Disclaimer: This article contains mentions of murder and assault. Reader discretion is advised.
The Interrogation Tapes is a true-crime docu-series on ABC 20/20 that will premiere on Monday, April 1, 2024, at 10 p.m. ET. “With Friends Like These” is an episode of the series that revolves around the murder of Sarah Stern and the subsequent conviction of her killer, Liam McAtasney.
Liam McAtasney was found guilty of first-degree murder, robbery, conspiracy, desecration of human remains, and hindering apprehension in 2019 when he was 21 years old. He had killed a 19-year-old aspiring artist, Sarah Stern, in 2016 at her Neptune City, New Jersey home. According to People magazine, he allegedly strangled her and then drove with her body in the passenger seat of the car and threw her off a bridge in Belmar.
He was sentenced to life in prison without parole for the murder. He was also sentenced to 10 additional years for the desecration of human remains. McAtasney has been serving both sentences consecutively. Liam McAtasney and Sarah Stern were childhood friends and high school classmates. He allegedly took the help of Preston Taylor, Sarah’s former prom date and his roommate, to throw the body off the bridge. Her body was never found, ABC News reported.
Preston Taylor reportedly pleaded guilty and testified against Liam McAtasney in court. He was sentenced to 18 years in prison. Sarah Stern was reported missing in December 2016 after being last seen at her home on December 2, 2016. Upon investigation, her car was found with keys in the ignition on Route 35 Bridge over the Shark River in Belmar, CBS News reported.
Why did Liam McAtasney kill Sarah Stern?
Anthony Curry, an amateur filmmaker, reportedly came forward and told the police that Liam McAtasney had presented him with a plan to kill Sarah Stern the previous Thanksgiving. He reportedly suggested that they kill her and steal the money left to her after her mother’s death. The police also found evidence in a video that was secretly recorded in Curry’s car. In that, he described how he choked Stern for half an hour. He then stole her safe before throwing her off the bridge, ABC 7 reported.
Liam McAtasney also expressed disappointment that the murder that he had planned for over 6 months only left him with $10,000. He allegedly believed Sarah Stern inherited more money from her mother. According to his description in the recording, McAtasney dragged Stern’s body to the edge of the bridge. Just then, three cars suddenly started approaching. He then put her back in the car and threw her off after the vehicles passed. McAtasney and Taylor allegedly left her car behind to make it seem like a suicide.
Liam McAtasney has maintained his innocence ever since he was charged with the murder. He is currently serving a life sentence in prison. NBC New York reported that he believed he would get at least $100,000 from Sarah Stern’s inherited money. The defense argued that since her body was not found, there was reasonable doubt about whether Stern was actually dead. However, McAtasney was ultimately found guilty of her murder.
“With Friends Like These” is an episode of The Interrogation Tapes that will premiere on ABC 20/20 on Monday, April 1, 2024, at 10 p.m. ET.
