The truth is out there, and it's a lot darker than you think. You're listening to Hidden Killers with Tony Brucey.

It was a quiet February morning in Kissimmee, Florida, when the first whispers of something terribly wrong began to stir.

13-year-old Madeline Soto did it make it to school that day? Her mother, Jennifer Soto, thought she was just running late,

but as the hours dragged on, it became clear that something far more sinister was unfolding.

Madeline wasn't just late. She was missing.

Her mother's boyfriend, Stefan Stearns, was the last person to see her alive.

He claimed to have dropped her off near school that morning,

but as investigators would later discover, that was only the beginning of the lies. By the time

February 26th, 2024 turned into night, the hope that Madeline would be found safe was fading. Days

later, on March 1st, her body was found in a wooded area, not far from the family's apartment.

She had been strangled, and the gruesome truth behind her disappearance began to emerge.

Now, almost a year later, the man accused of ending her young life is set to stand trial.

Not once, but twice.

Stefan Stearns, a man once trusted by Madeline's mother, now faces charges of sexual battery, child pornography, and murder.

It's a case that has sent shockwaves through the community, with many asking how something so horrific could have gone unnoticed for so long. On Monday, a judge

scheduled two trials for Stearns in 2025. The first set for February will address the disturbing

charges of sexual battery and possession of child pornography. The second in September will

focus on the most harrowing charge of all.

Murder.

Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for Sterns if he is found guilty of taking Madeline's

life.

To understand how it all came to this, we must rewind to the beginning.

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