1 00:00:00,880 --> 00:00:02,840 Speaker 1: Crime Stories with Nancy Grace. 2 00:00:03,800 --> 00:00:14,600 Speaker 2: Murdered Maddie Soto just thirteen years old. Mommy gets immunity. 3 00:00:15,440 --> 00:00:18,400 Speaker 2: I'm Nancy Grace, this is Crime Stories. Thank you for 4 00:00:18,520 --> 00:00:19,239 Speaker 2: being with us. 5 00:00:19,600 --> 00:00:21,639 Speaker 3: I sent them to sleep upstairs in the bathroom of 6 00:00:21,640 --> 00:00:24,120 Speaker 3: the guest bedroom, but I could get a good na sleep, 7 00:00:24,239 --> 00:00:25,720 Speaker 3: and I think we need to get you a lawyer. 8 00:00:25,920 --> 00:00:28,920 Speaker 3: But that was me assuming that you guys had the 9 00:00:28,920 --> 00:00:31,280 Speaker 3: wrong guy. Now that he had done all this to her, 10 00:00:31,520 --> 00:00:31,960 Speaker 3: I don't know. 11 00:00:31,880 --> 00:00:33,240 Speaker 1: Why I wasn't thinking him. 12 00:00:33,400 --> 00:00:35,960 Speaker 3: I believe the special stuff, but I didn't want to 13 00:00:35,960 --> 00:00:37,520 Speaker 3: believe that he had done anything. 14 00:00:37,240 --> 00:00:37,839 Speaker 1: Equal to her. 15 00:00:38,040 --> 00:00:40,840 Speaker 4: What you just say is the sad stuff is fine. 16 00:00:41,120 --> 00:00:43,320 Speaker 3: It's not fine. I look back now, I'm just like 17 00:00:43,400 --> 00:00:45,240 Speaker 3: he was flying, he was baking. 18 00:00:45,720 --> 00:00:46,560 Speaker 5: You're very worse. 19 00:00:47,120 --> 00:00:49,839 Speaker 4: She's pregnant. Have you ever found her pregnancy test at home? 20 00:00:50,159 --> 00:00:52,160 Speaker 6: I have two underneath the kitchen. 21 00:00:51,960 --> 00:00:54,120 Speaker 3: To the bathroom, saying, but I haven't. 22 00:00:53,880 --> 00:00:56,880 Speaker 2: Seen if there's a layer joining us? An all star 23 00:00:56,920 --> 00:00:59,280 Speaker 2: panel to make sense of what we were learning. Now, Not 24 00:00:59,440 --> 00:01:03,880 Speaker 2: only do we learn that Maddie Soto's mother, Jen Soto, 25 00:01:04,280 --> 00:01:09,720 Speaker 2: has gotten a form of immunity. What was so important 26 00:01:10,120 --> 00:01:12,920 Speaker 2: that they needed the state needed from Jen Soto that 27 00:01:13,000 --> 00:01:19,520 Speaker 2: she's getting almost a free pass. First to Shannon Butler, 28 00:01:19,680 --> 00:01:23,000 Speaker 2: joining us investigative reporter from WFTV. 29 00:01:22,760 --> 00:01:25,199 Speaker 1: Nine, Shannon, thank you for being with us. 30 00:01:25,720 --> 00:01:28,959 Speaker 2: What do you believe it is the state can get 31 00:01:29,000 --> 00:01:32,920 Speaker 2: from mom Jen Soto that's so valuable they would give 32 00:01:32,959 --> 00:01:34,559 Speaker 2: her immunity from prosecution. 33 00:01:34,760 --> 00:01:37,880 Speaker 7: Well, they didn't tell us that they had any valuable information. 34 00:01:38,080 --> 00:01:41,680 Speaker 7: What they said is they couldn't find anything that would 35 00:01:41,720 --> 00:01:45,600 Speaker 7: connect her to any crime. So I think what they're 36 00:01:45,840 --> 00:01:48,560 Speaker 7: doing is trying to use her to help with this 37 00:01:48,680 --> 00:01:51,840 Speaker 7: case more than trying to continue to go after her 38 00:01:52,040 --> 00:01:53,880 Speaker 7: in case that hurts the case. 39 00:01:53,600 --> 00:01:54,320 Speaker 1: Down the road. 40 00:01:55,160 --> 00:01:59,080 Speaker 7: She at least knows his behavior, so she does provide 41 00:01:59,080 --> 00:02:01,800 Speaker 7: them some information information, But they told us they just 42 00:02:01,840 --> 00:02:06,240 Speaker 7: didn't have enough to charge her with anything in any 43 00:02:06,320 --> 00:02:08,800 Speaker 7: of these scenarios. 44 00:02:08,320 --> 00:02:14,240 Speaker 2: Shannon, nobody gets immunity ever from the state unless they've 45 00:02:14,240 --> 00:02:19,919 Speaker 2: got something to add testimony. Wise, if you cannot pan 46 00:02:19,960 --> 00:02:22,800 Speaker 2: a crime on someone, if they're not connected to a crime, fine, 47 00:02:22,840 --> 00:02:24,040 Speaker 2: don't prosecute them. 48 00:02:24,040 --> 00:02:26,239 Speaker 1: But you don't have to give them immunity. 49 00:02:26,639 --> 00:02:29,520 Speaker 3: Listen, I said, you guys, I need a good, nice sleep, 50 00:02:29,919 --> 00:02:34,600 Speaker 3: I need to take my meds. I sent them to 51 00:02:34,639 --> 00:02:38,000 Speaker 3: sleep upstairs in the best in the guest bedroom so 52 00:02:38,040 --> 00:02:44,920 Speaker 3: that I could get a good night sleep. Suggested that 53 00:02:45,280 --> 00:02:47,639 Speaker 3: we all sleep together in the same bed together. 54 00:02:48,400 --> 00:02:48,560 Speaker 8: But. 55 00:02:50,400 --> 00:02:52,840 Speaker 3: Not the easiest person to sleep with. She rolls around, 56 00:02:52,960 --> 00:02:54,200 Speaker 3: she punches, she kicks. 57 00:02:54,720 --> 00:02:55,200 Speaker 9: But it was. 58 00:02:55,320 --> 00:02:58,280 Speaker 1: Obtained crime scene photos. 59 00:02:59,280 --> 00:03:02,840 Speaker 2: Jen so To in her then living boyfriend were kicked 60 00:03:02,880 --> 00:03:06,800 Speaker 2: out of the condo while police affected a search. We've 61 00:03:06,800 --> 00:03:11,360 Speaker 2: obtained those photos. First, let's look at Mattie's room. Her 62 00:03:11,440 --> 00:03:15,480 Speaker 2: room was essentially part of the downstairs living room and 63 00:03:15,600 --> 00:03:20,600 Speaker 2: it was essentially a bed cordoned off by this see 64 00:03:20,600 --> 00:03:25,520 Speaker 2: through partition there on the bottom level of the home. 65 00:03:25,720 --> 00:03:28,440 Speaker 2: What more do we learn in the crime scene photos? 66 00:03:28,760 --> 00:03:33,200 Speaker 2: Those boxers right there, belonging to Stephan Stern, they were pictured, 67 00:03:33,760 --> 00:03:37,920 Speaker 2: and that's Mattie's bedroom area. Those boxers in her laundry 68 00:03:38,000 --> 00:03:43,760 Speaker 2: basket were pictured in the sex molestation videos that were 69 00:03:43,800 --> 00:03:46,840 Speaker 2: found on his phone. And then in the next photo 70 00:03:46,920 --> 00:03:52,800 Speaker 2: you see her betting, Mattie Soto's betting, which also appeared 71 00:03:53,040 --> 00:03:55,760 Speaker 2: in the sex molestation videos. 72 00:03:55,320 --> 00:03:56,760 Speaker 1: On Stephan Stern's home. 73 00:03:56,840 --> 00:04:01,960 Speaker 2: According to police, that betting proves the sex molestation happened 74 00:04:01,960 --> 00:04:02,640 Speaker 2: in the home. 75 00:04:03,120 --> 00:04:06,040 Speaker 1: So we now know that, according. 76 00:04:05,720 --> 00:04:09,960 Speaker 2: To police, the molestation and the murder happened in the home. 77 00:04:10,240 --> 00:04:13,480 Speaker 2: It's extremely poignant that on her bed are her little 78 00:04:13,600 --> 00:04:17,600 Speaker 2: stuffed animals. But to another shot, all of that betting, 79 00:04:17,600 --> 00:04:19,720 Speaker 2: of course, becomes state's exhibits. 80 00:04:20,160 --> 00:04:21,560 Speaker 1: We believe this. 81 00:04:21,440 --> 00:04:26,560 Speaker 2: Is another room where Stephan Stearns slept. 82 00:04:26,240 --> 00:04:29,640 Speaker 1: On occasion, and we know that the room where he. 83 00:04:29,760 --> 00:04:34,320 Speaker 2: Slept with Maddie at her mother's direction, had a lock 84 00:04:34,839 --> 00:04:38,200 Speaker 2: on the door, and I mean not just the kind 85 00:04:38,240 --> 00:04:42,200 Speaker 2: that go with the doorknob, full on locks. You were 86 00:04:42,240 --> 00:04:46,360 Speaker 2: seeing crime scene photos that we obtained from police files. 87 00:04:47,040 --> 00:04:54,159 Speaker 2: Back to Shannon Butler joining us WFTV nine, Shannon, many 88 00:04:54,320 --> 00:04:58,560 Speaker 2: would argue that sending your daughter to go sleep with 89 00:04:58,680 --> 00:05:04,960 Speaker 2: your adult living boyfriend is gross neglect that exposed her 90 00:05:05,160 --> 00:05:05,520 Speaker 2: to sex. 91 00:05:05,640 --> 00:05:06,159 Speaker 1: One station. 92 00:05:06,440 --> 00:05:11,960 Speaker 7: I mean, the public here in Central Florida has said 93 00:05:12,000 --> 00:05:15,039 Speaker 7: over and over again, we don't understand, we don't understand 94 00:05:15,080 --> 00:05:19,600 Speaker 7: how she's not held to any accountability in this situation. 95 00:05:20,200 --> 00:05:23,320 Speaker 7: But like I've told you before, police just don't seem 96 00:05:23,400 --> 00:05:25,640 Speaker 7: to have anything they want to charge her with. 97 00:05:25,839 --> 00:05:32,000 Speaker 2: And speaking of mom Jen Soto's response after Mattie first 98 00:05:32,040 --> 00:05:34,600 Speaker 2: goes missing, this is what she said. 99 00:05:34,440 --> 00:05:36,200 Speaker 1: When you got to show me the future of her. 100 00:05:37,000 --> 00:05:39,560 Speaker 3: I believe the sexual stuff, but I didn't want to 101 00:05:39,600 --> 00:05:41,440 Speaker 3: believe that he had done anything equal to her. 102 00:05:41,440 --> 00:05:43,680 Speaker 1: I'm like, no, what if she what if he did this? 103 00:05:43,760 --> 00:05:46,560 Speaker 3: Stop buying? But what if she's still missing out there? 104 00:05:46,600 --> 00:05:50,080 Speaker 3: What if somebody took her? I still wanted to believe 105 00:05:50,880 --> 00:05:55,000 Speaker 3: his I believed him. I believed his whole story. So 106 00:05:55,080 --> 00:05:57,440 Speaker 3: I was just like, I kept repeating that Part's like, 107 00:05:57,680 --> 00:06:00,080 Speaker 3: what did she get her dropped off? What did she 108 00:06:00,520 --> 00:06:02,640 Speaker 3: I got? Abductive? What if she's missing? 109 00:06:02,760 --> 00:06:06,880 Speaker 2: Okay, Shannon Butler joining me, investigative reporter WFTV nine, Did 110 00:06:06,880 --> 00:06:10,360 Speaker 2: I just hear mommy correctly? She says, when you show 111 00:06:10,440 --> 00:06:13,440 Speaker 2: me the picture of her, which I think is a 112 00:06:13,520 --> 00:06:19,400 Speaker 2: euphemism for her boyfriend raping her daughter and videoing it 113 00:06:19,520 --> 00:06:20,440 Speaker 2: on his cell phone. 114 00:06:20,520 --> 00:06:23,320 Speaker 1: I think that's the picture that she's talking about. 115 00:06:23,600 --> 00:06:26,840 Speaker 2: What. I believe this sexual stuff, but I didn't want 116 00:06:26,880 --> 00:06:31,360 Speaker 2: to believe he had done anything evil to her. Okay, 117 00:06:31,839 --> 00:06:35,640 Speaker 2: like rape and sodomy on a then twelve year old girl. 118 00:06:35,720 --> 00:06:36,560 Speaker 1: It's not evil. 119 00:06:36,760 --> 00:06:40,880 Speaker 7: Yeah, And you can hear from that interaction with those deputies, 120 00:06:41,160 --> 00:06:44,560 Speaker 7: there was a lot of pause that they took, even 121 00:06:44,680 --> 00:06:48,400 Speaker 7: after We talked about this later on, about why she 122 00:06:48,480 --> 00:06:51,880 Speaker 7: didn't quite understand that what was happening there, at least 123 00:06:51,880 --> 00:06:55,600 Speaker 7: in that interview was evil and was wrong. There was 124 00:06:55,640 --> 00:06:57,800 Speaker 7: a lot of concern about that in the beginning. That's 125 00:06:57,839 --> 00:07:00,400 Speaker 7: what started them really trying to take a look to 126 00:07:00,400 --> 00:07:03,920 Speaker 7: see if there was any involvement with Jen Soto and 127 00:07:04,040 --> 00:07:07,960 Speaker 7: what had happened to Madeline Soto. It was that comment 128 00:07:08,080 --> 00:07:10,360 Speaker 7: right there that kind of started that ball rolling. 129 00:07:10,560 --> 00:07:15,920 Speaker 2: She better have something explosive in exchange for immunity, which 130 00:07:15,960 --> 00:07:22,280 Speaker 2: means she will not be prosecuted for anything deriving from 131 00:07:22,720 --> 00:07:27,760 Speaker 2: those statements that she gave under immunity. But that's not all, 132 00:07:28,400 --> 00:07:33,240 Speaker 2: even after she realizes police are focusing on her living Listen. 133 00:07:33,040 --> 00:07:36,040 Speaker 3: But that was me assuming that you guys had the 134 00:07:36,040 --> 00:07:38,040 Speaker 3: wrong guy. I wanted to think he was a good 135 00:07:38,040 --> 00:07:40,840 Speaker 3: guy still, but clearly he's not. After everything you guys 136 00:07:40,880 --> 00:07:44,239 Speaker 3: have told me and have shown me, I know he's 137 00:07:45,920 --> 00:07:48,840 Speaker 3: the worst person on these faces that really I started 138 00:07:48,880 --> 00:07:51,080 Speaker 3: saying to him, like, I think they're focusing in on you, 139 00:07:51,520 --> 00:07:53,280 Speaker 3: like we need to call your dad, and I think 140 00:07:53,320 --> 00:07:58,520 Speaker 3: we need to get you a lawyer. I feel like 141 00:07:58,560 --> 00:08:00,640 Speaker 3: they're focusing on the wrong person. He kept saying the 142 00:08:00,640 --> 00:08:05,680 Speaker 3: same thing. He kept repeating what I was repeating. They're 143 00:08:05,680 --> 00:08:06,960 Speaker 3: focusing on the wrong person. 144 00:08:07,240 --> 00:08:15,720 Speaker 2: Okay, Raymond a judice, veteran defense attorney, former prosecutor. The 145 00:08:15,760 --> 00:08:21,000 Speaker 2: mom says, hey, live in they're focusing on you. We 146 00:08:21,080 --> 00:08:25,040 Speaker 2: got to get you a lawyer pronto. What Okay? WHOA 147 00:08:25,640 --> 00:08:29,840 Speaker 2: So she knows her daughter's missing, she knows the boyfriend 148 00:08:30,000 --> 00:08:34,160 Speaker 2: was last with the daughter. She knows the boyfriend somehow 149 00:08:34,200 --> 00:08:38,319 Speaker 2: knows what the daughter's wearing when she goes missing. She's 150 00:08:38,360 --> 00:08:42,040 Speaker 2: sending them to bed together when she wants a good 151 00:08:42,160 --> 00:08:42,679 Speaker 2: night's sleep. 152 00:08:42,679 --> 00:08:44,800 Speaker 1: How she could sleep through that, I do not know. 153 00:08:45,559 --> 00:08:49,280 Speaker 2: But now when police let it be known he is 154 00:08:49,360 --> 00:08:52,960 Speaker 2: the suspect, the prime suspect, she's saying, hey, honey, we 155 00:08:53,000 --> 00:08:55,200 Speaker 2: got to get you a lawyer. I mean, my fingers 156 00:08:55,240 --> 00:08:59,560 Speaker 2: are tingling. What I would do if someone touched the 157 00:08:59,640 --> 00:09:02,320 Speaker 2: twin and she's trying to get him a lawyer. 158 00:09:02,679 --> 00:09:07,800 Speaker 10: Nancy, clearly prosecution here, and I think not to attack 159 00:09:07,880 --> 00:09:11,319 Speaker 10: these deputies. They should have had a much more experience, 160 00:09:11,480 --> 00:09:15,160 Speaker 10: either assistant district attorney or at a serious investigator that 161 00:09:15,280 --> 00:09:19,120 Speaker 10: specializes in crimes against women and children. They did not 162 00:09:19,360 --> 00:09:21,800 Speaker 10: need to do the statement this way and give her immunity. 163 00:09:22,200 --> 00:09:25,079 Speaker 10: She hasn't she hasn't been accused of anything, and I 164 00:09:25,160 --> 00:09:27,880 Speaker 10: think that's the way it's going to be unless the prosecution, 165 00:09:28,120 --> 00:09:31,600 Speaker 10: and it's a very high burden, can find evidence of 166 00:09:31,640 --> 00:09:37,440 Speaker 10: a crime against her outside of this statement, and the 167 00:09:37,480 --> 00:09:42,199 Speaker 10: burden shifts to the prosecution to prove that the statement 168 00:09:42,600 --> 00:09:46,240 Speaker 10: did not lead to the finding of any new evidence. 169 00:09:46,760 --> 00:09:50,120 Speaker 10: They had enough evidence on his phone alone to put 170 00:09:50,160 --> 00:09:52,040 Speaker 10: him with a no bond, and that would be here 171 00:09:52,040 --> 00:09:55,839 Speaker 10: in Atlanta, on the images, the child porn images on 172 00:09:55,920 --> 00:09:59,439 Speaker 10: his phone. You let them sit, you let them stew, 173 00:10:00,080 --> 00:10:03,520 Speaker 10: and you continue to investigate the case. But she's got immunity, 174 00:10:03,920 --> 00:10:06,719 Speaker 10: and the prosecution unless they know something else up their 175 00:10:06,800 --> 00:10:11,559 Speaker 10: sleeve against her, she's got that passed Nancy to get 176 00:10:11,559 --> 00:10:12,040 Speaker 10: out of jail. 177 00:10:12,120 --> 00:10:21,800 Speaker 2: Passes crime stories with Nancy Grace. 178 00:10:25,520 --> 00:10:26,280 Speaker 5: I sent them to. 179 00:10:26,280 --> 00:10:28,480 Speaker 3: Sleep upstairs in the bast of the guest measure so 180 00:10:28,559 --> 00:10:30,640 Speaker 3: that I could get a good, great sleep. May we 181 00:10:30,679 --> 00:10:32,440 Speaker 3: need to get you a lawyer, But that was me 182 00:10:33,080 --> 00:10:35,680 Speaker 3: assuming that you guys had the wrong guy on, that 183 00:10:35,760 --> 00:10:37,240 Speaker 3: he had done all this to her. 184 00:10:37,840 --> 00:10:40,240 Speaker 6: The most important thing today is to tell the truth. 185 00:10:40,760 --> 00:10:43,640 Speaker 6: I also explained rivet of views community, which means if 186 00:10:43,640 --> 00:10:46,640 Speaker 6: you said that there was a gun, and obviously there's 187 00:10:46,679 --> 00:10:49,040 Speaker 6: no gun in this case buried in your attorney's yard, 188 00:10:49,440 --> 00:10:52,040 Speaker 6: we couldn't go dig up that gun he told us that. 189 00:10:52,040 --> 00:10:53,920 Speaker 11: Oh, yeah, there was the gun that was used is 190 00:10:54,000 --> 00:10:54,480 Speaker 11: right there. 191 00:10:54,760 --> 00:10:55,560 Speaker 3: We wouldn't be able. 192 00:10:55,440 --> 00:10:57,080 Speaker 6: To do that. We would have to show that we 193 00:10:57,400 --> 00:11:00,000 Speaker 6: learned all those things independently from this inner. 194 00:11:00,360 --> 00:11:03,080 Speaker 1: It's called derivative use immunity. 195 00:11:05,480 --> 00:11:08,920 Speaker 2: The lawyers love to make everything sounds so complicated, and 196 00:11:08,960 --> 00:11:11,600 Speaker 2: they also like to throw in Latin phrases, so be. 197 00:11:11,640 --> 00:11:14,480 Speaker 1: Ready for that. Derivative use immunity. 198 00:11:14,800 --> 00:11:19,480 Speaker 2: Immunity is like an immunization right that protects you from 199 00:11:19,559 --> 00:11:23,079 Speaker 2: let's just say, the measles or the months the vaccine immunity. 200 00:11:23,880 --> 00:11:28,520 Speaker 2: Immunity in this case means immunity from prosecution in. 201 00:11:28,360 --> 00:11:30,840 Speaker 1: Exchange for your statement. 202 00:11:31,679 --> 00:11:38,800 Speaker 2: Derivative use immunity means you can't be prosecuted from anything 203 00:11:38,840 --> 00:11:44,679 Speaker 2: that derives comes from your statement. That is what derivative 204 00:11:45,080 --> 00:11:50,120 Speaker 2: use immunity means. In a nutshell, Ray, Yes, no. 205 00:11:50,280 --> 00:11:53,360 Speaker 10: Yes, absolutely, you can do it. 206 00:11:53,400 --> 00:11:53,880 Speaker 1: In one word. 207 00:11:54,840 --> 00:11:58,080 Speaker 2: You have me a dollar okay, yes, all right, now, Ray, 208 00:11:58,200 --> 00:12:01,280 Speaker 2: I want you to hear the bit that we've managed 209 00:12:01,320 --> 00:12:03,400 Speaker 2: to obtain that I'll bring in the rest of the panel. 210 00:12:03,720 --> 00:12:08,120 Speaker 2: We've gotten some of her new statement that she gave 211 00:12:08,400 --> 00:12:10,240 Speaker 2: after getting immunity. 212 00:12:10,280 --> 00:12:11,800 Speaker 1: For those of you just joining us. 213 00:12:12,040 --> 00:12:19,200 Speaker 2: Mattie's Soto was raped for years, years under her own 214 00:12:19,480 --> 00:12:25,480 Speaker 2: mother's roof by mommy's part time live in. When I 215 00:12:25,520 --> 00:12:27,800 Speaker 2: say part time, the rest of the time he lived 216 00:12:27,800 --> 00:12:32,760 Speaker 2: in his own mother's house. Okay, not judging that said 217 00:12:33,360 --> 00:12:34,760 Speaker 2: this went on for years. 218 00:12:35,200 --> 00:12:37,439 Speaker 1: Little Maddie used to tell people, isn't this right? 219 00:12:37,480 --> 00:12:41,120 Speaker 2: Shannon Butler joining us WFTV nine, that she would tell 220 00:12:41,160 --> 00:12:43,120 Speaker 2: people as soon as she was old enough, which I 221 00:12:43,160 --> 00:12:46,200 Speaker 2: believe she thought was thirteen, she was leaving the home 222 00:12:46,600 --> 00:12:49,439 Speaker 2: and going to live in the woods. I'm gonna have 223 00:12:49,480 --> 00:12:52,040 Speaker 2: to bring in a strenk on this, doctor Molina Rba 224 00:12:52,160 --> 00:12:55,400 Speaker 2: joining us. But Shannon, I've never heard one of my 225 00:12:55,520 --> 00:12:58,480 Speaker 2: children say I'm moving out and I'm going to live 226 00:12:58,520 --> 00:13:01,680 Speaker 2: in the wild rather than live in this house. 227 00:13:02,040 --> 00:13:04,360 Speaker 1: That should have been a big red flag to. 228 00:13:04,360 --> 00:13:07,240 Speaker 2: Everybody that she wanted to go live in a treehouse 229 00:13:07,679 --> 00:13:08,960 Speaker 2: rather than in her own condo. 230 00:13:09,559 --> 00:13:13,640 Speaker 7: There was all sorts of things that the friends had said, 231 00:13:13,880 --> 00:13:15,720 Speaker 7: and one of those was about living in the woods. 232 00:13:15,760 --> 00:13:17,640 Speaker 1: But then then. 233 00:13:17,080 --> 00:13:19,880 Speaker 7: Another friend would say, you know, she really really liked 234 00:13:19,880 --> 00:13:23,000 Speaker 7: Stephen Stearns and they were very very close, and she 235 00:13:23,160 --> 00:13:24,640 Speaker 7: was with them a lot, and they had a really 236 00:13:24,679 --> 00:13:28,960 Speaker 7: close relationship. So I think that maybe that had been 237 00:13:29,000 --> 00:13:31,600 Speaker 7: more of a red flag if there wasn't such a 238 00:13:31,600 --> 00:13:33,920 Speaker 7: flip flop on that that she wanted to leave home, 239 00:13:34,200 --> 00:13:36,360 Speaker 7: but that her friends just thought they had this really 240 00:13:36,360 --> 00:13:39,440 Speaker 7: really close relationship. I mean, for those of us who 241 00:13:39,640 --> 00:13:41,520 Speaker 7: know the story now, that should have been a red 242 00:13:41,559 --> 00:13:44,080 Speaker 7: flag do but it just wasn't. To her little friends, 243 00:13:44,120 --> 00:13:47,120 Speaker 7: they just thought, you know, that he was a nice guy, 244 00:13:47,160 --> 00:13:50,679 Speaker 7: a boyfriend of her moms. That really took a I 245 00:13:50,720 --> 00:13:53,720 Speaker 7: don't want to say liking, but it made a close 246 00:13:53,760 --> 00:13:56,960 Speaker 7: relationship with Madeline. But that too, now we know, was 247 00:13:57,000 --> 00:13:58,600 Speaker 7: probably a bit of a red flag. 248 00:13:58,800 --> 00:14:04,079 Speaker 2: Joining me, Allie, longtime colleague, co founder of Revved Up Kids, 249 00:14:04,600 --> 00:14:08,720 Speaker 2: fighting to protect children from sex abuse and trafficking. It's 250 00:14:08,760 --> 00:14:12,080 Speaker 2: worth a look at revvd upkids dot org. 251 00:14:12,080 --> 00:14:15,040 Speaker 1: Allie, thank you for being with us. Ali. 252 00:14:15,360 --> 00:14:18,760 Speaker 2: That's a common misconception. Let me just first throw you 253 00:14:19,200 --> 00:14:23,560 Speaker 2: something that you've taught for years. An adult doesn't need 254 00:14:23,600 --> 00:14:26,960 Speaker 2: a child's help. So if a child says, this guy 255 00:14:27,000 --> 00:14:30,480 Speaker 2: asked me to find his puppy, don't get near that car. 256 00:14:30,600 --> 00:14:33,840 Speaker 2: An adult doesn't need a child, they don't find the puppy. 257 00:14:34,000 --> 00:14:38,800 Speaker 2: Same thing here, what is a grown man doing befriending 258 00:14:39,040 --> 00:14:42,440 Speaker 2: a little girl? Is showing her such special interest that 259 00:14:42,600 --> 00:14:44,440 Speaker 2: should have been a signal. 260 00:14:44,600 --> 00:14:47,320 Speaker 12: So, Nancy, that's a yes and a no. Because this 261 00:14:47,360 --> 00:14:51,240 Speaker 12: is the mother's longtime partner. This is a family dynamic, 262 00:14:51,440 --> 00:14:54,600 Speaker 12: so it's different than a stranger asking someone to help 263 00:14:54,640 --> 00:14:57,120 Speaker 12: with a lost puppy. This is somebody who lives in 264 00:14:57,200 --> 00:15:00,240 Speaker 12: her home. I'm sort of sticking on this on a 265 00:15:00,280 --> 00:15:02,600 Speaker 12: way to live in the woods piece of it right now. 266 00:15:02,800 --> 00:15:05,520 Speaker 12: And part of it might have been that this was 267 00:15:05,520 --> 00:15:10,040 Speaker 12: a really dysfunctional couple and that causes trauma to a 268 00:15:10,120 --> 00:15:12,920 Speaker 12: child in the home too, So I assume some of 269 00:15:12,920 --> 00:15:16,680 Speaker 12: it was the sexual abuse that was occurring. But this 270 00:15:16,760 --> 00:15:19,520 Speaker 12: man probably had groomed her to a place where she 271 00:15:19,640 --> 00:15:22,000 Speaker 12: thought this was okay, and she thought this was part 272 00:15:22,040 --> 00:15:25,000 Speaker 12: of loving somebody, and she may have had a very 273 00:15:25,040 --> 00:15:29,160 Speaker 12: blurry line regarding the sexual abuse. But in all of 274 00:15:29,200 --> 00:15:32,240 Speaker 12: the stuff that I've read and heard, these were two 275 00:15:32,320 --> 00:15:35,400 Speaker 12: people who were highly dysfunctional, and when one of them 276 00:15:35,520 --> 00:15:38,960 Speaker 12: was down, they typically dragged the other one down. So 277 00:15:39,000 --> 00:15:42,680 Speaker 12: it was just a really dysfunctional family environment that Madeline 278 00:15:42,760 --> 00:15:46,680 Speaker 12: was swirling in. And all of it is incredibly unfortunate. 279 00:15:46,760 --> 00:15:50,040 Speaker 2: Now look at this videos body can video. Stephan storms 280 00:15:50,080 --> 00:15:53,800 Speaker 2: with Jen Soto. This is after Manny goes missing. And 281 00:15:53,840 --> 00:15:57,840 Speaker 2: maybe I'm the crazy one, doctor Marlena Raiba, but they 282 00:15:57,880 --> 00:15:58,920 Speaker 2: don't look that upset. 283 00:16:00,000 --> 00:16:02,600 Speaker 1: I'll call me is he knows? 284 00:16:02,640 --> 00:16:07,080 Speaker 2: According to police, then he has raped, sodomized and I 285 00:16:07,160 --> 00:16:10,760 Speaker 2: mean anal sodomy this child for a year. She's just 286 00:16:10,800 --> 00:16:15,120 Speaker 2: turned thirteen, and he knows that she's dead in this 287 00:16:15,400 --> 00:16:18,840 Speaker 2: video and he's just chatting everybody up. 288 00:16:19,080 --> 00:16:20,600 Speaker 1: How does that happen? Marlene to ride. 289 00:16:20,640 --> 00:16:22,440 Speaker 2: But I mean, if I even tell a lie, my 290 00:16:22,520 --> 00:16:24,760 Speaker 2: face gets taught. I'm sure I'm gonna get found out, 291 00:16:24,800 --> 00:16:27,720 Speaker 2: which I always have. I even think back on it, 292 00:16:27,760 --> 00:16:29,920 Speaker 2: and I almost feel sick to my stomach. How can 293 00:16:29,960 --> 00:16:34,640 Speaker 2: you stand there so calm when you have just murdered 294 00:16:34,640 --> 00:16:36,720 Speaker 2: a little girl and discarded her body. 295 00:16:36,800 --> 00:16:38,000 Speaker 1: Yeah, so, I think in. 296 00:16:37,960 --> 00:16:41,240 Speaker 13: This situation, unfortunately, it seems like there's a pattern of 297 00:16:41,320 --> 00:16:51,680 Speaker 13: behavior that could be characteristic of someone that potentially demonstrates 298 00:16:52,240 --> 00:16:55,920 Speaker 13: characteristics of someone with antisocial personality disorder. 299 00:16:56,040 --> 00:16:59,320 Speaker 2: Joining me also is Tom Smith, former NYPD detective and 300 00:16:59,400 --> 00:17:03,560 Speaker 2: doctor Tom bar forensic pathologists. But guys, I want you 301 00:17:03,600 --> 00:17:06,719 Speaker 2: to hear, after she has been warned to tell the truth, 302 00:17:07,600 --> 00:17:08,879 Speaker 2: they're giving her immunity. 303 00:17:09,640 --> 00:17:10,520 Speaker 1: This is what she says. 304 00:17:10,720 --> 00:17:13,600 Speaker 6: So, now you've broken up with Stefan in December of 305 00:17:13,680 --> 00:17:18,680 Speaker 6: twenty twenty two, right, he's still paying rent and he's 306 00:17:18,720 --> 00:17:20,920 Speaker 6: there full time in bedroom number four? 307 00:17:21,640 --> 00:17:23,200 Speaker 1: Is that where he goes after you break up? 308 00:17:23,640 --> 00:17:25,760 Speaker 3: Now, he stayed in my room for a few months. 309 00:17:25,920 --> 00:17:28,199 Speaker 3: We've broken up, but we weren't sure how to discuss 310 00:17:28,240 --> 00:17:30,320 Speaker 3: it with Maddie because it was the beginning the middle 311 00:17:30,320 --> 00:17:32,560 Speaker 3: of the school year, and I didn't want to affect 312 00:17:32,600 --> 00:17:36,719 Speaker 3: her in anyway. So we just played it off, acted 313 00:17:36,720 --> 00:17:39,199 Speaker 3: like everything was normal and buying for the first six months, 314 00:17:39,480 --> 00:17:42,400 Speaker 3: and then eventually she caught on, and then once she did, 315 00:17:42,880 --> 00:17:44,959 Speaker 3: he admitted to her that we were broken up. And 316 00:17:45,000 --> 00:17:46,840 Speaker 3: then yeah, at that point is when he moved up 317 00:17:46,840 --> 00:17:47,520 Speaker 3: to bedroom four. 318 00:17:47,760 --> 00:17:51,800 Speaker 6: Okay, it's my understanding that it's December of twenty twenty 319 00:17:51,800 --> 00:17:54,440 Speaker 6: two that he went Steffan kind of break up, Yes, 320 00:17:54,720 --> 00:17:57,160 Speaker 6: but he still remains in the town hall. 321 00:17:57,560 --> 00:17:59,159 Speaker 5: Yes, why is that so? 322 00:17:59,240 --> 00:18:01,240 Speaker 3: Even though we were broke, you know, I still considered 323 00:18:01,280 --> 00:18:04,159 Speaker 3: him one of my best friends. I wanted to give 324 00:18:04,240 --> 00:18:07,640 Speaker 3: him the opportunity to live there, and he had just 325 00:18:07,760 --> 00:18:11,480 Speaker 3: gotten a job at Disney the misterly will okay, and 326 00:18:11,520 --> 00:18:13,760 Speaker 3: I didn't want him to continue to lose that because 327 00:18:14,000 --> 00:18:15,720 Speaker 3: he didn't be struggling for a long time to get 328 00:18:15,720 --> 00:18:19,320 Speaker 3: a job or do anything because his own mental health Chris, So, 329 00:18:19,359 --> 00:18:20,840 Speaker 3: I just wanted to give him a chance. 330 00:18:20,640 --> 00:18:23,360 Speaker 1: To do something, be something. 331 00:18:23,480 --> 00:18:27,160 Speaker 2: Okay, let me understand something. Shannon Butler joining me WFTV nine. 332 00:18:27,800 --> 00:18:33,480 Speaker 2: Did Stefan Stearns have a job at Disney with children 333 00:18:33,880 --> 00:18:35,840 Speaker 2: or is this more like a top mom Casey Anthony 334 00:18:35,840 --> 00:18:37,960 Speaker 2: thing where she tells her whole family she works at 335 00:18:38,040 --> 00:18:40,960 Speaker 2: Universal and even wears the uniform, but she really just 336 00:18:40,960 --> 00:18:42,720 Speaker 2: sits on the sofa and each chips all day when 337 00:18:42,720 --> 00:18:45,520 Speaker 2: they leave. Did he really have a job at Disney? 338 00:18:45,680 --> 00:18:47,560 Speaker 7: So there was a lot of confusion about that. So 339 00:18:47,600 --> 00:18:49,520 Speaker 7: he didn't have a job at Disney at the time. 340 00:18:49,560 --> 00:18:51,800 Speaker 7: He didn't have a job at the time, but there 341 00:18:51,800 --> 00:18:54,840 Speaker 7: were reports that he had previously worked at Disney because 342 00:18:54,880 --> 00:18:58,280 Speaker 7: there was a woman who said, oh, I met him, 343 00:18:58,680 --> 00:19:01,520 Speaker 7: we started dating because I'm him when we worked at Disney, 344 00:19:01,720 --> 00:19:03,840 Speaker 7: but when we had reached out to Disney, when this 345 00:19:04,080 --> 00:19:07,520 Speaker 7: case first came about Disney's I he never worked here, 346 00:19:07,680 --> 00:19:09,359 Speaker 7: so there was a lot of confusion of whether or 347 00:19:09,400 --> 00:19:11,800 Speaker 7: not he worked there or not. We still don't really know. 348 00:19:11,960 --> 00:19:13,560 Speaker 7: I mean, we know what the women said we met 349 00:19:13,600 --> 00:19:15,479 Speaker 7: him when when we all worked at Disney. 350 00:19:15,520 --> 00:19:16,919 Speaker 1: Okay, but Disney claims. 351 00:19:16,640 --> 00:19:19,919 Speaker 2: I got a question, Ellie Neil, you got to help me. 352 00:19:19,960 --> 00:19:24,840 Speaker 2: You here, Shannon Butler WFTV nine, what is with women? 353 00:19:25,000 --> 00:19:25,639 Speaker 1: I guys says? 354 00:19:25,760 --> 00:19:29,960 Speaker 2: Oh yeah, let's see, I'm a brain surgeon and I 355 00:19:30,119 --> 00:19:32,760 Speaker 2: work at Mount SINAI what you don't check that out? 356 00:19:32,880 --> 00:19:35,720 Speaker 2: You bring a guy into your home and let him 357 00:19:35,720 --> 00:19:38,440 Speaker 2: physically sleep with your little. 358 00:19:38,280 --> 00:19:41,520 Speaker 1: Girl night after night after night, and. 359 00:19:41,440 --> 00:19:43,760 Speaker 2: You don't check him out. This guy didn't work at 360 00:19:43,800 --> 00:19:45,000 Speaker 2: Disney anymore than I do. 361 00:19:45,280 --> 00:19:48,159 Speaker 12: Honestly, in this day and age, Nancy, it shocks me 362 00:19:48,240 --> 00:19:50,720 Speaker 12: that anybody doesn't do a deep dive background check on 363 00:19:50,840 --> 00:19:54,360 Speaker 12: any new person coming into their life, especially if they 364 00:19:54,359 --> 00:19:59,359 Speaker 12: have children. It's just unfathomable to me that people don't 365 00:19:59,640 --> 00:20:02,360 Speaker 12: go to Google and figure this stuff out. 366 00:20:02,520 --> 00:20:03,960 Speaker 1: But also there. 367 00:20:03,880 --> 00:20:06,439 Speaker 12: Might have been nothing on Google that would have told 368 00:20:06,480 --> 00:20:10,639 Speaker 12: her that he was a problem. He could put on 369 00:20:10,680 --> 00:20:12,720 Speaker 12: his LinkedIn that he worked at Disney, And unless she 370 00:20:12,760 --> 00:20:15,159 Speaker 12: called for a reference check, how is she no for 371 00:20:15,240 --> 00:20:17,760 Speaker 12: sure or asked for his Disney idea? 372 00:20:17,760 --> 00:20:20,440 Speaker 1: Mae, go to Disney. You think I haven't been in 373 00:20:20,480 --> 00:20:24,320 Speaker 1: my husband's office, Oh, yes I have. There's more. 374 00:20:24,480 --> 00:20:28,520 Speaker 2: Yeah, there's more about the breakup and mommy deciding for 375 00:20:28,560 --> 00:20:32,840 Speaker 2: some reason, some obscure reason, he's to stay there. 376 00:20:32,680 --> 00:20:35,680 Speaker 1: Because because of his fake job. There's more. 377 00:20:36,240 --> 00:20:39,159 Speaker 6: So Now you've broken up with Stefan in December of 378 00:20:39,200 --> 00:20:44,200 Speaker 6: twenty twenty two, right, he's still paying rent and he's 379 00:20:44,240 --> 00:20:46,440 Speaker 6: there full time in bedroom number four? 380 00:20:47,200 --> 00:20:47,760 Speaker 1: Is that where he. 381 00:20:47,720 --> 00:20:48,719 Speaker 6: Goes after you break up? 382 00:20:49,160 --> 00:20:49,400 Speaker 1: Now? 383 00:20:49,520 --> 00:20:51,640 Speaker 3: He stayed in my room for a few months. We've 384 00:20:51,680 --> 00:20:53,840 Speaker 3: broken up, but we weren't sure how to discuss it 385 00:20:53,880 --> 00:20:55,879 Speaker 3: with Maddie, who was the beginning in the middle of 386 00:20:55,880 --> 00:20:58,720 Speaker 3: the school year, and I didn't want to affect her anyway, 387 00:21:01,000 --> 00:21:03,320 Speaker 3: played it off, acted like everything was normal, want to 388 00:21:03,359 --> 00:21:06,000 Speaker 3: find for the first six months, and then eventually she 389 00:21:06,160 --> 00:21:09,199 Speaker 3: had on and then when she did, admitted her that 390 00:21:09,240 --> 00:21:11,520 Speaker 3: we were broken up, and then yeah, at that point 391 00:21:11,600 --> 00:21:13,160 Speaker 3: is when he moved up to bedroom. 392 00:21:12,880 --> 00:21:17,920 Speaker 2: For Okay, Tom Smith, former NYPD co stop co host 393 00:21:17,960 --> 00:21:24,280 Speaker 2: of gold Shields podcast. Tom, isn't that taking the charade 394 00:21:24,880 --> 00:21:28,000 Speaker 2: a little too far? Did you hear for the first 395 00:21:28,040 --> 00:21:30,720 Speaker 2: six months? How long was she going to give him? 396 00:21:31,160 --> 00:21:32,000 Speaker 1: He slept in. 397 00:21:32,000 --> 00:21:35,720 Speaker 2: Her bed after the breakup because he was her quote 398 00:21:35,760 --> 00:21:36,399 Speaker 2: best friend. 399 00:21:36,680 --> 00:21:38,120 Speaker 1: What is wrong with this? 400 00:21:38,520 --> 00:21:42,480 Speaker 4: Well, she enabled everything that happened in this situation that happened. 401 00:21:42,720 --> 00:21:45,240 Speaker 4: She didn't check him out. He's a predator. He is 402 00:21:45,280 --> 00:21:49,200 Speaker 4: an evil, evil person that just preyed on her daughter 403 00:21:49,720 --> 00:21:51,760 Speaker 4: and she just shrugged it off. I mean, you hear 404 00:21:51,800 --> 00:21:55,199 Speaker 4: the way she talks and her just calmness of everything 405 00:21:55,240 --> 00:21:55,600 Speaker 4: going on. 406 00:21:55,640 --> 00:21:55,800 Speaker 8: You know. 407 00:21:55,920 --> 00:21:58,919 Speaker 4: Part of interviews Nancy, as you know, is getting the 408 00:21:59,000 --> 00:22:02,639 Speaker 4: information but also observing how it's being talked about and 409 00:22:02,680 --> 00:22:05,320 Speaker 4: how it's being given to you. And those are signs 410 00:22:05,359 --> 00:22:09,800 Speaker 4: that should lead detectives looking more into what her actions 411 00:22:09,800 --> 00:22:12,760 Speaker 4: are and what she knows of what the enabling part 412 00:22:12,840 --> 00:22:15,200 Speaker 4: of this situation was her fault, you. 413 00:22:15,160 --> 00:22:19,080 Speaker 2: Know, Rag Gidica, I agree with Tom Smith, Ray Gicha. 414 00:22:19,280 --> 00:22:21,760 Speaker 1: She said he paid rent. 415 00:22:22,080 --> 00:22:27,200 Speaker 10: Nancy, look, dysfunctional family is not a crime. She hasn't 416 00:22:27,240 --> 00:22:30,320 Speaker 10: been charge with anything. She hasn't been indicted. And again 417 00:22:30,359 --> 00:22:32,760 Speaker 10: I agree with what Detective Smith just said. He and 418 00:22:32,840 --> 00:22:34,840 Speaker 10: I have done shows with you together. I have a 419 00:22:34,880 --> 00:22:37,439 Speaker 10: lot of respect for him. But that's not a crime. 420 00:22:37,800 --> 00:22:41,119 Speaker 10: And somewhere in that interview, if the detectives felt that 421 00:22:41,200 --> 00:22:43,440 Speaker 10: they were stumbling and or about to stumble on a crime, 422 00:22:43,440 --> 00:22:46,840 Speaker 10: they should have terminated that interview, retracted and cut off 423 00:22:46,880 --> 00:22:50,240 Speaker 10: the immunity that point, gone up to the DA's office 424 00:22:50,480 --> 00:22:53,960 Speaker 10: and gotten a charge against her. But they don't have one, 425 00:22:54,280 --> 00:22:57,440 Speaker 10: and they're probably not gonna have one. And again I'll 426 00:22:57,520 --> 00:22:59,760 Speaker 10: go back to it again. They she didn't have a 427 00:23:00,080 --> 00:23:03,560 Speaker 10: lawyer to negotiate this immunity, and they just handed it 428 00:23:03,600 --> 00:23:04,080 Speaker 10: over to her. 429 00:23:04,400 --> 00:23:06,960 Speaker 3: I believe the sexual stuff, but I didn't want to 430 00:23:06,960 --> 00:23:08,840 Speaker 3: believe that he had done anything equal to her. 431 00:23:09,040 --> 00:23:11,840 Speaker 4: What you just said is the sex stuff is fine. 432 00:23:12,119 --> 00:23:14,320 Speaker 3: It's not fine. I look back now, I'm just like 433 00:23:14,400 --> 00:23:15,520 Speaker 3: he was flying. 434 00:23:15,280 --> 00:23:18,520 Speaker 6: He was baking once he moved up to bedroom before 435 00:23:19,080 --> 00:23:22,200 Speaker 6: where there are instances where Madeline would sleep alone upstairs 436 00:23:22,200 --> 00:23:23,760 Speaker 6: with him. 437 00:23:24,359 --> 00:23:27,880 Speaker 14: I'm gonna say I want you to think carefully before 438 00:23:27,880 --> 00:23:30,720 Speaker 14: you answer, because obviously we've gone through your phone and 439 00:23:30,760 --> 00:23:33,320 Speaker 14: we've seen all the conversations, say, you've had with Steffan, 440 00:23:33,880 --> 00:23:35,360 Speaker 14: so it's clear that that's occurring. 441 00:23:35,440 --> 00:23:37,240 Speaker 6: So I'm giving you the chance to answer the question. 442 00:23:37,560 --> 00:23:39,879 Speaker 3: Yeah, I'm just trying to figure out how many times 443 00:23:39,760 --> 00:23:40,080 Speaker 3: to talk. 444 00:23:40,280 --> 00:23:40,639 Speaker 4: Okay. 445 00:23:40,880 --> 00:23:44,359 Speaker 2: This is the testimony for which the state has given 446 00:23:44,560 --> 00:23:51,679 Speaker 2: mommy immunity derivative use immunity, and she's. 447 00:23:51,480 --> 00:23:52,560 Speaker 1: Broken up with Stefan. 448 00:23:52,640 --> 00:23:55,440 Speaker 2: Starts according to her, but they sleep in the same 449 00:23:55,480 --> 00:23:57,960 Speaker 2: bed for the at least the next six months, except 450 00:23:58,000 --> 00:24:00,720 Speaker 2: when he's sleeping alone with her. Twelve years your old daughter, 451 00:24:01,040 --> 00:24:06,359 Speaker 2: Mattie Soto now dead. This is particularly heartbreaking. We hear 452 00:24:06,800 --> 00:24:11,280 Speaker 2: Jen Soto describe her daughter Mattie desperately. 453 00:24:11,119 --> 00:24:13,439 Speaker 1: Wanting to sleep at her little friend's house. 454 00:24:14,000 --> 00:24:16,840 Speaker 3: Listen, she wanted to really sleep over her best friend's house. 455 00:24:16,880 --> 00:24:18,800 Speaker 3: And I was just saying no, no, no, you never 456 00:24:18,840 --> 00:24:19,400 Speaker 3: know what could happen. 457 00:24:19,480 --> 00:24:21,160 Speaker 14: I don't know the dad, I don't know the brother. 458 00:24:21,200 --> 00:24:23,479 Speaker 3: I don't know anybody that I don't know what can 459 00:24:23,560 --> 00:24:27,160 Speaker 3: happen to use them. I'm just afraid of. 460 00:24:27,080 --> 00:24:30,919 Speaker 1: Her getting assaulted. Excuse me, Jackie, is my earpiece working? 461 00:24:30,960 --> 00:24:33,560 Speaker 2: Because I'm pretty sure, Shannon Butler, I heard the mom 462 00:24:33,680 --> 00:24:36,600 Speaker 2: say no, no, no, no, you cannot sleep over a 463 00:24:36,640 --> 00:24:39,639 Speaker 2: little friend's house because I don't know the dad and 464 00:24:39,680 --> 00:24:40,480 Speaker 2: I wouldn't. 465 00:24:40,160 --> 00:24:42,040 Speaker 1: Want you to get sex assaulted. 466 00:24:42,840 --> 00:24:46,040 Speaker 7: I know, every time we listen back to these interviews, 467 00:24:46,040 --> 00:24:48,399 Speaker 7: we find something else. They're like, what, what did you 468 00:24:48,520 --> 00:24:51,600 Speaker 7: just say? She claims to not have known about the 469 00:24:51,640 --> 00:24:54,520 Speaker 7: abuse in her own home. This is always what struck me. 470 00:24:54,560 --> 00:24:58,280 Speaker 7: Look at this picture, Nancy, that you just put up there, 471 00:24:58,440 --> 00:25:02,639 Speaker 7: his boxer shorts in her hamper. I always wondered why 472 00:25:02,680 --> 00:25:05,160 Speaker 7: there wasn't a question by her to say, how did 473 00:25:05,200 --> 00:25:09,080 Speaker 7: your underwear get in my daughter's makeshift bedroom. 474 00:25:09,560 --> 00:25:12,680 Speaker 2: I mean, they're right there joining us now, doctor Malina Riba, 475 00:25:13,119 --> 00:25:18,120 Speaker 2: joining us out of Myrtle Beach. Forensic psychologist and research consultant, 476 00:25:18,840 --> 00:25:25,200 Speaker 2: Doctor Marlena. How do you not know what's in your laundry, 477 00:25:25,320 --> 00:25:28,280 Speaker 2: your dirty laundry. I see way too much of our 478 00:25:28,280 --> 00:25:30,280 Speaker 2: family dirty laundry. I know what's in there. 479 00:25:30,359 --> 00:25:32,840 Speaker 13: Yeah, And so I think, you know, to the average 480 00:25:32,880 --> 00:25:37,320 Speaker 13: person hearing that, that immediately raises a huge red flag. 481 00:25:37,680 --> 00:25:40,040 Speaker 13: And so I think this really all comes back to 482 00:25:40,119 --> 00:25:44,400 Speaker 13: the mother's parental fitness right and her capacity to protect 483 00:25:44,600 --> 00:25:47,560 Speaker 13: her child. And so there were you know, there's obviously 484 00:25:47,600 --> 00:25:50,720 Speaker 13: a lot of details in this case that would suggest 485 00:25:50,760 --> 00:25:54,760 Speaker 13: that she was not really doing a good job in 486 00:25:54,840 --> 00:25:59,679 Speaker 13: any capacity in that regard. Right, So we have the 487 00:25:59,720 --> 00:26:04,440 Speaker 13: fact that she introduced unfit people to her children. There 488 00:26:04,520 --> 00:26:09,119 Speaker 13: was a lack of reaction from her, you know, in 489 00:26:09,200 --> 00:26:12,240 Speaker 13: terms of being concerned about what was going up going 490 00:26:12,280 --> 00:26:17,560 Speaker 13: on up until the disappearance of her child. There's certainly 491 00:26:18,160 --> 00:26:21,639 Speaker 13: evidence that she was very permissive in terms of what 492 00:26:21,840 --> 00:26:27,960 Speaker 13: was going on between her daughter and her boyfriend. And 493 00:26:28,000 --> 00:26:32,439 Speaker 13: it seems to me also that sort of the measures 494 00:26:32,760 --> 00:26:35,240 Speaker 13: that she was you know taking. 495 00:26:35,000 --> 00:26:38,399 Speaker 2: Following up on what doctor Marlena Raiba just said, here 496 00:26:38,640 --> 00:26:43,080 Speaker 2: you see the mom Jin Soto worried I get about 497 00:26:43,119 --> 00:26:44,480 Speaker 2: about another. 498 00:26:44,080 --> 00:26:46,639 Speaker 1: Person that could moless Maddie. 499 00:26:46,800 --> 00:26:49,440 Speaker 6: Maddie got the opportunity to go visit her biological father 500 00:26:49,680 --> 00:26:51,600 Speaker 6: in the fall in Alan, Texas. 501 00:26:52,800 --> 00:26:53,280 Speaker 4: Is that a yes? 502 00:26:53,400 --> 00:26:53,560 Speaker 15: Yes? 503 00:26:53,800 --> 00:26:54,160 Speaker 8: All right? 504 00:26:54,840 --> 00:26:59,280 Speaker 6: Do you remember texting the biological father hope nobody touches 505 00:26:59,320 --> 00:27:03,359 Speaker 6: Maddie or tried or films are under the bathroom. I 506 00:27:03,520 --> 00:27:06,840 Speaker 6: remember sending that text no orange kind of Sheriff's office 507 00:27:06,920 --> 00:27:11,080 Speaker 6: back in February, because that seems like a very oddly 508 00:27:11,160 --> 00:27:14,600 Speaker 6: specific thing to text the father. So you didn't know 509 00:27:14,640 --> 00:27:17,560 Speaker 6: anything about what was going on, filming underneath bathroom doors. 510 00:27:17,720 --> 00:27:18,320 Speaker 4: Yeah, idea. 511 00:27:18,560 --> 00:27:20,000 Speaker 3: I don't know why I would have time to thought. 512 00:27:20,320 --> 00:27:22,440 Speaker 2: Yeah, I don't know why I would have done that, 513 00:27:22,800 --> 00:27:27,040 Speaker 2: Raymond Judicay, you do know that another person that lived 514 00:27:27,040 --> 00:27:30,920 Speaker 2: in the condo. This condo belonged to Mattie Soto's grandfather, 515 00:27:31,480 --> 00:27:37,080 Speaker 2: and the grandfather rented out different bedrooms to different people 516 00:27:37,160 --> 00:27:40,440 Speaker 2: and they could all use a common area. Okay, that's 517 00:27:40,440 --> 00:27:44,119 Speaker 2: how that worked. One of the other people that lived there. 518 00:27:44,160 --> 00:27:47,880 Speaker 1: Raymond, was a lady, a woman, And. 519 00:27:47,720 --> 00:27:51,200 Speaker 2: As it comes out on Stephan Storm's phone, when they're 520 00:27:51,200 --> 00:27:55,040 Speaker 2: looking at all these pictures of him raping and sodomizing Maddie, 521 00:27:55,640 --> 00:27:59,760 Speaker 2: her picture comes up the renter naked in her room. 522 00:28:00,440 --> 00:28:02,439 Speaker 1: And what Stephan Start's had been. 523 00:28:02,320 --> 00:28:06,679 Speaker 2: Doing was putting his iPhone at the bottom of the 524 00:28:06,680 --> 00:28:09,359 Speaker 2: door where there's a crack, to where you can look 525 00:28:09,480 --> 00:28:13,080 Speaker 2: up and see the woman walking around naked. 526 00:28:13,400 --> 00:28:15,600 Speaker 1: She had no idea that was happening. 527 00:28:15,800 --> 00:28:18,040 Speaker 2: Now, what I'm asking you, You keep saying there's no 528 00:28:18,080 --> 00:28:19,000 Speaker 2: evidence of a crime. 529 00:28:19,200 --> 00:28:20,439 Speaker 1: I hear you. I hear you. 530 00:28:20,520 --> 00:28:23,679 Speaker 2: I don't necessarily agree, but I get what you're saying. 531 00:28:24,440 --> 00:28:27,680 Speaker 1: What about this? What is she clairvoyant like Scott Peterson. 532 00:28:27,760 --> 00:28:30,399 Speaker 1: This is going to be my first Christmas without my wife. 533 00:28:30,400 --> 00:28:33,920 Speaker 1: She's dead, and then poof, she was here. 534 00:28:34,119 --> 00:28:38,080 Speaker 2: Jen Soto is saying to the bio Dad, I hope 535 00:28:38,120 --> 00:28:45,000 Speaker 2: nobody touches Maddie or tries expletive or films her under 536 00:28:45,560 --> 00:28:47,440 Speaker 2: the bathroom door. 537 00:28:48,960 --> 00:28:51,680 Speaker 1: Wow, isn't that quite the co incident? 538 00:28:51,880 --> 00:28:56,720 Speaker 10: Ray Well, Inspector Clouseau gives her to get out of 539 00:28:56,800 --> 00:29:00,200 Speaker 10: jail pass and that now includes, as we continue, you 540 00:29:00,240 --> 00:29:04,480 Speaker 10: to expand this interview any of these text messages that 541 00:29:04,600 --> 00:29:07,040 Speaker 10: she may or may not have sent to link it 542 00:29:07,240 --> 00:29:11,920 Speaker 10: to any charges against her. So you know, she's not 543 00:29:12,040 --> 00:29:12,600 Speaker 10: charged anything. 544 00:29:12,640 --> 00:29:13,560 Speaker 4: I keep repeating it. 545 00:29:13,960 --> 00:29:17,000 Speaker 10: And probably the reason is, or at least a solid reason, 546 00:29:17,480 --> 00:29:24,880 Speaker 10: is this ridiculously tactically improper interview and the grant of 547 00:29:24,960 --> 00:29:29,000 Speaker 10: the immunity. So Nancy's gonna she should. 548 00:29:28,840 --> 00:29:29,479 Speaker 4: Get a lawyer. 549 00:29:29,920 --> 00:29:32,960 Speaker 10: But these guys really quite frankly, have made it that 550 00:29:33,000 --> 00:29:34,520 Speaker 10: she doesn't have to waste the honey. 551 00:29:40,880 --> 00:29:42,560 Speaker 1: Crime stories with Nancy Grace. 552 00:29:46,280 --> 00:29:50,440 Speaker 2: Joining us now is doctor Todd Barr, Board certified anatomic, 553 00:29:50,640 --> 00:29:53,000 Speaker 2: clinical and forensic pathologist. 554 00:29:54,360 --> 00:29:55,320 Speaker 1: He is at the. 555 00:29:55,240 --> 00:29:58,720 Speaker 2: Franklin County Forensic Science Center and the office of the 556 00:29:58,720 --> 00:30:03,560 Speaker 2: Corner in Columbus and featured in Thin Places Essays from 557 00:30:03,560 --> 00:30:06,120 Speaker 2: in Between, Doctor Barr, thank you for being with us, 558 00:30:06,400 --> 00:30:12,120 Speaker 2: Doctor Barr. We also learn that Maddie's mother, Jen Sooto, 559 00:30:12,800 --> 00:30:20,440 Speaker 2: kept a very scientific chart of Maddie's minstrel periods and 560 00:30:20,600 --> 00:30:24,120 Speaker 2: even had multiple pregnancy tests. 561 00:30:23,840 --> 00:30:24,560 Speaker 1: In the homes. 562 00:30:25,120 --> 00:30:29,400 Speaker 2: It would be arguable that she knew her twelve year 563 00:30:29,440 --> 00:30:32,040 Speaker 2: old daughter was having sex, but with. 564 00:30:32,040 --> 00:30:35,800 Speaker 5: Who you would think so, I mean, she is as 565 00:30:35,920 --> 00:30:39,560 Speaker 5: much admitted to this that she knew about this, that 566 00:30:39,640 --> 00:30:43,760 Speaker 5: this was going on, and makes excuses for him, which 567 00:30:44,040 --> 00:30:48,160 Speaker 5: I just don't understand this. I mean, she basically had 568 00:30:48,160 --> 00:30:50,840 Speaker 5: the power to save her own daughter's life. 569 00:30:50,920 --> 00:30:54,680 Speaker 2: Doctor Todd Barr joining US Guys Board certified anatomic, clinical 570 00:30:54,720 --> 00:30:59,720 Speaker 2: and forensic pathologist, even with the degree of d comp 571 00:31:00,120 --> 00:31:02,160 Speaker 2: Now it had only been a couple of days before 572 00:31:02,160 --> 00:31:04,720 Speaker 2: her body was found. But she is out in the 573 00:31:04,880 --> 00:31:09,120 Speaker 2: elements and it is Florida. How would you be able 574 00:31:09,160 --> 00:31:13,560 Speaker 2: to tell? And I'm just this is precautionary, doctor, and 575 00:31:13,600 --> 00:31:16,200 Speaker 2: you've been through plenty of trials to understand my concern. 576 00:31:17,120 --> 00:31:19,280 Speaker 2: I think the video will come in off of his 577 00:31:19,360 --> 00:31:23,160 Speaker 2: cell phone, but what if it doesn't the state's got 578 00:31:23,160 --> 00:31:27,320 Speaker 2: to be ready to prove that he Stephan Stearns raped 579 00:31:27,400 --> 00:31:32,080 Speaker 2: and sodomized Matty Soto, who had just turned thirteen years old. 580 00:31:32,960 --> 00:31:36,760 Speaker 2: So how can we go about proving even with the 581 00:31:36,800 --> 00:31:39,880 Speaker 2: body in a partial state of decomposition, how can we 582 00:31:39,920 --> 00:31:42,360 Speaker 2: prove she was raped and how can we prove she 583 00:31:42,440 --> 00:31:43,120 Speaker 2: was sodomized? 584 00:31:43,200 --> 00:31:46,080 Speaker 5: Well, they would most likely have collected a sexual assault 585 00:31:46,200 --> 00:31:49,880 Speaker 5: kit in this particular case. Now, sexual assault kits are 586 00:31:49,920 --> 00:31:53,960 Speaker 5: only valuable up to a point after three or four 587 00:31:54,080 --> 00:31:59,400 Speaker 5: days of decomposition. Being able to get viable sperm from 588 00:32:00,200 --> 00:32:04,960 Speaker 5: sexual assault kit would be difficult. That being said, it 589 00:32:05,040 --> 00:32:08,000 Speaker 5: has been done, but the longer time goes on, the 590 00:32:08,080 --> 00:32:11,160 Speaker 5: less evidence you're going to have. But they would also 591 00:32:11,320 --> 00:32:16,680 Speaker 5: be able to obtain evidentiary information from the clothing that 592 00:32:16,760 --> 00:32:20,720 Speaker 5: she was wearing, whatever swabs that they could collect from 593 00:32:20,760 --> 00:32:25,479 Speaker 5: the clothing from her body and do DNA testing. Of course, 594 00:32:25,720 --> 00:32:31,000 Speaker 5: with him living in the condo with her, his DNA 595 00:32:31,160 --> 00:32:32,080 Speaker 5: is going to be on her. 596 00:32:32,440 --> 00:32:36,680 Speaker 2: The night that Jen Soto's condo is searched, she and 597 00:32:36,720 --> 00:32:38,120 Speaker 2: Sterns have to get out. 598 00:32:38,480 --> 00:32:42,040 Speaker 1: So where do they go? They go to a hotel. 599 00:32:41,960 --> 00:32:46,440 Speaker 2: Along with Stearns's parents, listen what happens. 600 00:32:46,800 --> 00:32:47,760 Speaker 1: In the middle of the night. 601 00:32:47,920 --> 00:32:51,680 Speaker 15: We checked into the rooms. They had two thirty nine. 602 00:32:51,720 --> 00:32:56,440 Speaker 15: I had two three optioned into the building. I brought 603 00:32:56,440 --> 00:32:59,760 Speaker 15: my stuff up, went over to good night, and then 604 00:33:00,200 --> 00:33:00,720 Speaker 15: hit the sack. 605 00:33:01,040 --> 00:33:03,520 Speaker 1: After you guys went to your separate wings. 606 00:33:03,560 --> 00:33:05,400 Speaker 12: When's the next time you talked to Steven? 607 00:33:05,600 --> 00:33:08,320 Speaker 15: I got up at six thirty they honestly and went 608 00:33:08,400 --> 00:33:11,080 Speaker 15: to the office because I figured he would be sleeping 609 00:33:11,120 --> 00:33:16,040 Speaker 15: in crashed and burned and didn't speak to Gin until 610 00:33:17,480 --> 00:33:22,400 Speaker 15: ten forty five ish, and she called and asked if 611 00:33:22,400 --> 00:33:26,400 Speaker 15: Stephan was with me, and I said, no, why, well 612 00:33:26,400 --> 00:33:27,080 Speaker 15: he's not here. 613 00:33:27,120 --> 00:33:29,560 Speaker 2: Well, I think we know where he was. Shannon Butler 614 00:33:29,680 --> 00:33:35,320 Speaker 2: joining me WFTV nine. Shannon, isn't it true that he 615 00:33:35,400 --> 00:33:37,520 Speaker 2: and Jens Soto are at one end of the hotel, 616 00:33:37,960 --> 00:33:40,280 Speaker 2: his parents are at the other, His dad and stepmother 617 00:33:40,360 --> 00:33:43,600 Speaker 2: at the other end of the hotel, and he sneaks 618 00:33:43,640 --> 00:33:46,440 Speaker 2: out around three or four o'clock in the morning and 619 00:33:46,560 --> 00:33:48,120 Speaker 2: drives three hundred miles. 620 00:33:48,360 --> 00:33:48,560 Speaker 3: Yeah. 621 00:33:48,560 --> 00:33:51,640 Speaker 7: If you know where Northport, Florida is, it is south 622 00:33:52,920 --> 00:33:56,920 Speaker 7: near Sarasota. He drove there because that's where his parents lived. 623 00:33:58,120 --> 00:34:00,960 Speaker 7: Police say that he drove there not for to look 624 00:34:01,080 --> 00:34:03,480 Speaker 7: a hard drive and a flash drive, but that he 625 00:34:03,520 --> 00:34:07,280 Speaker 7: wanted to use their internet so he could log onto 626 00:34:07,280 --> 00:34:11,200 Speaker 7: Wi Fi and they believe delete images that he had 627 00:34:11,440 --> 00:34:13,600 Speaker 7: of sexually explicit things. 628 00:34:13,920 --> 00:34:15,880 Speaker 1: It's a long long drive to use somebody. 629 00:34:16,120 --> 00:34:20,160 Speaker 2: According to police who followed, we now know tracked the 630 00:34:20,160 --> 00:34:28,840 Speaker 2: two cars, including Jensoto's car, through licensed grabbers, red light cams, 631 00:34:29,280 --> 00:34:36,440 Speaker 2: surveillance cams to a garage where he reportedly took Maddie's 632 00:34:36,440 --> 00:34:38,880 Speaker 2: body out of the seat belt and put it in 633 00:34:39,160 --> 00:34:39,760 Speaker 2: the trunk. 634 00:34:40,320 --> 00:34:43,640 Speaker 1: So, hey, raise you to tray. That's not odd at 635 00:34:43,640 --> 00:34:45,000 Speaker 1: all that you wake. 636 00:34:44,880 --> 00:34:47,840 Speaker 2: Up at three four o'clock in the morning and drive 637 00:34:48,000 --> 00:34:51,520 Speaker 2: one hundred and fifty miles each way to your mom's 638 00:34:51,600 --> 00:34:54,000 Speaker 2: home and try to log onto the Wi Fi. 639 00:34:54,320 --> 00:34:55,120 Speaker 1: Not odd at all. 640 00:34:55,239 --> 00:34:57,719 Speaker 10: Right, Well, his story doesn't line up, And I keep 641 00:34:57,920 --> 00:35:01,840 Speaker 10: going back to why did they take this statement and 642 00:35:01,880 --> 00:35:06,080 Speaker 10: give immunity, Because as we go through this story today, 643 00:35:06,560 --> 00:35:11,320 Speaker 10: in a systematic approach, the detectives had all of that tracking. 644 00:35:11,400 --> 00:35:14,480 Speaker 10: They have what you just brought up, which is extremely 645 00:35:14,640 --> 00:35:19,919 Speaker 10: suspicious at the minimum, and lots of evidence. So why 646 00:35:19,920 --> 00:35:22,439 Speaker 10: did they give her immunity? I guess they really feel 647 00:35:22,440 --> 00:35:24,080 Speaker 10: that she didn't commit a crime. That's the only thing 648 00:35:24,120 --> 00:35:24,600 Speaker 10: I can think of. 649 00:35:24,760 --> 00:35:29,920 Speaker 2: Well, take a listen to what this is Stephan Stern's father, Christopher, 650 00:35:30,040 --> 00:35:35,600 Speaker 2: speaking in a police interview. Here's Stephan Stern's explanation of 651 00:35:35,640 --> 00:35:42,399 Speaker 2: why he was missing for three hundred miles. Okay, that's 652 00:35:42,600 --> 00:35:46,280 Speaker 2: several hours driving through Florida in the middle of the night. 653 00:35:46,360 --> 00:35:48,439 Speaker 1: Listen, Well, he had how did you drink? 654 00:35:48,480 --> 00:35:51,960 Speaker 15: In his hands? He said he got lost and you 655 00:35:52,000 --> 00:35:53,719 Speaker 15: know in the back rows. Hell, I got lost and 656 00:35:53,800 --> 00:35:54,520 Speaker 15: I had a GPF. 657 00:35:54,560 --> 00:35:56,239 Speaker 5: So so, like my part said, we're not here. Which 658 00:35:56,320 --> 00:35:57,440 Speaker 5: time you've been in this line of work? 659 00:35:57,600 --> 00:35:57,759 Speaker 6: Work? 660 00:35:58,000 --> 00:35:59,280 Speaker 10: He told you he was in Northport today. 661 00:36:01,920 --> 00:36:02,759 Speaker 6: I'm assuming you'd get it. 662 00:36:02,840 --> 00:36:07,799 Speaker 2: Based under reaction to Tom Smith, former NYPD detective co 663 00:36:07,880 --> 00:36:11,560 Speaker 2: host of a hit podcast, gold Shields. You can find 664 00:36:11,600 --> 00:36:14,160 Speaker 2: him at the Goldshieldshow dot com. 665 00:36:14,440 --> 00:36:17,920 Speaker 1: Tom. So, the little girl is missing. 666 00:36:19,000 --> 00:36:20,520 Speaker 2: They have to get out of the condo for the 667 00:36:20,520 --> 00:36:24,600 Speaker 2: condo to be processed by police, and he drives one 668 00:36:24,680 --> 00:36:27,560 Speaker 2: hundred and what about six hours round trip in the 669 00:36:27,600 --> 00:36:31,200 Speaker 2: middle of the night, shows up and says he got lost. 670 00:36:31,520 --> 00:36:32,400 Speaker 1: Yeah, not buying it. 671 00:36:32,719 --> 00:36:36,240 Speaker 4: Sorry, thirty years of experience would lead me to believe 672 00:36:36,280 --> 00:36:39,000 Speaker 4: that's a lie. But here's the other thing. You know, 673 00:36:39,239 --> 00:36:42,440 Speaker 4: if you're up on him and you're thinking of him 674 00:36:42,480 --> 00:36:45,360 Speaker 4: as a suspect and they move away from that area, 675 00:36:45,520 --> 00:36:47,840 Speaker 4: set up a surveillance on them. Set us up a 676 00:36:47,880 --> 00:36:51,080 Speaker 4: surveillance on where he's staying, just in case something like 677 00:36:51,120 --> 00:36:54,000 Speaker 4: this happens. You don't have her body yet, which means 678 00:36:54,040 --> 00:36:57,640 Speaker 4: it's still out there. The more police pressure that's put 679 00:36:57,760 --> 00:37:00,719 Speaker 4: on him, the more he's going to pan and make 680 00:37:00,760 --> 00:37:03,560 Speaker 4: a move like this. So why not set something up 681 00:37:03,600 --> 00:37:06,600 Speaker 4: in the area just in case something like this happened. 682 00:37:06,600 --> 00:37:08,120 Speaker 4: You follow them, then you got them. 683 00:37:08,120 --> 00:37:11,359 Speaker 2: So what does Stepan Stearns's mother, Deborah have to say 684 00:37:11,360 --> 00:37:14,760 Speaker 2: when she finds out he showed up at her house 685 00:37:14,880 --> 00:37:17,160 Speaker 2: one hundred and fifty miles away in the middle of 686 00:37:17,239 --> 00:37:20,360 Speaker 2: the night to log onto her Wi Fi and delete photos. 687 00:37:20,640 --> 00:37:22,839 Speaker 1: Listen, you know what? 688 00:37:23,239 --> 00:37:23,440 Speaker 9: You know? 689 00:37:23,520 --> 00:37:25,040 Speaker 1: What's stop you from getting in the house. 690 00:37:26,280 --> 00:37:28,920 Speaker 8: He didn't have a garage store opener. The front of 691 00:37:28,960 --> 00:37:30,680 Speaker 8: Starlock is not working well. 692 00:37:30,880 --> 00:37:33,720 Speaker 9: And I had put the luck on the slider. 693 00:37:34,760 --> 00:37:35,759 Speaker 1: Okay, couldn't get here. 694 00:37:36,080 --> 00:37:39,839 Speaker 11: Detectives now believe Stearns never intended to enter his parents' home, 695 00:37:40,000 --> 00:37:42,480 Speaker 11: but wanted to use their Wi Fi to delete images 696 00:37:42,480 --> 00:37:45,839 Speaker 11: and videos depicting his years long abuse of Mattie from 697 00:37:45,920 --> 00:37:50,040 Speaker 11: his Google account. Stearns was unsuccessful, and investigators recovered the 698 00:37:50,080 --> 00:37:54,919 Speaker 11: deleted files. Despite the turn away from Christopher Stearns's storage unit, 699 00:37:55,239 --> 00:37:59,600 Speaker 11: he still decides to search the items inside. Stearns discovers 700 00:37:59,600 --> 00:38:02,799 Speaker 11: two slash drives in a box of his son's belongings. 701 00:38:03,160 --> 00:38:07,440 Speaker 11: Investigators find one of the drives containing nearly thirty five 702 00:38:07,920 --> 00:38:11,640 Speaker 11: thousand images of child pornography. 703 00:38:11,920 --> 00:38:16,320 Speaker 2: Thirty five thousand images of child porn to Shannon Butler 704 00:38:16,560 --> 00:38:19,080 Speaker 2: WFTV nine, what I. 705 00:38:18,960 --> 00:38:21,520 Speaker 7: Know even we were shocked at that number when they 706 00:38:21,560 --> 00:38:25,279 Speaker 7: first charged him, because remember they charged him with that 707 00:38:25,440 --> 00:38:28,960 Speaker 7: before they charged her, or charged him with Madelensoto's murder, 708 00:38:29,320 --> 00:38:32,840 Speaker 7: And we knew that there was video on the phones. 709 00:38:33,120 --> 00:38:35,480 Speaker 7: They told us that very early on. But then when 710 00:38:35,480 --> 00:38:38,320 Speaker 7: they got this flashtrip and told us thirty five thousand images, 711 00:38:38,760 --> 00:38:41,319 Speaker 7: we were like, how long has this been going on? 712 00:38:41,400 --> 00:38:45,120 Speaker 7: How long has he been downloading these videos? We still 713 00:38:45,120 --> 00:38:46,680 Speaker 7: don't have an answer to that. I mean, we know 714 00:38:46,719 --> 00:38:48,000 Speaker 7: it was years, but we don't know if it was 715 00:38:48,040 --> 00:38:50,920 Speaker 7: twenty years or just the years he had been abusing her. 716 00:38:51,040 --> 00:38:54,400 Speaker 7: It was just it was it just got worse and 717 00:38:54,440 --> 00:38:56,319 Speaker 7: worse as time went on, as we started to look 718 00:38:56,360 --> 00:38:57,080 Speaker 7: into this case. 719 00:38:57,239 --> 00:39:01,919 Speaker 2: And then he moves in with Maddie now speaking of 720 00:39:02,000 --> 00:39:06,440 Speaker 2: his walk about gone six hours in the middle of 721 00:39:06,480 --> 00:39:10,200 Speaker 2: the night while Maddie is apparently missing. This is what 722 00:39:10,360 --> 00:39:12,960 Speaker 2: Stephan Stearns has to say happened that night? 723 00:39:13,160 --> 00:39:17,760 Speaker 9: Is there some explanation of the I came up Wednesday morning? 724 00:39:18,000 --> 00:39:21,239 Speaker 9: They sit the hotel early in the morning, and is 725 00:39:21,239 --> 00:39:24,879 Speaker 9: there some explanation why you rest and went where you went? 726 00:39:25,960 --> 00:39:29,000 Speaker 8: I was driving around. I had wanted to grab a 727 00:39:29,040 --> 00:39:33,200 Speaker 8: free stags and get my ducks in a row, kind 728 00:39:33,239 --> 00:39:36,520 Speaker 8: of preparing myself for whatever was coming. But I could 729 00:39:36,640 --> 00:39:38,879 Speaker 8: find what I was looking for, and then I ended 730 00:39:38,960 --> 00:39:40,640 Speaker 8: up just kind of driving around me with space. 731 00:39:40,800 --> 00:39:43,480 Speaker 2: Yeah, he was looking for his mom's WiFi password. That's 732 00:39:43,520 --> 00:39:46,799 Speaker 2: what he was looking for. So long story short, you 733 00:39:46,800 --> 00:39:51,719 Speaker 2: were hearing a video call from behind bars. When will 734 00:39:51,840 --> 00:39:56,359 Speaker 2: they learn to you, Tom Smith, that every phone call 735 00:39:56,520 --> 00:39:57,279 Speaker 2: is recorded? 736 00:39:57,400 --> 00:40:01,000 Speaker 4: They never learned, And thankfully for that. You have the 737 00:40:01,080 --> 00:40:03,600 Speaker 4: right to remain silent goes over their head, and don't 738 00:40:03,640 --> 00:40:05,840 Speaker 4: talk on the phone goes over their head. And thankfully 739 00:40:05,960 --> 00:40:09,360 Speaker 4: for that, because there's so much information that's given or 740 00:40:09,400 --> 00:40:12,799 Speaker 4: taken from those calls that are vital to the investigation, 741 00:40:13,000 --> 00:40:13,680 Speaker 4: just like this one. 742 00:40:13,760 --> 00:40:17,960 Speaker 2: Well, this is what father Christopher Stearns has to say. 743 00:40:18,080 --> 00:40:22,400 Speaker 15: Look, he spent a lifetime lying to us, okay, and 744 00:40:22,480 --> 00:40:23,760 Speaker 15: it's just never gotten better. 745 00:40:24,120 --> 00:40:29,080 Speaker 1: And he fed me some bullets the other day. 746 00:40:29,160 --> 00:40:31,480 Speaker 15: And when I before I left the house the other night, 747 00:40:31,719 --> 00:40:33,799 Speaker 15: I turned my wife and they said, do we really 748 00:40:33,800 --> 00:40:34,320 Speaker 15: know Stefan? 749 00:40:35,040 --> 00:40:36,480 Speaker 6: Can we honestly say we really know? 750 00:40:37,520 --> 00:40:42,239 Speaker 15: And she got really kind of offended, defensive a little bit. 751 00:40:42,320 --> 00:40:44,640 Speaker 15: I said, I'm not saying that he did something, but 752 00:40:44,760 --> 00:40:46,479 Speaker 15: can we honestly say we really know it? 753 00:40:46,520 --> 00:40:51,560 Speaker 2: Will he be able to convince a jury of his innocence? Remember, 754 00:40:51,920 --> 00:40:57,360 Speaker 2: both he and Jen Soto are innocent in our country 755 00:40:57,640 --> 00:41:01,040 Speaker 2: until proven guilty in a court of law law beyond 756 00:41:01,480 --> 00:41:05,319 Speaker 2: a reasonable doubt. At this time, Jen Soto has not 757 00:41:05,440 --> 00:41:08,160 Speaker 2: been named a suspect or a person of interest. 758 00:41:08,200 --> 00:41:10,360 Speaker 1: In fact, the state has entered. 759 00:41:10,160 --> 00:41:15,520 Speaker 2: A deal with her, giving her immunity in exchange for testimony. 760 00:41:16,320 --> 00:41:18,960 Speaker 1: Nancy Gray signing off goodbye friend