Friday Night Special: 21 Life Sentences for Maddie Soto Killer

As accused killer Stephan Sterns adjusts to life in a jail cell, he complains to his brother via email about everything from the size of his cell to the noise, filth, and eating utensils.

Sterns complains his bed mat is flat with very little cushion left, his cell is small and filthy, and he claims there are spots on the wall that appear to be bloody fingerprints. Now, he will be dealing with this situation for the rest of his life. Stephan Sterns, sentenced to multiple life sentences.

After Sterns' arrest, it is emails from Sterns' mother that contain shocking information, as she is encouraging him to tell the truth. Sterns' mother believes other people are involved in the murder of Maddie, and she tells her son to stop protecting these people.

Knowing the emails are not private and protected, Stern's mother alludes to a woman being involved in the case, saying she is "disgusted that she is free and you are not when this is not all your fault."

Some of the emails between Stephan Sterns and his mother seem a bit heavy-handed, trying to make it seem as though Sterns is a "stand-up guy" who wouldn't be a "rat," possibly to try and help her son as he prepares to spend the rest of his life behind bars.

Stern's mother says, "I keep thinking about how you would not ever rat out a friend," and later adds, "It really made me mad, and I felt like you valued them over us when you let them get away with stuff. Don't be doing that again."

Stern's mother says things like, "We all know [redacted] was heavily involved in this, and I am disgusted that she is free, and you are not when this is not all your fault!!"

"You need to think about yourself more and her less. She sure isn't thinking of you and how she can help you right now. That whole family is willing to stay quiet and let you take the fall for everything."

JOINING NANCY GRACE TODAY:

• Tim Jansen - Criminal Defense Lawyer and Former Federal Prosecutor, Legal Analyst for Tallahassee Democrat’s Newspaper
• Dr. Jorey Krawczyn - Police Psychologist, Adjunct Faculty with Saint Leo University; Research Consultant with Blue Wall Institute, Author: "Operation S.O.S. - Practical Recommendations to Help (Stop Officer Suicide)”
• Robin Dreeke - Behavior Expert & Retired FBI Special Agent / Chief of the FBI Counterintelligence Behavioral Analysis Program; Author: "Sizing People Up: A Veteran FBI Agents Manual for Behavior Prediction;" X: @rdreeke Agents Maual for Behavior Prediction", peopleformula.com, Twitter: @rdreeke
• Dr. Eric Eason - Board-certified Forensic Pathologist, Consultant; Instagram: @eric_a_eason, Facebook: Eric August Eason, LinkedIn: Eric Eason, MD
• Shannon Butler - Investigative Reporter, WFTV-9

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