Stephan Sterns Jail House Calls – Call 6: Death Penalty Confirmed in Madeline Soto Murder – Family in Crisis
Hidden Killers With Tony Brueski | True Crime News & Commentary
True Crime Today
3.3 • 911 Ratings
🗓️ 6 April 2025
⏱️ 20 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
This call begins with a cold, clinical announcement from Stephan: “They’re seeking the death penalty.” His tone is serene, disturbingly so. His parents, though visibly shaken, try to stay calm — but you can hear the heartbreak crack through.
Stephan explains that his attorneys are assembling a team. His mother distracts herself by cooking ravioli. His father begins thinking through legal paperwork. But the shadow of death — and the death of Madeline Soto — looms over everything.
This conversation reveals a terrifying truth: this isn’t just a murder case. It’s a possible execution. And this family is trying to survive the unbearable weight of it.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | This is Hidden Killers with Tony Bruske. |
| 0:03.1 | Here now, Tony Bruske. |
| 0:06.1 | Welcome back as we continue to break down the jailhouse calls between Stefan Stearns and his parents. |
| 0:11.8 | Stefan is accused of being the murderer of Madeline Soto. |
| 0:18.7 | And also the abuser as well. |
| 0:21.0 | He's charged with child exploitation. |
| 0:25.0 | He's a monster for all intents and purposes. |
| 0:29.1 | In this call, we're going to hear something new. |
| 0:33.0 | The official news that prosecutors are seeking the death penalty. |
| 0:37.7 | The way Stefan relays this to his parents is, again, starting very startlingly calm. |
| 0:45.8 | He says he feels peaceful, serene. |
| 0:49.8 | His parents, on the other hand, are barely holding it together. |
| 0:52.4 | His mom starts cooking dinner midway through the conversation, not out of indifference, but because people in trauma often go |
| 0:58.7 | back to routine to keep from falling apart, and you can't blame them. It's not just a phone call |
| 1:04.7 | about charges. It's a phone call about the possibility of losing your son forever, not to prison, |
| 1:09.6 | but to death row. |
| 1:13.4 | And rightfully so in a case like this. |
| 1:17.9 | And yet they all tiptoe around the horror of it. |
| 1:23.1 | While you're listening, give me your thoughts and the comments on YouTube. |
| 1:31.2 | Be sure to press subscribe so you don't miss any of these calls and our coverage on this case let's take a listen |
| 1:44.5 | hey hey there this is a good time yeah i try to get the call the first time and it just disconnected us. |
| 1:45.7 | So, I don't know. |
... |
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