NEPTUNE CITY – A pair of 19-year-old city residents have been charged in the killing of Sarah Stern, the Neptune City woman who has been missing since December after her car was found abandoned on a bridge.
Authorities have been investigating Stern’s disappearance since her car was found parked on the Route 35 Bridge in Belmar at approximately 2:45 a.m. on Dec. 3.
On Thursday morning, the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office said two men – Liam McAtasney and Preston Taylor, both 19 of Neptune City – had been arrested in Stern’s death.
Prosecutor’s office spokeswoman Donna Weaver said McAtasney and Taylor were both scheduled for a first court appearance on Thursday afternoon, but said the office would not be releasing any additional information at that time.
Weaver would also not comment Thursday if Stern’s body had been located, Weaver said.
According to jail records, McAtasney is charged with murder, robbery and tampering with evidence, while Taylor is charged with conspiracy, hindering prosecution by concealing evidence and contempt.
After Stern’s car was found unoccupied, working properly, with the keys inside, an extensive search of the Shark River was conducted by local and county search teams.
Sarah Stern attended Neptune High School where she played softball and was also a member of the swim team. Michael Stern said his daughter started on the varsity softball team as a freshman. But she was also very interested in art and photography and has a keen interest in digital media, specifically YouTube videos. She studied art and TV production at Brookdale Community College for two semesters.
The Monmouth County Crime Stoppers organization had offered a $5,000 reward for anyone who had information that led to the “identification, arrest and prosecution of any suspect(s) in the disappearance” of Stern.
Rob Spahr may be reached at rspahr@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TheRobSpahr. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
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