Related video: Community honors missing 13-year-old Florida girl found dead
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) —Osceola County Sheriff Marcos López apologized after a photo of a dead body was posted to his Instagram page over the weekend, the Orlando Sentinel reported.
According to the Sentinel, the photo depicted the body of someone lying under brush, wearing a green top and blue jeans. It was posted alongside a collection of photos about a community event for seniors.
In a statement to the Sentinel, a spokesman said, “On March 2, 2024, a post was made on social media about a community event for seniors. In the post, an investigative photo was accidentally included. The photo was immediately removed. We deeply apologize for any confusion or disturbance this may have caused. As with any investigation, the information obtained is confidential and any mistaken disclosures will be immediately rectified.”
The post came a day after the corpse of 13-year-old Madeline Soto was found in rural Osceola County.
Nirva Rodríguez, the executive director of the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office, posted another photo — a selfie— to her personal Facebook page, which shows her next to Stephan Sterns, the prime suspect in Madeline’s disappearance.
Both photos were criticized online and have since been removed.
Many of López’s election opponents took to social media to call out the mistake.
The Kissimmee Police Department declined to comment on the situation, according to the Sentinel.
