BELMAR – Authorities are expected to resume their search for the body of 19-year-old Sarah Stern on Friday morning, one day after two of her former high school classmates were charged in her killing.
Liam McAtasney, 19, of Neptune City, went to Stern’s Neptune City home with intentions of robbing her on Dec. 2 and strangled her, authorities said.
Liam McAtasney and Preston Taylor, both 19 of Neptune City appear in Superior Court in Monmouth County on Thursday. The two men have been charged in the killing of Sarah Stern, 19, the Neptune City woman who has been missing since December. (Patti Sapone | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com)Patti Sapone
McAtasney then called Preston Taylor, also 19 of Neptune City, and asked him to help dispose of the body and of evidence of the crime, prosecutors said.
Using her car, the pair drove her body a couple hours later to the bridge over the Shark River in Belmar and threw it over the side, prosecutors said.
After Stern’s car was found unoccupied, working properly, with the keys inside, an extensive search of the Shark River was conducted by the U.S. Coast Guard, the New Jersey State Police, as well as local and county search teams.
McAtasney and Taylor were both in Monmouth County Superior Court on Thursday for their first appearances on their respective charges.
As of Thursday afternoon, authorities have been unable to locate Stern’s body.
However, authorities were scheduled to resume the active search for her body in the area of the Shark River on Friday morning.
Rob Spahr may be reached at rspahr@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TheRobSpahr. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
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