The boyfriend of Madeline Solo's mother was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of the 13-year-old.
On Monday, July 21, Stephan Sterns had agreed to a plea deal, taking the death penalty off the table; however, he was sentenced to life without parole for the first-degree murder of Madeline and an additional life sentence for 20 sex offences.
The teen was reported missing in February 2024 and was found dead days later.
Previously, the Florida man had pleaded not guilty to raping and murdering Madeline, who was the daughter of his former girlfriend, Jenn Soto.
Authorities have noted that Stephan sexually molested and strangled the teen before dumping her body in a wooded area.
Madeline was reported missing on February 26, 2024, a day after her 13th birthday, when she did not show up to Hunter's Creek Middle School.
While searching for the girl, investigators said they uncovered disturbing images on the boyfriend's phone and Google Drive that showed him raping the teen.
Madeline's body was eventually found amongst the trees near Hickory Tree Road in Osceola County on March 1.
On March 4, another arrest warrant was issued for Stephan, alleging he had been abusing Madeline since 2022, when she was just 11 years old.
The plea agreement allowed Stephan to avoid a potential death sentence, as the prosecutors had plans to seek the death penalty during his murder trial, scheduled for later this year.
