Madeline Soto's Autopsy Reveals Her Official Cause of Death
"I immediately was able to identify her by a specific mole she had on her cheek."
Published Aug. 27 2024, 6:38 p.m. ET
On Sunday, Feb. 25, 2024, Madeline Soto celebrated her thirteenth birthday by way of a small party at her home in Orange County, Fla. Her mother, Jennifer Soto, would later tell Fox 35 that Madeline was happy that day. "She showed us all her gifts," said Madeline's mother. "She's just a happy girl, and she showed it on Sunday. When she went to bed, she was so happy."
The following morning, Jennifer's boyfriend Stephan Sterns dropped Madeline off at school but let her out at a church up the street, claiming this was because the teenager was embarrassed about Sterns's car. Madeline never made it to school and they in turn never informed her mother that she didn't show up. Four days later Madeline's body would be found, and Sterns would soon be indicted for first-degree murder. Madeline Soto's autopsy revealed a tragic cause of death. Here's what we know.
Madeline Soto's autopsy is difficult to read.
New documents obtained by Fox 35 include a summary of the medical examiner's report on Madeline's body. The cause of death is listed as strangulation with the medical examiner expressing "concern over the hyoid bone in Madeline's neck." Per the National Institute of Health, "The hyoid bone (hyoid) is a small U-shaped (horseshoe-shaped) solitary bone situated in the midline of the neck anteriorly at the base of the mandible and posteriorly at the fourth cervical vertebra." Madeline's was "not intact."
Madeline's body was found in a secure fenced in area, near a spot where one witness said they saw Sterns by his car with a tire iron in hand. This was around 1:20 p.m. the day Madeline disappeared. The witness described Sterns as looking frightened, but attributed it to what appeared to be car trouble. The teenager was found dressed in clothes she was wearing when she was last seen. Her sock were white, suggesting she was carried to the place where her body was dumped.
The only thing covering her body was a bit of grass and hay. "When Madeline was removed from underneath the dry grass and hay, I immediately was able to identify her by a specific mole she had on her cheek," wrote the medical examiner investigator in the report. "Madeline showed signs of decomposition to one side of her face and hands." Police believe Sterns had to hoist her body over the fence in order to drag it where it was eventually abandoned.
