Madeline Soto didn’t make it to Hunter’s Creek Middle School on Monday near Orlando, police said.
The 13-year-old girl’s bookbag and laptop were in a trash bin at the apartment complex where she lived in Kissimmee, according to detectives.
Kissimmee police officers worked with Orange County Sheriff’s Office detectives, Osceola County Sheriff’s Office deputies, and Saint Cloud police officers to solve the mystery.
On Wednesday, they arrested their suspect, Stephan Sterns, who was dating Madeline’s mother and later reported finding evidence on his phone that he had sexually abused the girl at her home.
On Friday afternoon, detectives found her remains in the woods of Osceola County. There was a news conference and a community vigil on Friday night.
Orange County deputies transferred Sterns, 37, to the Osceola County jail to face charges for the girl’s murder, a Local 10 News partner reported.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement was also involved in the search.
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