In December 2016, 19-year-old Sarah Stern went missing after her car was found abandoned on a bridge. The investigation revealed a shocking murder plot involving her childhood friend Liam McAtasney, who killed her for her inheritance. This blog post details the harrowing events leading to her death and the subsequent investigation that uncovered the truth.
In early December 2016, a car belonging to 19-year-old Sarah Stern was found abandoned on a bridge in New Jersey, raising alarms about her safety. This blog post recounts the harrowing events surrounding her disappearance, the investigation that followed, and the shocking truth about her murder.
On December 3, 2016, an Uber driver noticed an abandoned car on the Belmar Bridge, which connects Belmar and Neptune City, New Jersey. The car, an Oldsmobile 88, was empty with the keys still in the ignition. Upon running the license plate, police discovered it belonged to Lillian Stern, Sarah's grandmother. Sarah had been missing since the previous evening, and her father, Michael Stern, who was on vacation in Florida, had been trying to reach her without success.
Sarah had faced significant challenges in her life, particularly after the death of her mother from cancer three years earlier. Despite her struggles, she had recently received an inheritance that gave her hope for a new beginning in Canada. However, her mental state was concerning, as she had been exhibiting signs of depression and had expressed a desire to escape her difficult home life, particularly her tumultuous relationship with her father.
As the police investigated Sarah's disappearance, they spoke to her friends and family. Liam McAtasney, one of her closest friends, described her as being depressed and wanting to leave for Canada. He mentioned that Sarah had been packing her belongings and had even dropped off some personal items at a friend's house shortly before she went missing. Liam's account raised suspicions, especially when he implied that Sarah might have jumped off the bridge.
The case took a dramatic turn in January 2017 when Anthony Curry, another friend of Sarah and Liam, recalled a conversation he had with Liam about a fictional plot involving killing a girl for money. This conversation, combined with the news of Sarah's disappearance, prompted Anthony to contact the police. The authorities needed more concrete evidence, so they set up a sting operation to gather information from Liam.
During a secretly recorded meeting with Anthony, Liam confessed to murdering Sarah. He described how he had choked her to death after she withdrew money from the bank, intending to steal her inheritance. Liam's chilling confession revealed that he had planned the murder and even timed how long it took for Sarah to die. He and his accomplice, Preston Taylor, then disposed of her body by throwing it off the bridge.
On February 1, 2017, both Liam and Preston were arrested. Preston cooperated with the investigation, confirming Liam's confession and detailing their plan to murder Sarah for her money. The evidence against them included Liam's missing phone, which had a stopwatch function activated at the time of the murder, and the safe containing Sarah's money that they had buried in a park.
Liam was charged with first-degree murder, robbery, and other related offenses. He showed no remorse during the trial, claiming that his confession was merely a fictional story. However, the jury found him guilty, and he was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Preston received a lesser sentence in exchange for his testimony against Liam.
The tragic story of Sarah Stern highlights the devastating consequences of betrayal and greed. Her murder, committed by someone she trusted, serves as a grim reminder of the darkness that can lurk beneath the surface of seemingly close friendships. As Sarah's family continues to cope with their loss, the case remains a poignant example of the complexities of human relationships and the tragic outcomes that can arise from them.
