Reid Carter breaks down James Craig's life sentence for poisoning his wife Angela with protein shakes while planning a new life with his Texas mistress - justice for the dentist who thought medical knowledge made him untouchable. Plus, Billy Delgado gets 50 years for shooting his ex-wife five times, rejecting a 40-year plea deal that would have saved him a decade. Then, the case you may have missed: Stephan Sterns' 21 life sentences for raping and murdering 13-year-old Madeline Soto, whose four-year nightmare of abuse ended in strangulation and a wooded grave. From calculated poisoners to rage-filled shooters to predatory killers, justice shows that evil comes in many forms but always pays the same price. Justice isn't always swift, but it's absolutely riveting.
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Become a premium subscriber! (no ads and no feed drops). For Apple users, hit the banner on your Apple podcasts app which says UNINTERRUPTED LISTENING. You also get 25+ other series from comedy to paranormal, royals, romance, trivia, politics, movies, music, murder, sports, travel, religion, spirituality, celebrity gossip and feuds, consisting of THOUSANDS OF SHOWS AD-FREE! (it’s only $4.99 a month with a free-trial month) PLUS, subscribers get offers like early show releases and subscriber-only shows. Go to Caloroga.com for all our shows!
Join our new FB groups page here. Take the poll!
Join the Celebrity Trials community on social media! We're building a passionate group of true crime enthusiasts who love diving deep into the most shocking cases in America.
Follow us on Facebook and Instagram by searching "Celebrity Trials Podcast" on either platform.
You'll get exclusive behind-the-scenes content, breaking news updates on cases we're covering, and early alerts when new episodes drop. Our social media is where Reid Carter's hottest takes live, including reactions that don't make it into the show.
But more importantly, it's where YOU come in. Share your theories, debate the verdicts, and connect with fellow listeners who are just as obsessed with justice as you are. Did the jury get it right? What questions do you still have? Your comments and insights often shape future episodes.
We cover the trials that matter, but our community makes the conversation unforgettable. Come for Reid's signature cynical commentary, stay for the incredible discussions with thousands of true crime fans who get it.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:03):
Callaroga Shark Media. Good morning, I'm Read Carter, and welcome
to Celebrity Trials on this Friday, August first. Today, we're
bringing you major verdicts in two cases we've been following closely,
plus a deep dive into one of the most disturbing
(00:23):
child murder cases you may have missed this year. James Craig,
the Colorado dentist who systematically poisoned his wife with protein shakes,
has been sentenced to life in prison without parole. Billy Delgado,
who shot his ex wife five times in Texas, got
fifty years after rejecting a plea deal that would have
saved him a decade. And we're taking you inside the
(00:45):
horrific case of Stephen Stearns, who received twenty one life
sentences for raping and murdering thirteen year old Madeline Soto
after years of sexual abuse. These cases show us different
faces of evil, the calculated killer who uses his medical
knowledge to commit murder, the rage filled domestic abuser who
can't accept rejection, and the predatory monster who destroys innocence
(01:08):
before taking life itself. Each case ended with justice, but
the paths to those verdicts reveal how criminals think they
can outsmart the system. Let's start with yesterday's verdict in Colorado,
where James Craig discovered that all his medical knowledge, manipulation attempts,
and jailhouse murder plots couldn't save him from life in prison.
(01:31):
After deliberating for more than eight hours over two days,
and a Rapahoe County jury found James Craig guilty of
first degree murder, solicitation to commit murder in the first degree,
solicitation to commit perjury, and solicitation to commit evidence tampering.
Judge Shay Whittaker sentenced the father of six to life
(01:52):
in prison with no possibility of parole for his crimes.
The evidence, the crime, the verdict, and the sentence all
speak for themselves, Judge Whittaker said while handing down the
life sentence. Doctor Craig unleashed a path of destruction as
wide as a tornado, and just as devastating damage to
(02:12):
his children, damage to Angela's family, damage to his own family.
This case was always about more than just murder. It
was about the systematic destruction of trust, family, and love
by a man who convinced himself he was smart enough
to commit the perfect crime. Craig didn't just kill his wife, Angela.
(02:34):
He tried to frame her for her own death, manipulate
his own children into covering for him, and hire hitmen
from jail to kill the investigators who exposed his lies.
The prosecution called forty eight witnesses over two weeks to
prove that Craig poisoned his wife's protein shakes, gave her
prescription capsules he had emptied and refilled with cyanide, and
(02:56):
injected her with a poisonous substance using a syringe while
she lay dying in the hospital. The evidence was overwhelming
and absolutely devastating. Craig used his dental practice computer to
search for is there such thing as an undetectable poison?
And how long does it take to die from arsenic poisoning?
He ordered potassium cyanide on Amazon and had it delivered
(03:20):
to his office. Surveillance video from his home captured him
preparing the fatal protein shakes in their kitchen. Text messages
showed his affair with Texas dentist Karen Kin, whom he
met at a Las Vegas conference and promised a new
life with. Perhaps most damning were the testimonies from Craig's
own daughters, who described how their father asked them to
(03:40):
help fabricate evidence that their mother was suicidal. Two of
Craig's children took the stand and testified against their father,
showing just how completely he had destroyed his own family.
But Craig's arrogance didn't stop with murder. While awaiting trial,
he tried to orchestrate a murder for higher scheme, targeting
the lead detective investigating his wife's death. He wrote letters
(04:03):
trying to convince fellow inmates to kill investigators for twenty
thousand dollars each. He asked his daughter to destroy computer
evidence he plotted to create deep fake videos of his
dead wife confessing to suicide. Even after all this evidence,
Craig's defense tried to argue that Angela had killed herself.
His attorney claimed investigators had tunnel vision and suggested Angela
(04:26):
was emotionally broken by Craig's affairs and took her own life. But,
as prosecutor Ryan Brackley argued in rebuttal, the only evidence
of Angela Craig's suicidal ideation comes from James Craig, and
he is not trustworthy. The jury saw through Craig's lies
and manipulation. Angela Craig was a forty three year old
(04:47):
mother of six who was making plans for the future
when her husband decided to kill her rather than face
the inconvenience of divorce. She texted Craig during her first hospitalization,
saying she felt drugged after drinking only her protein shake,
and Craig's response was chilling. Just for the record, I
didn't drug you. Following the verdict, Angela Craig's family members
(05:10):
offered victim impact statements that captured the true cost of
Craig's crimes. Angela's eldest daughter, tears streaming down her face,
said life and the world will truly never be the
same without her mom. She told her father he had
betrayed her trust in the most fundamental way possible. I
(05:31):
want my mom. I want more than anything to go
home at the end of the day and just give
her a hug and call her and tell her about
the crazy stuff that's happened, she said. While Craig sobbed
at the defense table, Angela's brother, Ricky Pray, spoke through tears.
I've always been impressed by Angie's obvious love and support
(05:53):
for her children. She always found ways to draw in
and include our extended family. Because because of his selfishness, lust, dishonesty,
and narcissism, our Angie is gone. Assistant District Attorney Ryan
Brackley said the evidence was absolutely stunning and never stopped
getting worse. The case revealed not just a murder, but
(06:15):
a web of deception, manipulation, and attempted cover ups that
showed Craig's complete lack of remorse or human decency. Craig
will appeal, but his conviction sends a clear message. Medical
knowledge and professional status don't make you above the law.
All the poison in the world can't kill the truth,
and all the manipulation in the world can't escape justice
(06:39):
back in a moment. Our second verdict comes from Texas,
where Billy Delgado learned that rejecting a plea deal and
betting on a jury's sympathy was a costly mistake that
(06:59):
will keep him in prison for an extra decade. A
jury sentenced Billy Delgado to fifty years in prison Wednesday
for shooting his ex wife, Erica Torres, five times during
a custody exchange in twenty twenty four. The punishment comes
one day after jurors found Delgado guilty of aggravated assault
with a deadly weapon in the shooting that left Torres
hospitalized for nearly a year. Delgado had been offered a
(07:22):
forty year plea deal, but declined, choosing instead to face
a jury trial. That decision cost him ten additional years
behind bars and put his victim through the trauma of
reliving her near death experience in open court. The incident
happened June first, twenty twenty four, outside a Laredo home
where Torres had gone to pick up their daughter. Delgado
(07:44):
allegedly shot at Torres more than a dozen times, hitting
her five times in the abdomen as she sat in
her car. Despite being critically wounded, Torres managed to drive
toward a hospital before losing consciousness and crashing her vehicle.
Torres testified about the horrific attack, saying, I realized I
got shot because I felt like I couldn't breathe. I
(08:07):
felt like something was tying around my waist so tight.
She was hospitalized for three hundred sixty three days and
underwent more than twenty surgeries. I was in excruciating pain.
I kept passing out I just did not want to die,
she told the jury. But Delgado's defense collapsed when investigators
found no evidence to support his claims that he shot
(08:29):
Torres because their daughter had been abused by Torres's brother.
Sergeant Vaka, a twenty six year veteran of the Laredo
Police Department, testified that a forensic investigation found no evidence
supporting Delgado's allegations, so Delgado's entire defense was based on
fabricated child abuse claims. He invented a story about protecting
(08:49):
his daughter to justify attempted murder, showing the same pattern
of manipulation and lies we saw with James Craig. During
the punishment phase, Torres took the stand once again, telling
jurors she and her daughters now live in constant fear.
You didn't just hurt me, you hurt them. You both
are families, the people who trusted you, who believed in you,
(09:10):
and carried a different kind of wound. Despite everything, I
forgive you, Billy Torres said, But her forgiveness came with
a clear message about consequences. You didn't just try to
take away. You changed everything. You changed our daughter's lives
forever as well. They are victims too. They carry the
trauma of what you did, even if they didn't see
(09:32):
it with their own eyes. They feel the pain in
ways you may never understand. The jury deliberated for only
thirty minutes before assessing the fifty year sentence, showing they
saw through Delgado's lies and fake remorse. Like Craig Delgado
thought he could manipulate the system with fabricated stories and
(09:53):
jailhouse claims of regret, both men learned that juries can
distinguish between genuine remorse and calculated manipulation. Now we turn
to a case that many of you may have missed
this year, but one that represents perhaps the most disturbing
intersection of child abuse and murder we've seen. The case
of Madeleine Soto shows us how predators operate within families
(10:17):
and how the justice system handles the most heinous crimes
against children. On Monday, July twenty first, Stephen Stearns was
sentenced to twenty one life sentences without the possibility of
parole after pleading no contest to the murder of thirteen
year old Madeleine Soto and guilty to twenty counts of
sexual abuse. The plea deal spared him from the death penalty,
(10:39):
but ensures he will never walk free again. This case
began as a missing child report, but quickly revealed years
of systematic sexual abuse that ended in murder. Madeleine Soto
was reported missing on February twenty sixth, twenty twenty four,
when she didn't show up to Hunter's Creek Middle School
in Orange County, Florida. Her body was found five days
(10:59):
late in the woods along Hickory Tree Road near Saint Cloud.
Stephan Stearns, who was dating Madeleine's mother and lived with
them in their Kissimee apartment, was supposed to have dropped
her off at school that morning, but investigators quickly discovered
that Madeleine never made it to school, and Sterne's story
began to fall apart under scrutiny. What investigators uncovered was
(11:20):
a nightmare that had been hidden in plain sight for years.
While searching for Madeline, detectives found disturbing images on Stearns's
phone and Google Drive that showed him sexually abusing the teenager.
Despite Stearne's factory resetting his phone on the day Madeleine
went missing, claiming he was trying to update it. Investigators
(11:41):
recovered extensive evidence of ongoing abuse. The evidence showed that
Stearns had been sexually abusing Madeline since she was just
eight years old, beginning in twenty nineteen. Court documents filed
by the state Attorney's office revealed a pattern of systematic
abuse that escalated over four years until Sterns decided to
(12:02):
silence his victim permanently. Surveillance footage captured Sterns throwing items
into a dumpster at a Kissimee apartment complex the morning
Madeleine disappeared. Her backpack and school issued laptop were later
found in that same dumpster, proving that Sterns was disposing
of evidence rather than taking her to school. Investigators believe
Madeleine was sexually molested, strangled, and dumped in the wooded
(12:25):
area by Sterns. The medical examiner determined that she died
from strangulation, ending four years of abuse at the hands
of the man who was supposed to protect her. Sterns
originally faced sixty charges related to sexual abuse, plus first
degree murder charges that carried the possibility of the death penalty.
Prosecutors had announced their intention to seek capital punishment, but
(12:48):
the plea deal was reached in close consultation with Madeleine's
family to spare them the trauma of lengthy trials. During
Monday's plea hearing, family members spoke about the vibrant, talented
girl they had lost. They described Madeleine as someone who
enjoyed art, was a talented singer with a trademark laugh,
and loved sour gummy candies. She was learning Spanish and
(13:11):
had just turned thirteen before she was killed. Because of
the actions of this depraved man, I will never meet
the woman she was becoming, Madeleine's father, Tyler Wallace, told
the court, and I can't I can't grasp it. Madeleine's aunt,
Letitia Nunez, spoke about the void left by her death,
a world that feels less vibrant, less colorful than it
(13:34):
did before. Even Stearns seemed to understand the magnitude of
his crimes, saying in court, I agree that it is
not fair that Madeleine is not here anymore. It's been
a hard time contemplating a world where she's not around,
a world that feels less vibrant, less colorful than it
did before. I've prayed to God countless times to trade
(13:56):
places with her and to take me instead. Unfortunately, that
just not how he works. But Stern's expressions of remorse
ring hollow when we consider the calculated nature of his crimes.
He spent four years systematically abusing a child, then murdered
her when she became inconvenient. He disposed of her belongings
(14:16):
before she was even reported missing, showing premeditation and planning.
State attorney Monique Warrel emphasized that the plea deal was
designed to provide finality for the family. The individual responsible
has been sentenced to twenty one concurrent life sentences and
will never walk free again. He has also waived all
(14:36):
of his rights to appeal, ensuring finality and sparing the
family from reliving this trauma in courtrooms for years to come.
The Madeleine Sodo case highlights several disturbing patterns we see
in child abuse cases. First, the predator was in a
position of trust. Stearns was dating Madeleine's mother and living
(14:57):
in their home. Second, the abuse use escalated over years,
showing how predators groom their victims and normalize horrific behavior. Third,
when Sterns felt threatened by discovery, he chose murder rather
than face consequences. Most disturbing is how Sterns used his
relationship with Madeleine's mother as cover for his crimes. Jennifer Soto,
(15:19):
who was not charged with any crime, became an online
target despite there being no evidence she knew about the abuse.
This shows how predators manipulate entire families and communities to
hide their crimes. The case also shows the importance of
digital evidence in modern prosecutions. Despite Sterens's attempts to destroy
(15:40):
evidence by factory resetting his phone, investigators recovered the images
and videos that proved years of abuse. Technology that predators
used to document their crimes becomes the evidence that convicts them.
Madeleine Soto's case represents the worst case scenario for child protection,
a predator opera rating within the family unit, escalating abuse
(16:02):
over years, and ultimately committing murder to cover his crimes.
But it also shows how law enforcement, prosecutors, and the
justice system can work together to ensure that even the
most depraved criminals face consequences back in a moment. What
(16:30):
connects today's three cases James Craig, Billy Delgado, and Stephan
Stearns is how each defendant tried to manipulate the system
through lies, fake stories, and calculated presentations of remorse. Craig
fabricated evidence of his wife's suicide and tried to hire
hitmen from jail. Delgado invented child abuse allegations to justify
(16:54):
shooting his ex wife five times. Sterns expressed remorse while
having spent four years systematic abusing and then murdering a child,
but in each case juries and judges saw through the manipulation.
Craig got life without parole despite his medical degree and
elaborate cover up attempts. Delgado got fifty years instead of
(17:15):
forty because he rejected a plea deal and bet on
jury sympathy. Stearns avoided the death penalty but will spend
the rest of his life in prison for his crimes
against Madeline. These cases also show different aspects of how
justice works in America. Craig's case involved sophisticated forensic evidence,
(17:35):
digital forensics, and complex financial motives. Delgado's case was more
straightforward surveillance, video, and ballistics evidence proving attempted murder. Stern's
case relied on digital evidence recovered from phones and computers,
plus physical evidence from the crime scene, but Regardless of
the complexity of the evidence, each case ultimately came down
(17:57):
to the same fundamental question, did the defendant commit the
crimes charged? In each case, the answer was a resounding yes,
despite elaborate attempts at manipulation and misdirection. The sentences also
reflect the different approaches to justice in different jurisdictions. Craig
got life without parole in Colorado for first degree murder
(18:19):
plus additional crimes. Delgado got fifty years in Texas for
aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Stearns got twenty one
life sentences in Florida for murder plus extensive sexual abuse charges.
What's consistent across all three cases is that the justice
system ultimately worked. Complicated cases with manipulative defendants, extensive evidence,
(18:43):
and multiple charges resulted in appropriate convictions and sentences. Money,
professional status, fabricated stories, and fake remorse couldn't prevent justice
from being served. These cases remind us that evil comes
in many forms. The calculate, lating poisoner, the rage filled
domestic abuser, the predatory child killer. But justice recognizes them all.
(19:08):
Craig thought his medical knowledge made him untouchable. Delgado thought
his lies about protecting his daughter would save him. Stearns
thought he could hide his crimes forever within a family structure.
All three were wrong. The truth has a way of emerging,
and justice has a way of finding those who think
they're above the law. That's celebrity trials for today. I'm
(19:30):
read Carter. Whether you're a dentist with poison, a welder
with a gun, or a predator with access to children,
the justice system eventually catches up with you. Manipulation and
lies might delay justice, but they can't prevent it. The
verdicts this week prove that no matter how smart you
think you are, how justified you believe your actions were,
(19:51):
or how well you think you've covered your tracks, justice
isn't always immediate, but when it arrives, it's absolutely final.
From Neway
Callaroga Shark Media. Good morning, I'm Read Carter, and welcome
to Celebrity Trials on this Friday, August first. Today, we're
bringing you major verdicts in two cases we've been following closely,
plus a deep dive into one of the most disturbing
(00:23):
child murder cases you may have missed this year. James Craig,
the Colorado dentist who systematically poisoned his wife with protein shakes,
has been sentenced to life in prison without parole. Billy Delgado,
who shot his ex wife five times in Texas, got
fifty years after rejecting a plea deal that would have
saved him a decade. And we're taking you inside the
(00:45):
horrific case of Stephen Stearns, who received twenty one life
sentences for raping and murdering thirteen year old Madeline Soto
after years of sexual abuse. These cases show us different
faces of evil, the calculated killer who uses his medical
knowledge to commit murder, the rage filled domestic abuser who
can't accept rejection, and the predatory monster who destroys innocence
(01:08):
before taking life itself. Each case ended with justice, but
the paths to those verdicts reveal how criminals think they
can outsmart the system. Let's start with yesterday's verdict in Colorado,
where James Craig discovered that all his medical knowledge, manipulation attempts,
and jailhouse murder plots couldn't save him from life in prison.
(01:31):
After deliberating for more than eight hours over two days,
and a Rapahoe County jury found James Craig guilty of
first degree murder, solicitation to commit murder in the first degree,
solicitation to commit perjury, and solicitation to commit evidence tampering.
Judge Shay Whittaker sentenced the father of six to life
(01:52):
in prison with no possibility of parole for his crimes.
The evidence, the crime, the verdict, and the sentence all
speak for themselves, Judge Whittaker said while handing down the
life sentence. Doctor Craig unleashed a path of destruction as
wide as a tornado, and just as devastating damage to
(02:12):
his children, damage to Angela's family, damage to his own family.
This case was always about more than just murder. It
was about the systematic destruction of trust, family, and love
by a man who convinced himself he was smart enough
to commit the perfect crime. Craig didn't just kill his wife, Angela.
(02:34):
He tried to frame her for her own death, manipulate
his own children into covering for him, and hire hitmen
from jail to kill the investigators who exposed his lies.
The prosecution called forty eight witnesses over two weeks to
prove that Craig poisoned his wife's protein shakes, gave her
prescription capsules he had emptied and refilled with cyanide, and
(02:56):
injected her with a poisonous substance using a syringe while
she lay dying in the hospital. The evidence was overwhelming
and absolutely devastating. Craig used his dental practice computer to
search for is there such thing as an undetectable poison?
And how long does it take to die from arsenic poisoning?
He ordered potassium cyanide on Amazon and had it delivered
(03:20):
to his office. Surveillance video from his home captured him
preparing the fatal protein shakes in their kitchen. Text messages
showed his affair with Texas dentist Karen Kin, whom he
met at a Las Vegas conference and promised a new
life with. Perhaps most damning were the testimonies from Craig's
own daughters, who described how their father asked them to
(03:40):
help fabricate evidence that their mother was suicidal. Two of
Craig's children took the stand and testified against their father,
showing just how completely he had destroyed his own family.
But Craig's arrogance didn't stop with murder. While awaiting trial,
he tried to orchestrate a murder for higher scheme, targeting
the lead detective investigating his wife's death. He wrote letters
(04:03):
trying to convince fellow inmates to kill investigators for twenty
thousand dollars each. He asked his daughter to destroy computer
evidence he plotted to create deep fake videos of his
dead wife confessing to suicide. Even after all this evidence,
Craig's defense tried to argue that Angela had killed herself.
His attorney claimed investigators had tunnel vision and suggested Angela
(04:26):
was emotionally broken by Craig's affairs and took her own life. But,
as prosecutor Ryan Brackley argued in rebuttal, the only evidence
of Angela Craig's suicidal ideation comes from James Craig, and
he is not trustworthy. The jury saw through Craig's lies
and manipulation. Angela Craig was a forty three year old
(04:47):
mother of six who was making plans for the future
when her husband decided to kill her rather than face
the inconvenience of divorce. She texted Craig during her first hospitalization,
saying she felt drugged after drinking only her protein shake,
and Craig's response was chilling. Just for the record, I
didn't drug you. Following the verdict, Angela Craig's family members
(05:10):
offered victim impact statements that captured the true cost of
Craig's crimes. Angela's eldest daughter, tears streaming down her face,
said life and the world will truly never be the
same without her mom. She told her father he had
betrayed her trust in the most fundamental way possible. I
(05:31):
want my mom. I want more than anything to go
home at the end of the day and just give
her a hug and call her and tell her about
the crazy stuff that's happened, she said. While Craig sobbed
at the defense table, Angela's brother, Ricky Pray, spoke through tears.
I've always been impressed by Angie's obvious love and support
(05:53):
for her children. She always found ways to draw in
and include our extended family. Because because of his selfishness, lust, dishonesty,
and narcissism, our Angie is gone. Assistant District Attorney Ryan
Brackley said the evidence was absolutely stunning and never stopped
getting worse. The case revealed not just a murder, but
(06:15):
a web of deception, manipulation, and attempted cover ups that
showed Craig's complete lack of remorse or human decency. Craig
will appeal, but his conviction sends a clear message. Medical
knowledge and professional status don't make you above the law.
All the poison in the world can't kill the truth,
and all the manipulation in the world can't escape justice
(06:39):
back in a moment. Our second verdict comes from Texas,
where Billy Delgado learned that rejecting a plea deal and
betting on a jury's sympathy was a costly mistake that
(06:59):
will keep him in prison for an extra decade. A
jury sentenced Billy Delgado to fifty years in prison Wednesday
for shooting his ex wife, Erica Torres, five times during
a custody exchange in twenty twenty four. The punishment comes
one day after jurors found Delgado guilty of aggravated assault
with a deadly weapon in the shooting that left Torres
hospitalized for nearly a year. Delgado had been offered a
(07:22):
forty year plea deal, but declined, choosing instead to face
a jury trial. That decision cost him ten additional years
behind bars and put his victim through the trauma of
reliving her near death experience in open court. The incident
happened June first, twenty twenty four, outside a Laredo home
where Torres had gone to pick up their daughter. Delgado
(07:44):
allegedly shot at Torres more than a dozen times, hitting
her five times in the abdomen as she sat in
her car. Despite being critically wounded, Torres managed to drive
toward a hospital before losing consciousness and crashing her vehicle.
Torres testified about the horrific attack, saying, I realized I
got shot because I felt like I couldn't breathe. I
(08:07):
felt like something was tying around my waist so tight.
She was hospitalized for three hundred sixty three days and
underwent more than twenty surgeries. I was in excruciating pain.
I kept passing out I just did not want to die,
she told the jury. But Delgado's defense collapsed when investigators
found no evidence to support his claims that he shot
(08:29):
Torres because their daughter had been abused by Torres's brother.
Sergeant Vaka, a twenty six year veteran of the Laredo
Police Department, testified that a forensic investigation found no evidence
supporting Delgado's allegations, so Delgado's entire defense was based on
fabricated child abuse claims. He invented a story about protecting
(08:49):
his daughter to justify attempted murder, showing the same pattern
of manipulation and lies we saw with James Craig. During
the punishment phase, Torres took the stand once again, telling
jurors she and her daughters now live in constant fear.
You didn't just hurt me, you hurt them. You both
are families, the people who trusted you, who believed in you,
(09:10):
and carried a different kind of wound. Despite everything, I
forgive you, Billy Torres said, But her forgiveness came with
a clear message about consequences. You didn't just try to
take away. You changed everything. You changed our daughter's lives
forever as well. They are victims too. They carry the
trauma of what you did, even if they didn't see
(09:32):
it with their own eyes. They feel the pain in
ways you may never understand. The jury deliberated for only
thirty minutes before assessing the fifty year sentence, showing they
saw through Delgado's lies and fake remorse. Like Craig Delgado
thought he could manipulate the system with fabricated stories and
(09:53):
jailhouse claims of regret, both men learned that juries can
distinguish between genuine remorse and calculated manipulation. Now we turn
to a case that many of you may have missed
this year, but one that represents perhaps the most disturbing
intersection of child abuse and murder we've seen. The case
of Madeleine Soto shows us how predators operate within families
(10:17):
and how the justice system handles the most heinous crimes
against children. On Monday, July twenty first, Stephen Stearns was
sentenced to twenty one life sentences without the possibility of
parole after pleading no contest to the murder of thirteen
year old Madeleine Soto and guilty to twenty counts of
sexual abuse. The plea deal spared him from the death penalty,
(10:39):
but ensures he will never walk free again. This case
began as a missing child report, but quickly revealed years
of systematic sexual abuse that ended in murder. Madeleine Soto
was reported missing on February twenty sixth, twenty twenty four,
when she didn't show up to Hunter's Creek Middle School
in Orange County, Florida. Her body was found five days
(10:59):
late in the woods along Hickory Tree Road near Saint Cloud.
Stephan Stearns, who was dating Madeleine's mother and lived with
them in their Kissimee apartment, was supposed to have dropped
her off at school that morning, but investigators quickly discovered
that Madeleine never made it to school, and Sterne's story
began to fall apart under scrutiny. What investigators uncovered was
(11:20):
a nightmare that had been hidden in plain sight for years.
While searching for Madeline, detectives found disturbing images on Stearns's
phone and Google Drive that showed him sexually abusing the teenager.
Despite Stearne's factory resetting his phone on the day Madeleine
went missing, claiming he was trying to update it. Investigators
(11:41):
recovered extensive evidence of ongoing abuse. The evidence showed that
Stearns had been sexually abusing Madeline since she was just
eight years old, beginning in twenty nineteen. Court documents filed
by the state Attorney's office revealed a pattern of systematic
abuse that escalated over four years until Sterns decided to
(12:02):
silence his victim permanently. Surveillance footage captured Sterns throwing items
into a dumpster at a Kissimee apartment complex the morning
Madeleine disappeared. Her backpack and school issued laptop were later
found in that same dumpster, proving that Sterns was disposing
of evidence rather than taking her to school. Investigators believe
Madeleine was sexually molested, strangled, and dumped in the wooded
(12:25):
area by Sterns. The medical examiner determined that she died
from strangulation, ending four years of abuse at the hands
of the man who was supposed to protect her. Sterns
originally faced sixty charges related to sexual abuse, plus first
degree murder charges that carried the possibility of the death penalty.
Prosecutors had announced their intention to seek capital punishment, but
(12:48):
the plea deal was reached in close consultation with Madeleine's
family to spare them the trauma of lengthy trials. During
Monday's plea hearing, family members spoke about the vibrant, talented
girl they had lost. They described Madeleine as someone who
enjoyed art, was a talented singer with a trademark laugh,
and loved sour gummy candies. She was learning Spanish and
(13:11):
had just turned thirteen before she was killed. Because of
the actions of this depraved man, I will never meet
the woman she was becoming, Madeleine's father, Tyler Wallace, told
the court, and I can't I can't grasp it. Madeleine's aunt,
Letitia Nunez, spoke about the void left by her death,
a world that feels less vibrant, less colorful than it
(13:34):
did before. Even Stearns seemed to understand the magnitude of
his crimes, saying in court, I agree that it is
not fair that Madeleine is not here anymore. It's been
a hard time contemplating a world where she's not around,
a world that feels less vibrant, less colorful than it
did before. I've prayed to God countless times to trade
(13:56):
places with her and to take me instead. Unfortunately, that
just not how he works. But Stern's expressions of remorse
ring hollow when we consider the calculated nature of his crimes.
He spent four years systematically abusing a child, then murdered
her when she became inconvenient. He disposed of her belongings
(14:16):
before she was even reported missing, showing premeditation and planning.
State attorney Monique Warrel emphasized that the plea deal was
designed to provide finality for the family. The individual responsible
has been sentenced to twenty one concurrent life sentences and
will never walk free again. He has also waived all
(14:36):
of his rights to appeal, ensuring finality and sparing the
family from reliving this trauma in courtrooms for years to come.
The Madeleine Sodo case highlights several disturbing patterns we see
in child abuse cases. First, the predator was in a
position of trust. Stearns was dating Madeleine's mother and living
(14:57):
in their home. Second, the abuse use escalated over years,
showing how predators groom their victims and normalize horrific behavior. Third,
when Sterns felt threatened by discovery, he chose murder rather
than face consequences. Most disturbing is how Sterns used his
relationship with Madeleine's mother as cover for his crimes. Jennifer Soto,
(15:19):
who was not charged with any crime, became an online
target despite there being no evidence she knew about the abuse.
This shows how predators manipulate entire families and communities to
hide their crimes. The case also shows the importance of
digital evidence in modern prosecutions. Despite Sterens's attempts to destroy
(15:40):
evidence by factory resetting his phone, investigators recovered the images
and videos that proved years of abuse. Technology that predators
used to document their crimes becomes the evidence that convicts them.
Madeleine Soto's case represents the worst case scenario for child protection,
a predator opera rating within the family unit, escalating abuse
(16:02):
over years, and ultimately committing murder to cover his crimes.
But it also shows how law enforcement, prosecutors, and the
justice system can work together to ensure that even the
most depraved criminals face consequences back in a moment. What
(16:30):
connects today's three cases James Craig, Billy Delgado, and Stephan
Stearns is how each defendant tried to manipulate the system
through lies, fake stories, and calculated presentations of remorse. Craig
fabricated evidence of his wife's suicide and tried to hire
hitmen from jail. Delgado invented child abuse allegations to justify
(16:54):
shooting his ex wife five times. Sterns expressed remorse while
having spent four years systematic abusing and then murdering a child,
but in each case juries and judges saw through the manipulation.
Craig got life without parole despite his medical degree and
elaborate cover up attempts. Delgado got fifty years instead of
(17:15):
forty because he rejected a plea deal and bet on
jury sympathy. Stearns avoided the death penalty but will spend
the rest of his life in prison for his crimes
against Madeline. These cases also show different aspects of how
justice works in America. Craig's case involved sophisticated forensic evidence,
(17:35):
digital forensics, and complex financial motives. Delgado's case was more
straightforward surveillance, video, and ballistics evidence proving attempted murder. Stern's
case relied on digital evidence recovered from phones and computers,
plus physical evidence from the crime scene, but Regardless of
the complexity of the evidence, each case ultimately came down
(17:57):
to the same fundamental question, did the defendant commit the
crimes charged? In each case, the answer was a resounding yes,
despite elaborate attempts at manipulation and misdirection. The sentences also
reflect the different approaches to justice in different jurisdictions. Craig
got life without parole in Colorado for first degree murder
(18:19):
plus additional crimes. Delgado got fifty years in Texas for
aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Stearns got twenty one
life sentences in Florida for murder plus extensive sexual abuse charges.
What's consistent across all three cases is that the justice
system ultimately worked. Complicated cases with manipulative defendants, extensive evidence,
(18:43):
and multiple charges resulted in appropriate convictions and sentences. Money,
professional status, fabricated stories, and fake remorse couldn't prevent justice
from being served. These cases remind us that evil comes
in many forms. The calculate, lating poisoner, the rage filled
domestic abuser, the predatory child killer. But justice recognizes them all.
(19:08):
Craig thought his medical knowledge made him untouchable. Delgado thought
his lies about protecting his daughter would save him. Stearns
thought he could hide his crimes forever within a family structure.
All three were wrong. The truth has a way of emerging,
and justice has a way of finding those who think
they're above the law. That's celebrity trials for today. I'm
(19:30):
read Carter. Whether you're a dentist with poison, a welder
with a gun, or a predator with access to children,
the justice system eventually catches up with you. Manipulation and
lies might delay justice, but they can't prevent it. The
verdicts this week prove that no matter how smart you
think you are, how justified you believe your actions were,
(19:51):
or how well you think you've covered your tracks, justice
isn't always immediate, but when it arrives, it's absolutely final.
From Neway
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