This is Hidden Killers with Tony Brewski.

Ever watch someone take the stand in their own suppression hearing?

It's kind of like watching someone jump into a shark-infested water without a cage.

Either incredibly brave or just plain reckless, depending on how you look at it.

That's exactly the gamble Stefan

Stearns made. Yes, Stefan Stearns, the person who was sexually assaulting Madeline Soto and who is

being charged with her murder. Yeah. They're trying to, you know, get him off on a technicality.

Of course they are.

What else are you going to do?

April 23rd, 2025 in a Florida courtroom, it was a gamble that could very well define whether or not he walks away or spends the rest of his life behind bars

or maybe six foot under.

Before we get to that high stakes moment, let's rewind just a bit to set the scene.

It's April 22nd.

A sunny Florida morning in Osceola County.

Sunshine is bright. Tulips are blooming. Inside the tension thick enough, you could

practically feel it pressing against her chest. Public defender, Melissa Vickers, stood up

facing Judge Keith Carston, clearly hoping to buy her client just a little more time.

Vickers laid out a request a desperate last-minute move to postpone a crucial hearing scheduled for the following day.

Her argument? Something about new confidential evidence.

Vague whispers, bombshell revelations she claimed could reshape the case entirely.

The thing is, she never actually put any specifics on the table. Yeah. And let me tell you,

the prosecutors were not amused. Imagine telling your boss, you can't deliver a report because

...