Madeline was reported missing by her mother on February 26th after she failed to attend school. Her body was found in a wooded area four days later. The medical examiner determined the cause of death to be strangulation. Sterns, Madeline's mother's boyfriend, was the last person to see Madeline before she disappeared. He was supposed to drop her off at school but never did, despite video evidence showing him returning to the apartment complex with Madeline in the car. Detectives believed Madeline was already dead at this time. During an interview, Sterns claimed to have accidentally performed a factory reset on his phone on the day Madeline went missing. He also drove to his parents' house in North Port, which detectives suspected was an attempt to hide evidence. A review of his phone revealed disturbing images and evidence of attempted deletion. Detectives also discovered that Sterns had allegedly been sa* Madeline since she was 11 years old. Madeline's mother, Jennifer Soto, admitted to allowing Sterns and Madeline to sleep in the same bed the night before her death. She stated that she was uncomfortable with this arrangement but did so for her own convenience. She also described Sterns as a liar and manipulator. Upon learning the investigation was shifting from a missing person case to a homicide, Jennifer admitted to believing Sterns was guilty. Sterns was charged with first-degree murder, sa*, and possession of child sa* material. He faces life in prison or the death penalty if found guilty of the most serious charges. His next court date is scheduled for October 14th. By the hard work of the absolute best in the business, Grizzly True Crime, a FOIA request was granted releasing the audio. We're going to go through the audio together and share our thoughts.