A childhood friend agreed to wear a wire. What he recorded became the case that convicted a killer whose victim's body was never found.
Liam McAtasney was convicted in 2019 of murdering his childhood friend, 19-year-old Sarah Stern, in Neptune, New Jersey, in December 2016, after planning her death for months in hopes of stealing an inheritance she'd received from her late mother.
A Plan Built Around Money
Sarah had discovered a shoebox of cash left to her by her mother, who had died of cancer in 2013. According to prosecutors, McAtasney learned of the money and spent roughly six months planning to take it, eventually recruiting a mutual friend and former roommate, Preston Taylor, to help. What began as a plan to simply steal from Sarah evolved into a decision to kill her and stage her death as a suicide, in hopes of avoiding suspicion entirely.
The Night Sarah Died
On the night of December 2, 2016, McAtasney and Taylor coordinated using Snapchat and walkie-talkies to avoid leaving a digital trail. McAtasney strangled Sarah in her home; given the severity of what he later described, we won't reproduce the extended details here beyond confirming the act took roughly half an hour. Afterward, McAtasney took a backpack containing a little over $7,000 in cash and returned briefly to steal a safe from Sarah's room, which he and Taylor later broke open to find roughly $2,000 more inside.
Staging a Disappearance
The two men placed Sarah's body in the passenger seat of her own car and drove to the Route 35 bridge in Belmar, New Jersey, where they disposed of her body and left the vehicle behind to suggest she'd taken her own life. Her body has never been found. In the weeks that followed, both men participated in public search efforts for Sarah, and McAtasney even gave a television interview expressing concern for her welfare.
A Friend Wears a Wire
The case broke open when Anthony Curry, a mutual friend of McAtasney's, agreed to secretly record a conversation with him at the request of investigators. On the recording, McAtasney described killing Sarah and expressed frustration that he'd expected to find far more money than he actually did. The presiding judge later credited Curry directly with preventing the case from becoming permanently unsolved.
Arrests and a Plea Deal
McAtasney and Taylor were arrested on February 1, 2017. Taylor confessed, led investigators to where the men had buried safes containing stolen cash, and agreed to a plea deal in exchange for testifying against McAtasney; he was ultimately sentenced to 18 years in prison.
Trial and Sentencing
McAtasney was convicted on all charges, including first-degree murder, following an eight-week trial in February 2019. That June, a judge sentenced him to life in prison without the possibility of parole, plus an additional 10 years for desecrating human remains, to run consecutively. The judge specifically noted the calculated, six-month nature of the plan and the fact that McAtasney had drawn a former friend into it.
Appeals Denied
McAtasney's attorneys filed an appeal shortly after sentencing, which was denied. A second appeal, seeking post-conviction relief, was also rejected by a New Jersey appellate panel in late 2025. He remains incarcerated at New Jersey State Prison.
Frequently Asked Questions
Was Sarah Stern's body ever found?
No. Despite extensive searches, her body has never been recovered.
Is Liam McAtasney still in prison?
Yes. He's serving life without parole plus 10 years, and his second appeal was denied in late 2025.
How was the case ultimately solved?
A mutual friend, Anthony Curry, agreed to secretly record a conversation with McAtasney at the request of investigators, capturing what became the key evidence at trial.