Stephan Sterns Jail House Calls – Call 9: “Were You Abused?” – Parents Search for Answers in Madeline Soto Case
Hidden Killers With Tony Brueski | True Crime News & Commentary
True Crime Today
3.3 • 907 Ratings
🗓️ 9 April 2025
⏱️ 19 minutes
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Summary
This is one of the most heartbreaking and revealing calls in the series. Stephan’s mother, choking back emotion, asks the question many parents fear but feel compelled to ask: “Were you ever abused?”
She’s searching. For answers. For blame. For something that explains how her son could be involved in something as devastating as the murder of Madeline Soto.
Stephan gives vague, unclear answers about early experiences, but nothing conclusive. This call dives into the psychology of trauma, and how families try to rewrite their history to survive the present.
#MadelineSoto #StephanSterns #JailhouseCalls #ChildhoodTrauma #ParentalGrief #TrueCrimeInvestigation #JusticeForMadeline #AbuseAndCrime
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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. |
| 0:06.4 | As we continue on, listening to the jailhouse phone calls between Stefan Stearns and his parents. |
| 0:13.8 | We've made it to this one. |
| 0:15.3 | Stefan, of course, charged in the murder of Madeline Soto and child exploitation for the very long stretch of abuse |
| 0:24.5 | that he was making young Madeline endure before she lost her life. |
| 0:32.1 | Just a day after her 13th birthday. |
| 0:35.9 | Call 9 returns to the themes of trauma and regrets. |
| 0:39.1 | Stefan talks about how he looks physically thin, dark circle, sunken eyes. |
| 0:46.0 | He sounds more self-aware than before, maybe even, are you getting remorseful? |
| 0:51.8 | I don't know. |
| 0:52.7 | Tell me. |
| 0:53.8 | His mother at one point asks a brutally |
| 0:55.9 | honest question, did anyone ever abuse you? It's a moment of heartbreaking clarity. She's |
| 1:03.1 | searching for an explanation, something, anything that would make this easier to understand. |
| 1:09.2 | And the implications of that question are enormous. |
| 1:13.6 | Tell me what your thoughts are in the comments as we take a listen. |
| 1:17.3 | You may be team. |
| 1:18.0 | I have, I got, hey, Stefan. |
| 1:23.3 | Hang on. |
| 1:25.4 | I don't, you called and the phone just flashed a call coming in and then it just hung her up. |
| 1:32.7 | Oh, weird. |
... |
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