” he reportedly told police. 

“I was having rolling panic attacks and breaking down crying.”

Sterns said it was his “severe ADHD” that caused him and Soto to leave their phones behind in the morning when leaving for school. 

After explaining how they got to school in the morning, investigators asked him why his car was seen going in the opposite direction of Soto’s school at 8:10 am.

The 38-year-old said he forgot to mention that they needed to turn back around to get the gate clicker for the neighborhood. 

Investigators later uncovered a video showing Sterns throwing items into a dumpster around the same time he allegedly dropped Soto off at school.

The items he dumped were Soto’s backpack and a school-issued laptop.

DISTURBING IMAGES

One day after Soto’s body was discovered, a photo of the body was accidentally posted to a Sheriff’s Instagram account.

In a carousel post on Instagram, Sheriff Lopez shared photos of smiling senior citizens with the caption: “Great day with our seniors. #florida #senior @sheriffmarcoslopez,” along with a halo smiley face emoji.

However, the photo dump included a photo of a body in a green top and blue jeans lying in a brush.

The photo was immediately deleted, and the sheriff’s office apologized on the sheriff’s behalf. 

“On March 2, 2024, a post was made on social media about a community event for seniors. In the post, an investigative photo was accidentally included,” a spokesperson told the Orlando Sentinel.

“The photo was immediately removed. We deeply apologize for any confusion or disturbance this may have caused.

“As with any investigation, the information obtained is confidential and any mistaken disclosures will be immediately rectified.”

COUNTLESS CHARGES

Two days after Madline’s disappearance, Sterns was arrested and charged with sexual battery and possession of child sexual abuse material. 

An arrest affidavit revealed that Sterns’s phone had materials depicting him sexually abusing the young girl.

Jennifer, Soto’s mother, told police that Sterns used to sleep in the same bed as her young daughter when she was away. 

“(Jennifer Soto) stated while they were together they… (Jennifer, Stephan and Madeline)… would either all sleep in the same bed or (Madeline) would sleep with her when Stephan was not there,” one of the sworn statements repeatedly reads.

Jennifer said that Madeline “always needed human contact when going to sleep,” which is why when Jennifer was away, Madeline would occasionally share a bed with Sterns.

“Stephan referred to it as ‘snuggling,’” the statement reportedly read. 

On April 24, 2024, Sterns was officially charged with murdering Madeline.

Sterns faces 60 additional charges, including sexual battery of a child under 12, lewd and lascivious molestation, and unlawful possession of materials depicting sexual performance by a child.

He attended a hearing on March 20, 2025, to determine whether his trial should be open to the public or closed, local NBC affiliate WESH reported.

“The media has, is, and likely will continue to dissect every aspect of this case,” his public defender Alesha Smith said.

However, one attorney representing multiple news outlets argued that “prominence does not produce prejudice.”

“And juror impartiality, we have reiterated, does not require ignorance,” attorney Minch Minchin said.

Judge Keith Carsten said he would decide on the motion within 10 days.