Episode 360

13-year-old Madeline Soto vanishes on what should have been an ordinary school morning in Kissimmee, Florida. She’s dropped off just a block away, and nothing about it feels unusual. She walks off, heading toward school… and disappears. By the afternoon, panic sets in. Calls to 911 reveal a family scrambling for answers: rechecking routes, calling friends, waiting for help that isn’t coming fast enough. She never made it to class. No one saw her arrive. Beneath the family’s lies, it’s a race against the clock to find Maddie. Get instant access to all episodes, including premium unreleased episodes, commercial-free at swordandscale.com

Speaker names marked ? are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.

• 0:00Mike Boudet?

  Buy smart, drive for less and trade for more. That's Toyota Fortability. And it all starts with a great deal on a truck from your local Toyota dealer. Make a smart buy on the off-road-ready Tacoma or half-ton Tundra, two of Toyota's most capable and long-lasting trucks. Built with the strength for the tough jobs, the tech to power your next big adventures, and the rugged style for everything in between. Or discover Toyota's off-road lineup, including the iconic 4Runner and Land Cruiser, designed to go beyond the everyday. And with Toyota's proven reputation for quality and reliability, plus available hybrid power

• 0:43Mike Boudet?

  on many models, you can get more for every mile and drive for less along the way. And long after you leave a lot, your Toyota keeps delivering with great resale value. So you can trade in for more when you're ready for your next Toyota. From a great deal today to a great value tomorrow, a Toyota is right for you. Shop toyota.com for deals and details, or stop by your local Toyota dealer today. Toyota, let's go places. Ever been on a trip where you felt like an outsider because you couldn't speak the language? That's exactly where Babbel steps in. It's not about mastering textbook grammar or topping leaderboards, it's about real conversations in real places.

• 1:27Mike Boudet?

  Imagine speaking a new language confidently in just a few weeks with just 10 minutes a day on Babbel. Designed by over 200 language experts, Babbel teaches you the phrases that locals actually use, not outdated textbook jargon. Plus, it fits into your life effortlessly, whether during a coffee break or right before bed. And here's something for all of you. As listeners of our podcast, you can get up to 60% off your Babbel subscription. Just visit babbel.com/pod. Start your journey to a new language today.

• 1:59Speaker 01

  Sword and Scale contains adult themes and violence and is not intended for all audiences. Listener discretion is advised.

• 2:11Speaker 02

  And when you guys showed me the picture of her, I believed the sexual stuff, but I didn't want to believe that he had done anything evil to her. I'm like, no, what if she, what if he did this stuff fine?

• 2:28Mike Boudet?

  Some of the stories we tell here on Zorn Scale will make you sick. They'll tug at your heartstrings, they'll change your whole perspective on humanity.

• 2:44Mike Boudet?

  They're the ones you can't get over, the ones you can't really shake, and they stay with you for a long time. The story we're about to tell you is one of them. This is part one of a two-part series. Let's go.

• 3:43Mike Boudet?

  Buy smart, drive for less, and trade for more. That's Toyota affordability. And it all starts with a great deal on a truck from your local Toyota dealer. Make a smart buy on the off-road-ready Tacoma or half-ton Tundra, two of Toyota's most capable and long-lasting trucks. Built with the strength for the tough jobs, the tech to power your next big adventures, and the rugged style for everything in between. Or discover Toyota's off-road lineup, including the iconic Forerunner and Land Cruiser, designed to go beyond the everyday. And with Toyota's proven reputation for quality and reliability, plus available hybrid power on many models,

• 4:28Mike Boudet?

  you can get more for every mile and drive for less along the way. And long after you leave a lot, your Toyota keeps delivering with great resale value. So you can trade in for more when you're ready for your next Toyota. From a great deal today to a great value tomorrow, a Toyota is right for you. Shop toyota.com for deals and details, or stop by your local Toyota dealer today. Toyota, let's go places.

• 5:06Speaker 03

  911, what's the location of your emergency?

• 5:09Mike Boudet?

  The call is coming out of Kissimmee, Florida, in a quiet suburban pocket near Hunter's Creek Middle School.

• 5:16Speaker 03

  Police, fire, or medical?

• 5:18Speaker 04

  Uh, police, possibly. I'm reporting a missing child.

• 5:21Speaker 03

  And is she white, black, or Hispanic?

• 5:24Speaker 04

  She's white.

• 5:25Speaker 03

  Okay, and...

• 5:26Speaker 04

  Dirty blonde hair, blue eyes.

• 5:28Speaker 03

  Okay, hold on with me here. Okay, and then how long has it been though since you guys have last seen her?

• 5:34Speaker 04

  Since this morning. She was dropped off, um, at school this morning and apparently she never showed up. We called, um, everyone we knew, no one seen her. Um, she was last seen at the church next to Hunter's Creek Middle School. I think it's called Peace Church. I'm not sure of the exact address.

• 5:53Mike Boudet?

  She was dropped off that morning, just steps away from the school, but she never made it inside. By that afternoon, no one had seen her, not her friends, not her teachers, not a single person at the school. She was dropped off, then just disappeared. Her name was Madeline Soto, and she was just 13 years old. This was her best friend.

• 6:18Speaker 05

  She came to the school in the middle of the year in 4th grade. She was like the new kid, so like everybody kind of just picked on her and stuff. She was in a different class to me. Um, she got picked on a lot by people like, um, that like nobody really liked and stuff. Um, and then one day I kind of like went up to her and I was like, "Hey, what's your name?" And then we got to know each other. Ever since then, we've just been best friends.

• 6:43Mike Boudet?

  As best friends, she and Maddie talked every day.

• 6:47Speaker 05

  Like every single day. She texts me every morning I wake up, and I always get texts from her, um, unless she... But usually, I thought it was fishy yesterday when she didn't text me at all, because usually even if she didn't go to school that day, she texts me like the night or the day of, like she'll wake up early just to like text me like, "Hey, I'm not going to school." And she didn't yesterday, but I didn't think everything of it, except that she like, oh, she like slept in or something.

• 7:11Mike Boudet?

  That morning, February 26th, 2024, was supposed to be routine.

• 7:17Mike Boudet?

  A ride to school, maybe breakfast on the way. It was the kind of morning you don't think twice about until something goes horribly wrong. That morning, her mother's boyfriend, Stefan Sterns, drove her to school.

• 7:29Speaker 05

  Stefan? She was always on the call with him. She loved him. They were really close.

• 7:35Mike Boudet?

  They left earlier than usual. They had time to spare and talked about stopping for breakfast at McDonald's. But she changed her mind, as little kids do. She was sleepy, but she also just wanted to get to school early to hang out with her friends. Instead of waiting in the insufferable car line, she asked to be dropped off about a block away. She would walk the rest of the way to find her friends. Apparently, no matter who was taking her to school, Maddie preferred to be dropped off in the near vicinity. This was usually at the church across the street, where a lot of parents dropped off their kids to avoid the long lines.

• 8:17Mike Boudet?

  That morning, the car pulled over. Maddie got out and started walking.

• 8:23Speaker 04

  They're going to the school to double check and everything, but from what we know, she wasn't there. So they should be back soon too, because it's right next to the...

• 8:30Speaker 03

  That's fine. So if at least one of you remains there, though, to meet with an officer, that's more than fine, okay?

• 8:37Speaker 04

  Yeah, I'll be here, I'll be here.

• 8:38Speaker 03

  Okay, then. All right. Thank you so much, ma'am, and I'll go ahead and let you go. We'll be out there as quickly as we can, okay?

• 8:44Mike Boudet?

  When someone goes missing, every second matters. Unfortunately, it doesn't matter how much you want a limited resource like law enforcement. If there's no cops available, there's no cops available. What do you expect after years of demonizing law enforcement? All cops are bastards, you say? Yeah, that has a negative but opposite effect. Duh.

• 9:08Speaker 03

  Policia medical.

• 9:10Speaker 04

  Hi, um, I called not that long ago reporting a missing child. I just wanted to know how long the cops are going to take to get here?

• 9:15Speaker 03

  Okay, hold on. Let me open up the call and let's see. The call's still currently pending to have the deputies respond out there, but we don't have any available deputies. We still have the call up, though, holding.

• 9:26Speaker 04

  Okay, so, so no one's on their way yet?

• 9:29Speaker 03

  Not yet, no.

• 9:31Speaker 04

  Hmm, does it take long for them to respond to the call?

• 9:34Speaker 03

  If there's a big emergency in the area, um, and there's nobody, there's no units available, they put the calls on hold.

• 9:41Speaker 04

  But as soon as one becomes available, they respond to the next pressing call. I'll go ahead and update them with their information. All right, thank you, because this happened very recently, so we just wanted to get everyone here. She's in missing since 8 a.m.

• 9:55Mike Boudet?

  At the same time, her family started calling the school, reaching out to teachers to see if anyone had seen her. But no one had.

• 10:03Speaker 06

  Yeah, what's going on, Abby? Do you need police fire medical?

• 10:06Speaker 04

  No, it's not a medical issue. We, we have a missing child since this morning. We already called three times. And the police didn't show up yet.

• 10:16Speaker 06

  Yes, ma'am, I see it, they're waiting for a deputy to respond.

• 10:19Speaker 04

  They haven't, they haven't come here yet.

• 10:22Speaker 06

  I, I'm aware, ma'am, I see it, I, they're waiting for a deputy to respond.

• 10:25Speaker 04

  They're waiting for a deputy to respond?

• 10:28Speaker 06

  Yes, ma'am.

• 10:29Speaker 04

  And how long what do we need to wait? It's, it's a child missing.

• 10:33Speaker 06

  I understand that, ma'am, but I'm just not able to give out ETA, I, I'm, I don't know when they'll be there.

• 10:37Speaker 04

  So how long do we need to wait? This is an emergency.

• 10:42Speaker 06

  Ma'am, we, we have the information, but it just, it, they're, they're trying to get to someone as soon as possible.

• 10:47Speaker 04

  So this is not informed for you guys, really?

• 10:50Speaker 06

  Ma'am, we're very busy in the area, look, I understand, and they'll be there as soon as they can, okay?

• 10:54Mike Boudet?

  They didn't just call 911 once. They had to call three times. The first call came in at around 4:43 p.m. Then again at 5:16. And then another one at 7:21. It took officers almost three hours to arrive. And they didn't get there until 7:37 p.m. Deputy logs show the call sat waiting because no deputies were available. Units were tied up with other emergencies and this one had to wait its turn. But before you blame dispatchers, understand that the people answering those calls weren't the ones heading out to search. They were taking information and waiting for someone in the field to clear.

• 11:40Mike Boudet?

  They did their jobs correctly, by the book, exactly as instructed. Maddie's mother was later told there were other missing children that day. Seems like an epidemic, right? Resources were stretched thin.

• 11:57Mike Boudet?

  In fact, nearly 1,000 children are reported missing in the United States every day. That works out to about one child every 90 seconds, or roughly 350,000 children under 18 each year. Think about that for just a sec. That's roughly the capacity of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. So yeah, an Indianapolis Motor Speedway's worth of children goes missing every year. But to Maddie's parents, family, and friends, statistics didn't really matter at the moment. This was serious and urgent. This was their own daughter.

• 12:41Mike Boudet?

  An entire day had now passed with no one seeing Maddie.

• 12:46Speaker 03

  Does she have a cellphone that she might keep on her person?

• 12:49Speaker 04

  She doesn't. She had one when she left at home conveniently today.

• 12:53Speaker 03

  Okay.

• 12:54Mike Boudet?

  It was no surprise that Maddie left her phone at home. This was a common occurrence, and it wasn't just because she was forgetful.

• 13:02Speaker 03

  Kate, is she diagnosed with any medical mental conditions at all?

• 13:07Speaker 04

  I know she takes medication for ADHD, and I think that I'm pretty sure that's it.

• 13:14Mike Boudet?

  At 7:37 PM, officers pulled into the condo complex in Kissimmee, where Maddie lived with her mother, Jennifer Soto. Also in the home was Jennifer's boyfriend, Stefan Sterns, who was frequently there despite an on-and-off-again relationship. The unit itself was shared, with rooms rented out to other women, and the condo was owned by Maddie's grandfather. It was a crowded living arrangement, with multiple people coming and going, and limited space inside the home. By the time deputies got there that evening, both Jennifer and Stefan were there, answering questions and helping officers piece together the last known details from that morning.

• 13:56Mike Boudet?

  Officers started with the basics, documenting what Maddie was wearing and establishing a clear timeline.

• 14:02Speaker 02

  Hey there.

• 14:03Speaker 07

  Hey there. What's going on?

• 14:05Speaker 02

  So, was dropped off close to school this morning, but never made it. I went to the garden school.

• 14:11Speaker 07

  I'm sorry, one second. Go ahead, sir. Are we looking for another? Looking for another one.

• 14:22Mike Boudet?

  Like I said, an epidemic, especially when Disney World is in your backyard.

• 14:29Speaker 07

  So she was supposed to be dropped off at school, didn't make it to school?

• 14:32Speaker 02

  Didn't make it to school. I went to pick her up from school today and she never came out. They, they announced it over the speaker and I'm just like, maybe she walked here because sometimes she'll walk here to this office.

• 14:41Speaker 07

  Mm-hmm.

• 14:42Speaker 02

  I came here, nothing. I went back to the school, they were closed. I got a notice, an email from the school saying she was absent, but I also messaged her teacher and he looked at her entire attendance today and saw that she was completely not at school today either.

• 14:54Speaker 07

  Okay.

• 14:55Speaker 02

  Um, so she never made it.

• 14:56Speaker 07

  Okay, what's her name?

• 14:58Speaker 02

  Madeline.

• 15:01Speaker 02

  M-A-D-E-L-I-N-E.

• 15:02Speaker 07

  M-A-D-E-L?

• 15:04Speaker 02

  I-N-E.

• 15:05Speaker 07

  I-N-E. Last name?

• 15:06Speaker 02

  Soto, S-O-T-O.

• 15:08Speaker 07

  S-O-T-O?

• 15:09Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 15:10Speaker 07

  Date of birth?

• 15:10Speaker 02

  February 22nd, 2011.

• 15:13Speaker 07

  February 27th, 2000?

• 15:15Speaker 02

  22nd.

• 15:16Speaker 07

  Oh, sorry, 22nd?

• 15:17Speaker 02

  2011.

• 15:18Speaker 07

  2011? She started her 13th birthday.

• 15:21Mike Boudet?

  He said it quietly, but Stefan just pointed out that Maddie had just turned 13. In fact, just the day before, a Sunday, the family had a birthday party. Her mother Jennifer and her mother's boyfriend Stefan were not there, but her best friend was. But on Monday evening, back at the scene, officers needed to know what Maddie was wearing when she was last seen, so they talked to her mom and Stefan.

• 15:49Speaker 07

  Green hoodie, um... Green hoodie? White crocs. White crocs? Either blue or black pants.

• 15:56Speaker 02

  I think black shorts.

• 15:57Speaker 07

  Black shorts?

• 15:58Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 15:58Speaker 07

  Black shorts?

• 15:59Speaker 02

  Mm-hmm.

• 16:00Speaker 07

  Okay. Black shorts. Alright, do you know she has like friends in the area?

• 16:06Speaker 02

  She does, but she doesn't know where they live.

• 16:08Speaker 07

  She doesn't know where she, they live, okay.

• 16:10Speaker 02

  I asked all of them.

• 16:12Speaker 07

  Um, okay.

• 16:15Speaker 07

  Is this like, does she like have any places that you guys know that she would usually be at? Any friend's house, any places that like she likes to hang out? Typically, no.

• 16:24Speaker 02

  No.

• 16:24Speaker 07

  Not typically?

• 16:25Speaker 02

  No.

• 16:25Speaker 07

  Okay. Uh, weight?

• 16:29Speaker 02

  A hundred and ten pounds.

• 16:30Speaker 07

  A hundred and ten, hundred.

• 16:32Speaker 03

  Um, hair color? Blonde. Blonde, like a dirty blonde. Like a dirty blonde? Yeah. Okay, um, eye color?

• 16:40Speaker 07

  Blue. Does she have any markings on her, like any scars?

• 16:43Speaker 03

  She has a distinctive beauty mark on her face.

• 16:46Speaker 07

  On her face? On the face, like below the nose or near the nose?

• 16:49Speaker 03

  Yeah, like right in that area there. It's very distinctive. You'd know it if you saw her.

• 16:54Mike Boudet?

  While one officer was talking to Maddie's parents, another was speaking with staff at the church where she was dropped off that morning. Surveillance showed a child sitting in a parking lot for about 10 minutes before getting up and walking away. After that, the trail disappeared. At that point, investigators were still working through possibilities, including one that seemed plausible. That Maddie may have left on her own.

• 17:21Speaker 07

  It's possible that she came here and sat in the, um, parking lot for a while. Um, it's blurry video, um, but it looks like a, I don't know, a child sitting right there. And she's hitting the people here, so that they were adamant they seen her on the property. Um, but, like I said, it's a blurry video and I don't see her getting into anybody's car in the video. I see her sitting on property for, give her take 10 minutes and then walking off property. Um, I don't know which way she went from there.

• 17:57Mike Boudet?

  The video was blurred, he said. But clearly showed a child lingering for a bit and then walking away. Could it have been Maddie? There were signs, even messages and comments about wanting to leave, about going off on her own and living in the woods when she turned 13. Why the woods? Why 13? You may ask? Who knows? But wouldn't we all like to just go off the grid from time to time? Regardless, this half-baked plan was something she had confided about with her friend.

• 18:33Speaker 05

  We were walking around the bus loop and she was like, she was talking about a gator. And then she was like, um, you know what'd be like so cool to do? And I was like, what? She was like, if we like ran into the woods, like you know that trail around the school? I was like, yeah. And she was like, it'd be so cool to like go there and just like build a little house. And I was like, the woods, like with like animals and stuff? And I was like, where are you gonna get this like wooden stuff to build this house? And she was like, I don't know, I'll figure it out. Um, and I thought she was joking and stuff because she kind of like smiled when she did it. So I thought she was joking, but I didn't, I didn't take her seriously. And then, um, when I found her, she was missing. I got, that popped into my mind and I told my dad.

• 19:17Speaker 05

  Her saying if she were to run away, go into the woods and find a place and stay there.

• 19:25Mike Boudet?

  If this were true, if she really had planned to leave, then where did she go?

• 19:32Speaker 02

  He dropped her out half a block away and drove away. Okay. Did she ever go to school? No, we called school. She was walking in that direction. She was rifling through her backpack, slipping something. I thought maybe she was just looking for headphones before she got her walking on. Yeah. Um, but she was just kind of, you know, chumbling over in that direction. It looked the same as any other morning. Okay.

• 19:53Mike Boudet?

  But it wasn't just like any other morning. On any other morning, Maddie would have been safe in school all day. But she wasn't. She would have made it home after school like every other day. But she didn't. Whether Maddie ran away or something far worse happened, the truth was that she wasn't just missing.

• 20:16Mike Boudet?

  She had vanished.

• 20:19Mike Boudet?

  She had just turned into a teenager and now her family feared she would never make it to adulthood.

• 20:44Mike Boudet?

  Buy smart, drive for less and trade for more. That's Toyota Fortability. And it all starts with a great deal on a truck from your local Toyota dealer. Make a smart buy on the off-road-ready Tacoma or half-ton Tundra, two of Toyota's most capable and long-lasting trucks. Built with the strength for the tough jobs, the tech to power your next big adventures, and the rugged style for everything in between. Or discover Toyota's off-road lineup, including the iconic 4Runner and Land Cruiser, designed to go beyond the everyday. And with Toyota's proven reputation for quality and reliability, plus available hybrid power on many models,

• 21:29Mike Boudet?

  you can get more for every mile and drive for less along the way. And long after you leave a lot, your Toyota keeps delivering with great resale value. So you can trade in for more when you're ready for your next Toyota. From a great deal today to a great value tomorrow, a Toyota is right for you. Shop toyota.com for deals and details or stop by your local Toyota dealer today. Toyota, let's go places.

• 21:59Speaker 03

  Hi, I'm Jenna Oshkowitz. You might know me from Glee. This is At the Table, the food allergy podcast, a show about food, connection, and what it really looks like to live with food allergies. Each episode, we hear stories from real people like Daniel. People would always think I was lactose intolerant, so I just kind of shortened my explanation to I'm deathly allergic, in a big way that defined a lot of my childhood. And while there are challenges, there are moments that remind you you're not alone. One of the best guys that I dated, he made a point to memorize all my food allergies. So join us and hear their stories and more. Because living with food allergies isn't just about what you can't eat, it's about still having your seat at the table.

• 22:44Speaker 03

  Brought to you by Genentech and Novartis. Listen to At the Table, the food allergy podcast on America's number one podcast network, iHeart. Follow At the Table and start listening on the free iHeart Radio app today.

• 22:55Mike Boudet?

  Ever been on a trip where you felt like an outsider because you couldn't speak the language? That's exactly where Babbel steps in. It's not about mastering textbook grammar or topping leaderboards. It's about real conversations in real places. Imagine speaking a new language confidently in just a few weeks with just 10 minutes a day on Babbel. Designed by over 200 language experts, Babbel teaches you the phrases that locals actually use, not outdated textbook jargon. Plus, it fits into your life effortlessly, whether during a coffee break or right before bed. And here's something for all of you. As listeners of our podcast, you can get up to 60% off your Babbel subscription. Just visit babbel.com/pod. Start your journey to a new language today.

• 23:53Mike Boudet?

  Maddie Soto had just turned 13. She lived in Kissimmee, Florida with her mother Jennifer Soto in a condo complex near her school. On the morning of February 26, 2024, she was dropped off just a short distance from the schoolyard, a walk she had made before and one that, at the time, didn't seem unusual. But that morning, she never made it inside. Hours passed before anyone realized something was wrong. Her family made calls to the school, then to 911. By the time deputies arrived that evening, Maddie had already been missing for hours and no one could say where she had gone after getting out of the car.

• 24:38Mike Boudet?

  At first, there were explanations. Maybe she left on her own. Maybe she wandered off. She had allegedly made comments about wanting to leave, about going off into the woods when she turned 13. Maddie lives with her mother and she also spent time with her grandmother. From the time she was about six, her mother's boyfriend was also in the picture. Jennifer and Stefan were in an on-again, off-again relationship for years. For the majority of that time, they lived under the same roof. According to Jennifer and other family members, Stefan was like a dad to Maddie. And they had a great relationship.

• 25:21Mike Boudet?

  But she also had a great relationship with her biological dad and her sister, who lived miles away. If she didn't take off to live in the woods, maybe she took off on a bus or plane to see them. Her friend remembered her preoccupation with getting money for her birthday.

• 25:38Speaker 05

  Once I turn 13, I'm gonna leave this house and never come back.

• 25:42Speaker 03

  Why 13?

• 25:43Speaker 05

  Because I think, cuz she would always brag cuz I said that I can't wait till my birthday. And she was like, are you having a birthday party? I said, no. And she was like, oh, I get a whole bunch of money, like 500 something dollars on my birthday. You know, like, that's so much money. And I was like, yeah, like, I get money, but like, not like that. And I don't really like having birthday parties. The last birthday party I had was so much drama. Then she was like, oh, okay. She would always talk about getting money for her birthday. And I didn't give her money, and I already had given her a gift, I brought it to school. She kinda got mad that I didn't give her any money or anything. I was like, I spent money on this. I didn't physically give you any money, though.

• 26:26Speaker 05

  And then, when we also got there, I was like, how many presents did you get? And then she was like, I barely got any money yet. Like, I'm kinda mad because I want more money. I think she was waiting to turn 13, that way she could get all of her money and go. She talks to her sister, her dad is in Washington, DC, and I think her sister is too. Her and her sister are close.

• 26:51Mike Boudet?

  Missing her biological dad and sister weren't the only reasons Maddie may have taken off without telling anyone. Her friend said she didn't always get along with her mom, and she had ADHD and other challenges.

• 27:04Speaker 05

  Based on what I know, I think she kinda just wanted to be free and kinda just not live under, like...

• 27:13Speaker 05

  Her

• 27:14Mike Boudet?

  The word mom, or mom's rules, was redacted. But that's a reasonable inference. That she didn't necessarily want to live under her mom's rules. She had just turned into a teenager.

• 27:28Speaker 03

  Was she like defiant, like didn't like to follow the rules?

• 27:32Speaker 05

  Sort of, yeah.

• 27:34Speaker 05

  I mean, it depends if she took her meds. If she doesn't take her meds and she's like really crazy and she doesn't think she just does stuff.

• 27:41Speaker 03

  Like impulsive?

• 27:42Speaker 05

  Yeah.

• 27:43Mike Boudet?

  When investigators took a closer look at what actually happened that morning. Maddie's disappearance seemed less like a troubled teenager looking for escape and more like a vulnerable girl who may have been abducted. On the morning of Maddie's disappearance, Stefan drove her to school. This wasn't unusual. In fact, they had a routine for the days he took her to school that included stopping at McDonald's. But that day was different. Maddie was more lethargic and slept the whole way. She refused breakfast twice.

• 28:19Speaker 03

  Woke up around seven, seven fifteen, somewhere around there. Just an early start for us, but she had, we had talked about getting McDonald's breakfast beforehand, so we wanted to make good time. Um, we did make good time. We got out the door, maybe seven thirty ish, seven forty five ish, maybe.

• 28:39Speaker 03

  Got over to that area. She was asleep in the car most of the time, just snoozing until we got there. We got to McDonald's, we're close to McDonald's. I said, you still want it? Wasn't interested in the McDonald's anymore, so we continued on.

• 28:55Speaker 03

  And, uh, she wanted to be dropped off a little down the ways from the school. She's got this phase that she's been into lately where she, very particular about what car she seemed getting out of in front of the school. Um, I get it. It's an image thing, but, um, that was sometime probably between eight twenty and eight forty ish. Somewhere in there. It was along the stretch of the road that, um, on the right side that has all the communities on it. Before you get to the overpass, you could see the overpass from where it was.

• 29:28Speaker 05

  Mm-hmm.

• 29:29Speaker 03

  Um, so it was on that side on that stretch of road and that's where I dropped her off.

• 29:36Speaker 03

  She said she was gonna go wait for her friends. She's gonna go find them and hang out and wait for her friends. And I asked if that was gonna be okay. She said, "Yeah, it's fine." Kids get dropped off early enough as it is. It's not totally unusual for that to happen. It's just not usually that early that I drop her off. I do school runs every once in a while for her.

• 29:58Mike Boudet?

  Jennifer was happy to have Stefan in her life. He was a huge help to her. He was able to give insight to Jennifer about Maddie's ADHD because he too had ADHD. According to Stefan, his ADHD was severe. But Jennifer had issues of her own, including bipolar disorder, which she was medicating for. Typically, the medicine would help regulate her moods and her sleep. But at times, she'd forget to take it, or her dose needed to be adjusted. She often didn't sleep well and appreciated that Stefan and Maddie had a solid father-daughter-like relationship. And he could pick up the slack.

• 30:41Mike Boudet?

  In this next clip, take particular notice of how she's explaining her behavior that night. As if she's trying to explain away a question that hasn't been asked yet.

• 30:54Speaker 02

  I got home around 10:30. I started getting ready for bed myself. I started eating and taking my meds, because I have to take meds. When I went to take my meds, I realized, "Oh, my God, I forgot to take my Saturday night's meds." Which is why I felt so weird, so abnormal, and not myself Sunday while I was at work. Everyone at work noticed I was acting different and not being myself. Like, I couldn't smile in front of a guest. I felt this wave of depression that I haven't felt in years. It was my bipolar symptoms coming up again that I just... I've been medicating myself for, for the longest time.

• 31:31Speaker 03

  So, Sunday you took your meds. What meds, if you don't mind me asking, what meds did you take? Like, how does it... Do they put you to sleep deep? Does it help you fall asleep? Or does it help regulate you? What kind of habits did you take with meds?

• 31:41Speaker 02

  So, they do all of the above.

• 31:45Speaker 02

  They make me sleepy. They help me stay asleep and they help me function. So I'm stable all day. They only work well if I've got a good night's sleep and if I've eaten with them the night before when I take them, or the night I take them. The medication's called Giadon, generic brand. It's called Zifrazidone. I took my meds and then I told them to start getting ready for bed, to start heading upstairs and get ready because it was already over 11 o'clock. It's past her bedtime. She needs to go to sleep.

• 32:21Mike Boudet?

  Even by her own account, when Jennifer did take her medication, it didn't just help her sleep, it knocked her out. She described feeling groggy, disoriented, and sometimes not fully aware of what had happened the night before. Sleep was very important to Jennifer in general, so the next morning she remembered Stefan coming into her room to get the dog and take him for a walk before he took Maddie to school because she needed to sleep in and didn't want to take her. Stefan confirmed that he took the dog for a walk and then he said he and Maddie had an early start. Other than Maddie being excessively

• 33:01Mike Boudet?

  sleepy and not wanting McDonald's, this was a typical trip to school. Then she just dropped off the radar. Dropping off the radar wouldn't be as easy for Maddie as it would for other students. Her teachers were paying attention. She had an IEP, Individualized Education Program, or Special Ed as it used to be known.

• 33:25Speaker 02

  She has been in my class all year round. She's always very sweet and she struggles a bit. I mean, all my kids, kids, tens of kids, so they're the students who are struggling. She was on my door decorating team. She was actually chosen to be my student of the week from two weeks ago for helping us win our door decorating competition with our friends. She had been reading a book a couple months ago and it had kissing in it and it was a graphic novel and she was like scandalized that there was a kissing scene.

• 33:53Mike Boudet?

  Seventh grade was the year sex education was introduced in this school system, so it wasn't surprising the kids would make a big deal about a graphic novel. But she also remembered something Maddie's friends told her after Maddie went missing.

• 34:10Speaker 03

  I was shocked when the kids were telling me about the live in the woods conversation. I was shocked to hear something like that. She was very excited about her birthday.

• 34:18Mike Boudet?

  She had just been made student of the week. She was quiet, she struggled, and she was happy about her birthday. These were descriptions officers heard over and over. But they also heard that Maddie had a lot of anxiety, not just typical worries, but panic attacks. This is the school counselor.

• 34:41Speaker 03

  When she has come to me, it's often been of those feelings of panic. She's come to me like in the middle of class or during lunchtime, just feeling really panicked, kind of heavy breathing, feeling really overwhelmed. And when we've had our conversations about what's going on, what's making you feel this way, I've gotten responses saying, well, it's my anxiety. Sometimes I don't know, I'm just really overstimulated with all the noise in the cafeteria.

• 35:12Mike Boudet?

  But she also talked about things being stressful at home. Her mother was usually the focal point.

• 35:19Speaker 03

  And when I'm pressed about that, it seems to be things along the lines of, well, she gets upset that I'm forgetful or that I don't clean my room the way she wants me to. And we talked about what that does to affect her. And she says, yelling, that makes me get overstimulated and then I can't respond to her in a way that she wants me to. So we discussed strategies for kind of calming herself down.

• 35:43Mike Boudet?

  No one at school was raising any real red flags. A lot of this seemed pretty normal for a seventh grade girl with hormones and ADHD.

• 35:53Speaker 05

  She also has an IEP. Okay. So you think maybe? So I always thought that it was partly because she struggles with learning. So I always thought, you know, kids that struggle with learning also are a little bit withdrawn and have a hard time focusing.

• 36:09Mike Boudet?

  So yeah, there were struggles. A mom who had her own mental health issues, a broken family, ADHD, but none of it really pointed to a child who was about to disappear. But investigators had to consider every possibility. Whether she left on her own, met someone, or was picked up along the way. None of these explanations held up against the evidence. There was no footage of Maddie getting out of a car, no camera capturing the moment she was dropped off. The only video investigators could locate came from the area near the church, showing a figure believed to be Maddie, sitting briefly before getting up and walking away. After that, the trail stops.

• 36:53Mike Boudet?

  There were no more sightings, no confirmed movement, and no indication she'd made it any farther towards the school. There is no evidence that she ever met anyone, no sign that she left the area, and nothing to suggest she went anywhere at all. The timeline doesn't extend. It just comes to a dead end. The last person to see Maddie was Stefan, so detectives had no choice but to dig deeper into his version of what happened.

• 37:25Speaker 03

  I said, "Okay, let her out. Have a good day. Love you. Thanks. Love you too." And I turned around and was driving away and was watching her in my rearview mirror to make sure that she was going where she was to go, and she was moving in that direction, but she was rummaging around in her backpack or something, what I assumed was probably headphones or something like that, but I find out later that she forgot her phone here, so she may have been rummaging for her phone. But she was still kind of making her way towards, towards that direction. So it looked okay, like any other day. And I just continued on.

• 38:01Mike Boudet?

  After dropping Maddie off, Stefan tells investigators he left the area and went to a nearby vape shop, but it wasn't opened yet. So he says he returned home briefly. Jennifer was just getting up because she had slept in. They hung out for a bit and then he went back to the vape shop once it opened. From there, his account becomes harder to follow. He describes driving along Highway 192, stopping at multiple places, including a comic shop and a Target. So yeah, that's what an adult male is doing on a typical weekday, shopping for comic books and weed, maybe stopping by Target. We are so cooked

• 38:42Mike Boudet?

  as a society. Then at some point during that time, he says he got a flat tire. He pulled over and changed it using a spare. He explained apologetically that the flat tire caused him to fall behind. So he missed the opportunity to pick Maddie up from school with Jennifer as they had planned. On its own, none of that stood out as unusual. Running errands, losing track of time, even getting a flat tire. These are the kind of things that happen to everyone every day. But it created a stretch of time that wasn't clearly accounted for, a window where his movements relied almost completely on his own recollection. And his

• 39:25Mike Boudet?

  recollection wasn't great because remember, he has ADHD also. So far, no footage had confirmed where he was during that period. No independent witnesses placed him at any of those stops. As cooperative as Stefan was, he gave a series of locations, times, and explanations that became harder to pin down the more they tried.

• 39:52Speaker 03

  It doesn't make sense. I apologize for that. I'm trying to help you out the best that I can, but I just... Right. So like...

• 40:03Speaker 03

  If you drop her off around 8:40, let's say, give or take 10 minutes, you make it to the shop around 9, the smoke shop, and you sit there and wait for a couple minutes for it to open, you said you waited for maybe 5 or 10 minutes, right? Does it make sense that you're still there at 10 o'clock? I was there at 10 o'clock. Okay, so what did you do before that? I dropped her off, and I made my way over. Not a direct route, but I made my way over there. Did you stop anywhere on your way to the smoke shop?

• 40:41Speaker 03

  Well, I don't think so.

• 40:45Speaker 03

  Do you have, um, problems with your memory? That you can't recall what you did? Yes, um, I'm extremely ADHD, I'm sorry. So, just, details start to get fuzzy after a while. Even the times I'm giving you are my best guesstimates here.

• 41:02Speaker 03

  Didn't have my phone with me at the time, so I wasn't aware of exactly what time- There's no time on your car? -was transpiring. There probably is, but it's not my car, it's my parents' car.

• 41:12Mike Boudet?

  ADHD, no phone, unfamiliar car. I mean, ADHD's a real thing, don't get me wrong. And it does affect memory and the ability to recall details or keep track of time, all of those things. But it may also be a really good cover for someone who's trying to hide something. And that's when the investigation started to shift away from what Stefan said and towards what could actually be verified. He gave the investigators every little detail, but he couldn't account for big gaps of time. And while Jennifer corroborated his version of events, she was also unable to explain gaps of time, probably because she was asleep

• 41:56Mike Boudet?

  or at the doctor's office, maybe getting medicines readjusted. So, investigators turned to the one thing that doesn't rely on memory or even coherence: his phone. His phone showed him going home, leaving again, and doubling back in a pattern that doesn't match the simple errands he described. What should have been a simple morning became a series of trips and changes in direction he couldn't really explain. Jennifer corroborated Stefan's morning.

• 42:30Speaker 03

  Pretty sure he called me around 10:18. Uh huh, what did he call you for? To let me know that he didn't go to McDonald's as planned. He had asked her multiple times if she wanted to stop at McDonald's because that was the plan the night before, that they were gonna wake up early, he was gonna take her to McDonald's, do like a special McDonald's breakfast, and then drop her off at school early because she wanted to get there a little early. But on his way to school, she was very sleepy and wanted to sleep in the car. And um, she said she did not want to do McDonald's, she just wanted to be dropped off. Okay. Also to let me know that he left his phone at home, because I had called him multiple times and he hadn't picked up. He had left his phone at home uh by accident. He had went to the vape shop, but they didn't open on time, so he wa- he had waited for

• 43:14Speaker 03

  quite a while in front of the vape shop. They didn't open, so he left and came back and we hung out a little bit, then I think he left again to the vape shop to go by what he did. Okay.

• 43:25Mike Boudet?

  Detectives already knew something they weren't telling Jennifer. Something they had already discussed with Stefan. His car was caught on camera with a passenger in it for longer than he admitted, including turning around en route to circle back to the apartment because he forgot a key fob.

• 43:45Speaker 03

  When you came back to get your key fob, what did you do when you got here? Ran inside, got the key fob, ran back out again. Okay, where did you park? Uh, right, right up here, I think. Okay, how long would you say you were inside your apartment for? Hmm, literally long enough to run in, grab the fob, and come back out, so. Okay, and then what did you do? Up to the most. What did you do when you came back out? Uh, got back in the car and went back on, went back on uh the morning mission. Okay. The camera has you in the complex for 12 minutes. Mm-hmm.

• 44:29Speaker 03

  Does that seem about right? Yeah, coming into the complex, driving around, parking, getting the fob, coming back out. Sounds about right. Okay. And then you leave, what time would you say you dropped her off at the school? Or not at the school, but in the area? My estimate was sometime between eight twenty and eight forty.

• 44:54Speaker 03

  Okay, the camera has you leaving the complex at eight thirty-one. Eight thirty-one, okay, so it must have been closer to eight forty then. Round about, I think. Okay, so like, let's say you drop her off at eight forty. We don't see your car coming back south until ten o'clock in the morning. Mm-hmm. So what are you doing between eight forty and ten o'clock? Um, cruising around a little bit. Okay, but I asked you earlier, you know, like, what you were doing, and you said you were there for like five or ten minutes, and then you came back home. Yeah, I went to the smoke shop, like I said.

• 45:33Speaker 03

  But I was probably, I may have been reandering around the area, but made my way home. Okay, but I'm asking you earlier, right? And even like, the first time we talked to you, you're not telling us that you're like, you know, just cruising the area, like you're coming home. So I need to be able to explain to my supervisors why there's such a time gap.

• 45:58Mike Boudet?

  Stefan tried to make the return to the apartment sound routine. He forgot a key fob, he said. So, he doubled back, ran inside and came right back out. But investigators were already seeing cracks in that story. The stop took longer than he claimed. The timeline didn't hold. And while he was back at the complex, surveillance caught him doing some things, things that made the forgot my fob explanation seem maybe.

• 46:33Mike Boudet?

  Well, like a cover.

• 46:36Speaker 03

  Did she go inside with you? No, she was in the car still. She was asleep. Where in the car? Passenger seat. The front seat? Correct. Okay, did she at any point go in the back of the vehicle, like in the backseat? No. So she was in the front the whole time? Mm-hmm. Awake or asleep? She was asleep. Okay. She was conked out. We had gotten up. How was she positioned in the front seat? Um, leaned back in the seat. It's kind of conked out and happened.

• 47:05Speaker 03

  Where was her head in relation to the seat? Um, against the seat, I think. Against it. Just... Was the seat leaning back or... The seat was leaning back. Yeah, she had leaned the seat back so that she could recline and...

• 47:20Mike Boudet?

  Those questions seem kind of like who cares questions, right?

• 47:25Mike Boudet?

  This all took place before he dropped her off at school, according to Stefan. They had been up early. Maddie was tired. She slept on the way. She didn't want McDonald's. They were making good time and he realized he had forgotten the key fob, so he just drove right back to the complex. She was still asleep in the passenger seat. The problem is, well, the problem for Stefan, was that detectives weren't just looking at the one stop back at the complex. The more they reviewed the surveillance footage, the more they realized the same car Stefan was driving kept appearing. Different locations, different times.

• 48:05Mike Boudet?

  But every time, the passenger looked exactly the same.

• 48:13Mike Boudet?

  Her position never changed.

• 48:17Mike Boudet?

  She wasn't sleeping. She was already dead. Stefan was driving around for much of the morning with a corpse in the passenger seat, trying to pass her off as sleeping. Maddie never made it to school that day because she never got out of the car.

• 49:06Mike Boudet?

  Buy smart, drive for less, and trade for more. That's Toyota Fortability. And it all starts with a great deal on a truck from your local Toyota dealer. Make a smart buy on the off-road-ready Tacoma or half-ton Tundra, two of Toyota's most capable and long-lasting trucks. Built with the strength for the tough jobs, the tech to power your next big adventures, and the rugged style for everything in between. Or discover Toyota's off-road lineup, including the iconic Forerunner and Land Cruiser, designed to go beyond the everyday. And with Toyota's proven reputation for quality and reliability, plus available hybrid power

• 49:50Mike Boudet?

  on many models, you can get more for every mile and drive for less along the way. And long after you leave a lot, your Toyota keeps delivering with great resale value. So you can trade in for more when you're ready for your next Toyota. From a great deal today to a great value tomorrow, a Toyota is right for you. Shop toyota.com for deals and details, or stop by your local Toyota dealer today. Toyota, let's go places.

• 50:20Speaker 03

  Hi, I'm Jenna Ashkowitz. You might know me from Glee. This is At the Table, the food allergy podcast, a show about food, connection, and what it really looks like to live with food allergies. Each episode, we hear stories from real people like Daniel.

• 50:35Speaker 07

  People would always think I was lactose intolerant, so I just kind of shortened my explanation to I'm deathly allergic. In a big way.

• 50:44Speaker 03

  That defined a lot of my childhood. And while there are challenges, there are moments that remind you you're not alone. One of the best guys that I dated, he made a point to memorize all my food allergies. So join us and hear their stories and more, because living with food allergies isn't just about what you can't eat, it's about still having your seat at the table. Brought to you by Genentech and Novartis. Listen to At The Table, the food allergy podcast on America's number one podcast network, iHeart. Follow At The Table and start listening on the free iHeart Radio app today.

• 51:17Mike Boudet?

  Ever been on a trip where you felt like an outsider because you couldn't speak the language? That's exactly where Babbel steps in. It's not about mastering textbook grammar or topping leaderboards, it's about real conversations in real places. Imagine speaking a new language confidently in just a few weeks with just 10 minutes a day on Babbel. Designed by over 200 language experts, Babbel teaches you the phrases that locals actually use, not outdated textbook jargon. Plus, it fits into your life effortlessly, whether during a coffee break or right before bed. And here's something for all of you. As listeners of our podcast, you can get up to 60% off your Babbel subscription. Just visit babbel.com/pod. Start your journey to a new language today.

• 52:12Mike Boudet?

  On the morning of her 13th birthday party, Maddie Soto would have started another day in her life. School, friends, homework. Instead, she disappeared and never made it to school. What started as a missing child case was now falling apart, right in front of her mother's boyfriend, Stefan Sterns, who was the last person to see her. Stefan said it was a normal morning. A school drop-off, a few errands, a stop at a vape shop. But the more detectives checked his story, the less it held. The timeline shifted, the details changed. Surveillance exposed gaps he just couldn't explain.

• 52:54Mike Boudet?

  And whatever hope was left started fading fast. This was no longer a search for a missing girl, it was a search for a missing corpse. Detectives had to break the news to Jennifer, so they showed her a picture of the Lincoln in the driveway at about 7:30.

• 53:12Speaker 06

  That's Maddie asleep in the car. Maddie's not asleep in the car.

• 53:18Speaker 06

  What do you mean? Do you believe Maddie's asleep there?

• 53:24Speaker 06

  Is she dead? I don't know.

• 53:29Speaker 06

  We don't know where she's at.

• 53:31Mike Boudet?

  Jennifer takes the picture in her hand, scrunches her brow, and looks closer at her daughter.

• 53:39Speaker 06

  It's an odd way for her to be laying down, sleeping.

• 53:42Speaker 03

  Right now, we are probably gonna start working this case as a homicide. We believe he possibly has done something to Maddie, and we wanna know where he would possibly go.

• 53:58Mike Boudet?

  Surveillance picks up his silver Lincoln again and again that morning. At 7:35, it's at the trash compactor. Stefan gets out and throws a white trash bag inside. Maddie is still visible in the front passenger seat, her head tilted to the left, mouth hanging open, seat belted in. At 8:19, the car is seen at the front gate. At 8:31, it leaves through the back gate. And in every one of those videos, Maddie is still in the same position. A sleeping 13-year-old doesn't usually remain frozen in the same posture across multiple stops,

• 54:42Mike Boudet?

  multiple gates, multiple movements through a complex. But a dead body does. And then, the cameras at the compactor made the morning even darker. Near the tread from a tire matching Stefan's vehicle, they recover a white trash bag containing Maddie's backpack, a white croc, and her school-issued laptop. So while Stefan is telling detectives about McDonald's, a vape shop, and a forgotten key fob— oh, and a girl sleeping quietly in the front seat— the evidence is telling a very different story. The car didn't just stay in the Kissimmee area.

• 55:23Mike Boudet?

  Investigators later traced Stefan's vehicle out towards St. Cloud, about 30 minutes away. License plate readers and traffic cameras followed the Lincoln to Hickory Tree Road. And by the time the car was seen coming back, it had a spare tire on it. And this time, Stefan wasn't lying. At some point that morning, he really did have a flat tire. Someone saw him pulled over on the side of the road.

• 55:51Speaker 03

  Coming home from 192 Hickory Tree, I observed that gray vehicle, Lincoln is it?

• 56:00Mike Boudet?

  Okay.

• 56:02Speaker 03

  With a black rear tire. He was on the side of the road.

• 56:06Mike Boudet?

  Okay.

• 56:07Speaker 03

  Stuping down in the back, looking at the tire, which I found odd.

• 56:12Mike Boudet?

  Okay.

• 56:13Speaker 03

  So normally, I just pull it off. That was around 12:30.

• 56:18Mike Boudet?

  The guy didn't see Maddie in the passenger seat because Stefan had already moved her, possibly to her final location by then. It's plausible he got a flat tire while off-roading and offloading the body. Just three hours earlier, surveillance footage from a parking garage near the vape shop caught him in the act of moving the body. Stefan backs his vehicle into a parking space by the stairs. He exits his vehicle and walks towards the rear. Then he opens the trunk. At 9:41 a.m., Stefan is seen placing Maddie, who was wearing a green sweatshirt, into the trunk of his vehicle. He then exits the parking garage and heads onto 192.

• 57:04Mike Boudet?

  Detectives don't tell him about their mounting evidence. They're still feeling him out. When he's questioned on details about his timeline, his answers are very polite. And he's sticking to his story, his vague story.

• 57:20Speaker 03

  Um... I'm so sorry. That's okay. I know the details are important and just... The way our brains work with ADHD is those things can get fuzzy. Are you on any medication? I'm supposed to be. I have not been medicated lately, so I'm just... I'm not a morning person. I'm not... I'm very time-blind on the best of days. And forgetful. So I understand that. None of that is helpful in this case. Okay. I'm very sorry. We're gonna have the apartment secured for the rest of the night, okay? Why, um... So the investigation's not gonna happen tonight? It is.

• 58:01Mike Boudet?

  He asks whether the investigation will still happen that night. It would. It would. But that didn't stop Stefan from continuing his movements when the interviews ended. Because before sunrise, while the search was still very much alive, he takes Jennifer's car and leaves the hotel, heading out towards St. Cloud around 3 a.m. Then later that morning, he takes off again, this time much farther. Records show Jennifer's Nissan traveling to Northport.

• 58:34Mike Boudet?

  Later Jennifer would say he came back with a "wawa" cup and claimed he'd just gone to 192. He never told her where he'd actually been, which is important because Northport isn't around the corner. It's two hours away.

• 58:50Speaker 02

  Because at one point we moved close to where his parents live right now in, uh, they live in Northport, Florida, Sarasota County.

• 58:59Mike Boudet?

  You caught that, right? The one place these killers always seem to head towards after killing is back to mommy and daddy. And in this case, that was Northport, Florida, where Stefan's parents lived.

• 59:13Speaker 07

  Um, obviously you live down in Northport? Yes, sir. Okay. Um, I'm just gonna shoot straight, I have respect for you and everything, I appreciate it. There's a storage unit down there? Yeah, I have a storage unit. You have a storage unit. Is that your son's storage unit? No, it's mine. Or is that yours? That's your storage unit? Yeah, okay. Does he have access to it? No, I have the keys. Okay. Um, were you aware that, did your son come visit you on Monday morning? This Monday? Yeah. No, he left Sunday. Okay.

• 59:41Mike Boudet?

  Stefan's dad sounds confused because he is. You see, Stefan had been living with his parents for a few months after another breakup with Jennifer, but they were still on good terms. And because of his strong bond with Maddie, Jen invited him back for Maddie's birthday. So, his dad is talking about his son leaving on Sunday to head to Kissimmee for Maddie's birthday. He doesn't know yet that just three days later, Stefan would quietly make that same drive back without telling anyone. It would become apparent later in the investigation that Stefan had traveled to his parents' place

• 1:00:22Mike Boudet?

  in Northport because he had a hard drive there containing incriminating material, let's say. And as if the Northport trip wasn't incriminating enough, what they found on his phone was worse yet. But, he had tried to erase it.

• 1:00:43Speaker 02

  When I saw him at the house, everything was normal. We were chatting, we were talking, he was acting normal. He was sitting in my computer chair, just messing around on his phone.

• 1:00:53Speaker 02

  While we were hanging out, he mentioned something along the lines of, "Oh, man, I've been avoiding this phone update for a really long time. I should probably update it now." And I said, "Do it. Don't avoid it. Just get it over with." And he updates his phone. And then tells me, "Oh, my God. I don't know what button I just pressed, but I just factory reset my entire phone." And I said, "How the hell does that happen?"

• 1:01:19Mike Boudet?

  Well, that happens quite simply when you have something to hide. You deliberately go to your phone settings, find the reset tab, and tap it to erase all the content. And that's what Stefan thought he did. But a computer scientist, he was not.

• 1:01:41Speaker 02

  So earlier that day, I think Detective Pop came, or somebody came, and asked Stefan for his cellphone if he would willingly give it up so that they can look at it, or if they would need a warrant. And I remember him saying, "Should I have asked a warrant? Should I have..." And I'm like, "No, you've got nothing to hide. Give him your fucking phone." And then when you guys came in the evening, and you guys told us to wait outside, and we waited in my car, he started getting very anxious and very panicky, going, "I want my phone back. I want my phone back." And I said, "Listen, at this point, it's their phone. It's theirs for fucking ever. I don't give a shit. We will buy you a new phone. It doesn't matter anymore. Whatever they need, they need. Like, let them look at it." And he's like, "I just want my phone back."

• 1:02:25Speaker 02

  And I'm just like, "Do you... Are you trying to make yourself more suspicious?" Because, like, you're... If you were to go demand your phone back right now, that would look suspicious as fuck. Like, what are you doing? Uh, I'm thinking, he's just getting impatient, because he's bored and wants to play on his phone. And at one point, he takes my phone to start playing with it. I give it up. And I said, "Here, play on my phone. Have fun."

• 1:02:50Mike Boudet?

  Just two days after Matty went missing, detectives had Stefan's phone and all the evidence on it, which was quite a bit. They found graphic pictures and videos of him sexually abusing 13-year-old Matty Soto. In one picture, Stefan's face is visible, and his tongue is on Matty's nipple. It was explicit, undeniable, and extremely disturbing.

• 1:03:21Mike Boudet?

  And it had been saved among an album of child sexual abuse material. They didn't just find one picture or one scene, they found hundreds. Basically, a typical redditor's stash. These pictures pointed to repetition, duration, a system of abuse. Later reporting would describe roughly 1,700 images linked to Stefan's accounts, stretching back at least two years. So the phone did not just prove what Stefan had done. It showed that he had been doing it for a very long time.

• 1:04:04Mike Boudet?

  And the investigators matched the abuser in those files to Stefan's own body parts, if you catch my drift. Reports about the pictures describe a bright pinkish area below the head of the penis and a black mark or freckle on it, also visible in some pictures. Yuck. They also collected penile swabs from him, which I'm sure was quite humiliating. By then detectives weren't just looking at abuse images. They were connecting the penis in those images directly to Stefan Stern's. Imagine that being your job.

• 1:04:49Mike Boudet?

  Now that detectives had Stefan's phone, Jennifer was forced to reconcile with her understanding of who he really was.

• 1:04:58Speaker 02

  Like, I look back at shit now, I'm just like, he was fucking lying, he was fucking faking. What else has he been lying to me about? I know he's like a master liar manipulator because he's done it to his parents and he's told me and shown me.

• 1:05:12Speaker 02

  The lies he's done to his parents. But I don't know why I never thought, not me.

• 1:05:19Mike Boudet?

  That would be because Jennifer forgot this stark truth. That people will always show you who they really are. If you pay close enough attention.

• 1:05:31Speaker 02

  I told him to call his dad. Cause I had a feeling something y'all knew something and it was gonna come down on him. And I'm just like, they're focusing on the wrong person. They have the wrong person. In my head, I'm convinced you guys are just.

• 1:05:46Speaker 02

  That you had the wrong person.

• 1:05:48Mike Boudet?

  He was definitely a wrong person. Just not the wrong person for these crimes. But what happened to Matty was not an accident at all. Jennifer asked detectives, how the hell does that happen? Well, the detectives wanted that question answered also. And they wanted to know if Jennifer was complicit.

• 1:06:14Speaker 02

  I don't know what you want me to say or do or. Just want my daughter back.

• 1:06:20Speaker 06

  And this is exactly what I was just talking about. We are literally having a conversation right now about Matty.

• 1:06:31Speaker 06

  Possibly being dead.

• 1:06:32Speaker 02

  Yeah.

• 1:06:34Speaker 06

  And you have yet to shed a tear.

• 1:06:38Mike Boudet?

  By now detectives know Matty is dead. They know Stefan is responsible. But the questions that are about to get a lot darker are these. Why did he kill her? And how does this kind of sexual abuse happen for years in a home? With someone you say you trusted with your life? Jennifer may have trusted Stefan with her life, but Matty was the one who paid for it.

• 1:07:08Mike Boudet?

  And what they're about to uncover is far worse than how she died.

• 1:07:44Speaker 03

  Happy Birthday, America! It's time to celebrate and play your favorite Las Vegas casino games by American-owned Spinquest.com. What's better than fireworks and American Pie? Hitting a blackjack in the palm of your hand, and you won't lose your fingers. Over a thousand games, including slots and live dealers. And $30 point packs are on sale for $10. Spinquest.com. Buy American players, for American players. Spinquest is a free-to-play social casino. Void where prohibited. Visit Spinquest.com for more details.

• 1:08:17Speaker 03

  Why won't she answer? She's breaking up with me. I need my vape. Is she breaking up with me? She's breaking up with me. I need my vape.

• 1:08:28Speaker 03

  Why won't she answer? Is she breaking up with me? I need my vape. Do you crave nicotine when you get anxious? She's breaking up with me. Is she breaking up with me? Or do you get anxious when you crave nicotine? Break the cycle and quit nicotine with X-Program by Truth Initiative.