Inside the Police Interview: How a Driver Blamed a Fatal Nightmare on a Missed Medication.
Content warning. This video is about a sensitive topic involving loss of life. We’ve removed any graphic content to comply with YouTube’s guidelines. We aim to provide informative factual journalism on a tragic event in the public interest that does not dismiss its seriousness. All clips are used under the doctrine of fair use for news reporting and analysis.
CMI, Florida is located in Oyola County, a city that is known for the charm of its historic downtown and the vibrant pull of nearby theme parks. For locals, it’s a place of community and history. For visitors, it brings the joy and enchantment of Disney’s magic and imagination. Growing up in this city, young Maline Sodto had both worlds around her.
The simple familiarity of home and the wonder of a place that drew millions of children and families from across the globe. Maline Sophia Sodto was born on February 22nd, 2011 to Jennifer Sodto and Tyler Wallace, who later separated. From the beginning, she was a bright and curious child with blonde hair, blue eyes, and a beautiful smile.
Her father, Tyler, described her in the simplest but most heartfelt way. She was happiness. She was a joy to be around. She was quirky and intelligent. She was curious. Her parents’ separation meant her biological father was not always present in her life as he wished to be. But his love for her never wavered. Despite the difficulties with her mother, Tyler made it clear that Meline’s happiness was his priority.
In public, he shared his hopes that when she was old enough, she might choose to live with him. Not by pressure, of course, but by her own free will. Meline also found warmth and acceptance in her stepmother, Tatiana Wallace, who treated her not as a stepchild, but as her own. Sadly, the same closeness did not exist in her relationship with her biological mother.
At age 13, Maline was a student at Hunter Creek Middle School in Orlando, Florida. She lived in an apartment with her mother, some roommates, and her mother’s boyfriend, Stefan Sterns. Filled with curiosity and creativity, she loved music, dancing, art, drawing, and journaling. On the morning of February 2nd, 2024, around 8:30 a.m.
, Stefan reportedly dropped Meline off near Hunter Creek Middle School. It’s interesting to note that according to Stefan’s statement, he didn’t actually leave her at the school. Instead, he claimed to have let her out a few blocks away near a church, allegedly because the 13-year-old was embarrassed by his car, which was a silver Lincoln MKZ.
Later that afternoon, around 4:30 p.m., Jennifer went to the school to pick up her daughter, only to learn that Meline had never shown up. By evening, when a missing person’s report was filed at the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, Stephan and Jennifer told deputies that they had gone together that morning.
According to the couple, Meline was wearing a green hoodie, white Crocs, and possibly black shorts when Stefan last saw her. However, upon later investigation, the couple admitted that Stefan had been alone when he drove Meline to school that day. In reality, Jennifer never saw her daughter. She remembered waking briefly when Stephan took the dogs outside, but then went back to sleep.
And here’s the part that makes her actions even harder to excuse. Jennifer actually received an email from the school notifying her that Meline had been marked absent. Instead of panicking or rushing to figure out what had happened, she texted her daughter’s teacher, Brett Banini, only to learn that Meline hadn’t been in any of her classes.
Her entire attendance sheet showed she never made it to school. Furthermore, Meline’s phone was found left at home, and although she had a history of running away at times, leaving her phone behind was quite unusual. Yet, when Stephan casually mentioned later that day that he had reset his phone while trying to update it, Jennifer still didn’t flinch.
Instead of connecting the dots, she brushed it off. What makes it worse is that when the heat turned towards Stefan, she didn’t protect her child, she protected him. Even with her daughter absent, school warning her, the teacher confirming she wasn’t there, and Meline’s phone left behind. Stephan erasing his own phone.
Jennifer stood on Stefan’s side and whether you feel like it was intentional or not, she completely overlooked the obvious. Jennifer Sodto, by all accounts, had some mental health issues. Multiple reports suggest she was prescribed several psychiatric medications. In fact, she herself admitted to federal officials in later interviews about her bipolar disorder, which is a significant condition, but by no means untreatable.
Occasionally, she’d also face side effects of these medications, including episodes of deep depression, unusual mood swings, or being completely knocked out at night. By no means does this justify a mother being oblivious to her child’s well-being. However, it is also deeply troubling how Jennifer repeatedly changed her statements, often contradicting herself.
For example, she initially claimed that she along with Stefan had dropped her daughter off at school, but later revised her story, saying that she had been sleeping that morning. Yet, while filing the report with the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, she accurately described what Meline was wearing before her disappearance.
When investigators pressed further, Jennifer’s account wavered. At first, she insisted she wanted to believe she had seen her daughter that morning. Later, she explained that Meline had chosen her outfit before going to sleep the night before, and that was how she knew what she had been wearing. Even that, however, is debatable given that the night of Sunday, February 25th, was Meline’s 13th birthday celebration.
Her mother couldn’t attend the party and arrived home late that night, already struggling, only to go to bed shortly afterward. Jennifer claimed that she couldn’t function properly that day and was feeling a wave of depression unlike anything she had experienced in years. The birthday party itself was held at a relative’s house due to her work commitments and her aunt later brought Meline home.
She reached the condominium around 1000 p.m. where Stefan was already present watching over Meline. She realized that she had forgotten to take her meds which likely caused her symptoms. Jennifer reportedly sent Stefan to sleep with her daughter alone in the guest room upstairs so that she could get a proper night’s rest. Tragically, that was the last time Jennifer ever saw her daughter alive.
Stefan’s involvement in this case is undeniable, and the full extent of his actions are far more horrifying than anyone could have imagined. This man, an obvious predator, had been assaulting Meline since 2022 when she was just 11 years old. In fact, investigators revealed that Stefan’s Google Drive contained approximately 1700 images depicting CSAM involving Meline.
In some of these images, she was even asleep. Furthermore, metadata from these files indicates that they date back to August of 2022. The yearslong trauma Meline endured was so severe they began to affect her daily life enough for classmates, tutors, and counselors to notice signs that something was wrong here.
Interviews with these individuals along with their reports were compiled in a nearly 900page document released to the state attorney’s office on Wednesday, June 13th, 2024. Friends and classmates described Meline as often anxious and withdrawn. She frequently relied on a companion to move around school, and sometimes she would arrive in tears, expressing sadness without explaining to anybody why.
One friend even shared that Meline complained about her mother. She called her bipolar and recounted that her mother had threatened to abandon Meline and kick her out of the house when she turned 18. This behavior wasn’t only noticed by her friends. Her teachers also witnessed concerning signs. Her science teacher noted that Meline frequently appeared exhausted, had trouble concentrating, and rarely turned in her assignments.
Another teacher observed that she grew increasingly irritable and carried a negative attitude in the weeks before her disappearance. These observations were especially pronounced when Stefan was around compared to when he wasn’t. Furthermore, her fizzed teacher shared that she rarely participated fully in class activities, often citing asthma and frequently needing to use her inhaler.
But remember, this is the same vibrant girl who loved things like singing and dancing and was described by her chorus teacher as very participatory. Her school counselor also reported that she struggled with anxiety and panic attacks. This was largely set off by tensions at home and her strained relationship with her mother. Counselor also noted that she appeared to be doing better whenever Stefan wasn’t present in the household.
But there’s something even more unsettling here. Despite everything, Meline never directly pointed a finger at Stefan. She would complain about her mother to friends, but she never mentioned him. Maybe, just maybe, her mother was forcing her silence. And yet, the evidence of Stefan’s violence is plain as day.
It’s no wonder Meline often tried to run away, even telling her friends she wanted to disappear into the woods and never come back. What makes this worse is that Meline’s friends, teachers, and her counselors, people who were supposed to be less connected to her than her own mother, could already see what was going on. If it was this obvious to outsiders, then how could her own mother, Jennifer Sodto, claim not to know.
In an interview with federal investigators on May 1st, Jennifer admitted she was raised in a household where she was constantly told never to trust men. as she put it, “My mom put that in my body. Never trust a man.” And yet, despite carrying that belief, Jennifer allowed Stefan into her life. In fact, records showed that she even had doubts about him at certain points, as she admitted in that same interview.
“I’ve always told him that my biggest fear was that this would turn into a Woody Allen situation where the stepfather, daughter, or the dad grooms the child, then turns 18 and ends up running away with him.” I thought that I could trust him, that he was safe, that he was a good guy, that he was taking care of my baby and loved her the way I loved her.
But I was wrong. In the same interview, Jennifer also admitted she was never comfortable with Meline and Stefan sleeping in the same room, but she still allowed it on certain occasions. She even stated how she could count on one hand the number of times that happened. But the 1,700 photos found on his drive along with the other data stored in his phone that he deleted tells a very different story.
It should be noted that Jennifer and Stefan weren’t exactly a couple. Their relationship was on and off and they officially broke up in June of 2023. Before that, the three of them, Jennifer, Meline, and Stefan, all shared the same master bedroom. After the breakup, however, Jennifer asked Stefan to move upstairs.
And while Jennifer publicly denied having any doubts about Stefan, it’s clear from her own words that part of her did. But even that isn’t the full story. An incident report from this interview was also written and released by the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. Jennifer Sodto continuously protected Stephan Sterns and was questioned about why she prioritizes Stephan Sterns over Meline.
Jennifer Sodto did not show the same level of emotion or care in regards to Meline’s ongoing victimization by Stephan Sterns as she did her disappearance. It appeared to me that she had already accepted that the victimization was happening and her emotion appeared fictitious. So, with the signs as clear as daylight and professionals outright saying that Jennifer had accepted what was occurring, it is reasonable to conclude that maybe she was fully aware of what was going on between her daughter and her boyfriend. and
potentially even complicit in allowing it to happen. And investigators didn’t take long to pick up on those same red flags. Just 2 days after Meline’s disappearance, detectives zeroed in on Stefan and arrested him as their prime suspect. One day before that, on February 27th, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office had already issued a public release asking for information about Meline’s whereabouts.
Around that same time, Stefan gave his first formal interview with police, where he claimed that he and Meline decided to leave early that morning to grab McDonald’s before school. According to Stefan, they had a good time, but by around 7:30 a.m. when they were at or near the McDonald’s, he claims Meline fell asleep in the car.
Says he woke her up, but she didn’t want food anymore, so he dropped her off a few blocks from the school. Throughout the conversation though, detectives began questioning parts of Stefan’s story that didn’t quite line up. And sure enough, Stefan did his narrative multiple times. The next day, a massive search was conducted by the sheriff’s office.
But sadly, there were no results. By now, signs were getting clear that it might not even be possible to find Meline alive. But still, police tried their best. They scoured the area where she was last seen, chased down tips, and followed every lead that came their way. Same day, detectives obtained Stefan’s consent to search his cell phone.
He may have thought he was playing it cool, but sure enough, damning evidence was found against him. In addition, deputies searched the family’s CMI home for more clues. Through what they uncovered, they became certain of one thing. Stefan had never dropped Meline off at school that morning. By this time, Stephan and Jennifer had checked into a hotel in Orange County where they stay with Stefan’s father.
According to Jennifer, Stefan was visibly panicked, especially with police now in possession of his phone and closing in fast. Later that night, reports state that Stefan quietly left the hotel and drove all the way down to Northport for unknown reasons, only to return by the following morning. Deputies noted that Stefan’s parents lived in Northport, but his mother later insisted she never saw him during the trip.
The reason behind this, however, was revealed days later on May 14th when Stefan made a phone call to his father, who asked why he had driven to Northport on February 28th. Stefan reportedly answered, “I wanted to grab a few things and get my ducks in a row, kind of prepare myself for whatever was coming, but I couldn’t find what I was looking for.
” When his father stated that he hopes to understand how the whole situation came about, Stefan responded defensively, claiming, “Well, I didn’t start it.” Even after being reminded that he had actively participated, Stefan’s only acknowledgment was a simple, “Yeah.” According to police, he never directly denied killing Meline during the conversation.
Investigators believe that during his Northport visit, Stefan likely used his parents’ Wi-Fi to access his Google account and delete visual evidence of essay he perpetrated. However, his efforts were in vain as police were able to recover the files. Soon, the police made their move from Stefan’s hard drive.
Investigators found lost files and images showing Stefan assaulting Meline. With that, deputies had what they needed and Stefan was placed under arrest. His initial charges at the time were sexual battery and possession of CSAM. Additionally, investigators discovered a photo on Stefan’s phone showing one of Jennifer’s roommates nude in the bathroom, a picture she later confirmed that was taken without her consent.
Same day, detectives also interviewed one of Stefan’s ex-girlfriends. She described their short relationship, explained how Stefan, even after breaking up with Jennifer, would often show up at Jennifer’s house to spend the night. His excuse was that Jennifer and Meline couldn’t sleep without him. Naturally, this raised red flags for his girlfriend and she ended up breaking things off with him.
By March 1st, a news conference was held where investigators were confident that Meline was already dead. Surveillance footage showed Stefan tossing Meline’s backpack and her schoolisssued laptop in a dumpster at the CMI apartment complex around 7:35 a.m. on February 26, the same day that she was reported missing.
Other footage showed Stefan driving around with what looked like a limp body in his car. Authorities believed that this was Meline, who is later confirmed to have been strangled to death, most likely at her home. So, what was quoted as a good time in a short trip to McDonald’s for an early breakfast was Stefan driving around with poor Meline’s body in his car. Additionally, at 4:30 p.m.
, Orange County deputies finally recovered Meline’s body from a wooded area off of Hickory Tree Road in Oyola County, tucked between two trees. This spot was hardly a 20inut drive from her home in CM. Right after this discovery, detectives sat down with Meline’s mother, Jennifer. We’ve already gone over that interview, but there’s one shocking truth from it that overshadows every other mind-boggling detail.
Jennifer violently broke into tears when police showed her proof that her daughter was being essayed in her own home. But when she was told about the possible death of her daughter, not a single tear fell. When detectives confronted her about this, Jennifer replied, “Cuz that was physical proof. That was proof of what was happening.
That destroyed me.” Until that, that picture of her asleep or not asleep in the car is not proof to me. Until I don’t see a body, I have hope that she’s still alive, but I don’t know cuz what you’re telling me, I’m starting to [ __ ] doubt everything. Another strange thing, while Meline was missing, Jennifer made no effort to look for her daughter.
According to her, the police had already checked the area she thought Meline could be. And besides the investigation itself, Jennifer didn’t seem to struggle much through all of it. On March 2nd, Stephan Sterns waved his first public appearance in Oyola County Court, choosing to be represented only by his attorney.
The judge denied him bond. Aside from this, the official Instagram account of Sheriff Marcos Lopez mistakenly posted a confidential crime scene photo that showed Meline’s remains and the exact clothes she was last seen wearing. Because of this, the state attorney’s office finded Sheriff Lopez with a noncriminal infraction carrying a fine of just only $500.
On March 6, newly released court records confirmed that Stefan had been violating Meline for years. Not long after, police spoke with an old acquaintance he had met while playing the game Warhammer 3 years earlier. A friend found it odd that Stephan and Jennifer were still calling themselves boyfriend and girlfriend after Meline’s disappearance since he believed they had already split up.
Additionally, the friend admitted that Stefan seemed more upset about losing the bond he had with Meline compared to his breakup with Jennifer. That same day, police also interviewed Stefan’s parents, who said that they had always disapproved of his relationship with Jennifer. According to his mother, the concern was because of drug use.
His father added that Jennifer was also taking medication for depression and anxiety, and he never believed that she was a good influence on his son. They explained how the two would spend most of their time just sleeping. Additionally, when either of them slipped into a mental health episode, instead of lifting the other up, they only pulled each other deeper down.
The next day, on March 7th, detectives interviewed Jennifer’s roommates to piece together what had happened that night. One of them recalled hearing noises coming from upstairs. Roommate explained that in the past, whenever Meline and Stephan were left alone together, Jennifer had reassured her that it was fine, that Stephan would never harm Meline.
Few days later on March 12th, the Orange Oyola State Attorney’s Office announced that 60 charges have been filed against Stefan, including eight counts of sexual battery on a child under 12, five counts of sexual battery with a child 12 to 18, seven counts of lewd and lascivious stationation, and 40 counts of unlawful possession of CSAM 10 or more images.
CMI Police Chief Betty Holland addressed the public, stating, “We appreciate the efforts of our partners in the state attorney’s office in assisting with seeking justice for Meline. With this being a complex case with many facets, our work is not done, and we are continuing our investigation into the timeline leading up to Meline’s death.
” A second news conference was held on March 21st. In the conference, Chief Holland described Meline’s case as highly intricate. She exclaimed that detectives were meticulously working to uncover the full timeline of events leading to her tragic death. Chief Holland also stated that everyone close to Meline is considered a suspect until proven otherwise.
The days that followed, Stefan’s father reached out to the Northport police to turn over several of his son’s belongings from his home and storage unit. Among the items were an old computer, a hard drive, and two USB drives. The hard drive appeared unused since 2020 and had no evidence on it, but one of the USB drives contained over 35,000 CSAM images.
Later on April 10th, Steven made a phone call to his father saying, “You know that I would have never wanted that for Meline. I am not sure really that any one person is specifically responsible. It’s probably a combination of factors that led to it. I have never felt anything like that before. It was horrible.
” His father said that he hoped that the truth would come out. And Stefan simply responded, “Well, yeah.” Even in that moment, he was trying to deflect the blame and position himself as just only one of the people responsible. On April 18th, the CMI police had arranged another interview with Jennifer and her attorney.
During the interview, investigators questioned Jennifer about the full timeline of events that unfolded when she returned home on the night of February 25th, 2025. A few days later on April 24th, Orange Oyola State Attorney Andrew Bane and CMI police held a news conference to announce that Stefan Sterns had been indicted by a grand jury on first-degree murder in connection with the death of Maline Sodto.
In the news conference, CMI Police Chief Betty Holland stated that the evidence shows an individual who was entrusted to keep Meline safe made calculated moves to dispose of Meline’s belongings and place her body in a wooded area before she was ever reported missing. On September 19th, detectives released further interviews conducted separately with Jennifer and Stefan.
When confronted about his lies, Stefan remained silent, eventually requesting an attorney. Jennifer, on the other hand, claimed she only realized Stefan was a predator on May 1st when she was shown the evidence. A detective pressed her, asking, “After you found out he was a predator, didn’t you say he needed a lawyer?” Jennifer responded coldly, “I did.
” Sometimes, in order to protect earlier lies, people lean on further lies or even bring up mental health issues. Stefan tried that as well when a detective asked him on a separate occasion, “Do you have problems with your memory that prevent you from recalling what you did?” Stefan replied, “Yes, I’m extremely ADHD. I’m sorry. Details start to get fuzzy after a while.
The times I’m giving you are my best guesses. I didn’t have my phone with me at the time, so I wasn’t aware of exactly what time it was.” But deception only deepened the mess and eventually the detectives tore apart the lies and brought the truth to light. By July of 2025, a plea hearing took place. To avoid the death penalty, Stefan entered a no contest plea for first-degree murder and admitted guilt to 20 essay related offenses that he had been charged with.
Judge Keith Karsten handed down a life sentence without the possibility of parole for the murder of Maline Sodto along with life sentences for the 20s essay related crimes including battery of a child. Several family members and friends including Meline’s father Tyler Wallace were present and spoke through tears as the court prepared to deliver the formal sentence.
Tyler shared that Maline Sodto was my daughter. Um she was happiness. She was a joy to be around. Uh she was quirky and intelligent. She was curious. Uh a little forgetful like me too. That happens sometimes. But I just loved her so much. And I was not able to be in her life as much as I would like to due to circumstances and choices I’d made, due to the way finances worked.
I was strained in my relationship with my daughter. And that was finally getting better. Uh the last time I saw her was in October of 2023 and she had come to visit for a few days. And when I took her back to the airport, I said, “You know, you’re turning 13 soon. When you turn 13, you have a choice of which guardian you’re interested in staying with.
Would you like to stay with me and Tati?” And she said, “Yes, she would.” And so I was this close to having my little girl, sir. Um because of the actions of this depraved man, I will never meet the woman she was becoming. And I can’t I can’t grasp it. I can’t grasp the selfishness of you, the deplorability of your actions.
You’re depraved. You’re weak. You’re a coward. You’re a sneak thief. You crept into a family and took advantage and exploited them when they were weak. It’s tore my family apart. It’s led to arguments about who can go where and and and and who can get what and who can help who. But we’re all on edge cuz it doesn’t heal with time.
Uh this isn’t like other deaths that I’ve experienced. This this just gets worse. It just gets worse every time I rethink about it. And the true horror of what this man visited upon her. and I can only hope that he lives a long time in prison and has those same horrors revisited upon him by his fellow inmates. Thank you. Surprisingly, Stefan also made a brief statement after the sentence was announced, stating, “I agree that it’s not fair that Meline is not here anymore.
I still have a hard time contemplating a world where she’s not around, a world which feels less vibrant and less colorful than it did before. I’ve prayed to God countless times to trade places with her to take me instead. And unfortunately, that’s just not how he works. I have nothing but sorrow for her loss, and I miss her all the time.
Her passing has torn me and my family apart as well, and she truly was a joy. I pray to God that she is in heaven and that he’s taking good care to her. And I hope she gets to join the choir because she had a beautiful voice. I will miss her all the time. I will never not honor her memory and I apologize for all the pain.
Jennifer Sodto, Meline’s mother, was notably absent from the plea hearing. She neither appeared in court nor submitted any statement regarding the sentencing. Her silence was definitely a contrast to the grief and outrage expressed by other family members. But given her history of defending the very person who essay and murdered her child, her absence came as little surprise to many.
And it should be noted that as of the date of this recording in August of 2025, Jennifer Sodto has never been charged. And according to sources, law enforcement do not feel at this time that she has done anything that warrants criminal charges. As for Meline, a community vigil was held at the site where her body was discovered on the very day it happened.
The event was organized by a group dedicated to seeking justice for her called Boots on the Ground for Maddie. Meline’s father, stepmother, and grandmother also attended the vigil in her honor. Tatiana Wallace, her stepmother, spoke to the gathering, saying, “My heart aches as I share with you the pain of losing a child to such a heinous act.
” Meline approached life with unwavering optimism and resilience. Her laughter echoed through our home, brightening even the darkest of days. I will miss brushing and braiding your beautiful long blonde hair. Tyler Wallace placed flowers at the site in memory of his daughter and read messages left by others.
As he did so, he broke into tears and excused himself from the audience. A year after Meline’s tragic passing, family members and community members gathered at Lakefront Park to honor her memory. A small wall of plush toys was left behind since little Meline loves stuffed toys. Terosina Niles Maline Steppon spoke to those gathered saying I urge you all to be the voice for those who cannot speak.
If you see something, say something. Time is fleeting and silence can be unforgiving. Just when I feared hope had vanished, your presence here proves otherwise.
