In a press conference held on Friday afternoon, Orange County Sheriff John Mina provided an update on the case of the missing 13-year-old girl, Madeline Soto. Sheriff Mina stated that investigators now have a "confident" belief that Madeline Soto is no longer alive.

Madeline Soto had been missing since Monday, and investigators are still actively working to recover her body. Video evidence from that day revealed suspicious behavior by Stephan Sterns, the 37-year-old boyfriend of Madeline's mother. In the footage, Sterns was seen disposing of items in a dumpster at their Kissimmee apartment complex around 7:35 a.m. Notably, Madeline's backpack was later found in the same dumpster. At 8:19 a.m., Sterns was captured on camera returning to the complex with Madeline in his car. Investigators believe that Madeline was already deceased at that time.

Due to these distressing developments, the Kissimmee Police Department will be taking over the homicide investigation. Stephan Sterns was arrested on Wednesday evening on charges of sexual battery and possession of child sexual abuse material. During an interview, Sterns reportedly consented to a search of his phone but claimed to have accidentally performed a factory reset on the same day Madeline went missing, hindering the investigation.

Kissimmee police are leading the sexual battery case against Sterns, while Orange County deputies have identified him as the prime suspect in Madeline Soto's disappearance. Authorities believe that Sterns possesses crucial information about the case, but he has so far refused to cooperate and answer any questions about Madeline's disappearance.

On Friday morning, Sterns was transferred from Orange County jail to the Osceola County jail, where he will await further legal proceedings. The ongoing investigation aims to bring justice for Madeline Soto and provide closure for her grieving family.

As the investigation progresses, authorities will continue to search for additional evidence and strive to piece together the events leading to Madeline's untimely demise.