Man given 21 life sentences in death of Madeline Soto

A Florida man was given 21 life sentences Monday after he pleaded no contest to murder and guilty to other counts in the sexual abuse and death of 13-year-old Madeline Soto

A Florida man was given 21 life sentences Monday after he pleaded no contest to murder and guilty to other counts in the sexual abuse and death of 13-year-old Madeline Soto.

Stephan Sterns, who had been the boyfriend of Madeline’s mother, entered the pleas in a Kissimmee court as part of a deal that prosecutors said was reached in close coordination with the girl’s family.

Sterns, 39, was sentenced to 21 life sentences, which will run concurrently, or at the same time.

Madeline Soto.Orange County Sheriff's Office“Because of the actions of this depraved man, I will never meet the woman she was becoming,” Madeline’s father, Tyler Wallace, who said he wanted to be more of a part of her life, told the court. “And I can’t — I can’t grasp it.”

Madeline’s body was found in a wooded area in Osceola County on March 1, 2024, four days after her mother reported her missing.