The investigation into the disappearance of Sarah Stern has resulted in a chilling and tragic revelation.
ABC’s 20/20, hosted by David Muir and Amy Robach, shared the harrowing events surrounding Sarah’s robbery and murder. The shocking revelation of who killed Sarah stunned the residents of her hometown.
Sarah Stern, a 19-year-old from Neptune City, New Jersey, disappeared on December 2, 2016. She was last seen at her home that Friday afternoon, and her abandoned car was found on a local bridge the following morning. Sarah had graduated from her town’s high school and was studying arts and TV production at Brookdale Community College.
Her father, Michael Stern, expressed his deep concern and confusion about her sudden disappearance, as Sarah had seemed fine to everyone who spoke with her leading up to the tragic event. He pleaded for anyone with information to come forward, as there were many unanswered questions surrounding Sarah’s disappearance.
After months of investigation, two of Sarah’s friends and former classmates, Liam McAtasney and Preston Taylor, were arrested on February 1, 2017. The breakthrough in the case came from a recording police obtained from their friend, Anthony Curry, in which McAtasney confessed to killing Sarah.
During the trial, it was revealed that McAtasney and Taylor had planned Sarah’s robbery and murder months in advance after learning of an inheritance she had received. McAtasney strangled Sarah on the night of her disappearance to deprive her of the inheritance, and then he and Taylor disposed of her body in Shark River to make it look like a suicide.
McAtasney was convicted of several charges, including first-degree murder, robbery, and disturbing human remains, while Taylor was convicted of robbery and other related charges. McAtasney was sentenced to life in prison without parole, and Taylor received an 18-year sentence.
Despite justice being served for Sarah, her body was never recovered from Shark River. The tragic story of Sarah’s betrayal by her friends will be featured in a special episode of 20/20 titled “With Friends Like These,” which can be streamed on Hulu. The case will also be included in the docuseries “The Interrogation Tapes,” set to premiere on April 1, 2024.
