Stephan Sterns, charged with Madeline Soto’s murder, skips first court appearance
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Stephan Sterns, who has been charged with first-degree murder in the death and disappearance of Madeline Soto, was set to make his first appearance in court Thursday following the murder charge, court records showed.
Sterns, who was set to appear at 1 p.m. in front of Judge Tanya Davis Wilson in Osceola County, elected not to appear.
Sterns is also facing 60 charges related to child sex crimes and was set for a pretrial hearing on Wednesday. Sterns did not show for the hearing, and the pretrial hearing and jury trial were pushed back to July 10 and Aug. 19, respectively.
Sterns had previously waived his arraignment for those charges. He has an arraignment date for the charge of first-degree murder set for Monday, April 29.
Sterns faces life in prison or the death penalty if found guilty of either first degree murder or sexual battery of a child.
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