Introducing "Bridge of Lies"

Summary

Podcast Summary: Bad Rap – “Introducing Bridge of Lies”

Podcast: Bad Rap: The Case Against Diddy
Host: ABC News, featuring Juju Chang
Episode: Introducing "Bridge of Lies"
Date: March 10, 2026

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Overview

This episode serves as a crossover introduction to "Bridge of Lies," a gripping true crime podcast from ABC News and 20/20. Hosted by Juju Chang, "Bridge of Lies" investigates the mysterious disappearance of 19-year-old Sarah Stern from Neptune City, New Jersey. The story unravels beginning the night authorities discover Sarah’s abandoned car on a bridge, igniting questions about possible suicide, voluntary disappearance, or foul play. Through first-hand interviews, police audio, and personal recollections, this first episode sets the stage for a story of community, secrets, and betrayal.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Discovery of the Abandoned Car (01:53–04:23)

• 911 Call:
  The episode opens with a 911 call reporting an abandoned car on the Belmar Bridge. The caller notes the car “looks like one someone in their 70s or 80s would drive.”
• Police Investigation:
  Officers describe the car—a silver 1994 Oldsmobile 88—unlocked, with keys inside, no ID, money, or clothing, and only some Disney memorabilia in the trunk. They find the scene odd, remarking “it doesn’t seem like the car broke down or got in an accident.” (03:00–03:30)
• Initial Suspicions:
  Police immediately contemplate suicide (“I want to make sure we don’t have a jumper.” – 05:33), but also realize they have little to go on.

2. Searching Sarah’s Home & Family Background (04:23–11:59)

• House Search:
  Police enter the Stern family house, noting the darkness and the presence of Sarah’s dog, Buddy, but finding no sign of Sarah or her 96-year-old grandmother.
  • “We went through the entire house, backyard, everything. There’s absolutely nobody home.” (08:24)
• Contact with Family:
  Police find the car is registered to Sarah’s grandmother but learn Sarah typically drove it. Her father, Michael Stern, is away in Florida.
• Michael Stern’s Perspective:
  Michael describes being awakened by a call from police while in Orlando. He tries unsuccessfully to reach Sarah and details his increasing worry as he drives through the night back to New Jersey.
  • “A million things go through your mind.” (11:04)

3. Small-Town Neptune City Context (15:19–16:44)

• Town Portrait:
  Juju Chang and local reporter Jessica Easthope paint Neptune City as a tight-knit, “run-of-the-mill sleepy town” where “when things like this happen, the young woman becomes everyone’s daughter.” (17:16)
• Sarah’s Local and Online Life:
  Friends and neighbors recall Sarah’s upbringing, artistic talents, active online presence, quirky humor, and the impact of her mother’s passing.
  • “Sometimes, like when you’re with her, you just forget about everything around you and it’s just… whatever funny, crazy story she’s telling.” (20:05 – Jessica Easthope)

4. The Personal Side of Sarah Stern (18:07–21:23)

• Memories from Friends:
  Sarah’s friend Carly Draper reminisces about childhood summers, simple pleasures, and how Sarah was “raised like a sister.”
  • “We’d just play back there all day long, sitting on the chairs and playing the sprinklers.” (18:07)
• Art & Grief:
  After her mother’s death from cancer, Sarah found solace in art, maintaining optimism amid personal hardship.
  • Michael Stern: “She tried to put ‘reckless optimist’ on her cap during the graduation ceremony…” (21:03)

5. The Night of the Disappearance – Tracking the Timeline (22:44–30:00)

• Police Interviews with Sarah’s Inner Circle:
  Police canvass the neighborhood, interviewing close friend Liam McAtasney and family friend Robin Draper.
  • Robin reports Sarah dropped off a bin of her mother’s possessions the day she disappeared. (25:41)
  • Police question Liam about his last contacts with Sarah; he tells them she was thinking of “getting away,” possibly to Canada, and says she was depressed. He also mentions alleged tension with her father. (29:01–29:19)
• Law Enforcement’s State of Mind:
  Police remain uncertain:
  • “She’s not getting along with father. There’s all kinds of emotional issues with her. We got depression. … And we got a car on top of a bridge.” (30:19 – Officer)

6. The Search Intensifies & Questions Mount (30:32–31:11)

• Community Response:
  By daybreak, authorities and locals ramp up search efforts, scouring the Shark River and questioning those closest to Sarah.
  • “Is it a missing person? Is it a suicide? At this point, nobody knows.” (30:32 – Jessica Easthope)
• Foreshadowing Betrayal:
  With mounting uncertainty and the introduction of more friends into the investigation, Juju Chang sets up the painstaking search for answers:
  • “Police will look more closely at Sarah’s inner circle, examining friendships, lies, and perhaps even betrayal.” (30:56)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “The bridge runs between Neptune City and Belmar across the Shark River, which flows out to the Atlantic Ocean. On this cold December night, the river has a strong current… an investigation that will rock this sleepy shore town.”
  — Juju Chang (03:15)
• “At 3:00 or 4:00am, there’s no traffic, so you can… drive pretty quick, but talking constantly to the police. They would call, I would call them. And getting calls from family and still looking for Sarah.”
  — Michael Stern (11:24)
• “Often when things like this happen, this young woman becomes everyone’s daughter. She was missing. Nobody knew where she was.”
  — Jessica Easthope (17:16)
• “She tried to put ‘reckless optimist’ on her cap during the graduation ceremony and one of the teachers… said you have to take that stuff off. Well, she peeled a couple letters off and put them back on when she was waiting to get her diploma.”
  — Michael Stern (21:03)
• “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 we got a car on top of a bridge.”
  — Neptune City Police Officer (30:19)
• “Is it a missing person? Is it a suicide? At this point, nobody knows.”
  — Jessica Easthope (30:32)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 911 Call and Initial Police Response: 01:53–04:23
• Home Search & Michael Stern’s Account: 04:23–11:59
• Neptune City and Sarah’s Background: 15:19–21:23
• Police Interview Friends & Neighbors: 24:05–30:00
• Investigation Focuses on ‘Inner Circle’: 30:32–31:11

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Tone & Language

The episode’s tone is reflective, intimate, and suspenseful, marked by empathy for the missing Sarah Stern and her community. Reporters and police alternately express concern, confusion, and growing urgency. Personal anecdotes, homey details, and direct audio from police encounters ground the story in everyday reality while building tension toward the hidden truths to be unravelled.

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Conclusion

The first episode of "Bridge of Lies" immerses listeners in the mystery of Sarah Stern’s disappearance, painting her as a beloved member of a close-knit town and foreshadowing coming twists as her friends and family become subjects of a deepening investigation. The careful chronicling of police work and personal memories sets the stage for a story about trust, betrayal, and the search for justice.

For further episodes, follow Bridge of Lies on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, or wherever you listen.

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Transcript

[Juju Chang]

Hi, I'm Juju Chang. You may know me as the co anchor of Nightline or from my true crime reporting on 2020. Complex layered stories like the Murdoch family murders. And I'm gonna get you the case of Debbie Dorian. And now I get to host a new true crime podcast from 2020 and ABC audio called Bridge of Lies. It's a heart pounding thriller about the mysterious disappearance of Sarah Stern, a 19 year old from New Jersey who had dreams an artist. The night she disappeared, the only clue authorities discovered was her car abandoned on a bridge overnight. Her friends and loved ones offered different theories. Maybe she jumped or fled to Canada. But the more police were digging, conflicting statements moved investigators to consider the possibility of foul play. But what motive would there be to harm Sarah? The detectives start to piece together a shocking betrayal. It makes you question who can you trust? Finally, a daring sting operation reveals a heartbreaking betrayal. You actually have to hear it to believe it. In Bridge of Lies, we'll be sharing every twist and turn of this entire story over the next six weeks. Keep listening now to hear the first episode right here. And if you like it, you you can get the rest of the series by following Bridge of Lies on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music or wherever you're listening now. Thanks for listening to Bridge of Lies. Listen to and follow Bridge of Lies on Amazon Music or just ask Alexa. Play the podcast Bridge of Lies on Amazon Music. Also with Amazon Music Unlimited, you can now listen to your favorite music podcasts and audiobooks all in the Amazon Music app.

[Neptune City Police Officer]

911 where's the emergency?

[Juju Chang]

In the middle of a cold December night by the Jersey Shore, a driver spots something that gives him a strange feeling.

[Neptune City Police Officer]

Not emergency actually. On the Belmar Bridge. In the middle of the bridge, there's a car that's abandoned. So what kind of car is kind of looks like an old beat up white, tan colored like sedan.

[Juju Chang]

The caller thinks it looks like a car someone in their 70s or 80s would drive.

[Neptune City Police Officer]

And was there anybody inside the vehicle? I looked. No. Okay. Unless they were sleeping. I couldn't see them by their head being up. Nobody. All right. Okay.

[Juju Chang]

Police. Head to the bridge and find a silver 1994 Oldsmobile 88. It's rusty and some of the paint is flaking off. Inside, the leather seats are wrinkled and worn with big gashes that reveal yellow stuffing. But the strange thing is it doesn't seem like the car broke down or got in an accident. It's unlocked. The keys are in the center console. And the caller was right. Nobody is inside. There's also no id, no money, and no clothing. The trunk has some Disney memorabilia and artwork in it, but otherwise it's just an empty old car left on a bridge in the middle of the night. The bridge runs between Neptune City and Belmar across the Shark river, which flows out to the Atlantic Ocean. On this cold December night, the river has a strong current. Some of the officers walk down to the Belmar Marina to see if there are any clues by the water, but it's so dark they can hardly see anything. As the waters of the Shark river rush into the ocean, the officers begin an investigation that will rock this sleepy shore town. An investigation that will make people question who they can really trust and what those closest to them are capable of. From ABC Audio and 2020 I'm Juju Chang, and this is Bridge of Lies. Episode 1 the abandoned car.

[Neptune City Police Officer]

Neptune scene Place hello? Hello? Neptune City police?

[Michael Stern]

Hello?

[Juju Chang]

Police run the plates and figure out that the abandoned Oldsmobile is. Is registered to a woman in her 90s. Her name, Lillian Stern. She lives about 10 minutes away from the bridge in Neptune City. Officers head to Lillian's house, but they're actually looking for her granddaughter, Sarah Stern, who they've learned by now typically drives the Oldsmobile and lives with her father and her grandmother. Police shine their flashlights as they check the perimeter of the Sterns house and then they prepare to enter. From body camera footage, we can see it's very dark outside. There are just a few glimmers of distant light coming from porches throughout the neighborhood. The street's quiet and residential. It has sidewalks and modest homes with short driveways and fenced in yards. The Stearns house is white with black window shutters. Sarah and her father both grew up in this house where police are now knocking, but no one answers.

[Neptune City Police Officer]

We're getting no answer with the house. I might go inside and make sure everything's kosher here. I don't. I want to make sure we don't have a jumper.

[Juju Chang]

A jumper? It's an early theory, perhaps the most obvious for why the car might have been left on the bridge in the middle of the night. Maybe the driver parked, then climbed over the edge before walking into the house. Officers worry someone might be home.

[Neptune City Police Officer]

I'm pretty sure we're going to run into Mike in there.

[Juju Chang]

Mike? Michael Stern. That's Sarah's dad.

[Neptune City Police Officer]

Be prepared for if. If Mike is home for him to be pissed. He may be out of state, but who knows?

[Juju Chang]

The front door is unlocked and they head inside.

[Neptune City Police Officer]

We're gonna make ourselves very well known by yelling and screaming, bang on walls.

[Juju Chang]

The home is mostly dark, but there's a small lamp and overhead light on in the living room.

[Neptune City Police Officer]

Hello? It's the police department. Hello? Anybody home? Announce yourself please. Hello? I guess the grandmother's not here.

[Juju Chang]

A big dog is locked in a crate. It's Buddy, Sarah's 10 year old foxhound. He's brown and white with floppy ears and big brown eyes.

[Neptune City Police Officer]

Somebody put the dog in a cage. Hello, police department. Hello? Buddy. Good dog, you.

[Juju Chang]

The officers shine their flashlights into every corner of the house, putting a quick spotlight on family photos, Christmas decorations and poinsettias, and even more Disney memorabilia, including Goofy and Mickey figurines. They check the living room, the bathroom and a few rooms that look like they're being used for storage. Full of tubs and boxes.

[Neptune City Police Officer]

Wow, this house is jammed packed. Talk about a fire hazard.

[Juju Chang]

Then they make their way to Sarah's room. She's recently graduated from high school, but it still looks and feels like a childhood bedroom. Her door is covered with mini license plates that say Sarah, a sign that says Sarah street and a sticker that reads caution Sarah's room. There are lots of mementos on the walls and a Canadian flag hanging from the ceiling. But the two officers are struck by what they don't find anywhere in the house. Clues to Sarah's whereabouts.

[Neptune City Police Officer]

Didn't find any suicide notes either.

[Juju Chang]

On their way out, the officers go through the kitchen. There's a clock on the wall and boxes of crackers stacked up on the fridge. An officer opens up a cookie jar to get a dog. Treat for Buddy. A treat for the doggie.

[Neptune City Police Officer]

A treat for the good doggie.

[Juju Chang]

Besides Buddy, the house is empty.

[Neptune City Police Officer]

We went through the entire house, backyard, everything. There's absolutely nobody home.

[Juju Chang]

They leave with the same question. They started with, where is Sarah Stern?

[Neptune City Police Officer]

Well, I guess Neptune's gonna have to figure out what their mindset of this kid is.

[Juju Chang]

Neptune's gonna have to figure out what the mindset of this kid is. So while these officers were going through the Stearns house, other investigators were tracking down Sarah's dad, Michael. Turns out he wasn't home because he was on vacation and in Orlando, Florida with his girlfriend.

[Michael Stern]

And phone rang around 3 o' clock in the morning. Monmouth County Sheriff's Department. Do you know anything about the car? You know, gray Oldsmobile. And I said, yeah, my daughter drives that car. Then they hung up.

[Juju Chang]

Michael called back, but got an answering machine. He wanted to know what was going on. Why were police asking about Sarah's Car in the middle of the night. So he reached out to his nephew who was a first responder in Neptune.

[Michael Stern]

And I asked him, I said, find out if anything's going on with the car, whether it was an accident, didn't know, maybe the car is, you know, stuck someplace or parked someplace where it shouldn't be. No parking zone or, you know, tow away zone. Didn't know. And he called back a few minutes later and said, yeah, they found the car up on the bridge in Belmar.

[Juju Chang]

Naturally, Sarah's dad started calling and texting her, but she didn't respond.

[Michael Stern]

I hadn't heard from her. I mean, her text messages on the iPhones are coming back green. So no answer on her phone.

[Juju Chang]

The police pinged Sarah's phone to try and locate it, but nothing came back. All they could see is that earlier in the night her phone was in Neptune City and another town nearby. The last time Michael Stern says he spoke to his daughter, just a day earlier, she'd seemed completely normal. He says he told her about his trip to Disney World, which they both loved.

[Michael Stern]

Sent her a couple pictures of the castle and lit up for Christmas at Cinderella's castle. And just happened to be that afternoon, there was a rainbow over the Magic Kingdom. I sent her a picture of that too, and she just said it was great.

[Juju Chang]

Michael wasn't sure what to think or how afraid to be until the police called him back after their search of the house.

[Michael Stern]

Not in the house. So now we're kind of wondering what's going on. Yeah, I was thinking something happened. So a million things go through your mind.

[Juju Chang]

He quickly packed up his things and began the long drive from Florida back to his New Jersey home.

[Michael Stern]

At 3:34 o' clock in the morning, there's no traffic, so you can. He can drive pretty quick, but talking constantly to the police. They would call, I would call them. And getting calls from family and still looking for Sarah.

[Juju Chang]

As he drove down the empty highway in the dark, his mind was racing. What could have happened to his only child? Where could she be?

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[Friend or Neighbor (e.g., Carly Draper or other friend)]

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[Juju Chang]

Sarah Stern's hometown, Neptune City, New Jersey is pretty small population less than 5,000. Neptune City is a short drive from legendary Jersey Shore landmarks like Belmar's E Street, which Bruce Springsteen's E Street band is named after, and Asbury park, where the Boss's career first took off with hits like Blinded by the Light, Blinded by the Light,

[Podcast Sponsor Voice / Announcer]

Night Blinded by the Light.

[Juju Chang]

A lot of people associate the Jersey Shore with the big parties and the drama in the MTV reality show Jersey Shore. But the area also has quiet, wealthy neighborhoods with mansions on the water. And then there are the laid back working class towns of mostly year round residents like Neptune City. In town there are a few bars and coffee shops, a handful of Italian restaurants and pizzerias, but other than that, a lot of quiet streets lined with houses.

[Jessica Easthope (Local News Reporter)]

Neptune City, New Jersey is as small town USA as it gets. It's a small, tight knit community of people whose families have lived there for generations.

[Juju Chang]

Jessica Easthope covered Sarah's disappearance for FiOS One News, a local news channel at the time.

[Jessica Easthope (Local News Reporter)]

It's a middle and working class community. It's not the fancy Jersey Shore that you're going to get in Spring Lake. It's more run of the mill sleepy town.

[Juju Chang]

But on December 3, 2016, it was not a run of the mill sleepy town. As police worked through the night, word was spreading that a car had been abandoned the on on a bridge and its 19 year old driver was nowhere to be found.

[Jessica Easthope (Local News Reporter)]

Often when things like this happen, this young woman becomes everyone's daughter. 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.

[Juju Chang]

Sarah and her family were well known in Neptune City for decades. Her parents had a bookstore in town called Books Unlimited and for a time her mom Carla was president of the Parent Teacher Organization. Sarah spent her whole life in the same neighborhood, the same house, without any siblings. She really grew up with the kids who lived around her, her neighbor Carly Draper said. The two were raised like sisters. They always dropped by each other's houses and, and played together all the time.

[Friend or Neighbor (e.g., Carly Draper or other friend)]

My parents had bought a little outdoor, like, table and umbrella that were for kids and two little lawn chairs. And we would sit out there all the time in the summer when we were little and just have like, little pizza rolls and like, iced tea. And my parents got flamingo sprinklers from Costco. Whenever their arms would go, the water would shoot out and we'd just play back there all day long, sitting on the chairs and playing the sprinklers.

[Juju Chang]

As Sarah got older, she built a community online, too. Like so many teenagers in the 2000 and tens, she expressed herself through her Tumblr account. She shared art comics and posts about how great dogs are. She posted about funny, quirky TV shows like Broad City and Bob's Burgers. She shared memes of the comedian Kate McKinnon and things like, as a 19 year old, I oddly loved Target, as if I were a suburban mom of four. She was also really into YouTube channels and personalities. Just as the platform was starting to take off for content creators, Sarah became friends with other superfans around the world. And they recorded their Google hangouts for a YouTube channel called Sprinkled Nonsense. They weren't really talking to an audience. They were just chatting with each other and putting it out there.

[Friend or Neighbor (e.g., Carly Draper or other friend)]

Hey, Sarah.

[Juju Chang]

Hi, Sarah.

[Friend or Neighbor (e.g., Carly Draper or other friend)]

When did you appear?

[Juju Chang]

Hey, how did eating go?

[Neptune City Police Officer]

What did you eat?

[Juju Chang]

Oh, Jesus. I had pork chops and yogurt. And yogurt. What? Why not together as a dessert? Sarah was known for her quirky sense of humor. In a high school yearbook photo, she made a mustache out of her long, straight, dark brown hair, and a few girls next to her joined in. Sarah has brown eyes, and when she smiles, she has big dimples. Belinda Souza, Sarah's friend and softball teammate, said she had a gift for making people laugh.

[Jessica Easthope (Local News Reporter)]

Sometimes, like when you're with her, you

[Juju Chang]

just forget about everything around you and it's just. It's you and her and whatever funny, crazy story she's telling and you're just joking. Sarah was also known throughout Neptune City for her artwork. In high school, she got really into drawing portraits and doing illustrations. She joined her high school's art club and won the most artistic superlative her senior year. She even painted an illustration on the windows of a local restaurant.

[Michael Stern]

She did a nice snowman holding an ice cream cone.

[Juju Chang]

Her dad said making art might have been a way to cope with grief. Sarah's mom passed away from cancer when Sarah was a sophomore. Her family and friends said she went through ups and downs and struggled emotionally But Michael said one of her favorite sayings during high school was reckless optimist.

[Michael Stern]

She tried to put that on her cap when during the graduation ceremony and one of the teachers or advisors saying that you have to take that stuff off. Well, she peeled a couple letters off and put them back on when she was waiting to go get her diploma.

[Juju Chang]

She graduated in 2015 and the summer after graduation, Sarah worked as a badge checker at Bradley Beach, a classic job for a Jersey Shore teenager. She took some classes at a community college, worked odd jobs and was figuring out what to do next. She ultimately wanted to pursue a career in art. When Sarah's car was found on the bridge, she was at the very beginning of her adult life. She was seeking her place in the world, eager to explore, travel and pursue her passions. Standing outside Sarah's house in the pitch dark, police know Michael Stern is on his way back from Florida. And they've learned that Lillian Stern, Sarah's 96 year old grandma, is staying at a neighbor's house recovering from a medical procedure. But they are no closer to finding Sarah until they get some new information. Sarah spent the afternoon with a friend. So officers leave the Stearns house to knock on another door in the middle of the night hoping for some clues about where Sarah could be.

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[Michael Stern]

I have great news.

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[Juju Chang]

All I had to do is stay completely away from my family.

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[Juju Chang]

Police head to another quiet residential street in Neptune City Just a few Blocks from Sarah's house. They knock on the door and dogs start barking. The officers wait a couple of minutes and then see someone coming down the stairs. As the door creaks open, they cut right to the chase.

[Neptune City Police Officer]

Is Liam Hoff?

[Juju Chang]

Liam?

[Neptune City Police Officer]

Is liam home?

[Juju Chang]

Liam McAtasney is the friend officers are looking for. His mom, Megan, is at the door. She's in pajamas and a robe and she's groggy from being woken up in the middle of the night. She tells officers that Liam doesn't live in her house anymore. He's a block away in a small two bedroom house the McAtasneys also own.

[Neptune City Police Officer]

Now, we're looking for a friend of his that's possibly a missing person, and she supposedly hangs out with him. Is he Sarah Stern? Does he hang out with her?

[Friend or Neighbor (e.g., Carly Draper or other friend)]

Yes, Sarah's a very good friend.

[Neptune City Police Officer]

Can you call Liam, if you don't mind.

[Juju Chang]

While police wait for Liam's mom to call him, another woman walks up to them in the dark. Robyn Draper lives across the street from Sarah. Her daughter Carly is one of Sarah's close friends, the one who was like a sister to Sarah growing up. Robyn has talked to Sarah's dad, Michael, and managed to track down police in the middle of the night to share some information. She says the last time she interacted with Sarah, the day she went missing, Sarah dropped off a bin of her mother's things at Robin's house. Okay. She brought over today

[Jessica Easthope (Local News Reporter)]

a bin.

[Juju Chang]

Can I bring my mother's stuff to your house?

[Neptune City Police Officer]

So she brought a bin of stuff of her mother's to your house taped

[Juju Chang]

over, and it's in my kitchen. I was out. I said, yes, I'll put it in the cubby. This seems to catch the officer's attention. Robin says it's a big bin taped shut, and she doesn't know exactly what's in it. And I tried texting her and then nothing. The two are close. Robin says Sarah wouldn't leave without telling her. She took care of Sarah sometimes when her mom was sick. And since her mother passed away, Robin says she's taken Sarah to doctor's appointments, the dentist, the gynecologist, even the ER when it seemed like she had appendicitis. As officers speak with Robin, Liam's mom, Megan comes out of the house and says Liam must be sleeping. He's not answering her phone calls.

[Neptune City Police Officer]

We're going to go knock, see if we can wake them up over there.

[Juju Chang]

The officer turns back to Robin Draper and asks if she told Michael Stern about the bins Sarah brought over. She says no. While they speak with Robin, officers are still considering the possibility that Sarah jumped off the bridge. They're trying to understand her mindset.

[Neptune City Police Officer]

Is she depressed? Is she.

[Juju Chang]

I think she's depressed.

[Neptune City Police Officer]

Is she not suicidal anyway, do you think?

[Juju Chang]

I don't know.

[Neptune City Police Officer]

All right, we're gonna continue this search then. Liam's on the other block. We're gonna go over there now.

[Juju Chang]

The officers get in the car and move on to their next stop. Liam McAtasney's house.

[Neptune City Police Officer]

Counting from 3, 5, 5, 8. I'll be out at 11. Holly. It's related to this call.

[Juju Chang]

Around 4:00am Police knock on Liam's door.

[Neptune City Police Officer]

Liam, you. Liam, you got a second? Can I come in and talk to you real quick? Yeah, no problem. Officer, is Sarah here by chance?

[Michael Stern]

No.

[Juju Chang]

The officers step into the house. It's dark inside. There are no lights on.

[Neptune City Police Officer]

When was the last time you talked to her?

[Michael Stern]

I was with her today.

[Neptune City Police Officer]

What time? Before when I went to work. So it was earlier today?

[Juju Chang]

Yeah. The officer turns on a light and he can see Liam more clearly. He's wearing a gray T shirt and shorts. He's tall, 6 foot 2, with blue eyes and wavy blonde hair. That's messy. On police body camera footage, it seems like he's just woken up.

[Neptune City Police Officer]

When was the last time you had any kind of contact at all with her? We went to get food today.

[Juju Chang]

Liam and Sarah have known each other since the first grade. They grew up with a tight circle of friends. In middle school, their group even had a name, the Squad. As they got older and graduated from high school, Liam and Sarah still hung out pretty regularly.

[Neptune City Police Officer]

You went to work at what time?

[Juju Chang]

4:30.

[Neptune City Police Officer]

Okay, so you haven't talked to her since 4:30? You have a cell phone you can reach out to her on?

[Michael Stern]

I actually haven't been able to find my cell phone.

[Juju Chang]

Liam says he's been looking for his phone but can't find it.

[Neptune City Police Officer]

Keep looking for your cell phone, man, because we're trying to find Sarah. What was her mindset last time you talked to her?

[Juju Chang]

I just know she's been trying to get away. Been telling me she's going to Canada. This is the first time officers are hearing that Sarah may have run away.

[Neptune City Police Officer]

Trying to get away. Okay, Canada. She's been real depressed lately.

[Michael Stern]

Her dad is crazy.

[Juju Chang]

It's also the first time they're hearing that Sarah may have had a strained relationship with her dad. The officers only talk to Liam for a few minutes. He says he doesn't know where she is. He says he hasn't heard from her. There's not much more to talk about. As the officers head out, they try to press upon him just how serious this all is.

[Neptune City Police Officer]

Maybe reach out some friends, maybe hit our message on social media. Definitely will start reaching out to somebody, see if anybody's talked to her or if they, when they talk to her, what her mindset was and all that. All right, planning on getting a phone

[Michael Stern]

as soon as I wake up.

[Neptune City Police Officer]

And yeah, we spoke to you. As soon as you hear anything called the Neptune City or Neptune Township, please come on and let us know. Thank you.

[Juju Chang]

When the officers get back in the car, one of them sums up everything they've learned during their middle of the night search for Sarah. It's a muddled picture of Sarah's life and mental state, shaped by their interviews with Robin draper and Liam McAtasney.

[Neptune City Police Officer]

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 we got a car on top of a bridge.

[Juju Chang]

Officers don't know what to make of the case.

[Jessica Easthope (Local News Reporter)]

Is it a missing person? Is it a suicide? At this point, nobody knows.

[Juju Chang]

By daybreak, the search for Sarah will accelerate with divers and rescue boats on the frigid Shark River.

[Friend or Neighbor (e.g., Carly Draper or other friend)]

And I remember walking into my, 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.

[Juju Chang]

And police will look more closely at the Sarah's inner circle, examining friendships, lies, and perhaps even betrayal.

[Neptune City Police Officer]

You're young. I want to make sure you get how important this is. This young girl is off the grid all of a sudden.

[Juju Chang]

How did Sarah simply vanish into the night? If you or someone you know are experiencing suicidal thoughts, substance use, or. Or any other mental health crisis, please call or text the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You'll reach a trained crisis Counselor for free 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can also go to 988lifeline.org Bridge of Lies is a production of ABC Audio and 2020 hosted by Me Ju, produced by Camille Peterson and Sabrina Fang. Fact checking and production help from Audrey Mostek and Annalisa Linder. Tracy Samuelson is our story editor. Our supervising producer is Sasha Aslanian. Music and mixing by Evan Viola. Special thanks to Katie Dendos, Janice Johnston, Joseph Diaz and Michelle Margulis. Josh Cohan is our director of podcast programming. Eamonn McNiff is our executive producer.

[Podcast Sponsor Voice / Announcer]

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[Juju Chang]

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[Juju Chang]

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[Friend or Neighbor (e.g., Carly Draper or other friend)]

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[Juju Chang]

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