1 00:00:08,640 --> 00:00:20,440 Speaker 1: Buddy Backs with Joseph Scott Morgan. When I was thirteen 2 00:00:20,520 --> 00:00:26,439 Speaker 1: years old, I played baseball. And the reason I bring 3 00:00:26,480 --> 00:00:30,240 Speaker 1: that up is that I always thought that I would 4 00:00:30,320 --> 00:00:33,360 Speaker 1: never be able to. But something clicks when you hit 5 00:00:33,720 --> 00:00:36,239 Speaker 1: that age twelve or thirteen. I was never a very 6 00:00:36,240 --> 00:00:41,519 Speaker 1: good baseball player prior to that, I was not naturally 7 00:00:41,560 --> 00:00:45,239 Speaker 1: gifted at it. But when you hit twelve or thirteen, 8 00:00:46,040 --> 00:00:48,600 Speaker 1: like so many other things at that time in life, 9 00:00:48,920 --> 00:00:54,080 Speaker 1: there's something that arises within you as a child where 10 00:00:54,080 --> 00:00:56,280 Speaker 1: you begin to kind of see your way just a 11 00:00:56,280 --> 00:00:59,120 Speaker 1: little bit. Certainly not all the way. I've had middle 12 00:00:59,120 --> 00:01:02,080 Speaker 1: schoolers in my house, trust me, they haven't seen their 13 00:01:02,080 --> 00:01:04,560 Speaker 1: way clear in all things. But there's something that happens 14 00:01:04,600 --> 00:01:10,480 Speaker 1: at that magical age where your future begins to brighten 15 00:01:10,520 --> 00:01:13,280 Speaker 1: a little bit. You kind of go from being a 16 00:01:13,480 --> 00:01:19,080 Speaker 1: child into that teen world and you start to on 17 00:01:19,160 --> 00:01:24,919 Speaker 1: those wobbly legs, get your footing. But you know, for 18 00:01:25,440 --> 00:01:29,560 Speaker 1: many kids, unfortunately, like the one we're going to speak 19 00:01:29,560 --> 00:01:38,200 Speaker 1: of today, the future doesn't brighten. It gets darker and 20 00:01:38,319 --> 00:01:47,960 Speaker 1: darker until there's no light at all. Today we're going 21 00:01:48,040 --> 00:01:55,680 Speaker 1: to talk about the homicide of Matt So I'm Joseph 22 00:01:55,680 --> 00:02:03,320 Speaker 1: Scott Morgan and this is body bags, Dave and weary brother. 23 00:02:04,120 --> 00:02:08,360 Speaker 1: I'm weary and I'm tired of covering these cases. It 24 00:02:08,440 --> 00:02:13,400 Speaker 1: seems like they just will not stop. They are and 25 00:02:13,680 --> 00:02:15,280 Speaker 1: you know, i'd like to say that it you know, 26 00:02:15,360 --> 00:02:19,000 Speaker 1: and of course Harmony is a lot younger, but it 27 00:02:19,080 --> 00:02:23,480 Speaker 1: seems like every time we turn around, there is another 28 00:02:23,480 --> 00:02:27,679 Speaker 1: one of these cases in the news where children have 29 00:02:27,760 --> 00:02:31,040 Speaker 1: been failed. And it's like it's a broken record. It's 30 00:02:31,080 --> 00:02:34,920 Speaker 1: like we can just insert, you know, that that little 31 00:02:34,960 --> 00:02:38,400 Speaker 1: bit of sound into these episodes that we do. The 32 00:02:38,480 --> 00:02:41,239 Speaker 1: children have been failed. The children have been failed over 33 00:02:41,440 --> 00:02:44,360 Speaker 1: and over and over and over and over again. 34 00:02:44,720 --> 00:02:47,880 Speaker 2: Coming on the heels of Audrey Cunningham, this story made 35 00:02:47,919 --> 00:02:50,079 Speaker 2: both the you and I sick to our stomach because 36 00:02:50,120 --> 00:02:53,360 Speaker 2: we had just put that horrid story. At least we 37 00:02:53,400 --> 00:02:55,880 Speaker 2: had a conclusion, we had somebody in jail, and it 38 00:02:55,919 --> 00:02:59,280 Speaker 2: was again, I know we're not supposed to do this, Joe, 39 00:02:59,720 --> 00:03:03,200 Speaker 2: but as a parent, as a father, if something happens 40 00:03:03,240 --> 00:03:07,160 Speaker 2: to my child under my watch, it's my responsibility. It's 41 00:03:07,280 --> 00:03:10,000 Speaker 2: our job as parents to protect our children from the 42 00:03:10,040 --> 00:03:13,040 Speaker 2: monsters and the bad people. And when we introduce the 43 00:03:13,080 --> 00:03:16,760 Speaker 2: monsters and bad people into their life, then it's on us. 44 00:03:17,280 --> 00:03:21,600 Speaker 1: In Madeleine's case, she's found out in this horrible abandoned 45 00:03:21,680 --> 00:03:26,480 Speaker 1: area where she's recovered by law enforcement and the investigators 46 00:03:26,480 --> 00:03:28,840 Speaker 1: out there after having searched for her. 47 00:03:28,919 --> 00:03:32,560 Speaker 2: At a same time, the story of Madeleinesoto began as 48 00:03:32,639 --> 00:03:37,040 Speaker 2: a thirteen year old girl is missing. And because that's 49 00:03:37,080 --> 00:03:39,480 Speaker 2: how I end up coming into these stories with Nancy 50 00:03:39,480 --> 00:03:41,360 Speaker 2: Grace and some of the other stuff that we do, 51 00:03:41,640 --> 00:03:44,760 Speaker 2: you dig it from the very beginning. She's missing, and 52 00:03:44,120 --> 00:03:47,360 Speaker 2: here was the drill. She was being taken to school. 53 00:03:47,480 --> 00:03:51,840 Speaker 2: She's thirteen by her mother's longtime boyfriend, not some short 54 00:03:51,840 --> 00:03:54,640 Speaker 2: time guy she just met, but a long time influence 55 00:03:54,760 --> 00:03:58,520 Speaker 2: in their home, and he took her to school. Now, 56 00:03:59,040 --> 00:04:02,760 Speaker 2: the first thing we were told is that maybe at 57 00:04:02,760 --> 00:04:06,000 Speaker 2: that age, Madeline said she was embarrassed of his car 58 00:04:06,160 --> 00:04:08,240 Speaker 2: and didn't want him to drop her off at school, 59 00:04:08,320 --> 00:04:10,440 Speaker 2: so he dropped her off a couple of blocks from 60 00:04:10,480 --> 00:04:12,520 Speaker 2: the school so nobody would see her, so she wouldn't 61 00:04:12,560 --> 00:04:15,640 Speaker 2: be embarrassed. Now that story made sense in a very 62 00:04:15,640 --> 00:04:18,840 Speaker 2: small way, because I've had a thirteen year old daughter 63 00:04:19,080 --> 00:04:22,800 Speaker 2: that was embarrassed. If I breathed and so I understand that. 64 00:04:23,560 --> 00:04:26,920 Speaker 2: But as we started following it, there was another thing 65 00:04:26,960 --> 00:04:29,159 Speaker 2: that came up, and that was on her cell phone. 66 00:04:30,040 --> 00:04:31,880 Speaker 2: There was a note that she wrote to a friend 67 00:04:32,080 --> 00:04:34,280 Speaker 2: that when she turned thirteen, she was going to move 68 00:04:34,279 --> 00:04:38,040 Speaker 2: out and live in the woods. So police looked at 69 00:04:38,040 --> 00:04:40,039 Speaker 2: that and said, hey, we got to go check the woods. 70 00:04:40,160 --> 00:04:43,240 Speaker 2: She might have done it. She just turned thirteen. But 71 00:04:43,360 --> 00:04:45,520 Speaker 2: in my mind, when I saw that, Joe as somebody 72 00:04:45,520 --> 00:04:47,560 Speaker 2: who reads these stories and follows them up and has 73 00:04:47,600 --> 00:04:50,719 Speaker 2: to research them, I thought she was saying, there's a 74 00:04:50,760 --> 00:04:53,120 Speaker 2: monster in my house, in my life, I got to 75 00:04:53,120 --> 00:04:54,000 Speaker 2: get away from. 76 00:04:54,200 --> 00:04:58,440 Speaker 1: Yeah, what's so what would compel a thirteen year old 77 00:04:58,520 --> 00:05:01,360 Speaker 1: to want to put that, to leave the comfort of 78 00:05:01,400 --> 00:05:05,560 Speaker 1: her home to go live in the woods in. 79 00:05:05,480 --> 00:05:09,560 Speaker 2: Florida Orlando where it's humid? 80 00:05:09,640 --> 00:05:12,560 Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean, yeah, what's going to make you leave 81 00:05:12,600 --> 00:05:17,160 Speaker 1: the comfort of your you know, environmentally controlled air conditioning 82 00:05:17,240 --> 00:05:21,280 Speaker 1: and soft bed with a pillow and food to eat. 83 00:05:21,760 --> 00:05:24,279 Speaker 1: And also the other thing you have to consider. I 84 00:05:24,279 --> 00:05:27,280 Speaker 1: think as an investigator, you start to talk about kids, 85 00:05:27,320 --> 00:05:29,240 Speaker 1: and you know, I was reflecting back, you know, the 86 00:05:29,320 --> 00:05:32,480 Speaker 1: changes that kids go through it at this age, in 87 00:05:32,600 --> 00:05:35,040 Speaker 1: this age. For some reason, the twelve and thirteen year 88 00:05:35,040 --> 00:05:39,920 Speaker 1: old age. You've got this introduction in hormones that are 89 00:05:40,000 --> 00:05:43,000 Speaker 1: raging throughout the body. I know that's road to say that, 90 00:05:43,040 --> 00:05:46,080 Speaker 1: but it's the truth, you know. And you'll have kids 91 00:05:46,080 --> 00:05:48,880 Speaker 1: that will just suddenly for no reason. I know, parents 92 00:05:49,360 --> 00:05:51,160 Speaker 1: in the sound of my voice can identify with this. 93 00:05:51,960 --> 00:05:55,159 Speaker 1: You'll have a child that will just start raging in 94 00:05:55,200 --> 00:05:57,800 Speaker 1: front of you and there's no explanation. You know, it 95 00:05:57,880 --> 00:06:01,000 Speaker 1: just comes out of nowhere. And there are a lot 96 00:06:01,040 --> 00:06:03,240 Speaker 1: of kids. You know, you got the old image of 97 00:06:03,320 --> 00:06:05,760 Speaker 1: the you know, the old hobo walking down the road 98 00:06:05,800 --> 00:06:07,839 Speaker 1: with a stick on his shoulder. You know, he's got 99 00:06:07,839 --> 00:06:10,920 Speaker 1: his you know, his belongings tied up and the handkerchief 100 00:06:11,040 --> 00:06:13,480 Speaker 1: hanging off of his back. And you're thinking, you know, 101 00:06:13,560 --> 00:06:15,720 Speaker 1: kids are going to run away, and kids do run away. 102 00:06:15,760 --> 00:06:19,080 Speaker 1: That's been that's been an issue for years and years, 103 00:06:19,160 --> 00:06:21,000 Speaker 1: you know, milk cartons and all these sorts of things. 104 00:06:21,000 --> 00:06:22,760 Speaker 1: But you know, when you're getting out to the heart 105 00:06:22,800 --> 00:06:25,360 Speaker 1: of it as an investigator and you begin to kind 106 00:06:25,360 --> 00:06:28,720 Speaker 1: of peel peel these layers back, you think, okay, now, 107 00:06:29,480 --> 00:06:33,679 Speaker 1: was there something some kind of stimulus if you will, 108 00:06:33,839 --> 00:06:36,160 Speaker 1: if you look at it, you know, from the perspective 109 00:06:36,200 --> 00:06:40,479 Speaker 1: of of you know, a scientific experiment that was introduced 110 00:06:40,520 --> 00:06:45,279 Speaker 1: into the equation that's going to compel this child to 111 00:06:45,400 --> 00:06:49,679 Speaker 1: leave that environment. Why why would she? You know, would 112 00:06:49,720 --> 00:06:50,120 Speaker 1: she do that? 113 00:06:50,200 --> 00:06:53,039 Speaker 2: I don't think they did that. Okay, you and I 114 00:06:53,080 --> 00:06:58,200 Speaker 2: both know that they're in an investigation. There's not just 115 00:06:58,279 --> 00:07:02,240 Speaker 2: a parallel investigation that the police force runs. They're also 116 00:07:02,320 --> 00:07:06,320 Speaker 2: running game on the media. They give the media the 117 00:07:06,360 --> 00:07:09,039 Speaker 2: story they need to cover so they get the information out, 118 00:07:09,200 --> 00:07:11,840 Speaker 2: especially if you're actually looking for a thirteen year old girl. 119 00:07:12,880 --> 00:07:16,800 Speaker 2: And then the parallel investigation of here's what the evidence 120 00:07:16,920 --> 00:07:20,720 Speaker 2: looks like. It looks like maybe she met somebody at 121 00:07:20,720 --> 00:07:24,400 Speaker 2: this church where he'd where her mom's boyfriend dropped her off. 122 00:07:24,720 --> 00:07:26,520 Speaker 2: But the reality is we need to take a really 123 00:07:26,520 --> 00:07:30,480 Speaker 2: good look at mom's boyfriend because he's probably the most 124 00:07:30,640 --> 00:07:34,280 Speaker 2: likely story here. So the police are doing two things 125 00:07:34,320 --> 00:07:38,040 Speaker 2: and telling us a third. So, okay, they have the 126 00:07:38,120 --> 00:07:40,000 Speaker 2: story that she wrote something about wanting to live in 127 00:07:40,000 --> 00:07:42,560 Speaker 2: the woods when she turned thirteen, Well, why thirteen If 128 00:07:42,560 --> 00:07:43,960 Speaker 2: you're going to live in the woods, what's the difference 129 00:07:43,960 --> 00:07:46,920 Speaker 2: between twelve and thirteen? That's for starters. But second of all, 130 00:07:46,960 --> 00:07:49,360 Speaker 2: the story was that she was embarrassed by the car, 131 00:07:49,440 --> 00:07:52,640 Speaker 2: so he dropped her off to save her the embarrassment. 132 00:07:53,320 --> 00:07:55,960 Speaker 2: And we the media, we were told that there was 133 00:07:56,080 --> 00:07:59,640 Speaker 2: video showing her at this church right there on the 134 00:07:59,640 --> 00:08:02,280 Speaker 2: main road, and that it appeared she was waiting for somebody. 135 00:08:02,680 --> 00:08:05,400 Speaker 2: So that led us to believe that maybe she had 136 00:08:05,440 --> 00:08:09,840 Speaker 2: been talked to online, had communicated with somebody who made 137 00:08:09,920 --> 00:08:12,400 Speaker 2: arrangements to meet her at this location at this time, 138 00:08:12,400 --> 00:08:14,320 Speaker 2: and that she had been picked up and she was gone. 139 00:08:14,760 --> 00:08:17,040 Speaker 2: And that has happened so many times, and we've done 140 00:08:17,080 --> 00:08:19,480 Speaker 2: plenty of stories on those that don't turn out good. 141 00:08:20,000 --> 00:08:22,880 Speaker 2: And so there was that story, and then there was 142 00:08:22,920 --> 00:08:27,560 Speaker 2: the sheriff. The sheriff was very public. He called press conferences. 143 00:08:27,680 --> 00:08:29,520 Speaker 2: He said, this is what we're doing, this is what 144 00:08:29,560 --> 00:08:32,040 Speaker 2: we're looking for. This is what we have found, very direct, 145 00:08:32,800 --> 00:08:34,960 Speaker 2: very fast. Something you and I have brought up over 146 00:08:35,000 --> 00:08:37,680 Speaker 2: the last several shows, Joe, the number of video cameras 147 00:08:37,720 --> 00:08:40,400 Speaker 2: that exist in surveillance. People have them at home now 148 00:08:40,559 --> 00:08:46,400 Speaker 2: with our doorbell cameras. Many building, schools, churches have digital 149 00:08:47,040 --> 00:08:50,360 Speaker 2: coverage of surveillance cameras because they are inexpensive, so they 150 00:08:50,400 --> 00:08:53,240 Speaker 2: have access to all these cameras that can follow movement 151 00:08:53,720 --> 00:08:57,360 Speaker 2: and so police having that on top of having cell phones. 152 00:08:57,360 --> 00:09:00,720 Speaker 2: And by the way, one of the things things police 153 00:09:00,800 --> 00:09:05,120 Speaker 2: caught onto very early on was that Madeline didn't take 154 00:09:05,160 --> 00:09:07,720 Speaker 2: her cell phone with her to school. Now, if she 155 00:09:07,840 --> 00:09:09,720 Speaker 2: was going to school that day and she her plan 156 00:09:09,880 --> 00:09:11,720 Speaker 2: was to either meet up with somebody else or to 157 00:09:11,760 --> 00:09:14,160 Speaker 2: go off on the wood, whatever it was, her communication 158 00:09:14,240 --> 00:09:16,240 Speaker 2: with the world started and ended with her phone and 159 00:09:16,280 --> 00:09:18,520 Speaker 2: she left that at home. So there were a number 160 00:09:18,559 --> 00:09:21,000 Speaker 2: of things going here that had the police really on 161 00:09:21,160 --> 00:09:24,360 Speaker 2: target with what they were doing. They were able to 162 00:09:25,520 --> 00:09:30,960 Speaker 2: track down the uh boyfriend's cell phone and while they were, 163 00:09:31,080 --> 00:09:33,200 Speaker 2: you know, they have to do all sorts of different 164 00:09:33,280 --> 00:09:36,160 Speaker 2: legal thing wrangling. They can't just grab your phone. Hey, 165 00:09:36,240 --> 00:09:38,400 Speaker 2: let me look at your phone. They can't do that. 166 00:09:38,840 --> 00:09:42,120 Speaker 2: And if you're unwilling, you know, they'll ask you for it. Hey, Dave, look, 167 00:09:42,160 --> 00:09:43,760 Speaker 2: you're not a suspect or anything. Well, they know they 168 00:09:43,800 --> 00:09:45,800 Speaker 2: won't say that. They never say you're not a suspect. 169 00:09:45,800 --> 00:09:48,680 Speaker 2: They say no, they'll never tell you that. They tell this, Dave, look, 170 00:09:48,800 --> 00:09:51,160 Speaker 2: we really want you to help find your you know, 171 00:09:51,760 --> 00:09:53,559 Speaker 2: your daughter, your girlfriend's daugh or whatever. 172 00:09:53,559 --> 00:09:55,599 Speaker 1: You try to appeal to your humanity. 173 00:09:55,800 --> 00:09:57,960 Speaker 2: Look, you're man, we know you're not We know you're 174 00:09:57,960 --> 00:09:59,920 Speaker 2: not involved. Can I take a look at your phone? 175 00:10:00,240 --> 00:10:00,600 Speaker 1: Yeah? 176 00:10:00,800 --> 00:10:02,880 Speaker 2: No, you can't take a look at my phone. I 177 00:10:02,920 --> 00:10:04,760 Speaker 2: don't know if you're I don't know what kind of 178 00:10:04,760 --> 00:10:08,240 Speaker 2: person you are. No, you can't look at my phone. Okay, 179 00:10:08,240 --> 00:10:10,240 Speaker 2: then we'll get a search for it. And when they 180 00:10:10,240 --> 00:10:12,920 Speaker 2: get then they're going to get a search warrant for that, 181 00:10:13,000 --> 00:10:14,640 Speaker 2: and then they're going to find out what's on your phone. 182 00:10:14,640 --> 00:10:17,800 Speaker 2: And that's what actually tripped up Steven Stearns. That's where 183 00:10:19,240 --> 00:10:22,040 Speaker 2: the truth of the investigation came out because the police 184 00:10:22,040 --> 00:10:25,040 Speaker 2: put him under arrest. We got stuff on his phone. 185 00:10:25,160 --> 00:10:27,000 Speaker 2: They didn't give us a lot of very specific stuff, 186 00:10:27,000 --> 00:10:29,520 Speaker 2: if you remember Joe, they're very vague, but it was 187 00:10:29,640 --> 00:10:31,319 Speaker 2: enough for us to believe there was some type of 188 00:10:31,360 --> 00:10:34,120 Speaker 2: child pornography found on this man's phone that led them 189 00:10:34,120 --> 00:10:36,440 Speaker 2: to believe he was not just involved, he was the 190 00:10:36,440 --> 00:10:40,960 Speaker 2: person behind the disappearance of Madalinsoto. And when the police 191 00:10:40,960 --> 00:10:45,240 Speaker 2: announced while we're still looking for her, hoping he had 192 00:10:45,280 --> 00:10:47,240 Speaker 2: stashed her somewhere, that she was hidden, that she was 193 00:10:47,400 --> 00:10:49,559 Speaker 2: I mean, hoping all these horrible things would be true, 194 00:10:49,840 --> 00:10:51,920 Speaker 2: because all those horrible things were better than the fact 195 00:10:51,920 --> 00:10:54,440 Speaker 2: that she would be dead. And the police came out 196 00:10:54,480 --> 00:10:57,079 Speaker 2: three days in and said, we believe she's dead. They 197 00:10:57,120 --> 00:11:00,440 Speaker 2: never do that. Police never do that, Joe. Have you 198 00:11:00,480 --> 00:11:03,000 Speaker 2: ever seen police come out during a search when we're 199 00:11:03,040 --> 00:11:05,480 Speaker 2: looking in the woods, we're looking off the road with dogs, 200 00:11:05,640 --> 00:11:09,360 Speaker 2: we're looking in that I wrote that down on our 201 00:11:09,440 --> 00:11:12,920 Speaker 2: questionnaire for you. Have you ever seen a sheriff come 202 00:11:12,960 --> 00:11:15,400 Speaker 2: out and say, we believe we're looking for a body 203 00:11:15,440 --> 00:11:15,920 Speaker 2: she's dead. 204 00:11:16,840 --> 00:11:22,880 Speaker 1: Yeah. The one thing that investigators can impart to family 205 00:11:23,040 --> 00:11:28,200 Speaker 1: and friends and those that are vested in the life 206 00:11:28,280 --> 00:11:33,360 Speaker 1: of a child like Madeline is hope. But as we 207 00:11:33,400 --> 00:11:38,360 Speaker 1: can tell, it turned out early on that i'll hope 208 00:11:38,840 --> 00:12:00,560 Speaker 1: in Madeleine's case was lost. You think about what must 209 00:12:00,600 --> 00:12:04,800 Speaker 1: it be like when you're looking for a child and 210 00:12:04,840 --> 00:12:09,240 Speaker 1: you're an investigator and you do have hope at that 211 00:12:09,320 --> 00:12:14,200 Speaker 1: moment in time, and suddenly suddenly there is that instance 212 00:12:15,040 --> 00:12:19,840 Speaker 1: where something that you're holding in your hand, as small 213 00:12:20,760 --> 00:12:25,520 Speaker 1: as a smartphone, for instance, opens up a world to 214 00:12:25,960 --> 00:12:31,120 Speaker 1: arguably some of the most evil that could be perpetrated 215 00:12:32,040 --> 00:12:37,200 Speaker 1: upon a child. It's no wonder that hope is lost 216 00:12:37,240 --> 00:12:39,640 Speaker 1: at that moment time, because suddenly you have a key 217 00:12:39,800 --> 00:12:43,440 Speaker 1: that unlocks this door. When you begin thinking about what 218 00:12:43,640 --> 00:12:46,480 Speaker 1: happened to her, I think that police, when they saw 219 00:12:46,840 --> 00:12:51,000 Speaker 1: all of this data, Dave, you can see how the 220 00:12:51,080 --> 00:12:54,040 Speaker 1: police at that moment time began as zero in on Stearns. 221 00:12:54,559 --> 00:12:56,920 Speaker 2: At this point we were four days into the investigation 222 00:12:56,960 --> 00:12:59,960 Speaker 2: of looking for three days actually when the sheriff sheriff 223 00:13:00,320 --> 00:13:03,800 Speaker 2: said we do not believe she's alive. It shocked me, 224 00:13:04,000 --> 00:13:05,840 Speaker 2: as somebody who covers these it shocked me when he 225 00:13:05,840 --> 00:13:08,080 Speaker 2: said it. But then I thought he'd already told her mom. 226 00:13:08,240 --> 00:13:10,480 Speaker 2: He'd already talked to the family and said and gave 227 00:13:10,520 --> 00:13:13,440 Speaker 2: them the reason why now we didn't know it at 228 00:13:13,440 --> 00:13:17,000 Speaker 2: that moment. What the family knew, the family had already 229 00:13:17,000 --> 00:13:20,320 Speaker 2: been told the evidence they had, and the evidence that 230 00:13:20,360 --> 00:13:23,640 Speaker 2: they had against mister Stephen Sterns, the man who had 231 00:13:23,679 --> 00:13:27,480 Speaker 2: been living in that home together with as stepdad, even 232 00:13:27,520 --> 00:13:29,080 Speaker 2: though he was mom's boyfriend, he had been there for 233 00:13:29,080 --> 00:13:32,480 Speaker 2: a number of years and had been a father figure 234 00:13:32,520 --> 00:13:36,920 Speaker 2: for Madeline Soto. And what the police told them was, well, 235 00:13:37,760 --> 00:13:41,360 Speaker 2: first things, first, we saw him saw Steven Stearns on 236 00:13:41,480 --> 00:13:43,839 Speaker 2: video at about seven thirty in the morning, the day 237 00:13:43,840 --> 00:13:47,160 Speaker 2: he was supposed to take Madeline to school, we saw 238 00:13:47,240 --> 00:13:52,240 Speaker 2: him putting her backpack and her school issued laptop into 239 00:13:52,280 --> 00:13:55,439 Speaker 2: a dumpster in the back of your apartment complex. 240 00:13:56,600 --> 00:14:02,880 Speaker 1: Yeah, that amazes me that people that gauge in this 241 00:14:02,880 --> 00:14:06,000 Speaker 1: this kind of activity. As dark as this is, and 242 00:14:06,320 --> 00:14:09,360 Speaker 1: trust me, this is very dark. It's not so much 243 00:14:09,400 --> 00:14:13,280 Speaker 1: that what was contained in her backpack was dark or 244 00:14:13,280 --> 00:14:15,280 Speaker 1: what was on her It's probably a chrome book. I 245 00:14:15,360 --> 00:14:17,319 Speaker 1: think that a lot of these schools are iss chrome books. 246 00:14:17,840 --> 00:14:21,120 Speaker 1: It's not that that stuff's dark, it's just that they 247 00:14:21,680 --> 00:14:24,040 Speaker 1: know what else they have. I think, what's going to 248 00:14:24,080 --> 00:14:27,160 Speaker 1: tie them back to the location of a missing child, 249 00:14:27,320 --> 00:14:31,320 Speaker 1: or in a child that is a homicide victim. They 250 00:14:31,360 --> 00:14:34,680 Speaker 1: would be so bold as to try to distance themselves 251 00:14:34,720 --> 00:14:37,040 Speaker 1: from any kind of evidence of her existence, as if 252 00:14:37,080 --> 00:14:39,560 Speaker 1: she's you know, vanished off of the face of the earth. 253 00:14:40,480 --> 00:14:43,920 Speaker 1: That they have to have an awareness, Dave that CCTV 254 00:14:44,160 --> 00:14:46,440 Speaker 1: is round, But yet they will go to go to 255 00:14:46,440 --> 00:14:49,560 Speaker 1: a place like a dumpster and toss this stuff in. 256 00:14:50,080 --> 00:14:52,880 Speaker 1: And you know, and the thing about the thing about dumpsters, 257 00:14:54,280 --> 00:14:57,600 Speaker 1: you know, when we begin to search them, and I've 258 00:14:57,640 --> 00:15:00,560 Speaker 1: had to go, I've had to climb inside of dumpsters 259 00:15:00,560 --> 00:15:04,240 Speaker 1: for years and years and dig through look for items. 260 00:15:04,240 --> 00:15:09,080 Speaker 1: I've had to look for elements of the body, body parts, clothing, 261 00:15:09,240 --> 00:15:12,400 Speaker 1: all kinds of stuff. And you know, someday I plan 262 00:15:12,520 --> 00:15:15,080 Speaker 1: on doing a show on nothing but landfills and searching 263 00:15:15,120 --> 00:15:18,000 Speaker 1: for bodies and those kinds of locations. But you know, 264 00:15:18,160 --> 00:15:21,240 Speaker 1: we have a method to do this, and it's painstaking work. 265 00:15:21,280 --> 00:15:24,760 Speaker 1: But you know, when you have when you have CCTV 266 00:15:25,680 --> 00:15:29,160 Speaker 1: that gives you an idea of where you know where 267 00:15:29,200 --> 00:15:31,480 Speaker 1: something might be. It kind of narrows it down for 268 00:15:31,560 --> 00:15:35,720 Speaker 1: you. You know, something that might that might have connection. And 269 00:15:35,800 --> 00:15:39,080 Speaker 1: the quality of the video has to be really good 270 00:15:39,160 --> 00:15:42,960 Speaker 1: because they were specifically able to identify this book back 271 00:15:43,440 --> 00:15:45,240 Speaker 1: and then you know, once they get their hands on it, 272 00:15:45,320 --> 00:15:47,840 Speaker 1: they can tie it back to her directly. And you 273 00:15:47,960 --> 00:15:50,360 Speaker 1: got this guy that's that's placing the stuff in here 274 00:15:50,360 --> 00:15:53,640 Speaker 1: without a care in the world, right at least seemingly. 275 00:15:53,480 --> 00:15:57,800 Speaker 2: And this is a time well before he was supposed 276 00:15:57,800 --> 00:15:58,720 Speaker 2: to take her to school. 277 00:15:59,200 --> 00:16:02,200 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, that's yeah. And so that again goes back 278 00:16:02,240 --> 00:16:05,120 Speaker 1: to a post mortem toon line because. 279 00:16:05,360 --> 00:16:06,920 Speaker 2: Well, let me ask you, because Joe, you know, we 280 00:16:06,960 --> 00:16:08,760 Speaker 2: had we live in an area Joe and I both 281 00:16:08,800 --> 00:16:10,080 Speaker 2: live in the same area. I don't know if y'all 282 00:16:10,120 --> 00:16:12,040 Speaker 2: know that, but we did. Yeah, even though we're both 283 00:16:12,080 --> 00:16:14,400 Speaker 2: from very different parts of the country and we work 284 00:16:14,480 --> 00:16:17,720 Speaker 2: on national television and radio broadcast networks, but we lived 285 00:16:17,760 --> 00:16:19,320 Speaker 2: within fifteen minutes of each other. 286 00:16:19,520 --> 00:16:20,120 Speaker 1: We never knew. 287 00:16:20,160 --> 00:16:23,720 Speaker 2: It was never funny, but in our area, children tend 288 00:16:23,760 --> 00:16:26,800 Speaker 2: to go to school their uh elementary and junior high 289 00:16:26,800 --> 00:16:29,680 Speaker 2: schools take in about seven thirty eight o'clock in the morning. Well, 290 00:16:30,000 --> 00:16:33,360 Speaker 2: at the school that Madeleine Soto went to, her school 291 00:16:33,440 --> 00:16:37,400 Speaker 2: day did not begin until nine thirty, and so police 292 00:16:37,480 --> 00:16:40,280 Speaker 2: already had a few things in their back pocket that 293 00:16:40,680 --> 00:16:43,800 Speaker 2: we were unaware of. I look at it from my standpoint, 294 00:16:43,840 --> 00:16:46,160 Speaker 2: I was thinking about when my children would go to school, 295 00:16:46,720 --> 00:16:51,120 Speaker 2: and well, eight thirty in the morning, okay, where was he? 296 00:16:51,120 --> 00:16:54,200 Speaker 2: He was dropping her off near the school at eight thirty, 297 00:16:54,200 --> 00:16:59,280 Speaker 2: according to Stephen Stearns. But police were like, why were 298 00:16:59,280 --> 00:17:03,080 Speaker 2: you dropping her on there? An hour before her school 299 00:17:03,120 --> 00:17:06,000 Speaker 2: day was going to begin. So police knew certain things 300 00:17:06,000 --> 00:17:08,160 Speaker 2: they were not putting out to the public. And that's 301 00:17:08,200 --> 00:17:11,000 Speaker 2: where this came in. Two hours before he's begin to 302 00:17:11,000 --> 00:17:12,879 Speaker 2: take her to school, he's getting rid of her school 303 00:17:12,920 --> 00:17:15,639 Speaker 2: issued laptop and her backpack. The backpack that we do 304 00:17:15,760 --> 00:17:18,600 Speaker 2: know was described because we had it as part of 305 00:17:18,640 --> 00:17:21,360 Speaker 2: our descriptors of things she had with her. 306 00:17:21,760 --> 00:17:25,160 Speaker 1: Yeah, exactly, because you know, they're listen, the police are 307 00:17:25,200 --> 00:17:28,520 Speaker 1: not going they're going to exhaust every avenue, you know, 308 00:17:28,600 --> 00:17:32,080 Speaker 1: if they're if they're invested in this case, and in 309 00:17:32,119 --> 00:17:35,200 Speaker 1: most cases involving kids that are missing, they're going to 310 00:17:35,280 --> 00:17:38,520 Speaker 1: pull every bit of footage that they possibly can in 311 00:17:38,640 --> 00:17:42,720 Speaker 1: order to try to track these kids down. Any child are, 312 00:17:42,920 --> 00:17:46,800 Speaker 1: you know, even an elderly person that's at risk, They're 313 00:17:46,840 --> 00:17:49,679 Speaker 1: going to try to do everything that they possibly can to, 314 00:17:50,000 --> 00:17:51,960 Speaker 1: you know, kind of tighten down the focus so that 315 00:17:52,000 --> 00:17:54,679 Speaker 1: they can begin to understand it. That's why I'm so 316 00:17:54,800 --> 00:17:58,320 Speaker 1: shocked by the fact that not that, and I'm glad 317 00:17:58,320 --> 00:18:00,920 Speaker 1: that he didn't take more care, but he didn't. It's 318 00:18:01,000 --> 00:18:03,760 Speaker 1: like he had very little self awareness. And I think 319 00:18:03,760 --> 00:18:06,159 Speaker 1: that you can see that thread running through all of 320 00:18:06,160 --> 00:18:09,160 Speaker 1: this behavior, very little self awareness until it gets to 321 00:18:09,440 --> 00:18:11,880 Speaker 1: this critical moment and then where her life ends. 322 00:18:12,080 --> 00:18:15,160 Speaker 2: Joe, the part that got me in all of his 323 00:18:15,200 --> 00:18:18,120 Speaker 2: friends is that, according to the affidavit that we've now 324 00:18:18,160 --> 00:18:24,440 Speaker 2: seen that's thirty six pages long, they actually have Stearns 325 00:18:24,480 --> 00:18:28,760 Speaker 2: allegedly on video driving the car and they can see 326 00:18:28,800 --> 00:18:32,400 Speaker 2: Madeline's body in the vehicle and she was already dead. 327 00:18:32,760 --> 00:18:36,040 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, so he's yeah, go ahead, no sorry, I'll 328 00:18:36,080 --> 00:18:36,440 Speaker 1: can say. 329 00:18:36,480 --> 00:18:38,119 Speaker 2: Is that So here you've got a guy that is 330 00:18:38,160 --> 00:18:42,840 Speaker 2: on video throwing away her backpack and her laptop and 331 00:18:42,920 --> 00:18:46,000 Speaker 2: then he's driving with her dead body in the car. Yeah, 332 00:18:46,040 --> 00:18:48,600 Speaker 2: and they can see it from these surveillance cameras. You 333 00:18:48,680 --> 00:18:52,960 Speaker 2: said he had no awareness. That points to zero awareness 334 00:18:53,080 --> 00:18:55,639 Speaker 2: of what was he thinking? Was he in some kind 335 00:18:55,840 --> 00:18:57,960 Speaker 2: Could he use that as a defense, Joe, You've seen 336 00:18:57,960 --> 00:19:00,679 Speaker 2: this everywhere. But would he be able to say that 337 00:19:00,760 --> 00:19:04,040 Speaker 2: he was so out of himself, he was so crazed 338 00:19:04,080 --> 00:19:07,080 Speaker 2: by whatever had taken him over in that moment that 339 00:19:07,160 --> 00:19:09,760 Speaker 2: he wasn't thinking smart enough to even cover that track. 340 00:19:10,200 --> 00:19:12,240 Speaker 1: Well, let's don't give him that idea for the defense 341 00:19:12,320 --> 00:19:15,640 Speaker 1: because they'll probably snap it up. And here's what I've 342 00:19:15,680 --> 00:19:17,920 Speaker 1: always thought about these cases that are over the top 343 00:19:18,080 --> 00:19:20,639 Speaker 1: like this that I work on, or not work on, 344 00:19:20,720 --> 00:19:24,200 Speaker 1: but cover in the media. It's almost as if the 345 00:19:24,200 --> 00:19:28,399 Speaker 1: more grotesque and the more absurd things are, as you know, 346 00:19:28,520 --> 00:19:32,840 Speaker 1: they reach such a level of horror that is used 347 00:19:32,840 --> 00:19:37,040 Speaker 1: by the defense many times to attempt to demonstrate that 348 00:19:37,080 --> 00:19:41,000 Speaker 1: the person is in some way incapacitated mentally, you know, 349 00:19:41,240 --> 00:19:44,440 Speaker 1: they're not capable of making good decisions, Whereas I think 350 00:19:44,480 --> 00:19:47,160 Speaker 1: that maybe years and years ago they would have said 351 00:19:47,520 --> 00:19:52,000 Speaker 1: this is evidence of evil, right, and so it's not 352 00:19:52,080 --> 00:19:55,960 Speaker 1: necessarily like that anymore. You've got a man. And again 353 00:19:56,000 --> 00:19:57,720 Speaker 1: we have to go back to the timeline, and I'm 354 00:19:57,760 --> 00:20:00,919 Speaker 1: hoping that we're going to learn more putting a finer 355 00:20:01,000 --> 00:20:07,520 Speaker 1: point on the post mortem interval relative to her remains. 356 00:20:07,880 --> 00:20:12,520 Speaker 1: When that finally does come about, when you're looking at 357 00:20:12,520 --> 00:20:15,720 Speaker 1: her and you're thinking, well, first off, he's got her 358 00:20:16,040 --> 00:20:19,879 Speaker 1: riding about in the car with him. The police at 359 00:20:20,000 --> 00:20:22,359 Speaker 1: least have alluded to the fact that they could tell 360 00:20:23,000 --> 00:20:26,200 Speaker 1: that she was deceased. Now what does that mean. That 361 00:20:26,240 --> 00:20:30,320 Speaker 1: means that she's obviously goes without saying she's not moving, 362 00:20:30,800 --> 00:20:33,600 Speaker 1: But was she postured in some particular way where it 363 00:20:33,600 --> 00:20:37,720 Speaker 1: looks like she's unconscious, she might be leaning on the door, 364 00:20:38,359 --> 00:20:41,400 Speaker 1: she's slumped over, or was it something else. Did they 365 00:20:41,400 --> 00:20:44,040 Speaker 1: have such a high elevation of the camera where they 366 00:20:44,040 --> 00:20:47,840 Speaker 1: could see down into the interior of the vehicle and 367 00:20:47,920 --> 00:20:51,840 Speaker 1: appreciate some kind of other odd posturing within the vehicle, 368 00:20:51,960 --> 00:20:54,879 Speaker 1: and I'd like to know, and hopefully this is going 369 00:20:54,960 --> 00:20:56,560 Speaker 1: to come out as well as what the status of 370 00:20:56,600 --> 00:20:59,320 Speaker 1: her clothing was. And I think that that plays a 371 00:20:59,440 --> 00:21:03,240 Speaker 1: very key role here, Dave, because as we know, and 372 00:21:03,359 --> 00:21:07,960 Speaker 1: as we're about to reveal, what does child endured, what 373 00:21:08,160 --> 00:21:14,120 Speaker 1: she went through from the perspective of this individual being 374 00:21:14,160 --> 00:21:18,119 Speaker 1: in her life are things that even I on this 375 00:21:18,240 --> 00:21:39,119 Speaker 1: show will not even begin to describe. I hesitate to 376 00:21:39,200 --> 00:21:46,119 Speaker 1: use the word relief. I think there's an abiding sadness 377 00:21:46,160 --> 00:21:51,359 Speaker 1: with it. Though. If you're on a search team and 378 00:21:51,400 --> 00:21:57,080 Speaker 1: you're trying to find a child and you're hoping against 379 00:21:57,119 --> 00:22:02,399 Speaker 1: hope that they might be alive, I don't know that 380 00:22:02,440 --> 00:22:08,200 Speaker 1: you feel relief when you come across the broken body 381 00:22:08,200 --> 00:22:13,280 Speaker 1: of a small child. You know that that sort of 382 00:22:13,280 --> 00:22:16,880 Speaker 1: thing haunts haunts those of us in investigations. It does 383 00:22:16,920 --> 00:22:18,840 Speaker 1: for years and years. I can still see the faces 384 00:22:18,840 --> 00:22:22,960 Speaker 1: of children from forty years ago, David. You know, they 385 00:22:23,040 --> 00:22:26,640 Speaker 1: never they never leave you at all. And I can 386 00:22:27,400 --> 00:22:33,639 Speaker 1: promise you that these heroes that were out there doing 387 00:22:33,640 --> 00:22:37,240 Speaker 1: this search are going to be haunted by what they 388 00:22:37,320 --> 00:22:40,639 Speaker 1: saw and what was rawt at the hands of this monster. 389 00:22:41,320 --> 00:22:48,760 Speaker 2: And that's where maybe because I don't know, I only 390 00:22:48,800 --> 00:22:51,880 Speaker 2: know what I'm told. Rarely do I even see pictures 391 00:22:52,800 --> 00:22:55,840 Speaker 2: unless I have to. It's a choice for me, thankfully 392 00:22:55,880 --> 00:22:58,000 Speaker 2: that I don't have to dig in that far. I'm 393 00:22:58,000 --> 00:23:00,880 Speaker 2: not one of those people that out there doing that, 394 00:23:01,440 --> 00:23:03,720 Speaker 2: but my heart breaks every time I do, because my 395 00:23:03,880 --> 00:23:07,199 Speaker 2: mindset when somebody is missing, which is why I was 396 00:23:07,240 --> 00:23:09,240 Speaker 2: so shocked that the police came out and said, we 397 00:23:09,280 --> 00:23:12,000 Speaker 2: know she's dead. We believe she's dead, because I always 398 00:23:12,000 --> 00:23:15,200 Speaker 2: think of jc Dugard. I think of her, in particular, 399 00:23:15,280 --> 00:23:18,320 Speaker 2: being gone, taken right in front of her stepfather, snatched 400 00:23:18,359 --> 00:23:22,280 Speaker 2: right off the street, and being gone for eighteen years 401 00:23:22,840 --> 00:23:27,720 Speaker 2: and turning back up. And I think about that every 402 00:23:27,760 --> 00:23:30,280 Speaker 2: time some child goes missing. Well, there's always a chance, 403 00:23:30,440 --> 00:23:32,880 Speaker 2: you know, there's always a chance. And then my heart 404 00:23:32,880 --> 00:23:35,679 Speaker 2: breaks when we got it, you know, you find out, Okay, 405 00:23:35,720 --> 00:23:39,040 Speaker 2: now we've got another boyfriend. He has usually they have 406 00:23:39,040 --> 00:23:41,040 Speaker 2: a criminal record, but now we find out that his 407 00:23:41,200 --> 00:23:43,040 Speaker 2: phone is eat up with horrible things. 408 00:23:43,280 --> 00:23:43,679 Speaker 1: We know that. 409 00:23:43,760 --> 00:23:45,679 Speaker 2: The minute they gave him a chance to speak, he 410 00:23:45,760 --> 00:23:48,720 Speaker 2: lawyered up. He said, lawyer, won't you just talk to us? 411 00:23:48,880 --> 00:23:51,000 Speaker 2: Look You've got to have some relationship with this girl. 412 00:23:51,320 --> 00:23:52,639 Speaker 2: You know, you were in her life since she was 413 00:23:52,680 --> 00:23:56,960 Speaker 2: eight years old. Please help us, help us lawyer, help 414 00:23:57,040 --> 00:24:02,119 Speaker 2: us find lawyer. And so when they did find her, Joe, 415 00:24:02,160 --> 00:24:06,199 Speaker 2: what did what did police discover when they found the 416 00:24:06,240 --> 00:24:08,960 Speaker 2: body of Madeline Soto? 417 00:24:09,400 --> 00:24:11,760 Speaker 1: Well, we we don't really know what they found at 418 00:24:11,800 --> 00:24:14,000 Speaker 1: this point in time because they're not releasing a lot 419 00:24:14,000 --> 00:24:18,720 Speaker 1: of information. We do know that she was recovered in 420 00:24:18,760 --> 00:24:23,000 Speaker 1: a wooded area. And look, and I understand, I think 421 00:24:23,000 --> 00:24:28,720 Speaker 1: that a lot of us that that are familiar with 422 00:24:28,880 --> 00:24:31,440 Speaker 1: this case and that have been hoping against hope that 423 00:24:31,480 --> 00:24:37,960 Speaker 1: she would resurface alive. We were hoping, we're hoping to understand, 424 00:24:38,040 --> 00:24:42,800 Speaker 1: you know, precisely what did happen to her. But you know, 425 00:24:42,880 --> 00:24:46,760 Speaker 1: we we don't have that data as yet. We do 426 00:24:46,920 --> 00:24:50,880 Speaker 1: not have a cause of death in Madeline's case. I'm 427 00:24:50,920 --> 00:24:53,880 Speaker 1: still trying to understand why that has not been released 428 00:24:53,880 --> 00:24:55,760 Speaker 1: to this point. But can I just tell you what 429 00:24:55,800 --> 00:25:00,520 Speaker 1: we do have, Dave, we and let me let me 430 00:25:00,600 --> 00:25:02,600 Speaker 1: just kind of throw a date out to you, Okay, 431 00:25:03,480 --> 00:25:05,840 Speaker 1: a date range, And I want everybody to listen to this. 432 00:25:07,160 --> 00:25:16,200 Speaker 1: We have date ranges on Stern's phone that begin you ready, 433 00:25:17,000 --> 00:25:25,800 Speaker 1: June nineteenth, twenty nineteen, and it ends February twenty sixth, 434 00:25:26,560 --> 00:25:29,480 Speaker 1: twenty twenty four. You know what's contained in that day 435 00:25:30,440 --> 00:25:34,480 Speaker 1: Graphic images, graphic images going back all these years. Now, 436 00:25:34,880 --> 00:25:42,040 Speaker 1: let's do let's do a little arithmetic here. Madeline is thirteen, right, 437 00:25:42,680 --> 00:25:45,520 Speaker 1: and so let's do the calculation on that. It's twenty 438 00:25:45,560 --> 00:25:49,760 Speaker 1: twenty four right now. And let's just say we'll ballpark 439 00:25:49,800 --> 00:25:55,160 Speaker 1: it and say that Madeline was born in what year 440 00:25:56,400 --> 00:25:57,440 Speaker 1: two thousand? 441 00:25:57,680 --> 00:25:59,800 Speaker 2: If she had just turned thirteen when you were missing. 442 00:26:00,119 --> 00:26:07,240 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, so eleven twenty eleven, Dave, So twenty years old, 443 00:26:07,400 --> 00:26:18,640 Speaker 1: twenty nineteen. Day, this child, this precious angel, since twenty nineteen, 444 00:26:19,560 --> 00:26:23,600 Speaker 1: when she was eight years old, Dave, she all of 445 00:26:23,640 --> 00:26:27,760 Speaker 1: her teeth have not come in yet, Mark that. Just 446 00:26:28,000 --> 00:26:33,359 Speaker 1: think about that. She's still experiencing growing pains throughout her body. 447 00:26:33,520 --> 00:26:37,119 Speaker 1: Mom's having to buy new clothes because she's growing. We 448 00:26:37,200 --> 00:26:41,920 Speaker 1: know what that's like if you're a parent. Bedtime, bedtime's 449 00:26:41,920 --> 00:26:44,120 Speaker 1: supposed to be at eight or nine. Got to get 450 00:26:44,119 --> 00:26:46,879 Speaker 1: to bed, honey, It's time to go to bed. The 451 00:26:47,000 --> 00:26:52,520 Speaker 1: child cannot yet fully take care of themselves. Eight years old, 452 00:26:53,160 --> 00:26:57,400 Speaker 1: eight years old, and there are images on this person's 453 00:26:57,400 --> 00:27:02,600 Speaker 1: phone going back all those years now for us, you know, 454 00:27:02,680 --> 00:27:06,639 Speaker 1: as old people in the audience, I count myself as old. 455 00:27:08,720 --> 00:27:12,840 Speaker 1: Twenty nineteen doesn't seem that long ago. But when you're 456 00:27:12,880 --> 00:27:16,439 Speaker 1: living in a hell like this, and trust me it was, 457 00:27:18,000 --> 00:27:21,320 Speaker 1: it probably seemed like an eternity for her. Back to 458 00:27:21,800 --> 00:27:27,440 Speaker 1: your earlier comment, Dave, the comment that she had actually made. 459 00:27:27,840 --> 00:27:33,000 Speaker 1: I think she would have rather have lived in the woods, 460 00:27:33,880 --> 00:27:38,760 Speaker 1: in the heat, in the humidity, covered with bugs than 461 00:27:38,920 --> 00:27:44,320 Speaker 1: live this existence. And she even had that awareness, you know, 462 00:27:44,840 --> 00:27:48,600 Speaker 1: going back. You know, all this time, she knew that 463 00:27:48,640 --> 00:27:51,679 Speaker 1: it was bad, even at her young age, that she 464 00:27:51,760 --> 00:27:53,920 Speaker 1: knew that there had to be something that was not 465 00:27:54,280 --> 00:27:57,520 Speaker 1: abnormal like this, that it would be more normal and 466 00:27:57,600 --> 00:28:00,800 Speaker 1: more secure for her to live a way from her 467 00:28:00,880 --> 00:28:06,639 Speaker 1: home than to endwell this structure with this person because 468 00:28:06,680 --> 00:28:07,959 Speaker 1: of everything that he had done to her. 469 00:28:08,040 --> 00:28:09,679 Speaker 2: Day Now, Joe, when you and I look at this, 470 00:28:09,920 --> 00:28:12,440 Speaker 2: we're coming from the standpoint of, how is it possible 471 00:28:12,480 --> 00:28:17,520 Speaker 2: that you could have somebody in your world that is 472 00:28:17,600 --> 00:28:20,440 Speaker 2: living with you, is around you and yours every minute 473 00:28:20,440 --> 00:28:23,320 Speaker 2: of the day, and you don't know anything's going on. 474 00:28:24,480 --> 00:28:26,560 Speaker 2: How is that possible? Now, I'm not blaming the mother. 475 00:28:26,680 --> 00:28:29,240 Speaker 2: I'm questioning the mother, that's all. And I don't think 476 00:28:29,320 --> 00:28:31,600 Speaker 2: that's an I don't think that's a bad thing to do, 477 00:28:31,720 --> 00:28:34,840 Speaker 2: because this thirteen year old girl is dead. Joe, I 478 00:28:34,920 --> 00:28:37,800 Speaker 2: didn't do it. You didn't do it. Somebody who knew 479 00:28:37,840 --> 00:28:40,520 Speaker 2: that girl since before all of her teeth came out. 480 00:28:40,560 --> 00:28:43,800 Speaker 2: As you mentioned, I have a grandson that's eight, Joe, 481 00:28:44,360 --> 00:28:47,600 Speaker 2: and I know the children he's around. I know because 482 00:28:47,600 --> 00:28:50,040 Speaker 2: of the friends you know I and it breaks my 483 00:28:50,160 --> 00:28:52,760 Speaker 2: heart to think that nobody was watching out for her 484 00:28:52,800 --> 00:28:56,720 Speaker 2: from that age until she's thirteen, where she's writing, I'd 485 00:28:56,800 --> 00:29:01,600 Speaker 2: rather be in the woods. I'm not here. I'm just saying, 486 00:29:01,680 --> 00:29:03,680 Speaker 2: do you have somebody in your life that is around 487 00:29:03,720 --> 00:29:06,200 Speaker 2: your child that you don't that's been around them for 488 00:29:06,320 --> 00:29:07,760 Speaker 2: years and you don't know this? 489 00:29:08,040 --> 00:29:09,120 Speaker 1: How do you? Well? 490 00:29:09,600 --> 00:29:13,720 Speaker 2: Before I lose my crap here, this guy had so 491 00:29:13,920 --> 00:29:22,480 Speaker 2: many pieces of inappropriate child pornography on his cell phone 492 00:29:23,400 --> 00:29:26,920 Speaker 2: that I have to wonder, Joe Scott Morgan, how is 493 00:29:26,920 --> 00:29:28,800 Speaker 2: it possible somebody can have that on their phone and 494 00:29:28,840 --> 00:29:31,440 Speaker 2: you wouldn't know that doesn't I mean, how do they 495 00:29:31,800 --> 00:29:34,080 Speaker 2: What are they doing in their world that they can 496 00:29:34,120 --> 00:29:37,000 Speaker 2: have Are they that crazy? They can have this whole 497 00:29:37,040 --> 00:29:38,640 Speaker 2: thing going on over here in the eye it from you. 498 00:29:38,640 --> 00:29:39,320 Speaker 2: You don't see it? 499 00:29:40,000 --> 00:29:42,320 Speaker 1: Yeah, I don't. I don't understand that either, that you 500 00:29:42,360 --> 00:29:45,200 Speaker 1: could be so numb and lack such self awareness that 501 00:29:45,280 --> 00:29:47,600 Speaker 1: you don't know that this is that this is going on. 502 00:29:47,680 --> 00:29:51,680 Speaker 1: And there have been when it comes to Stephen Stearns, 503 00:29:52,240 --> 00:29:55,720 Speaker 1: there have been sixty new charges now to this point 504 00:29:55,760 --> 00:29:57,720 Speaker 1: at the time of of this recording. 505 00:29:57,760 --> 00:29:59,440 Speaker 2: I got to ask you about these, Joe, because of 506 00:29:59,480 --> 00:30:01,840 Speaker 2: the number, because I don't understand the charges. I mean, 507 00:30:01,880 --> 00:30:04,080 Speaker 2: I understand them, but I don't know what they actually mean, 508 00:30:04,480 --> 00:30:07,760 Speaker 2: and I know you do. So let me start off 509 00:30:07,800 --> 00:30:12,120 Speaker 2: with one thing, and it goes back to when police 510 00:30:12,160 --> 00:30:16,160 Speaker 2: saw what they said was Madeline in the car with 511 00:30:16,200 --> 00:30:18,600 Speaker 2: Stephen Stearns. I want to get this timeline square away, 512 00:30:18,680 --> 00:30:21,239 Speaker 2: so you know where she was when they found her. 513 00:30:21,280 --> 00:30:24,000 Speaker 2: You mentioned that we don't know that much about it. Well, 514 00:30:24,000 --> 00:30:29,160 Speaker 2: we do know that the morning that they saw Stephen 515 00:30:29,200 --> 00:30:31,960 Speaker 2: Sterns getting rid of her backpack and her laptop in 516 00:30:32,000 --> 00:30:36,120 Speaker 2: the dumpster behind their apartment complex, that he came back 517 00:30:37,120 --> 00:30:40,720 Speaker 2: to the apartment complex and was leaving again around eight 518 00:30:40,840 --> 00:30:46,400 Speaker 2: nineteen that morning he was. That's where they saw Madeline 519 00:30:47,440 --> 00:30:50,719 Speaker 2: in the car, in the vehicle with Stearns, and they 520 00:30:50,720 --> 00:30:54,120 Speaker 2: believe she was already dead at that point. Now near 521 00:30:54,160 --> 00:30:57,840 Speaker 2: where her body was found. It was out in this 522 00:30:58,040 --> 00:31:01,040 Speaker 2: area off of Old Hickory Tree Road, in a very 523 00:31:01,160 --> 00:31:07,400 Speaker 2: rural part of Astola Oceola, Ostiola County. Now, she was 524 00:31:07,400 --> 00:31:12,320 Speaker 2: found in this area where Stephen Stearns was seen for 525 00:31:12,360 --> 00:31:14,040 Speaker 2: about an hour and a half changing the tire on 526 00:31:14,080 --> 00:31:19,200 Speaker 2: a vehicle. So what they're trying to and she was 527 00:31:19,240 --> 00:31:22,600 Speaker 2: found in the clothing she was described as wearing that morning, 528 00:31:22,840 --> 00:31:27,160 Speaker 2: we do know that much. So they saw her what 529 00:31:27,280 --> 00:31:29,000 Speaker 2: they believed to be dead in the back of the 530 00:31:29,080 --> 00:31:30,360 Speaker 2: in the car, I don't know if it was back 531 00:31:30,440 --> 00:31:32,000 Speaker 2: or front, but in the car with him at eight 532 00:31:32,120 --> 00:31:35,120 Speaker 2: nineteen that morning and then out in this rural area. 533 00:31:35,200 --> 00:31:37,640 Speaker 2: He was based on his cell phone and other information 534 00:31:37,720 --> 00:31:40,200 Speaker 2: eyewitness accounts of the car being there for an hour 535 00:31:40,240 --> 00:31:44,240 Speaker 2: and a half, and she was found near that area 536 00:31:44,280 --> 00:31:47,640 Speaker 2: where he was allegedly changing the tire on the car. 537 00:31:51,080 --> 00:31:53,760 Speaker 2: We don't know what. We don't know everything that he 538 00:31:53,800 --> 00:31:55,400 Speaker 2: did to her in life. We don't know everything he 539 00:31:55,400 --> 00:31:57,320 Speaker 2: did to her in death. But that does kind of 540 00:31:57,360 --> 00:31:59,640 Speaker 2: set the stage for you of what he did to 541 00:31:59,640 --> 00:32:02,400 Speaker 2: get rid of her body. He wasn't thinking things through 542 00:32:02,440 --> 00:32:04,840 Speaker 2: when he threw the bag in the back and the dumpster. 543 00:32:05,400 --> 00:32:08,200 Speaker 1: No, he wasn't. And I wonder, I wonder relative to 544 00:32:08,280 --> 00:32:12,480 Speaker 1: the changing of the tire if that was if that 545 00:32:12,680 --> 00:32:15,080 Speaker 1: was planned, you know, to give. 546 00:32:15,360 --> 00:32:17,840 Speaker 2: Was that a stage saying. 547 00:32:17,480 --> 00:32:20,520 Speaker 1: Yeah, so that you can kind of alibi yourself relative 548 00:32:20,520 --> 00:32:23,240 Speaker 1: to that you're moving about. People see you take a 549 00:32:23,320 --> 00:32:28,040 Speaker 1: tire out, they might mistake that if you're removing the 550 00:32:28,080 --> 00:32:31,000 Speaker 1: remains of a thirteen year old child and you're walking 551 00:32:31,040 --> 00:32:33,040 Speaker 1: them off the road. But yet you come back and you're, 552 00:32:33,200 --> 00:32:36,800 Speaker 1: you know, you're still feigning changing your tire. I don't know, 553 00:32:36,840 --> 00:32:39,520 Speaker 1: maybe his tire was flat, but we do know that 554 00:32:39,560 --> 00:32:42,200 Speaker 1: her remains were found, you know, close out there. I 555 00:32:42,240 --> 00:32:46,320 Speaker 1: think one of the sidebars on this whole thing that 556 00:32:46,720 --> 00:32:50,640 Speaker 1: was unfortunate was that the sheriff had actually sent out 557 00:32:50,640 --> 00:32:55,240 Speaker 1: on social media an image that was apparently intended to 558 00:32:55,320 --> 00:32:58,120 Speaker 1: be something that had something to do with the retire 559 00:32:58,280 --> 00:33:01,840 Speaker 1: community in that in in his jurisdiction, but unfortunately it 560 00:33:01,880 --> 00:33:05,320 Speaker 1: was actually an image of Madeline's body at the scene. 561 00:33:05,520 --> 00:33:10,760 Speaker 1: And I know that there's tremendous regret over that. And again, 562 00:33:10,960 --> 00:33:13,000 Speaker 1: you know, with phones, you never know you know what 563 00:33:13,040 --> 00:33:14,920 Speaker 1: you're going to be sending out or what you know, 564 00:33:14,960 --> 00:33:16,320 Speaker 1: what folks are going to be exposed to. 565 00:33:18,000 --> 00:33:21,720 Speaker 2: Said a great day with smiley emoji. 566 00:33:22,200 --> 00:33:25,160 Speaker 1: Yeah, and you know, and that's that's certainly a tragedy. 567 00:33:25,200 --> 00:33:27,680 Speaker 2: And no it's not. 568 00:33:27,920 --> 00:33:30,560 Speaker 1: I mean I don't think that that's the case. But unfortunately, 569 00:33:30,560 --> 00:33:34,480 Speaker 1: this child who has just you know, I mean, look, 570 00:33:34,680 --> 00:33:39,960 Speaker 1: it's it is, it's just kind of the exclamation point 571 00:33:40,040 --> 00:33:42,760 Speaker 1: on all of this. And and I think that from 572 00:33:42,760 --> 00:33:46,360 Speaker 1: the perspective of she this child is going to be 573 00:33:46,560 --> 00:33:52,800 Speaker 1: when this does go to trial, that jury that's impaneled 574 00:33:53,040 --> 00:33:56,840 Speaker 1: in this case, uh, they're going to be exposed to 575 00:33:57,200 --> 00:34:01,200 Speaker 1: all of this, these horrible images that are there. And 576 00:34:01,840 --> 00:34:05,200 Speaker 1: you know there's sixty charges right, have been filing. 577 00:34:05,400 --> 00:34:08,560 Speaker 2: What does it mean when of those sixty charges there's 578 00:34:08,640 --> 00:34:10,920 Speaker 2: eight counts of sexual battery of a child in her 579 00:34:10,960 --> 00:34:13,080 Speaker 2: twelve What does that tell you, Joe. 580 00:34:13,080 --> 00:34:17,279 Speaker 1: Well, it tells me that you know, she's she's thirteen, right, 581 00:34:17,440 --> 00:34:24,680 Speaker 1: I mean, yeah, we did the calculus on that that 582 00:34:24,800 --> 00:34:27,400 Speaker 1: they had that this was going. Yeah, you know, when 583 00:34:27,440 --> 00:34:29,840 Speaker 1: we go back to that date that solid date that 584 00:34:29,960 --> 00:34:34,239 Speaker 1: benchmark and TOM that they discovered on him. There's some 585 00:34:34,320 --> 00:34:36,160 Speaker 1: kind of tom stamping there that goes all the way 586 00:34:36,200 --> 00:34:40,160 Speaker 1: back to twenty nineteen, Dave that this abuse has been happening. 587 00:34:40,280 --> 00:34:44,200 Speaker 1: They can document this, and this is key here. They 588 00:34:44,200 --> 00:34:47,480 Speaker 1: can document this all through this time. And one more 589 00:34:47,520 --> 00:34:50,359 Speaker 1: thing I think that I'd like to address here that 590 00:34:51,840 --> 00:34:53,919 Speaker 1: and I don't want to go too far field into 591 00:34:53,960 --> 00:34:56,520 Speaker 1: forensic psychology where people you know, like you know, my 592 00:34:56,560 --> 00:34:59,960 Speaker 1: friends like Karen Stark, you know, kind of they they're 593 00:35:00,080 --> 00:35:03,839 Speaker 1: in that world of forensic psychology. But I do know this, 594 00:35:04,200 --> 00:35:11,640 Speaker 1: with sexual predators and child sexual predators, they will actually 595 00:35:11,760 --> 00:35:14,840 Speaker 1: they have time brackets that they work in our age brackets. 596 00:35:15,120 --> 00:35:20,320 Speaker 1: Age brackets is the appropriate term where when a child 597 00:35:20,520 --> 00:35:26,280 Speaker 1: ages out, they have no more utility for the abuser, 598 00:35:26,440 --> 00:35:29,840 Speaker 1: they begin to look for somebody else that fits within 599 00:35:29,880 --> 00:35:33,080 Speaker 1: that bracket. And this has been demonstrated several times over 600 00:35:33,200 --> 00:35:36,360 Speaker 1: through in cases all over the country over the years. 601 00:35:36,880 --> 00:35:40,040 Speaker 1: And the tragedy of this she's you know, we're saying 602 00:35:40,040 --> 00:35:43,000 Speaker 1: that she's fully clothed, she's actually in the clothing of 603 00:35:43,040 --> 00:35:48,560 Speaker 1: the day. If and when they charge him with homicide 604 00:35:49,160 --> 00:35:56,240 Speaker 1: in Madeline's murder, I'm wondering if, if there's not necessarily 605 00:35:56,280 --> 00:35:59,120 Speaker 1: going to be any kind of disruption or clothing, if 606 00:35:59,120 --> 00:36:05,080 Speaker 1: he made this this decision at this moment time allegedly 607 00:36:05,640 --> 00:36:09,160 Speaker 1: to take her life, if it was just like okay, 608 00:36:09,160 --> 00:36:12,320 Speaker 1: he purposed that morning to end her life and place 609 00:36:12,360 --> 00:36:15,920 Speaker 1: her body out there she had just aged out. Or 610 00:36:16,840 --> 00:36:19,520 Speaker 1: is it going to be where we see some kind 611 00:36:19,560 --> 00:36:21,759 Speaker 1: of trauma on her where he's beaten her to the 612 00:36:21,800 --> 00:36:25,120 Speaker 1: point because she threatened. Perhaps she said I'm not going 613 00:36:25,160 --> 00:36:27,080 Speaker 1: to live like this. Remember what she said? And I 614 00:36:27,080 --> 00:36:29,239 Speaker 1: think that this is very important what you alluded to 615 00:36:29,320 --> 00:36:31,640 Speaker 1: early on. She said she didn't want to She didn't 616 00:36:31,640 --> 00:36:34,279 Speaker 1: want to in twell this world anymore. She wanted to 617 00:36:34,320 --> 00:36:36,960 Speaker 1: live out in the woods. Well, maybe she had expressed 618 00:36:36,960 --> 00:36:39,560 Speaker 1: that to him at that point in time. And look, 619 00:36:39,600 --> 00:36:43,360 Speaker 1: he's got everything to lose here, because he's going to 620 00:36:43,400 --> 00:36:46,640 Speaker 1: go in for as old timers, you say you're going 621 00:36:46,680 --> 00:36:49,880 Speaker 1: in all day, pal, you know you're going in forever 622 00:36:49,920 --> 00:36:52,160 Speaker 1: and ever. Amen, you're not going to see the light 623 00:36:52,200 --> 00:36:52,840 Speaker 1: of day again. 624 00:36:53,080 --> 00:36:55,120 Speaker 2: There was another thing on here, too, Joe. Okay, we 625 00:36:55,160 --> 00:36:57,040 Speaker 2: had the eight counts of sexual battery of a child 626 00:36:57,160 --> 00:36:59,960 Speaker 2: under twelve, Well we have five counts of sexual battery 627 00:37:00,120 --> 00:37:06,320 Speaker 2: with a child between twelve and eighteen. Would that basically 628 00:37:06,360 --> 00:37:11,200 Speaker 2: incorporate the time because they have video evidence on his phone? 629 00:37:11,280 --> 00:37:15,400 Speaker 1: Okay, yeah, and it's not just photographic, it's video evidence. 630 00:37:15,440 --> 00:37:20,400 Speaker 1: So you've got apparently there's evidence of this going on, 631 00:37:20,480 --> 00:37:23,359 Speaker 1: and I refuse, I'm not going down this road. I'm 632 00:37:23,360 --> 00:37:27,840 Speaker 1: not going to get so deep into this, particularly given 633 00:37:29,360 --> 00:37:31,719 Speaker 1: what we know at this point. If people want to 634 00:37:31,719 --> 00:37:35,600 Speaker 1: read the affidavit, you know, you can find it. It's there, 635 00:37:36,760 --> 00:37:39,319 Speaker 1: but it implies and what we're talking about here, and 636 00:37:39,360 --> 00:37:41,600 Speaker 1: the reason this is important is that there are breaks 637 00:37:41,600 --> 00:37:44,279 Speaker 1: in time here. It's not breaks, it's more like these 638 00:37:44,360 --> 00:37:47,919 Speaker 1: benchmarks in time, and that's why this case is so strong. Dave, 639 00:37:48,680 --> 00:37:51,160 Speaker 1: the electronic evidence, and of course what we're going to find, 640 00:37:51,239 --> 00:37:55,759 Speaker 1: I think probably physically that she had gone through. There 641 00:37:55,800 --> 00:37:58,480 Speaker 1: will be evidence of abuse. Oh yeah, this is a 642 00:37:58,520 --> 00:38:01,000 Speaker 1: young girl, this is a grown man, and there will 643 00:38:01,000 --> 00:38:04,080 Speaker 1: be evidence of abuse that has gone on forever and ever. 644 00:38:04,600 --> 00:38:09,200 Speaker 1: And I would imagine that many times with children that 645 00:38:09,239 --> 00:38:13,520 Speaker 1: have been sexually abused, they will act out in inappropriate 646 00:38:13,560 --> 00:38:17,920 Speaker 1: manners many times. And when they go back to interview 647 00:38:17,960 --> 00:38:22,360 Speaker 1: people that were peripheral to her say in school, like teachers, 648 00:38:22,960 --> 00:38:26,560 Speaker 1: perhaps hopefully a counselor if they took time to spend 649 00:38:26,600 --> 00:38:31,719 Speaker 1: time with Madeline, maybe she demonstrated something in the classroom 650 00:38:32,040 --> 00:38:36,920 Speaker 1: or in social situations that seemed odd. And if you 651 00:38:37,120 --> 00:38:40,080 Speaker 1: have someone that is a forensic psychologist that can go 652 00:38:40,200 --> 00:38:42,759 Speaker 1: back and look at this and say, they can say, well, 653 00:38:42,760 --> 00:38:46,480 Speaker 1: she fits a pattern. Here, she fits a pattern, and 654 00:38:46,719 --> 00:38:49,040 Speaker 1: we can kind of identify this, and that would in 655 00:38:49,080 --> 00:38:51,920 Speaker 1: fact be addressed in court. I got to tell Stearns 656 00:38:52,000 --> 00:38:55,200 Speaker 1: is looking at a real uphill battle as they try 657 00:38:55,239 --> 00:38:57,440 Speaker 1: to move forward with this case. But I do know 658 00:38:57,520 --> 00:39:05,880 Speaker 1: this right now, somewhere out there there are other children 659 00:39:07,440 --> 00:39:15,200 Speaker 1: like Madeline. It's incumbent upon us to be aware of 660 00:39:15,239 --> 00:39:18,560 Speaker 1: that this is going on. It goes on every day, 661 00:39:19,800 --> 00:39:24,800 Speaker 1: and unfortunately we have a light that has dimmed and 662 00:39:24,840 --> 00:39:27,400 Speaker 1: it's now been snuffed out. The only thing that we 663 00:39:27,480 --> 00:39:30,680 Speaker 1: can hope for is that there will be an ultimate 664 00:39:30,760 --> 00:39:36,760 Speaker 1: price to be paid for these crimes. I'm Joseph Scott 665 00:39:36,800 --> 00:39:39,680 Speaker 1: Morgan and this is body