Bridge of Lies: The Abandoned Car

Podcast: 20/20 (ABC News)
Host: Juju Chang, with contributions by Debra Roberts
Episode Release: March 11, 2026
Main Theme: The mysterious disappearance of 19-year-old Sarah Stern along the Jersey Shore – a cold December night, an abandoned car on a bridge, and a town's search for answers. Episode one dives into the first hours after Sarah goes missing, blending methodical police work, family testimony, and the echoes of a close-knit community suddenly shattered.

Episode Overview

This opening episode sets the tone for a gripping true crime series centered on the disappearance of Sarah Stern. It reconstructs the night her car was found abandoned, follows the evolving search and initial investigation, and paints a vivid portrait of who Sarah was. By episode’s end, listeners are left with a tangle of questions, speculative clues, and the chilling sense that the deepest betrayals may come from those closest to us.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Discovery of the Abandoned Car

• Time: [02:33]

  • A driver spots a suspicious car on the Belmar Bridge, reporting it to police.
  • Police find a silver 1994 Oldsmobile 88, unlocked, with keys in the console, no sign of accident or breakdown, and “no id, no money, and no clothing” ([03:07]).
  • Unique items: Disney memorabilia and artwork in the trunk, but nothing that clearly identifies a missing person.

• Setting: The bridge connects Neptune City and Belmar across the powerful Shark River – a potentially perilous location that immediately raises the specter of suicide or foul play.

2. The Search for Sarah

• Initial police response ([04:52]):

  • Officers trace the car ownership to Lillian Stern, Sarah’s grandmother; it’s quickly determined that Sarah is missing.
  • Police search the Stern home: signs of life (Christmas decorations, family photos, Sarah’s dog Buddy), but Sarah is nowhere and there is “no suicide note” ([08:28]).
  • Michael Stern, Sarah's father, is out of state on vacation. Police inform him, and he begins a frantic trip back to New Jersey.

• Notable quote:

  “We went through the entire house, backyard, everything. There’s absolutely nobody home.” – Police Officer ([08:53])

3. Michael Stern’s Perspective

• Time: [09:32] to [12:11]

  • Michael describes being awakened by police and his confusion over Sarah’s missing car.
  • He recalls his last communication with Sarah, sharing joyful Disney World photos and their mutual love for Disney – “one of her favorite sayings…was reckless optimist.” ([21:42])
  • Michael’s growing worry and emotional turmoil as he rushes home, talking to police and family throughout the drive.

• Notable quote:

  “I hadn’t heard from her… Her text messages on the iPhones are coming back green. So no answer on her phone.” – Michael Stern ([10:28])

4. Who Was Sarah Stern?

• Character portrait ([17:55]–[21:15]):

  • Sarah was creative, quirky, widely loved, and deeply involved in both her local and online communities.
  • She suffered the loss of her mother in high school, dealt with emotional ups and downs, but friends and family describe her as funny, artistic, and social.
  • Close friendships are highlighted: neighbor Carly Draper calls her “a sister,” and friends remember her distinct sense of humor and artistic gifts.

• Notable quotes:

  “She was missing. Nobody knew where she was. It was a 19-year-old girl who would have normally been attached to her phone and she was off the grid.” – Jessica Easthope, local reporter ([17:55])

  “She did a nice snowman holding an ice cream cone.” – Michael Stern, on Sarah’s public art ([21:15])

  “She tried to put that on her cap during the graduation ceremony…she peeled a couple letters off and put them back on when she was waiting to go get her diploma.” – Michael Stern, about Sarah’s “reckless optimist” motto ([21:42])

5. Early Suspicions & Expanding the Investigation

• Time: [25:02]

  • Police canvas Sarah’s friends, focusing on Liam McAtasney, described as a close companion since first grade.
  • Liam’s mother, Megan, is approached, and the officers eventually find Liam at his own home.
  • On police body cam, Liam claims:

    “I just know she’s been trying to get away and tell me she’s going to Canada… She’s been real depressed lately.” ([29:44])

  • Officers probe for more: was Sarah in conflict with anyone? Was she suicidal? Did she just run away?
  • Friends and neighbors cast doubt, insisting Sarah was looking to the future and would not leave without telling loved ones.

• Notable exchange:

  Police Officer: “Trying to get away. Okay, Canada. She’s been real depressed lately.”
  Liam: “Her dad is crazy.” ([29:54])

• Summary of police impressions:

  “She’s not getting along with father. There’s all kinds of emotional issues with her. We got depression. We got all kinds of stuff dealing with here. And I got a car on top of a bridge.” – Police Officer ([30:56])

6. A Community in Shock, A Search Accelerates

• Neptune City reaction:

  • The narrative zooms out to describe a “tight knit community” ([17:04]), unused to tragedy of this scale.
  • Friends and police alike are torn between theories: accident, suicide, or something much darker.
  • By daybreak, search efforts intensify with divers and rescue boats on the Shark River ([31:15] onwards).

• Memorable moment:

  “I remember walking into my rain boots and it was low tide and I was like in the muck and thinking to myself, like, we’re never going to find anything because she’s in Canada.” – Sarah’s friend ([31:23])

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [02:33] – Abandoned car discovered on Belmar Bridge
• [04:52] – Police trace car, begin search at Stern family home
• [09:32] – Michael Stern notified, describes his last contact with Sarah
• [17:16] – Reporter Jessica Easthope on Neptune City’s close community
• [18:45 & 20:09] – Friends describe Sarah’s childhood, humor, and online presence
• [21:15] – Sarah’s artistic achievements and her struggles after her mother’s death
• [25:02] – Police approach Liam McAtasney, a key figure
• [29:44] – Liam suggests Sarah was depressed and wanted to go to Canada
• [31:15] – Search for Sarah intensifies, community coping with the unknown

Notable Quotes

• "We went through the entire house, backyard, everything. There’s absolutely nobody home." – Police Officer ([08:53])
• "One of her favorite sayings during high school was reckless optimist." – Michael Stern ([21:42])
• "She was missing. Nobody knew where she was." – Jessica Easthope ([17:55])
• "Trying to get away. Okay, Canada. She’s been real depressed lately." – Police Officer & Liam ([29:44])
• "We got depression. We got all kinds of stuff dealing with here. And I got a car on top of a bridge." – Police Officer ([30:56])

Episode Tone & Style

The episode mixes classic investigative reporting with intimate narration, alternating between methodical police inquiry and heartfelt, often raw testimony from Sarah’s friends and family. The community’s pervasive sense of shock and confusion is mirrored in the tone, and the lingering possibility of betrayal—and even something darker—underscores every revelation.

Summary

Bridge of Lies: The Abandoned Car masterfully draws listeners into the eerie, uncertain hours after Sarah Stern’s disappearance. The meticulous unfolding of the timeline, emotional interviews, and police search threads a narrative of a young woman loved by many, suddenly gone without a trace—and a community desperate for answers but terrified of what they might be. The episode closes with growing suspicion, intensifying search efforts, and a hint that what’s to come will unravel "friendships, lies, and perhaps even betrayal."