Stephan Sterns
Stephan Sterns
Case Status: CLEARED BY ARREST Case Mng Status: CLEARED BY ARREST Occurred: 02/25/2024
Offense: HOMICIDE
**Supplemental Correction**
On my original supplement, I incorrectly marked the dates of the event as to occurring in March instead of February.
This supplement was completed to address this discrepancy.
**
On February 28, 2024, I, Detective Cabral #743, was contacted by Major Crimes Detective`s Morris and Detective
Corporal Illgen in regard to a homicide case.
I was provided two vehicle license plates for vehicles that were suspected to be involved in the case on February 26,
2024 and February 27, 2024. IYLL82 on a silver Lincoln and on a white Nissan both Florida plates. I ran both
vehicles through our Vigilant License Plate Reader (LPR) Query and received several hits.
Utilizing the LPR hits as a point of reference, I began to generate a driving profile for the above listed vehicles. Later,
when provided with video surveillance from the Apartment complex, the starting and ending point of the
vehicles travel, those dates and times were added into the profile. I also provided these profiles to Investigative Analyst
Monica Winstead of the Orange County Sheriff`s Office, for use in timeline construction with Orange County`s own
video resources.
The chronological profile for the silver Lincoln bearing Florida which I observed through a combination of apartment
complex cameras, traffic cameras, and LPR cameras is as follows:
On February 26, 2024 at 0735 hours, a silver Lincoln MKZ with the tag IYLL82 is observed on the workshop camera
of the complex. A male exits the vehicle and throws something into the complex dumpster, the male is wearing a red
shirt and tan pants. At 0740 hours, the vehicle leaves through east gate of the complex. At 1014 hours, a silver Lincoln
MKZ, enters the complex through the east gate of the complex, the driver appears similar to the male seen earlier at the
dumpster.
At 1054 hours, the silver Lincoln MKZ with tag IYLL82 again parks by the workshop near the complex dumpster. The
male exits the vehicle, now wearing a blue shirt, and again throws something into the complex dumpster.
At 1103 hours, a silver Lincoln MKZ is observed passing the intersection of San Sebastian and San Vital, within the
complex. The vehicle then exits the complex through the main gate. At 1156 hours, a silver Lincoln MKZ enters
through the rear gate of the complex with a male driver consistent with the driver on previous recordings.
Case Status: CLEARED BY ARREST Case Mng Status: CLEARED BY ARREST Occurred: 02/25/2024
Offense: HOMICIDE
At 1244 hours, the silver Lincoln MKZ again exits the rear gate of the complex, as I had a later LPR hit in the St. Cloud
area, I tracked the vehicle through each intersection I had available traffic cameras. As these cameras are overhead
views, I utilized marker vehicles (other vehicles following the same path) and the time frame of the vehicle passing
each intersection to locate the vehicle at each new location. The approximate times, and locations of the corresponding
intersection crossings are as follows:
I could not locate the vehicle continuing to travel along this eastbound path at future intersections so I checked for
surrounding cameras to where the vehicle was last observed.
I located a similar size, style and color vehicle pass Creative Inspirations (2030 Old Hickory Tree Dr, St. Cloud) camera
facing Old Hickory Tree Drive, just south of 13th Street. The vehicle passed the location at 1316:58 which would
correlate with the last intersection passed and the time frame. I did not have access to any cameras further along this
path of travel.
Watching forward I located the vehicle return northbound on Old Hickory Tree Drive and turn west onto 13th Street in
an apparent return path at 1411:30 hours. The vehicle now had a spare tire on the rear driver`s side.
Case Status: CLEARED BY ARREST Case Mng Status: CLEARED BY ARREST Occurred: 02/25/2024
Offense: HOMICIDE
The vehicle is then observed returning through the rear gate of the Apartment Complex at 1443:33 hours.
At 1524 hours, the Lincoln MKZ returns to the workshop area where the same male again throws some items into the
dumpster. He leaves then immediately returns at 1528 hours with more items to throw away. He returns again at 1636,
hours to again throw items into the dumpster.
Similarly, I developed a vehicle movement profile for the white Nissan with the license plate . I also reviewed
the apartment complex camera footage for travel times.
Based on an LPR hit on the Nissan on 02/27/24, also at St. Cloud Commons and another on Academy Drive, the same
path the Lincoln took, I again followed the route of the vehicle using indicators on the trim package of the car, the
travel times and marker vehicles. At 0316:15 hours, the white Nissan exits the complex utilizing the main gate. The
vehicle follows the same path the Lincoln followed the previous day, with the exception of utilizing the front gate of the
complex.
Case Status: CLEARED BY ARREST Case Mng Status: CLEARED BY ARREST Occurred: 02/25/2024
Offense: HOMICIDE
I then watched for the vehicle return path at the Old Hickory Tree / 13th Street intersection.
I provided this data to Detective Morris and Detective Corporal Illgen for use in the investigation. The traffic camera
video was made available through access provided by the City of St. Cloud and may be uploaded at a later date.
Case Status: CLEARED BY ARREST Case Mng Status: CLEARED BY ARREST Occurred: 02/25/2024
Offense: HOMICIDE