In the footage, deputies covered part of the video to obscure the image, but it appears to show someone—initially thought to be Madeline Soto—sitting on the church property for about 10 minutes. Due to the blurry quality, it was unclear if the person was indeed Madeline.
The video includes initial interviews with Jenn Soto, the mother of Madeline Soto, and Stephan Sterns, her boyfriend, who would later be identified as the primary suspect in the 13-year-old’s death. There are 7 videos that were released in parts, and they have all been ‘stitched’ in order below.
The bodycam footage starts with a deputy meeting Jenn Soto and Sterns. Jenn Soto explains that she had gone to pick up her daughter from Hunter’s Creek Middle School, but Madeline never emerged. Jenn further tells the deputies that Madeline had left her phone at home and had requested to be dropped off down the road from school.
Another body-camera video shows deputies actively searching for Madeline Soto, while Sterns describes where he claimed to have dropped her off that morning. Another portion of the video released by the sheriff’s office shows detectives reviewing surveillance footage from a nearby church, where Sterns had said he dropped off Madeline.
The final video from the sheriff’s office features a deputy talking with church staff before updating Jenn Soto about the investigation, informing her that investigators would be reaching out to other local individuals who might have additional surveillance footage to aid in the case.
