Madeline Soto's mother knew she was being manipulated and abused before she died, report says – WFTV

KISSIMMEE, Fla. – An 82-page supplemental case report provided details about how Madeline Soto ended up in a wooded area and how she died.

Kissimmee police documents contain details from the time of the teenager's disappearance in February to April, when Stephen Sterns was charged with first-degree premeditated murder.

According to the documents, during the investigation, investigators asked her mother, Jennifer Soto, whether she thought Sterns was guilty.

“I asked her what she thought Stephan was guilty of and she replied, 'He groomed and abused my child,'” page 37 of the supplemental case report.

Read: Madeline Soto case: Sources say police have no plans to charge Jennifer Soto

According to the documents, Madeline died by strangulation. Her body was carried over the locked barbed wire fence.

“Based on the clothing description seen on several videos, the body appeared to be indeed Madeline. The lock to the farm was still locked and did not appear to have been tampered with. Stephan would have had to throw Madeline's body over the barbed wire fence or to where the gate was. Then he would have had to move her body to the location where it was found,” page 60 of the supplemental case report.

The local coroner stated that her socks were clean, indicating that she had never walked alone.

Read: Body-worn footage shows Stephan Sterns leading officers in the wrong direction of Madeline Soto's body

Documents show that during the autopsy, the medical examiner expressed concern about Madeline's hyoid bone in her throat.

After the teenager's body was found, investigators interviewed Stern and Jennifer's roommate. According to the documents, the roommate told investigators that she heard noises coming from the room Madeline and Stern shared around 2:30 a.m. on the night of Madeline's 13th birthday party.

She also said that the next morning, while making breakfast, she saw Sterns “acting strangely,” walking up and down the stairs and in and out of the apartment. She also said Sterns was doing laundry, “which she never saw him do.”

Read: Madeline Soto: A timeline of her disappearance and death

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