EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Debra & Chris Sterns Break Their Silence | Disturbing Case of Madeline Soto
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Previous Case Coverage:
Psychologist responds: Evidence in Madeline Soto Case | Live with Hidden True Crime
• Psychologist responds:...
BREAKING: Jennifer Soto's New Police Interview Audio and Immunity | Disturbing Case of Madeline Soto
• BREAKING: Jennifer Sot...
JENNIFER SOTO: Disturbing Photos of "Sleeping Arrangements" & Police Interviews | Madeline Soto Case
• JENNIFER SOTO: Disturb...
Stephan Sterns: SHOCKING Evidence & Police Interviews | The Disturbing Case of Madeline Soto
• Stephan Sterns: SHOCKI...
LIVE: Criminal psychologist unpacks newly released Madeline Soto body cam
• LIVE: Criminal psychol...
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BREAKING: Debra and Chris Sterns Break Their Silence | Exclusive Interview Stephan Stern’s parents true crime,criminal psychology,forensic pscyhologist,dr john matthias,lauren matthias,hidden true crime,true crime podcast,madeline soto,stephan sterns,stephan sterns parents,chris sterns interview,debra sterns interview,stephan sterns parents interview,madeline soto case,stephan sterns interrogation,exclusive interview,debra and chris sterns,jennifer soto,jenn soto,jen soto,madeline soto interview,madeline soto update
Previous Case Coverage:
Psychologist responds: Evidence in Madeline Soto Case | Live with Hidden True Crime
th-cam.com/video/lBmZ293b3bw/w-d-xo.html
BREAKING: Jennifer Soto's New Police Interview Audio and Immunity | Disturbing Case of Madeline Soto
th-cam.com/video/r7RooWRDdKs/w-d-xo.html
JENNIFER SOTO: Disturbing Photos of "Sleeping Arrangements" & Police Interviews | Madeline Soto Case
th-cam.com/video/W179PmPsjuM/w-d-xo.html
Stephan Sterns: SHOCKING Evidence & Police Interviews | The Disturbing Case of Madeline Soto
th-cam.com/video/lmeGqe77cQI/w-d-xo.html
LIVE: Criminal psychologist unpacks newly released Madeline Soto body cam
th-cam.com/video/upv0Rkd9BxQ/w-d-xo.html
These ppl obviously haven't sought the advice or counsel of any real professionals bc they're still speaking in a very ignorant, uneducated way about their son and his responsibility in this case. They still believe Jen to have bn the bad influence when it's quite clear that Stephan was a friggin Demon. She was on disability AND trying to work... He pretty much refused to work
😢
What I’ve learned from +20years in child welfare work, is that SA is the crime that to many people ignore or refuse to see. I understand how his parents are upset about all the public attention and what they see as them being targeted, chastised & blamed. However, the question always asked in any horrific criminal case is “how does this happen?” , “What went wrong?”Or “how can we stop this from happening?” The public attention is what’s needed to find answers to these and other questions.
There’s plenty of blame to share between SS and JS IMO, and even if not criminal in nature, it seems appropriate to also ask the extended family around Maddie what could, or should, have been done differently. If, by shining a light on this case, there’s ONE parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle etc, that identifies a warning sign in their own family and steps in to stop abuse, to save a child, to ask those awful questions… isn’t it worth it? I’m not in their shoes (by the grace of God) and admittedly I can’t speak for what they are dealing with. That doesn’t mean however that none of us have been in similar situations, is all this worth it? if there’s one less child abused, one less child murdered? one less family secret still hidden? IDK how others feel, but for me, The child first and always. Safety is paramount to everything, and the public needs the information to learn. This situation is NOT the fault of “TH-camrs” and even the channels that use cases for grifting are not responsible for Maddie’s abuse or her death. If one person watches that livestream that then sees a situation similar with a child they know, and steps in to help the child isn’t that some good coming out of a bad thing? Just my thoughts, maybe just a rambling old lady 🤷🏻♀️. HTC, I appreciate you bringing them on and allowing these parents to speak their truth. 🫶🏼🫂
@@HiddenTrueCrime Maddie told his parents that the3 of them were sleeping in the same bed they didn't take it as Maddie asking for help.
These poor people... They look like they have aged 10 years since this happened...Bless them...
In this part where they said, “Maddie asked him to come to the party. Maddie called him”.
Maddie was a groomed and abused child. It was not her fault. She called him because she was abused and groomed.
I never heard that was verified. I did hear that Jenn wanted SS there to watch Maddie so she could get a good night's sleep. There was no reason for SS to be there. Maddie's other side did not like him and it was said he wasn't invited. to be at the party.
I do believe SS parents like to imagine their son in a relationship but I do not believe they cared for Maddie the way they pretend. Mom knew the sleeping arrangement was bad but didn't take it further.
@@pennyc11, that was my impression too, I agree.
I believe JS made her call him to invite him. Poor Maddie💔
@@didie7700 Or just used her name, again as lure to get him there...bday money...Why didn't he come on Maddie's actual bday? The party was delayed.He knew he wasn't invited.
I never heard Jenn say Maddie missed him. Who invites even a friend over when you know you will be zonked out? Why tell SS she will be out of it but Maddie won't be.
Just ugly stuff...
@@pennyc11I can imagine SS manipulating JS into thinking she asked him when actually he manipulated the conversation to make JS feel like she needed his help.
Madeleine is permanently silenced. She is the only person who is the truest victim.
EXACTLY!!!!
Amen!
@@Lili-IY I agree other than what Jenn is going through. Jenn is 100 percent guilty of everything. And for his parents to get mad at Jenn and blame her is sickening. Their son SHOULD HAVE SAID HELL NO. Their son is a POS too. Just like Jenn. Jenn is not a victim and for them have any sympathy for Jenn is absurd.
They have every right to blame Jenn since she is one who was a negligent parent who put Maddie in danger with this man! Of course they blame her as well as their son, who was a grown ass man who are only guilty of the crime of birthing a monster!
@@kevintroy4329 They raised him to become the monster he is. That said, I have some sympathy for them, but 98% of it is for Madeline.
I’m a court stenographer and I have seen a family of six kids where five are doing well and one is in court breaking everyone’s hearts. It’s hard to really know what your grown children are doing once they leave home. I’ve seen parents in court with their grown children shocked by what happened some parents are Top professionals, Sheriff’s officials, every walk in life.💔👩🏼💻 no one can predict everything.
Exactly, thank you for sharing your experience. Plenty of families have one “black sheep”. I think he was overindulged but I suspect he truly does have brain damage from the truck accident. I am sure they didn’t recognize that he would grow up to be a monster.
Its typical for our society to zone in on the victims of the crime and how the crime impacts them....which is fine. What happens to the predators parents tho, ya know?!! Theyre victimzed in the crime too, just in a different position. They hurt too, just as the victims do. I see them as victims of ss too. Idk ppl were giving them a hard time. That's just not cool. Theyre also thrown in the pile of victims of ss.
Right
@@FL-CourtReporter i’ve seen this as well, its heartbreaking bc that one child will cause havoc for the entire family.
So true
Debra was probably one of the only people in Maddie’s life that actually enjoyed teaching her new things and doing fun age appropriate things with her. I also like how she did acknowledge the sleeping situation and called them both out on it!! People leave these 2 people alone. They have done nothing wrong and are helping the cops in any way they can.
Yes I Totally Agree With You, These Two People Chris & Debbie Are Innocent In All Of This Horrendous Mess, And They Both Need To Be Left Alone To Try And Wrap Their Heads Around This Horrific Crime Their Son Committed, They Both Loved & Cared For Maddie 💜🙏✨💜🙏✨💜
Shame she was not coming off as such a nice person in police reports. There it did not sound like she cared for Maddie at all.
@@2u2a I know. I think a lot of it was said in haste and before they knew what there evil monster of a son had done without a doubt.
No child used the term "draped over" referring to her leg over thier son!🙄
@tatianaflores1926 tbh, I've not heard every interview. I heard the one when the officers told the parents that SS drove back to the parents' house in the middle of the night, after telling the father that he had to be at the hotel w him and Jen (to ensure the father wasn't at the home when SS went back there in the middle of the night). Both of them were questioning that perhaps they've never known their son. It seemed like we were witnessing a horrifying and rude awakening in the middle of their nightmare. They didn't seem like they were defending him as much during that conversation, it seemed like they feared him.
Debbie is spot on when she said that Sterns was an emotional bully because that girl that he was seeing from his job at Disney said the same thing. She said He always had to be right and he was extremely critical of everything and everyone.
Does she have an audio? I’d love to listen or watch if you remember where you found it
I mean, that describes a lot of people. He sounds like he was a jerk to a lot of people but welcome to life- that's not uncommon
@@sarahb.8175 54:00 a little earlier she says he’s a narcissist and had no impulse control. The interviewer says “no offense he sounds kind of like a child that didn’t want to grow up” she corrects him and says “he was a narcissist”
"Unconditional love" should not occur after something this horrific. If one of my family did that, I would never speak to them again or help them in jail. Unconditional love can be harmful when kids never learn to grow up or take responsibility for anything. Its interesting Stephan was stubborn and refused to go to school. He was in a power play with his parents from a young age, and he always got what he wanted. This explains his interest in childrens hobbies, Disney. and his inability to work. I wanted the interviewers to ask about drug use, it was reported both Stephan and Jenn were meth users, and Stephan was on Ritalin from a young age. I think there will be more bombshell information about this case. I think the 2 most likely scenarios are, Jenn knew about the SA, but Stephan murdered Maddie on his own, and Jenn is staying quiet because she doesnt want her knowledge of the abuse to come out. Or, Jenn was involved in the murder to protect them both from the truth coming out. Either way Jenn is not as upset as a normal mother would be in this situation.
Like his dad who thinks he's so intellectually above the rest.
Not once did Jenn ever describe Maddie with such joy.
I was thinking of that as well!
You don't find joy after your child dies. Seriously.
I lost my granddaughter and in the following 10+ years there is yet to be one family member to describe her with "joy".
It's solemn. When your soul is ripped apart you might not celebrate, truly, again, ever. There is a pall that never goes away.
I had the same thought. That poor little girl.
@@mirzamayyeah but Jen didn’t display that either she’s truly just scattered and indifferent in most of her interactions whether talking about Maddie or not. I can’t tell if it’s her meds or what but her reactions in every interview were odd especially considering she had a unalived child
I was just thinking the same thing.. Debbie has shown more emotion in 5 mins than JS has at all.
It's disturbing to hear that Debbie said something to both Jen and Stephan about co-sleeping, yet Jenn tells the police that she didn't think there was anything wrong with it, despite others telling her it was wrong.
Yes but also it's a little hypocritical of Deb to say that because she and Stefan had Co slept also for years..
She is a MASSIVE flip flopper. She absolutely admitted/said she was uncomfortable with it, that she told Maddie it wasn't right, and even that she always (meaning more than once) told SS she was afraid it would turn into a Woody Allen situation and yelled for him not to do that to her.
But then in the next breath claimed she had no suspicion of anything going on. It boggles my mind how she's allowed to get away with it. Very upsetting.
@@alaniadayneenortiz3806 That was his Mother at least and she wasn't sending him to sleep with someone else alone. Also, just wondering..what age was it until?
And let's face it, statistics show that a child is MUCH more likely to be SA'd by a man. No one would have had much of an issue if Maddie had been sleeping with just her Mother. It's sleeping with both at 13 AND especially sleeping alone with SS at any age, let alone 13.
@@LilyPedalsagree.
@@LilyPedalsIn regards to your earlier comment, I suppose she feels that it was both at different times. I sense she’s conflicted at times. I hope she gets some therapy because this must be hard to fully process and accept.
I appreciated how lovingly they spoke about Madeline and described her wonderful personality.
Well, this is not how they spoke about her to the police, when they didn't know the public would be watching.
@@2u2a really?
'Is it a crime to give birth?" I couldn't imagine what it is like knowing that your baby grew into a monster. This is a nightmare.
@@joes6108 My feelings started getting swayed at that point.
@@MichaelA_thony I cried when Debra spoke about Maddie and the person she was. 😢
When Debbie said this, the raw agony in her voice made me cry.
My heart breaks for them
Giving birth no. RAISING a monster yes. He is an absolute failure and they failed at raising him right
This manchild ruined so many lives
Even Maddie’s best friend’s father went and looked for Maddie that evening, that’s made me so sad to imagine that father out looking in the woods for his child’s best friend in the late evening, the ripple affect SS’s deviant behavior & action’s had on everyone is shocking.
@@ogadlogadl490
yes, so so heartbreaking 💔 Maddie deserved love, safety, and support and all the adults in her life failed, big time.
Sweet Maddie, we are all fighting for you and you’re so loved and safe now & always.
@@lauren_WI seems like not Even her dad tried to make a presence in hee life, I bet years from now he leavs the wife for keeping him away from his daughter bc of her moms actions
Yes. From 18-37 these parents coddled him. Gave him a car. Money for rent at Jen’s house, money for vaping , counseling to get marijuana, Pokémon cards. It’s sick. They allowed him to never live in the real world and be responsible for himself
After hearing the dad almost saying "tucked him into the hotel " it's obvious he's never had a day of adult accountability. @@kimphilpot6102
I found it interesting that Debbie shows more sorrow for Maddie and has nicer things to say about Maddie than Maddie's own mother. Very telling. Shame on you Jenn
Exactly 💯 and she said it wasn't appropriate the sleeping arrangements.
I don’t find it interesting I find it typical of a narcissistic mother
@@traceywinders6921 Have you heard the interview with her ex husband? He said she doesn’t express emotions outwardly. Some people aren’t expressive with their emotions. It doesn’t mean she doesn’t have them or feel them. What you may do is not necessarily what another might. I feel sorry for Jenn. It must be awful to have all of this happen to your daughter and people to try to act like you just don’t care. You have no idea what she’s going through.
Agree. She is horrifically indifferent.
Debbie has had months to come to terms with her feelings in some of the interviews with Jen she has had seconds or has not even had Maddie's death confirmed.
Maddy giggling when she said “isn’t that weird?” When she woke up with her leg draped over SS was a missed cry for assistance.
“The only thing a parent fears more than their child being hurt is their child hurting someone else.”- mum of three grown sons
Loves
I watch a lot of true crime, probably too much, I have never even remotely thought of my children hurting anyone and I think that if they did the shock would be something I couldn’t comprehend ever
I couldn’t agree more, also have grown children.
One would think your shock at learning of your child causing harm to another would just be the norm for any and all parents, but I can tell you that it's not. My blood father raised me to be "tough" and to be "a man" (a violent monster), so that's what I became, even though I had swore to myself that I'd never be anything like him, but in the end I turned out to be even worse.Though I've never harmed an animal, a woman, a child, or anyone who could be classified as elderly, that was one of the few good things he beat into me, and I'll always be grateful to him for teaching me that lesson when I wasn't much more than a toddler.
Our parents have the greatest influence on what we become, and I whole heartedly believe these two "parents" had the greatest influence over what their son became, especially after having listened to their recorded interactions with law enforcement, and this interview as well. It made me ill to my stomach when the mother threw out that story about Maddy being so happy or proud of herself to have woken up in bed with her leg over stephans in the morning. I wouldn't trust one word out of either of their mouths when it came to Maddy or to their sweet, but hard done by wittle stephan. In my opinion, they're just as bad as the child's mother, jenn soto, or possibly even worse, smh.
Totally agree. Three teenager's here
No...the death of a child should be your worst fear.
Two things can be true, they can be enraged and disgusted with their son AND still love him.
Yes
Absolutely. And honestly, as they should. When you say you love your child unconditionally, you do just that. That’s not a switch that should ever turn off, even if they do something as demonic and depraved as their son did.
It is true because the abuser in this case -their son, manipulates the people around him, acting different with everyone. So everyone in the abusers life gets a different version of him. This causes multiple "personalities" to be know to different people. It is part of the plan to continue the abuse
@@sanchezhandymen3444 It's not even that deep. They are his parents. The average human is going to love their child unconditionally. It's simply our nature.
@@bethscott4330 this!
The moment he chose to SA a child, he forfeited his right to be seen as empathetic or anything positive.
@@Smokinstilettos2 THIS!!! The father always talks in circles. Apple - Tree!
As I watch and listen to this video I cannot help but wish this couple good health and cut SS out. He will bring nothing but heartache and mental anguish( not to mention take all of your money). Jen is complicit by being neglectful and gave SS full access to Madeline. I always say that children are taught to hate at home SS sounds like he learned a lot I'm both of his parents.🚩
Exactly
The only thing I didn't like in this interview is that Debbie always wants to blame Jennifer. Yes Jennifer seemed to turn a blind eye, she had a lot of the same issues that SS has, low self esteem, and all the mental issues. She should have never been raising this poor little Angel, she couldn't even take care of herself. And unfortunately she wanted a man so much, possibly more then Maddie which in itself is horrible. I could never put the company of a man before my children, ever!! She has issues for sure!! But regardless, that didn't mean that because she told him to go up stairs and sleep that it made it OK for him to do what he did to Maddie, and it seems like Debbie wants to put most of that on Jennifer!!
@michelleramos6187 thank you! And ALL the emails between SS and his parents mother are out there and the mother never spoke of maddie and just kept trying to get her son to not take all the blame. Jennifer should be locked up too up but this seems to be just trying to save face. The mom knew he was a predator , had cp on a computer in past , wants ppl to believe Jen corrupted him. Too many adult's knew that girl was sleeping in bed w that man!
Chris and Debbie Stearns are people of integrity. I really feel for them and hope having this opportunity to share their story helps them to heal.
The most respectful, professional and empathetic channel around.
100%
@@ramonsantos1910 absolutely! The two very best channels on the whole app ❤
Yes, I agree.
I just now discovered it!
I just love Dr John and Laura 🥰🥰
If their son would just come out and say I did it. No trial. Sentenced. Done. Their son could stop so much of this heartache… today.🤷🏻
He is a liar, a deceiver. He won't confess. IMHO.
Yeah but in this interview his parents say his defense will be that he was neurological damaged after that accident he had when he was a teenager . Yet , they never got him medical and mental health treatment when it happened nor was it discussed at all. The parents make excuses for him .
He's a lying coward
That would be too easy and since this guy doesn't give a shyt about anyone but himself its gonna be dragged out like the family says for years. And it shouldn't be like that
@SD0224 you're right! They are making excuses. Plus insinuating maddie was flirty with him- going to him and sitting on him etc.
“Stranger Danger” is NOT our most serious problem with SA of children. Over 90% of SA cases are comprised of folks who are RELATED (Edit- or KNOWN to the child. )
100%. Stranger danger is a distraction from the reality that the vast, vast majority of CSA is committed by relatives and other people known and intimately trusted by the child and/or their family (family friends, religious leaders, etc.).
Mom’s boyfriends usually are a culprit. My children are adults now but no way would I have allowed a man to live in my home as these mothers often do.
This comment needs to be pinned!!😢🥺
Or close family friends
@@DonnaLena1 and close family. Ease of access
My daughter works with those on the autistic spectrum and when her son was a toddler he was walking on his toes and she told me she thought he was on the spectrum. He is and is high functioning. When I heard he was running on his toes, that memory came flooding back. I don’t know if it means anything but::: These poor, brave parents. There for the grace of God…
Almost every child walks on their toes when they are little for at least a little bit.
SS seems to have displayed many characteristics consistent with ASD. I also wondered if he was on the spectrum.
@@loriknight6993they shouldn't....well with autism rates climbing as fast as they are maybe it's common now but not developmentally normal. We also have more mental health issues in America than ever so 🤷♀️ but they don't want to address that. Let's just let big Pharma prescribe some more meds....that will fix it. 😵💫
@@loriknight6993That’s new to me.
@@tallgirlhappyme, I suspected this as well.
"This is a horrible loss to the world. She should still be here."
THANK YOU FOR HUMANIZING THIS CHILD. Finally, someone said something positive about this sweet girl. ❤❤
Who said that was it Debbie?
This was the first time ive heard about Maddie more and it made me tear up.. Poor girl.
@@shayshe1918 what?! Lots of people have!
@@smileysequoyah4929loads of people have !! ???
Every SINGLE report or true crime creator spends ages going on about how great she was. I remember being her age. I wanted nothing to do with my mother’s boyfriends. I have a hard time not seeing it as an affair.. I remember men leching over us at that age and plenty of the girls went with them, then split up, and carrried on with their lives. Luckily they weren’t killed. I would like to know why he killed her and if Jen really is as stupid was she seems
@@itsruckaswife7036u have a hard time not seeing it as an affair? It started when when she was 8. Are u trolling?
Debby is the only person ive seen become openly emotional when talking about Maddie.. I feel so bad for her and Chris. My best wishes for them.
tears?
@@Veedub09 seriously? 😒
Certainly more than her own mother!!!
@@Veedub09 the roommate broke down too
I feel the same way 😢
This interview took a lot of courage from Mr. And Mrs. Stearns. People often forget the family of the defendant are also victims of crimes. I hope they are able to process this grief and find good counselors.
@@MelissaT318 my thoughts also . They are victims too
Sadly the crime has many victims.
RIP - Madeline.
The parents produce the child....give me a child until he's 7 and I'll show you the man!
@@Ackb1004 psychopaths aren't raised.
It's the truth tho thatd be a sociopath psychipaths are born theres a difference @@Ackb1004
We adopted our son at birth. He has many issues as his Birth Mom used drugs while pregnant and lead a very unscrupulous life. Our son got into trouble with the law a few times etc... It was and still is a challenging road raising a problem child. You are judged as parents by others who don't have a clue about what you go through in trying to pave a straight path for your wayward kid. A lot of unsolicited advice from people with perfect kids. It cuts you to the core. I feel for these people. Thanks for letting them voice their experience as they are not alone
They never taught Stephan consequences, I'm sure you don't expect your son to do whatever he wants to do and never learn that .
@@Lisa-r6u1w That’s a main issue for those that have mental or behavioral issues. They typically don’t respond to consequences like you or I would . This is the challenge
I understand the difficulty of having a kid with issues, it is extremely challenging, sometimes does NOT matter how hard the parents discipline, the child's personality and brain function may have been affected or damaged in utero, for goodness sakes.
@@Lisa-r6u1wDid you miss the part where she took everything out of his room and grounded him? Or she took his car? She took his horse? I think he was very spoiled but it wasn't as if he ran wild. He was taught consequences, maybe not hardcore consequences but he was an adult of above average intelligence and he knew what he was doing was wrong. That's why he hid it.
Dr John is so good at not placing blame on his parents just asking questions to find out more information.
So you blame them for him killing the girl? If so what should they be charged with?
@@ukizaru5216they should be charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor and for child endangerment. 100 percent. And whatever else the state could charge them with…preferably felonies. How the hell do you find out your adult male son is sleeping with a child…a child…not a teenager, which would be equally as disgusting and criminal, and do NOTHING?! And…having a talk with him about it….thats doing nothing! SHAME ON THESE PEOPLE!
@@Bunny-ur8fd what is contributing to the delinquency of a minor? Isn’t that when you give a child alcohol? Yea as far as what ever else the state can charge them with, I don’t think we should try to make up crimes so a Karens can take their anger out on others. You did that enough to young black men in the past. I also don’t think they committed any crimes except bad judgment at best, kinda like you just wanting to make up stuff to lock people up because you’re angry. Im fairly certain I know many people who were scared and slept in their parents room or for other reasons, should we also charge every case we heard about? I guess I should be charged with whatever felony just because I heard about that. Also please turn yourself since you’re so righteous and just committed a crime by your own reasoning. Lol ….
This! .. this was THE most informative look into the Stephan Sterns psyche. On so many levels.
@@WGSNanny yes! A lot of patience and professionalism.
As a child SA survivor, it should be a sign that Maddy would cuddle up with him or sit on his lap…bc I would do the same thing with my abuser as a child. It’s bc we were groomed to trust and love our abusers. Education and awareness is so important. Thank you for doing this interview 🤍 justice for Maddy 🤍
God bless you 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🧡
❤ 🙏
In a gross way Stephan was her 1st Boyfriend and I’m sure she felt that way about him until she didn’t any longer.
@@lindsayshea Jenn normalize it too. Sending Maddie to sleep with Stephan. Maddie probably thought it was normal.
I agree wholeheartedly..
Having your son needing you to be at your beck and call at Stephan’s age is always a burden no parent expects.
It’s a burden that parents should never allow their children to become
We live in an awful world, devoid of morals and virtue. People have choices to make don't blame everything on the parents.
@@DonnaLena1he had a traumatic brain injury as a young child. He couldn’t survive on his own.
Completely agree.
They still are coddling him.
If my grown ass son did anything like that they would be gone out of my life, pronto.
These two have been paying for his commesary. And it's always full with money.
SS wants for nothing, except his freedom.
He now has a place to stay that's free for life. @@DonnaLena1
@@ErinAbouhe needed therapy not doting parents.
No one has a car run over their pelvis and back and then only receive outpatient treatment. It sounds like he was bumped by the car but not run over. I’ve fractured my pelvis. It was not possible to walk and I was in the hospital for a few days… someone with serious orthopedic injuries would also be prescribed PT. No doctor would send a person with serious fractures straight to a chiropractor …
I’m sitting here wondering who did it? Did they get charged with anything? Was it on purpose because SS did something bad to someone they loved? They didn’t say much about the driver.
I lost a child to an overdose, and what grief came before his death was almost as hard as the grief after. We build a foundation for our children but they choose what to build upon it. I have empathy for them. We all make mistakes in parenting but I don't believe they hold any responsibility. Sending them love, this is a horror for them too.
@@ang3lbass From one mother who lost her son to another sending lots of love 💕.
@ang3lbass I am so sorry for your families loss and heartache. From one mother to another, I agree with you completely. We lead our children to the path. But we can not force them to take the steps.
They def don't hold responsibility. But I do believe they contributed to the man their son became. As a mother I know how hard it is to not hold your child's hand through all their mistakes but sometimes for that child to grow you need to let them have consequence's. I think there are things that weren't disclosed that probably would make this situation make more sense. The simple fact they were paying all his bills, setting up medical insurance and giving him cars bc he couldn't maintain his own were contributing to his downfall as a 37yr old man. But I believe there's even more.
@@christinesantoro3214 I agree, in Stephan Sterns' case, he was definitely coddled and allowed to stay "childlike" far longer than the vast majority of adults.
My husband and I are both recovered addicts. Been clean 7 years. I became an addict, in part, to deal with trauma and abuse in my childhood. My husband on the other hand had a great childhood and his parents did nothing to cause his addiction. I've known a bunch of addicts who did not become addicted because of some trauma their parents caused. It's definitely not always the parents fault and once a person is in the cycle of addiction, there's no one who can save them except themselves.
I'm so very sorry for your loss.❤
Parents: "The fact that he wasn't permanently disabled or wheelchair bound after being run over by a pickup truck is a miracle."
Me: Not for Maddie.
That would have been the absolute best outcome for all his victims especially Maddie, for him to not be able to be a predator
Me : He WAS Permanently disabled. . . . Though not wheelchair bound. . . He was emotionally and morally disabled !
YES
Same!
@@OWEN-CASH exactly that was my immediate response.
They also have to mourn the loss of who they thought their child was. I’m so sorry for their heartbreak.
I don't think many people understand how true your statement is. I do.
That’s it, isn’t it? They’ve lost their granddaughter, who they obviously loved very much, and they’ve lost their son in many ways. They’ve lost access to him physically, they’ve lost whatever hope they had that he could turn around his life, they’ve lost the idealized version of him I’m sure they clung to, they’ve lost whatever little pride they had in him… They’ve lost their very good name. They’ve lost all hope for a future with him. He won’t have a biological child. He won’t be there for them in any capacity. He won’t inherit their estate or care for them on their deathbed. Their grief must be paralyzing sometimes. As a parent, I can’t imagine loss like this.
I think they knew perfectly well who he was.
@@millied4089 oh I’m so sorry. I hope you’ve found some measure of peace.
@ednacrabapple5392 thanks. It wasn't my child, but a relative. I just have to love her from afar and accept she was never who I thought she was.
Wha wha wha we cant touch our 37 year old baby Madeline is dead. That is something to cry about
I also find it duplicitous at best, Debbie criticizing Jennifer for not knowing what was going on in her home. Not recognizing or having a close enough relationship with her daughter for Maddie to tell her what was going on. She goes on and on and has from the beginning, Jennifer is culpable and she should take responsibility or had to know. Well, lady, the same can be said for you! If anything, if we’re comparing mother/parental ‘worthiness’, Maddie was a child and Stearns was a 40 YEAR OLD MAN still living at home a zero ambition, no job, slob man child who they kept funding and putting a roof over his head! So where do we lay parental responsibility, huh?!
He's an ADULT. These traumatized parents are NOT obligated to defend themselves.!'n WTF!! This world has gone crazy! Dear parents, I'm sorry you had to suffer the horrible effects of your son's wicked actions. It is not your fault.
Do you not know of the stuff they have done, what they enabled and the part they played in his behaviour
@Silenceisgolden-o9o
Well, it's somewhat their fault. They raised that thing. They're trying very hard, especially the mother, to make it seem their family life was perfect, they did all the right things. Which, in itself, is ridiculous.
@silence You are too leinient on Parents !
Shanaan Watts family is stalked, tortured, bulied and castigated on a regular basis and she was a VICTIM. Wade Wilson has groupies ffs. The world really HAS gone crazy!!
I agree.
Why do they NEED to "end their silence"
They aren't the SAers.
He is.
Mom asked us true crime watchers “ Don’t you have anything better to do?” My response is that this is a learning lesson for ALL of us and it’s about protecting children. God Bless Maddie❤.
She can thank her son for the attention. They aren't special.
@@jacqueblueAnd they did nothing wrong. He did. Why should they be punished for his actions?
She was referring to the ones going after them on social media. Not us who are looking only for information.
@jacqueblue, they are victims as well. Why are people so mad at them? SS is the monster, not the family.
@@laurenmay2098
his parents they harbored him under their roof up to his arrest at 37 years old.
If they claim parenthood and raising him, and knowing him presumed better than many others, they don’t get to argue that they were clueless about his criminal tendencies.
The (deceased ) rapist/pedophile/D.v. abuser, Ariel Castro, from Cleveland Ohio, family members came out and said the exact same thing about him. He would go to church every Sunday and shake hands and suggest blessings to everyone he encountered at church.
His family said they had no idea there was a side of him. That was a monster.
There’s a double standard in society, that somewhat tolerates violent crimes against females, now it’s not discriminating against small kids/girls.
Suggest horrible things about a species, that’s more violent than some animals in the wild.
Their son hardly worked and therefore didn’t really contribute to society at all. And now, their son is costing the state an incredible amount money, including for his state funded attorney, last I saw. So, by that alone, people have the right to be in Stephan’s business, because he made it our business. Including questions about where money for his countless pickle orders in jail is coming from. Sorry Deb. Your son is costing our tax dollars so now it’s our business. He has no right to privacy. Justice for Maddie.
Debbie didn't say that. She was talking about people berating them for buying him things in jail. Quite different from what you've claimed.
@@y.p.3031 I understand but she is a mother this is her son a monster but her son at the end I feel really bad fr them really ,if they can pay for his son not be a cost in our taxes they will do it they feel really bad for what happened to Madie
What I heard Debbie say was about their private near divorce being aired online (that would absolutely finish me, i can't imagine) and how they still love their son. I heard them attest that loving their son didn't mean they thought he was innocent, or thought he shouldn't be punished. I heard grief love for Maddie. Debbie said she didn't like him, but she loved him as her son. I hope I didn't mishear her say that?
No you heard it right, thats what i got out of it too@@mushypeasplease8872
@@y.p.3031 no one has any right to blame them and people should not treat them like they are being treated.
This mom is so annoying! Enough with the interruptions, justifications, and old fashioned expressions! She would be so much more sympathetic if she would be nicer to her husband, and wait her turn to talk. Did she actually swipe at him with her hand?
Yes, yes she did.
We can see where Stefan gets the narcissistic tendencies 😉
Mom was looking for John to offer his services to her 😶
I have always felt Chris and Deb have conducted themselves through this extreme tragedy, with authenticity, diligence and compassion. Chris and Deb should not be on trial here. I could not imagine what they and many others are going through. I Harbour some serious anger, sadness and disappointment of many, regarding this unimaginable depravity, certainly not towards Chris and Deb. Chris and Debbie, may God strengthen you through this difficult journey ahead. May no weapons form against you prosper. Rest in eternal peace Madeline Soto, never to be forgotten. Sweet Be Thy Rest. 🙏🏼🕊️🙏🏼🕊️🙏🏼🕊️🙏🏼🕊️🙏🏼🕊️
They did blame Jen for not seeing signs and yet they dismissed signs
@@SharpLife4 yes, it was unfortunate they did take not Maddie aside and attempt to learn more about the sleeping arrangements and what else was going on. But it’s Jen alone who is responsible for what happened to Maddie; she facilitated the environment in which his abuse flourished. Jen stated she did not want a “Woody Allen situation” and that her own mother had drilled into her head to “never trust a man” -- and yet she gave her seal of approval for one to share a bed with her minor child. The fact that Stephan didn’t protest, much less deny, this strange, abnormal, and inappropriate arrangement should have been a massive red flag to Jen. The fact that he’s a grown man who can’t hold a job, has no direction or ambition in his life, relies on his elderly parents to survive, and spends whatever money he comes by (steals or lies to get) on games and toys rather than necessary car repairs and bills should have been the first red flag to Jen that this guy is not the adult figure she should have around her child, much less be a pseudo-stepfather figure to Maddie. But Jen obviously cared more about the little that Stephan could do for her than whether he was a decent role model to have around her daughter. And unfortunately for Maddie not only did she have to have a loser like him hanging around and acting as an authority figure to her, but worst of all he was a monster who preyed on for years. Maddie took the backseat in Jen’s life, and nothing good ever comes of prioritizing your wants over your child’s needs.
Alot of people are blaming the mother not just Sterns parents but their being racked over the coals for it I have empathy for his parents I don't know how I would react in their position if it was my son I'm still his mother and love him but like they said I wouldn't like him
I applaud Dr. John for always finding the humanity and grace in even the darkest of situations. Thank you for validating these parents who are clearly struggling to process the unthinkable. And thank you Lauren as always for your gentle kindness.
"incestuous snake pit" what an interesting choice of words considering the type of crime we're dealing with. Someone else has mentioned how she uses the word precocious when describing Maddie, in a police interview she talks about her developing early and that she was quite developed for her age. The father comes accross as more accepting of the facts. He seems more balanced between his love for his son and his anger towards him.
Yea mom seems angry her poor son was locked up. I would be furious with my son
@@heavenj7 I would be beyond angry.
Or how about when the dad said “We loved him to death….. we smothered him”. 😮
@@CountessOlaf Some really weird phrases being used, I feel they're not capable of reading the room. The mum in particular has a lot of misdirected anger, it's like she's not ready to be angry at Stephan so she lashes out at Jenn, his friends, the police, the public.
This is what I am saying, listen to what this woman says and read the intention! She is still blaming others for what her son did! Sorry but u cannot come do an interview and explain to us that it's everyone else to blame but them as parents! Like how dense must u be to believe that as parents we would agree....no u hold ur 37 y.o child responsible before this heinous act and after!
Thank you Lauren and Dr John, for covering this in such a sensitive and compassionate manner. I can understand why people are so angry with Debbie and Chris Sterns. This story is heartbreaking, and people are upset about what happened to Maddie. But Debbie and Chris didn’t set out to raise a monster. Threats and harassment directed towards them are totally misplaced and inappropriate. While some of us may have made different parenting choices, they probably did the best they could with the information available to them. I think they deserve a little grace and compassion. The only two people responsible for what happened to Maddie are .Stephan Sterns and Jennifer Soto.
Madeleine’s family will never be able to touch her, hug her, kiss her, talk to her or watch her grow up.
Exactly
Not the parents fault, only gave birth to him😮
@@suerichards47yeah maybe that's the issue. Denial, denial, denial and no accountability.
They didn’t love her I don’t think anyone did
Stephen was a man-child. His parents did not commit the crime. But they enabled him so much. Never had to grow up and support himself.
Deb, in particular, is quick to blame anyone and everyone, except her son
SS had wayyyyyy too much time on his hands. Maybe if he had been made to support himself he wouldn’t have had time for terrible “ extracurricular activities”
I agree! They enabled him to the point where he didn’t have to take care of himself
Smh some people just don’t listen and I don’t mean you @megpeter
I’m glad the rest of you are perfect parents 🙄
Paying his rent in his 30’s so he can shack up and sleep w/a child. Infuriating….and they still support him, have you seen his commissary orders?
I hope they seek intense professional help. I was uncomfortable listening to this interview because I can actively hear them vacillate between irritation, admiration, and denial with respect to their son. They have a right to all of their feelings and to reminiscence, but it’s unsettling to listen to in such a public way. They are not responsible for their son’s crimes, but I hope they can confront their own failings as well. Rest in peace, Madeline.
They have denied nothing. They clearly explained they know what he did. They are devastated by it and also searching for why he did it.
@@catherinemallette7490no denial? They keep making excuses for him they keep blaming others….
@@catherinemallette7490 I was referring to denial in the context of who their son is and the breadth of his crimes and depravity. All of which is understandable. In no way was I saying they denied his guilt. It’s more nuanced than that. I hope I’ve clarified.
@@BeeJae78 thats what i was trying t explain, every example they gave, there was an excuse, the car accident changed him,; his friends used drugs, but he wasn't as bad and the friends; Jen is to blame for sleeping arrangements and mom made sure they didn't sleep together clearly by separating them she knew it wasn't right; What was it 30,000 Corn pictures on his phone (minus C add a P) He is a genius we had him tested indicated something was wrong; interrupting teachers because he is smart instead of bad manners and respecting class rules; car tire blowing out; child is missing; jail wont let him call; being denied food and weight loss; we havent spoken to him at all then saying its only been 3 weeks; we helped him buy items that were collector pieces for resale; they are clearly blind and support his lies over and over since he was a child…this is a grown man with a part time job, living with GF and bouncing from home to home. I’m not blaming the parents or anyone but Stephon for this, I know he hasnt been tried and convicted, but LE is saying this is their person! Red flags everywhere that the parents are rescuers and are still blaming Jen !
@@catherinemallette7490 mam’ , they are not outright Denying that their Son took Maddie’s life. He told them he walked the dog and then her body was cold. Autopsy report said Her Hyoid bone, one was broken, She didn't walk to the car, there is a video or him driving with her, Her backpack didst jump in the community garbage, and they said he loving placed her so she would be found???? They are making excuses! I get it, Denial is so hard to work through
No matter what they say in this interview we need to remember the fact they absolutely allowed their son to spend his and their life acting like a baby. As a parent you should be on your kids to be good people and if they're not you should be on them to be better.
Speaking of getting offd, or how about committing suicide as Epstein ended up? Solitary has cameras. Administration segregation, cameras. Rounds, every 15 minutes when on suicide watch. I worked inside for almost 20 years, and my shift career was in segregation, or the visiting room. Whatever happens to Stephan, it will be a planned ending, and no one saw anything. Wrong
Both Dr. John and Lauren are doing a good job keeping them at ease and asking them probative questions.
Agreed. Some people are all pissed off that theyre supposedly "ass kissing," but idk what they expect... John and Lauren aren't going to put this elderly couple on blast-that isn't what they do and it wouldn't be productive. You don't want to make people feel more defensive, you get information by making them comfortable.
@@irradiated_woman8016 They're acting plenty defensive anyway, so I'd agree. They likely wouldn't have stayed very long if they felt the hosts were not on their side.
They were allowed the space to talk about all of this which is great. I kind of wish Dr. John had talked more about what could have caused this and how likely or not it was a brain injury that could have lead to this but I think it's hard to ask a lot of questions without it feeling like an attack on the parents.
I can't stop thinking of Jenn referring to what she saw in a video of her daughter being violated as, "The sex stuff."
She is disputing and heartless.
I just pray JS is arrested very soon!!
Jenn should MINIMUMALLY be charged with child endangerment! She knew and was told repeatedly about allowing Maddie to sleep with an adult man.
💯!!! I hope, that in time she will be! Let’s get sweet Maddie the Justice she deserves from these two vile predators!
Agree!
Yes, what really sickens me is that Jen had a huge queen bed, so she should've slept with Maddie while the ex-boyfriend Stephen slept in Maddies barely used bed. Mainly because i feel it was even wrong and inappropriate to allow Stephen to use the upstairs bedroom when the father had two female borders. Who knows? They could've been bothered by that. I know I would have, especially if I'm paying $650 & 850$ for rent, and then potentially bumping into Stephen in the pitch dark if you have to use the bathroom in the middle of the night. Also, they wouldn't have even known he was back because he had moved out. It's absolutely so wrong and really creepy! 😳 😐 There needed to be so many rules and boundaries established if there ever was any.
I hope Jenn is MAXIMALLY CHARGED!!! She KNEW!!! Which makes her a participant in the crime. He had a Telegram account that LE can't get into. No job! Selling those pictures and videos? Money was coming from somewhere.
Gotta have proof
This was a very emotional and honest interview. To Hidden True Crime, guys thank you for giving his parents a platform to tell the world their side and be listened to. What's happening to them is wrong, I have been the same from the beginning. Leave these poor folks a lone they're having to deal with this like nobody else. It's the closest thing to being in hell, they're grieving two deaths.
This mom and dad remind us that we are very complex human beings. Even those that do horrible things have good sides. It is so easy to criticize, condemn, and slam people we know nothing about with a stroke of a key. We need more kindness and empathy in this world. These are real people.
Louder for the people in the back! 🙌🏼
Yes so true, even one of Gods created angels ‘Lucifer’ rebelled against Him! We can never know but pray for guidance 🙏❤️
THIS! 👍
We need to be more aware of how these abusers work and stop them before they can do their horrible deeds! And as parents we can not excuse them no matter how cute and smart they were as children.
No empathy for Stephan, here. He choose to assault a child and then murder her.
Thank you Lauren and John for interviewing Mr. & Mrs. Sterns with respect. I hope social media leaves them alone. Certain aspects of social media are tearing this country apart.
Won’t happen
People are tearing people apart. This isn't new with social media.
Loving someone who has committed a horrendous crime is a unique kind of hell. I dont envy them at all. I hope they are getting the support they need, they will need it for years to come.
Well said
Well said!!!! I agree
The therapist was sleeping while she was talking. It is the most lonely place to be. That happened to me and it is horrible. You are falling apart and the professional taking your money to help is sleeping. It takes at least 5 professionals until you find someone. I went to quite a few and continue to search, money is short. Even when you have money things go wrong. Look it at the wealthy unaliving themselves. I was lucky to find a doctor who prescribed a medication that stabilized me. Thank God, others, aren't so lucky.
It really is. I turned my father in for cp and the fact he was doing disgusting things with his girlfriend's granddaughter and that was hard. Its like what he did was awful but he was still my dad and i felt bad after he unalived himself. I was 21 when this happened in 2006 and im still traumatized by what i saw and doing cpr on my unalived fathers body. It's like I'm finding it hard to hate my dad and that alone makes me wonder what is wrong with me because i feel like i should be mad at my dad even in death all these years later. And in a way i am because he ruined mine and my children's lives because we were in the news in our small town and all the fun family times weve had are all tainted.
@@froggynzack You did the right thing by turning him in. His particular mental illness is rarely cured. But that does not mean you can't feel sorry for whatever brought him to his choices. He might have been sa in the same way and it ruined his mind. He was once an innocent child and there is nothing wrong with having empathy for him and forgiving his actions. God asks us to forgive because it heals us when we do. You don't deserve to carry the weight of what your father did. Hating him would just make the damage keep growing. You are entitled to feel any which way you do! But I believe it is the healthy thing to give up on the anger and let God be the judge.
Its creepy that she mentioned how Stephen laid her down in a place so that she could be found and no alagitor could harm her!! I said WTF???
HE HAD ALREADY MURDERED HER!!!!
@@aleman7771 Yeah that’s why he covered her up with leaves so she would be found. The mothers trying to minimise it again.
Exactly. Could have dropped her body off at the police station or a hospital if he felt guilty. Could have confessed rather than covering it up. He didn’t feel bad for her, he was only protecting himself
This is a rare time when a family member isnt in total denial
What happened to Maddie was inexcusable. I think people need to remember that in all of this these parents have had to grieve also knowing that their son has done something horrific to a child they were attached to as well. This is a horrible situation all the way around.
Still convinced Jenn was involved.. I originally typed the mother but that woman is a sorry excuse for a parent..
@@cindynieschalk7155I think Jen was at the very least complicit with Stephan’s actions because of her apparent knowledge of his behavior with her young daughter. I believe she did know he was abusing Maddie, at least she appears to have been aware. Huge red flags. 🚩
@@ErinAbou agreed
Remember, when Maddie went missing, his mom found a "s*x torso" in his bedroom and ran out of the house screaming asking if it was Maddie and calling 911..that was telling.
@@Monica-hv4rf she called 911 about it?
Maddie was betrayed by ALL OF THESE PEOPLE!
Son had "a lot of empathy" (?!) Perhaps he showed towards animals...but he had NO boundaries when it came to self-gratifying the lowest, degraded part of himself. NO empathy for a CHILD.
That was weird to me too.
Yet he stole lied and bullied, I don't think that they are realizing who he really is and pretty much always have been
Yes, they originally said SS yelled at them and hated the dogs they bred, if he was sleeping or in his "little boy" room, as a grown-ass man. Good riddence, they knew exactly who their deviant son was.
@@maytheforcebewithyou4313That's NOT what they said. They said he complained about the dogs making noise while he was sleeping. He sounds whiny. But the stuff about the dog that Jen now has and the kitten- that does show empathy. We can admit that and still say the truth, that he is am abuser and a killer.
Hitler was also an animal lover to the point of being a vegetarian, that means nothing
Listen to the level of worry about themselves and Stephan. They said ONE TIME that they “loved Maddie” and then blamed Jenn and the roommates when they were just as much in Maddie’s life as those they’re blaming. And began talking about themselves and their harassment.
“Me me me me. I’m being harassed!” Don’t you think your son was harassing Maddie?
Oh stop. They don’t deserve to be harassed, they didn’t commit a crime.
Chill out.
Deb and Chris are victims, too.
It took a lot of courage for them to agree to this, and I am so pleased that it’s Lauren and John.
Thank you, all four of you, for your mature and sensitive language.
Again, I am so glad they chose Lauren and John.
Huge respect.
Last, I am so sorry this horrible tragedy has come to your lives, Deb and Chris.
@ Jamie They are not victims !
Madeline Soto is a Victim. chris and Debra are not victims! Chris and Debra have been judging and accusing Jenn! Go listen to victim Chris speak ill of Jenn and try to question why she was not arrested! Chris is just upset the conversation was released
@@PrettyGoodLookin let us, then, agree to disagree. 💔
These parents looked like they’ve aged years in the last few months, tragic all around ☠️😭
@@PrettyGoodLookinthey are , they didn't do anything yet people like you judge them!
As a mother of a son in prison, I feel for Debbie and Chris. I am horrified by his crimes and hate what he has done, I still love him unconditionally as a parent does. I would only caution these parents to discern what is given to Stephan by way of money and literature. I eventually understood with my own son how manipulative he is. This pertains to the different 'currency' used inside prisons. I am careful not to enable his bad behavior in any way, and sometimes, I have accidentally fallen for his manipulation. There's a fine line. I sincerely hope Debbie and Chris can find peace and deal with this grief only a parent/grandparent can know. I hope the public will leave them alone. They are paying dearly for their sons crimes already without the daily harassment from strangers.
You sound in denial of your own responsibilty for raising a son (who ended up in jail). If victims are a part of your sons issues you hold a countability gor raising him to be like that. Be honest what abuses did you go through?
@@allesasmart From pattern recognition I have noticed it comes down to genetics. Hence, why adopted children turn out like bio parents despite not being raised by them. Wade Wilson is a great example. The genes could be handed down via family they have never met, and despite a proper raising….those genes win.
@@allesasmart WOW! Someone’s personal traumas are NOYB. At all. Shame on you. How entitled do you have to be to demand a stranger online inform you about their abuses. That’s ghoulish behavior.
Wisdom and truth!
@@allesasmart so why don't all children turn into criminals ? I have a brother who spent 3 years in prison (all drug related) My parents 4 other children are all competent adults with families, run their own businesses etc
Believe me our mother paid for any wrong doing on her side as a wife who is married to a narcissist. You can't go back in time and undue anything. She has paid in the way of her health, community ostracization , her marriage etc
How many children have you raised ?
I genuinely believe these people should just remain silent. Is frustrating they put themselves as victims at the beginning each person I know heir sons crimes are not theirs but also that doesn’t make them victims period.
@@danipolm They have become victims of this crime. I can’t imagine being in their shoes, as they are having to process the multilayered fallout of their son’s horrific abuse and murder of a young girl they knew. A couple of years ago, I sat on a jury for a criminal case, and when it was done, I felt like I had become a victim of the defendant for having to listen to and see evidence of the crimes committed by the defendant. When I returned to the courtroom 4 months later for the sentencing, I was overwhelmed that our guilty verdict caused the defendant to be given a fifty year sentence. It all was just an awful lot to process. It’s been a couple of years now since that case has ended and it still bothers me from time to time. These people will be struggling with many issues related to this case, their son, and grief of Maddie’s abuse and murder, for the rest of their lives.
@@DJ-769Maddie was not their granddaughter.
@@karenbaldry8096 Oh right, I forgot that that their son wasn’t married to Jennifer. I’ll edit my comment. Thanks for the reminder. 😊
The biggest question is "how did Stephan afford all these collections?" Warhammer is not cheap, warcraft is a monthly subscription, pokemon cards are ridiculously expensive especially if they have been "graded", star wars collectibles are not cheap. (My husband has warhammer, myself and my 25yr old son both play warcraft, my husband and my father-in-law have pokemon card collections)
Neither Jenn nor Stephan's parents have been able to answer this question. It absolutely terrifies me that he was selling those images and videos of Maddie.
Maddie was failed by every adult in her life, Stephan's parents could've called cps when they recognised the red flags, Jenn should've been protecting her daughter, the roommates could've said something (i believe one of them works in a school so is a mandated reporter), her teachers and counsellors are madated reporters (however i do give them a slight pass as they have only ever known Maddie to be the way she was and with Jenn pushing the adhd, autism, anxiety etc from a very early age they missed red flags due to believing it was just the way Maddie was because they knew no different), her grandmother could've said something, called cps, kept Maddie with her, Juan could've insisted Maddie had her own room instead of being worried about "rent".
Rest Easy Maddie forever 13
If anything, this interview highlighted just how complicated it is to be on the fringe of such a horrendous crime. These people are stuck between love for their son and his horrible acts. I appreciate their bravery in speaking up. I hope they find peace.
Thank you it's exactly how I feel
I absolutely agree!
I feel so bad for them
they’ll find peace a lot faster as soon as ppl leave them alone
THEY WENT STRAIGHT TO THE ONLY TRUSTED TEAM ON YOU TUBE! This is a straight up fact! 😢
1.39 - mom thinks he left maddie somewhere she was found quickly....she lay for 5 days in the florida heat. 5 days Debs!!!! And he dodnt tell them where she was and he STILL pleads NOT GUILTY!!!
What is this woman on! Your son drove around with her deceased body beside him in the car.
'I pray to god it was an accident' and he told his dad he went for a walk and came back and she was dead' are you freaking kidding me...the autopy said strangulation!!!!
The mom is obviously struggling with how to process this whole situation. Maybe we should allow these two grieving parents some time to tell themselves whatever they need to before we judge them. Like many have pointed out, she's the first one to authentically show true emotion for Maddie.
I wonder the same thing! This interview infuriated me even more than I already was . They were speaking as if their son was a victim of Maddie is the victim here. I hope sweet Maddie could see how much we love her
I keep trying to search the video where he said that he admitted to finding her deceased. Do you know where that was said?
He went for a walk to " cool off" 😳
@@Sweetastaboo she is an angel above now. She SEE we love her
I’m sorry but hearing Debbie going on about how hard things are for Stephan in jail is so inappropriate, going on about all his PTSD, heart medication and how much he has lost weight, mygosh, Maddie lost her life because of your son.
Maddie also would if suffered from PTSD from the age of 7 or 8 until the day her smurdered her because of their son.
I am absolutely gobsmacked Debbie just said that, why, tell me WHY anyone should care about SS health or weight or the conditions of the jail he is in????
I’m sorry but if my child did what SS did I would 100% disown them for life, I definitely wouldn’t be sending them books or lollies in jail to make their incarceration a little more bearable, are you kidding me, I can’t believe she just complained about SS health deteriorating, he SA’d a little girl for over half her life and then not only smurdered her but tried to hide his crime by hiding her body and telling the police and media how heartbroken he was because Maddie was missing, my blood is absolutely BOILING right now 😤
Its for the trial defense
I’m left with the impression that these parents were aware of Stephen’s issues but they were also enabling him long after that kind of support was appropriate. They are of course not responsible for their son’s crimes but they give conflicting statements regarding his behavior.
He was smothered with love yet he was never honest with them.
There are no perfect parents. Surely, they made mistakes. Parents still love their problem children, and sometimes enable them inadvertently or out of hope. I was a “problem child” into my mid-20’s. My parents wanted to believe I was good deep down and would change, because they loved me. So, they believed my lies, allowed me to manipulate them, helped me out when they should have said no. In my case, they were right that I was good deep down and capable of change. These parents may have been wrong. That doesn’t make them complicit in any way. It makes them very very unlucky.
@@ajordan1976going by what she said said , yeah, she knew too. Its b s ck n fortth from a bunch of red flags then they say there were no signs. why people RE praising her over this.
you could have some respect, you can see his parents are quite older.
When as a parent you have a child that almost dies in an accident as they have it rightly or wrongly makes you over protective. Loving your child is not criminal. Only one person is responsible here Stefan Sterns! We need to stop trying to look for excuses for perpetrators.
They seem a bit in denial. And quite nieve. Not blaming them for their sons actions, they come across as ignorant of red flags and basically excusing their sons life away. Poor me...
Just because “Jenn” wasn’t photographed, does not mean she was not involved. Thinking people know she was involved.
Of course she was.
Jenn was involved! They were Disney people,make a right out of Jenn's home and theyre are 144 sex offenders in the area LIVING AT HOTELS!
Wish they would have called CPS on behalf of Maddie, when they found out their son was sleeping with her.
That lady he had relations with asks have called on a welfare check too.
PS When Maddie told Debra the story of waking up with her leg draped across Stephan, that was a child's cry for help!
Right? Just a stop sleeping in the bed with her , my darling son . Is apparently as far as she went to get
The chomo from sleeping with maddie. This is awful
@@katherinekaufman9856seriously? Wow
Are you kidding???? they did everything to coddle and protect him. They still are by giving him kiosk money.
My key takeaways are #1 Stephen is a liar. #2 Stephen is all about Stephen. #3 his parents enabling "what Stephen wanted he wanted and wanted now". He wanted a horse and we gave him a horse.
Sad part is they don’t think there is anything wrong with what they are saying, to this day they stand behind it
Firstly, as a person with CPTSD, I can assure you that PTSD is not an excuse nor lend any reasoning whatsoever, to pedeophelia and/or any form of SA. 1+1 does not equal 2 in this case. Do not hide behind this ridiculous excuse, as to the reason why the son behaved this way. I applaud them for their openness, however, the more they spoke..the more they sunk themselves at times.
As a survivor of NPD abuse I can assure you Stephan is just like his mother. It’s all me me me. Makes my skin crawl!
Agree
@@jenniferbailey5914I thought the same thing.
Yeah thE more i heard the worse it was. He was a psycho , they knew. But oh there were never shy iddues with him says dad. They said so many revealing things,. Yep. The more they sunk themselves, id say
@@jenniferbailey5914 I felt the same the moment she was talking. I have C-PTSD myself. My parents would also say I grew up in a loving home without any problems even though that would be a major lie.
They commented that Stephans group of friends were bad influences. Did they stop and think maybe Stephan was the bad influence in the group?!
I believe they played this blame game throughout SS whole life and they’ve blamed everyone else around him. They never required Stephan, nor taught him, to take responsibility for his behavior and actions. It’s so frustrating listening to this interview.
Extremely frustrating! She talks to her God. NO offense but I know her type. Judge Judge Judge everyone else.
@@SHARON.I Yes, it is everyone else's fault.
You do realize once you grown into an adult your mommy and daddy are no longer responsible for your behavior ? Stop blaming them for their son killing her . He did that all on his own ok
@@SHARON.Iaren’t you also judging though? You know her “type” you don’t even know this woman. I’m not defending her but you sound like a huge hypocrite.
I wish life was as simple as that. My experience does not prove this “formula”works. I loved, cared, taught good values, disciplined my son, did everything I believed was necessary to raise a good wise man and in the end he chose his path. It is painful and extremely frustrating. I don’t speak to my son for 12 years now.
Their child isn’t a child molesting murder because they helped him with homework or babied him for Christs sake. They seem like decent people who are hurting too. We can feel for them and be heartbroken for Maddie too. Villainizing them won’t bring her back. Their willingness to speak and getting this level of insight is fascinating to me.
Yes and lots of ppl spoil their kids and they don’t turn out to molesting murders. It’s just not their fault.
Thank you. Well said
I believe Stephan is detached emotionally from his parents. He only needs them for commissary.@@carrielynch177
@@carrielynch177exactly. Life happens outside of the family home too
If you ignore the teacher because God forbid they tell you there's a problem and blame them and yank him outta school that's just avoiding the problem.
Dad is in spin mode, image control. He is a former cop. He knows conversations with law enforcement are not confidential, and any information that he gives will be used in the investigation. He knows that the number one priority was getting Maddie back safely. When her body was found, he knows that anything he says to the police will be used in the investigation. Mom doesn’t want to accept any responsibility for how her son turned out. While she didn’t murder Maddie, she raised her son in a manner that never demanded accountability from him. His father was more interested in his mistress and his business than in raising his son to be an upstanding man. I’m glad that the dad seemed to read the writing on the wall, and was willing to throw his son under the bus to salvage his own reputation as much as possible.
Yup, that all explains why the dad is so stoic and unemotional, considering the convo.
Right!!!!
Correct!!!
Thank you for putting this out there. I'm sure it's an unpopular opinion, but I think you're spot on.
My impression exactly! The sincerity is false and both are dripping with ‘victim’ mentality! Kind of made me sick to my stomach. If they could assign an ‘excuse’ they did…🤬
I hope everyone remembers Stephen Stern and Jennifer Soto being the ones who have caused these horrific crimes against a child. These parents are completely innocent of everything. They have done nothing wrong.
mmm beg to differ, old granma here knew their gown ass son was sharing a bed with a child,maddie told grandma about some inappropriate things happening in bed. They all turned a blind eye and only now that she is gone from the literal hands of that monster they start to shed a tear.
Yes they sued people to pay for his accidents “ to continue see I can’t even write this without another lawsuit I mean disability
Exactly scr. W all these people
The first wrong thing I can attest to, because I dont know them! Is that chit chat Chris talks about. Go listen to it and you will see why the son is how he is
Also, the daddy had an empty storage room besides a computer that SS just had to go to right after murder. Why?
I feel compassion for the parents. They are looking for answer to something that is not explainable.
Looking for an answer!?? Are you serious? This is called "damage control." These two KNEW Maddie was sleeping with their f***ed up son and they did almost NOTHING about it!..... "looking for an answer??" lol. No. This is propaganda.
A son who does not work, in his room all day, all night. They should've questioned a lot more.
Odd peeps
Hindsight is 20/20. That’s a big leap, from “he’s a lazy loser” to “He’s a child SA’er and murderer.”
@@vaniareyneke4761 I’m sure a lot of little boys / grown men do this type of shit and are losers and parents let it slide .. a lot of them aren’t pervs but these parents you don’t have to be a genius to realize they didn’t have no clue their son was a perv it’s not their fault
Forgot to mention 37!
💯! Idle hands…
Never in my life have I heard so many so many excuses for a murder and crimes against a child including murder good grief
amen
What excuses? They're trying to explain the unexplainable. They don't know why he turned out like he did.
This is making no sense to me. A child with a traumatic brain injury would never be discharged from hospital after a few hours.
Desperately grasping for straws, anything to save SS from being held accountable .
@@Mia-es1rp Unbelievable how they are still enabling him.
In interviews before the Dad said it was a stressor for his son, but it was not a big deal. Now it's suddenly a big deal.
How are they accountable???@@Mia-es1rp
Some humans are just wired differently they are evil. Stop blaming the parents .
Lauren and Dr. John, thank you for having the courage to interview them. You two are not about subscribers but about honesty and really trying to understand why humans do what they do. I learn from your interviews so much. Thank you both.
Hmmm a medical reason for him doing what he did for years...and then murder....yeah not buying that excuse at all....
I can’t with these two. I’m not surprised their son turned out the way he has. A car accident does not make you a pedo or murderer.
Actually it can, there's been multiple very famous cases of this, like that hollywood actor that was in sons of anarchy.
I mean it was a little more than a car accident. Someone ran over him twice. If he had frontal lobe injury it could absolutely turn him into a different person. I understand your thinking on it though
I get Chris watts mum vibes
@@derpestarztI don't feel that's what happened with Stephan but you are right! It could be the case,I just personally feel he was always a weirdo.
@jeannegriffin7273, I would like to hear more from the actual medical documents before agreeing with that statement.
The parents do reiterate that SS was at hospital for a few hours then released so I was pulling dx was possibly a concussion. Especially, after DS stated what drs told them to watch out for after SS was released from ER.
They say there were never any issues but before they said he was stealing and gaslighting in his teens?
To say the least.
I believe they were referring to him prior to the accident resulting in a TBI. I do Not believe the TBI is the causation of him being a child predator.
Their son is a complete Malignant narcissist. He's incapable of empathy and taking responsibility for his actions. He never will. He won't even show his face at court. He will continue to lie, to his dying day.
Narcissists do have empathy, just fyi. That's how they manipulate people. Psychopaths don't. For future reference.
@@salem1281Narcissists typically have low or variable empathy. Sometimes they feel/show it, sometimes not.
That being said, I agree with the original comment.
Oh get over it. Hopefully SS, will get on the stand and tells us.. the one who really ended Maddies life.
Wonder if they are paying for his lawyer
@@salem1281 You don't need empathy for manipulation. at all.
Seems like they are still trying to put more blame on Jenn than the actual person that did this. It doesn't matter what Jenn did or didn't do, Stephan is a full grown adult that is 100% responsible for his actions.
And I think this is what makes people so angry
He is 100% responsible for his actions. She is 100% responsible for her inaction. A mother should not send her child to sleep with a grown man.
I 💯 agree.
Spot on ! The man was horrifically sa a little girl 8 years old til 13 ! Show them the photos of what their son did !
"Stephan is a full grown adult that is 100% responsible for his actions." I agree with this part fully. And also, it absolutely matters what Jenn did and didn't do. She is also a full-grown adult, the mother of a little girl. And there's enough evidence out there that she is, at the very, very least, guilty of gross emotional neglect. Whatever else she's guilty of and whatever may be prosecutable as crimes, I don't know. But Jenn bears the responsibility of her neglectfulness and lack of empathy for her child.
To be fair, people are mad about what happened to an innocent child. These parents enabled him well into his adulthood, which contributed to this situation.
I truly wish that you raise your kids with perfection and they dont turn out evil nonetheless... So easy to judge when on the sideline.
Listen, you people that are so judgmental of parents are Not even parents yourselves!
And there are No perfect parents or families!
Young people today act like there’s such a thing as a ‘perfect’ way to raise children? Humans are naturally faulty, imperfect. Where’s the forgiveness??
It’s easy to judge Any situation when you have no clue what the reality is.
Idk but I sure get tired of seeing the blame fall on parents, no matter what.
How you can listen to this poor couple as they’re experiencing something unbelievably tragic and see their pain, hear their suffering. All while trying to be open and honest and appeasing the masses! But they’ll be ripped apart!💔
Epitome of today’s society.
I’ll never forget the email the mom sent to her son. That should have been a crime. It was obvious he’s never had consequences at home growing up. The way she babies him is insane. She blamed everyone in that email other than her son it was mental.
Those email were messed up..theyhave been victim blaming from the start...ick
💯
This mom's denial of the real Stefen and her endless excuses for him are part of the problem for Stefan.
She is very delusional.
1:41:32
Exactly!!
While parents can be weird & enabling, they are not responsible for a 37 yo man.
It appears that they are enabling because he had a TBI and was failing to thrive as an adult
No, but they ARE responsible for NOT ACTING! THEY KNEW WHAT WAS HAPPENING, AND THEY DID NOT ATTEMPT TO REACH JENN'S FAMILY AND DID NOT CONTACT THE AUTHORITIES. Now, a child is needlessly dead. Stop defending the indefensible.
@@cheaptrickfanatic3496they did not know he was sexually assaulting her . Or else I’m sure they would have . This is on their son not them and Jenn.
@@MandyAliens Hi Mandy. I completely and totally disagree with you. They KNEW who their son was. She paid off Stephan's roommate/friend when Stephan was caught taking illegal, sexual photos of the roommate's GF. They KNEW he was a seriously f***ed up, lying, stealing man-child with ZERO going on in his life and a proclivity toward weird sexual issues.... they KNEW what was happening in the Soto house was all sorts of wrong. Had they acted, you and I wouldn't be here today.... so, ya, you and I will absolutely disagree. They could have stopped this.
@@MandyAliensWatch the interviews, Chris said he was “smart enough to wipe the hard drive) of the pc at their house, that the police recovered anyway with 35000 images - “it’s a shame he didn’t wipe them from his phone properly”. 35000 images of child SA at their home and they didn’t know? They find out and say he was SMART to wipe them! NO they created a monster!
They can ask his lawyer.
He put Maddie through hell for years.
She didn't have a life before he killed her.
The mother is responsible as well.
Facts!! Which is why I believe she's going to be States witness against Stefan. I'm thinking she's going to be charged also with something but they're going to wait until she testifies in his trial at least in the SA trial..
I don't believe was hell I do believe this little girl love this sycopath ....and willing to do what ever he ask her to do .
Bring him into this world and bring him out
I'm getting the impression that to Mattie the SA was normal family life. She'd been groomed since the age of 8 with moms approval.
Good for these folks to come out and do this interview, it is very courageous of them to come out and share their side of the story. Very sad what they are going through. Hopefully things get easier for them as time goes on.
Chris is an ex-cop, isn't he? Why on earth would he think that a Florida police interview would be confidential? Florida has some of the best open records laws in the entire country.
I believe Chris has been in the real estate industry for the last 20+ years.
He was a cop for like 1 year lol
@@lindsaybeyerstein7096 the impression i got was he thought he was chatting with his peers, he couldn’t be more wrong.
Why fixate on this point? Who cares.
I took it as “I didn’t think my interview would be released to the public pre-trial”. Not this was a chitchat. But I could be wrong
They take zero responsibility for raising a child with no boundaries. For enabling him throughout his life. For never making him accountable for his behavior or actions. Now they are confused came to have a son who is a murderer and SA.
I can’t imagine the complicated grief they are going through, but they are still making excuses for Stephan and minimizing what he did for *years.* I sincerely hope they will stop sending him money for treats and entertainment but evidently they don’t see the need. It’s wild to hear this “Dr John” say that Stephan had a lot of empathy.
When did he say that? Time stamp?
@@UncleRicosCamper Sorry but I’m not rewatching this ridiculous video to get a timestamp for you, he says it after the mom says something about how nice he was to an animal.
Yes, I understand that you would always love your child but what baffles me is his mom acts like he took a $10 bill out of the church till not that he SA'd and murdered a little girl
Really you think so? I didn't get that impression. I think they did enable him some but I think a lot of parents do that. I think she was really honest & even said she doesn't like him. But they are his parents & love him unconditionally.
Who? Debbie? I don’t see that at all. I think they’re both disgusted by him. I may have misunderstood your comment.
Stop looking with a fault finding eye and you won’t see it.
Because there’s Nothing to see here.
@@Mbee3-m2b I don't see how a fault finding can be involved when there's actual photographs -proof is not "fault finding" proof is proof. Definition "proof"-evidence or argument establishing or helping to establish a fact or the truth of a statement. wanting someone to be held accountable for their heinous actions is not fault finding in my view.
@@MsJanet-m2k I suppose that is possible, but I don't see that.
The bottom line is their son made bad choices and he will have to pay the consequences.
I'd say it is beyond bad choices. This has been going on for years. And a child was murdered.
The fact that they agreed to this speaks volumes about them. You guys are so special for making a space for people like this.
No, they are more worried about their image and their income as well
I fear this open the door for rather YTers to hound them for interview.
@@sj9410No. Stephen is a grown azz male. I won't call him a man because real Men do Not do such horrible things. His parents come across as sincere, embarrassed and with a healthy degree of anger towards Jenn which I think Jenn absolutely deserves. I'm extremely sick that Jenn has NOT Been Charged !!!
@@CATNAPREAL1188me too. I think Jenn was still culpable because she allowed Maddie to be sleeping with her and Stephan. That’s ridiculously weird. She should have been sleeping in her own bed for years by then. She absolutely did know he was s.a. her daughter.
Asking Dr. John NOW for his opinion is a bit too late. Maybe they should have thought about getting their son help when he was young and started the lies and manipulating. And it’s almost comical that they are now on TH-cam wondering why they are getting backlash. If they are so devastated then don’t go on the internet!!!
Lauren, thank you for bringing on the parents. I am one of the people that have thought they've gotten a raw deal these last couple of weeks. My heart goes out to them. I believe they're victims of SS as well. He lied and manipulated everyone.
Same, it's so sad.
THE ONLY ONE VICTIM HERE IS MADELINE SOTO, RIP
I feel the same. His own mother called him a narcissist
@@katiathompson5508I get what you are saying but you can be a victim of harassment
Thank you, some TH-cam channels show Mr. and Mrs. Sterns 15 years ago, Misleading the public. Thank you for the truth.
I wish that Dr. John would have explained to her from a professional standpoint, why there is a public outcry about the actions of Stephan Sterns. I understand that the channel is repping the Sterns by letting them speak out, but helping her understand the backlash and reaction from the public from Dr.John can help put some things into perspective for her.
As a parent, I feel for the dad. I respect that theyve come to terms with the evidence.
Yeah, the dad is pretty intelligent. The mom?? Not so much.
They have a tremendous amount to process. Time is on their side. Time is also a heavy weight on their lives.
I believe they’ve owned up to the fact that their son is indeed a predator and a monster! 👺
@@Luluisraging.86
Yes, but they believe it has nothing to do with THEM.
Wow. Perfect parents, perfect parenting, perfect son. I wonder what the police and FBI would have to say about these softball questions and their convenient answers? This entire “interview” is a horrific insult to little girl who now lies in a body bag in a refrigerator after being SA’ed for basically her entire life. This is outrageous. I won’t expect to see my comment here which is ok because I won’t be checking. Hope you made a lot of money off this.
Best comment I’ve seen on here. Spot on! 🎯
Dr John is not law enforcement or a detective. He draws from these types of interviews to create a psychological profile of S** offenders. His interview style is clinically focused , so his questioning has to be purposeful & calculated.
That’s what this channel is all about- looking beyond what LE find & into the hidden nature behind offenders & perpetrators.
Did you hear a different interview than I did?
Nobody acted as if they were perfect and nobody acted as if Stephen was perfect.
THISSSSSSSS
@jodisherland5335 there's a reason nature produces bunch of people like you in every generation so you can get scammed by "save my new number mum" tex messages and the rest of us see all the nuances
I do understand his parents being on his side in the end of the day he still is their son, but not recognizing the son is really sick in his head, it’s unacceptable.
My blood boils listening to them. Madeline was a special needs child with anxiety. What was this mother's idea to keep her safe - put a lock on her mother's bedroom door so Madeline would cry and be scared alone at night. Not that her son should have kept his pants on. Normal people do not abuse others no matter what their age is or sleeping arrangements. That being said - I do understand they are in a horrible situation, they love their son and at the same time have their hearts broken due to his actions. As a mother of sons, this is my nightmare - that no matter how I raise my sons they could hurt someone. I do not believe the parents did something wrong for him to become like this. It is not just nurture, it is nature as well and sometimes nature goes wrong.
I think not having the man at all in the room. Sending him home and not letting his have overnight. Having a mattress in the room and lock it from anyone else entering at night. The man should've not been there were a child need moms comfort. They weren't even a couple Jen and S.