The Abandoned Car

Summary

Bridge of Lies: Episode 1 — "The Abandoned Car"

Podcast: Bridge of Lies, ABC News
Date: March 10, 2026
Host: Juju Chang
Episode Overview:
This opening episode transports listeners to a cold December night on the Jersey Shore, where an abandoned car on the Belmar Bridge triggers a search for 19-year-old Sarah Stern, a well-known, aspiring artist in Neptune City. As police, Sarah's loved ones, and the community grapple with her mysterious disappearance, conflicting clues and uneasy relationships unfold. Through on-the-ground reporting and firsthand accounts, the episode reconstructs the initial hours of the investigation and introduces the people and stakes at the heart of the case.

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Main Themes and Purpose

• Central Mystery: The sudden disappearance of Sarah Stern after her car is found deserted on a bridge. Is it suicide, an accident, a runaway, or something more sinister?
• Small Town Impact: The case’s ripple effect on Neptune City, a tightly knit Jersey Shore community unaccustomed to such drama.
• Inside the Investigation: Listeners follow police bodycam audio, interviews, and home visits, experiencing the uncertainty and emotional strain on all involved.
• Emerging Suspicions: Early hints at secrets, strained relationships, and possible betrayal.

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Key Sections & Discussion Points

Discovery of the Abandoned Car (00:00–03:44)

• 911 Call: Concerned driver reports a deserted car in the dead of night on Belmar Bridge, describing it as “an old beat up light tan colored…sedan” (01:25).
• Police Arrive: Officers find a 1994 Oldsmobile 88—unlocked, with keys inside but no ID, cash, or personal effects except for Disney memorabilia and artwork (01:58).
• Initial Theories: No signs of accident or breakdown. Early leanings toward the possibility of a suicide jumper (05:02).

Memorable Quote

“It doesn't seem like the car broke down or got in an accident. It's unlocked. The keys are in the center column console… nobody is inside.” — Juju Chang (01:58)

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Search at the Stern Family Home (03:44–08:04)

• Identifying the Owner: Police trace registration to Lillian Stern, Sarah’s grandmother. Attention immediately shifts to Sarah as the primary driver.
• Home Check: House is empty except for Buddy the dog, family memorabilia, and Christmas decor—no sign of Sarah, no suicide note.
• Police Reflection: Officers are left wondering about Sarah’s “mindset,” referencing the “jumper” theory but with no clear evidence.

Notable Moment

Buddy, the “10-year-old foxhound with floppy ears and big brown eyes,” is found locked in a crate, highlighting the suddenness of Sarah's disappearance (06:04).

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Reaching Sarah’s Father (08:04–11:21)

• Michael Stern’s Account: Sarah’s father is on vacation in Florida, receives an early morning call from the police, and is thrown into panic and confusion.
• Lack of Communication: Michael can’t reach Sarah—her texts turn to green, indicating no phone service.
• Last Conversation: Michael recalls sending Sarah photos from Disney World, noting, “she just said it was great.” (09:56)

Memorable Quote

"A million things go through your mind." — Michael Stern, reflecting on his anxiety during the drive home (10:25)

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Introducing Neptune City & Sarah’s Life (13:56–19:14)

• Community Portrait: Neptune City is described as “small, tight knit,” not the lavish Jersey Shore seen on TV, but “run of the mill” and deeply connected (15:03).
• Sarah’s World:
  • Raised as an only child, grew up with close friends (Carly Draper) and was deeply involved in the community.
  • Social media and online worlds were important—she ran a Tumblr and participated in YouTube group calls (17:10–18:10).
  • Notable for her sense of humor and artistic talent, painting murals and winning her school’s “most artistic” award (18:54).
• Personal Struggles: Sarah’s mother died of cancer, leaving Sarah struggling emotionally but clinging to an identity as a “reckless optimist” (19:18).

Notable Quote

“She tried to put [‘reckless optimist’] 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 (19:40)

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The Nighttime Search for Answers (20:00–29:16)

• Tracing Sarah’s Last Steps: Police learn Sarah spent the day with longtime friend Liam McAtasney.
• Interview with Friends and Neighbors:
  • Robin Draper (Neighbor): Describes Sarah dropping off a taped bin of her late mother’s things—unusual and deemed noteworthy by police (24:34).
  • Carly & Robin: Emphasize Sarah’s reliability and how it’s out of character for her to vanish without notice.
• Interview with Liam McAtasney:
  • Claims to have seen Sarah earlier in the day, says she was “trying to get away, telling me she’s going to Canada,” and describes her as having been “real depressed lately. Her dad is crazy” (27:41–28:07).
  • “I actually haven’t been able to find my cell phone.” His vague answers and lost phone raise suspicions.

Memorable Exchange

Officer: “You went to work at what time?”
Liam: “4:30.”
Officer: “So you haven’t talked to her since 4:30? …What was her mindset last time you talked to her?”
Liam: “I just know she’s been trying to get away, telling me she’s going to Canada.” (27:27–27:54)

• Police Synthesis: Conflicting accounts, hints at depression, a possibly strained paternal relationship, and loose talk of running away complicate the picture.

Key Quote

“She’s not getting along with father. There’s all kinds of emotional issues with her. …And I got a car on top of a bridge.” — Police officer (29:06)

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Community Rallies and Search Intensifies (29:25–29:59)

• By dawn, divers and rescue boats search the Shark River as anxiety and speculation grip Neptune City.
• Friends and family maintain hope but fear the worst.

Notable Moment

“I remember…thinking to myself, like, we’re never going to find anything because she’s in Canada.” — Carly Draper, expressing disbelief Sarah could be dead (29:33)

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Notable Quotes & Speaker Attribution

• On Sarah’s absence:

  "This young woman becomes everyone’s daughter. She was missing. Nobody knew where she was."
  — Jessica Easthope, reporter (15:53)

• On Sarah’s personality:

  "Sometimes, like when you're with her, you just forget about everything around you and it's just... you and her and whatever funny, crazy story she's telling."
  — Belinda Souza, friend and teammate (18:45)

---

Important Segment Timestamps

• Abandoned car discovered: 01:25–01:58
• Police search Stern house: 03:44–07:45
• Michael Stern recounts call from police: 08:24–10:37
• Jessica Easthope describes Neptune City: 15:03–15:21
• Carly Draper on Sarah’s childhood: 16:44–17:14
• Robin Draper describes bin of mother's belongings: 24:34–24:38
• Police’s first interview with Liam: 26:27–28:38
• Police summarize case/confusion: 29:06–29:16

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Episode Tone and Style

The storytelling is empathetic, precise, and cinematic, using actual police audio, interviews, and community voices to create urgency and emotional impact. The podcast balances the technical and emotional aspects of the investigation, while foreshadowing deeper secrets and betrayals to come.

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Episode 1 Takeaways

• The case of Sarah Stern’s disappearance immediately mystifies police and community.
• Her family background, personality, and recent struggles complicate the picture—nothing is straightforward.
• Early interviews with friends/neighbors introduce possible motives, shifting theories from suicide to voluntary disappearance to foul play.
• The groundwork is laid for a broader investigation into Sarah's inner circle and what may have really transpired on the bridge that night.

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Next episode promises to dive deeper into Sarah’s friendships, secrets, and the investigation’s turning points.

Transcript

[A]

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[B]

Not an 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 it? Kind of looks like an old beat up light tan colored like sedan.

[A]

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

[B]

And was there anybody inside the vehicle? I looked now, okay. Unless they were sleeping. I couldn't see them by their head being up. Nobody. All right. Okay.

[A]

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 column 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 day, 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.

[B]

That's in City police.

[A]

Hello?

[B]

Hello? Neptune City police.

[A]

Hello? Police run the plates and figure out that the abandoned Oldsmobile 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 style. Sarah and her father both grew up in this house where police are now knocking, but no one answers.

[B]

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

[A]

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.

[B]

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

[A]

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

[B]

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

[A]

The front door is unlocked and they head inside.

[B]

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

[A]

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

[B]

Hello? It's the police department.

[A]

Hello?

[B]

Anybody home? Announce yourself, please.

[C]

Hello?

[B]

I guess the grandmother's not here.

[A]

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.

[B]

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

[A]

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.

[B]

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

[A]

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.

[B]

Didn't find any suicide notes either.

[A]

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. A treat for the good doggie. Besides Buddy, the house is empty.

[B]

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

[A]

They leave with the same question they started with. Where is Sarah Stern?

[B]

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

[A]

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

[C]

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

[A]

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.

[C]

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.

[A]

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

[C]

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

[A]

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.

[C]

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.

[A]

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

[C]

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.

[A]

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

[C]

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

[A]

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?

[D]

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[A]

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. 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.

[G]

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.

[A]

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

[G]

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

[A]

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 on a bridge and its 19 year old driver was nowhere to be found.

[G]

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.

[A]

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 played together all the time.

[H]

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.

[A]

As Sarah got older, she built a community online too. Like so many teenagers in the 2010s, 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 love 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.

[H]

Hey, Sarah, when did you appear?

[A]

Hey, how did eating go?

[B]

What did you eat?

[H]

Oh, Jesus.

[A]

I had pork chops and yogurt. And yogurt. What? Why not Together as the 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. Sometimes, like when you're with her, you

[D]

just forget about everything around you and it's just.

[A]

It's you and her and whatever funny,

[D]

crazy story she's telling and you're just joking.

[A]

Sarah was also known throughout Neptune city for her artwork. And 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.

[C]

She did a nice snowman holding an ice cream cone.

[A]

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.

[C]

She tried to put that on her cap during the graduation ceremony. And one of the teachers or advisors, 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.

[A]

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 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 Sterns house to knock on another door in the middle of the night, hoping for some clues about where Sarah could be.

[B]

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[C]

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[A]

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[B]

I have a 16 year old daughter. Can't get a hold of her. I am scared to death.

[A]

We wanted to talk to Skylar's friends.

[B]

They're not telling the full story.

[C]

The truth is gruesomely horrific.

[H]

How could you do this to your best friend?

[C]

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[I]

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[A]

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[B]

Did you say someone got Brian Pata, senior defensive lineman from Miami, gunned down? The key to this case. It's Brian. An hour before he died, he was on the phone arguing with somebody.

[A]

This might be a hit.

[B]

You want the truth? They just want a conviction. Being placed under arrest.

[A]

We had a killer amongst us. Murder at the U. Listen now. 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.

[B]

Is Liam home? Is liam home?

[A]

Liam McAtasney is the friend officers are looking for. His mom, Megan, is at the door. She's in pajamas, in 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.

[B]

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

[A]

Yes.

[H]

Sarah's a very good friend.

[B]

Can you call Liam? Of course, if you don't mind.

[A]

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. Robin 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 a bin. Can I bring my mother's stuff to your house?

[B]

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

[A]

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 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.

[B]

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

[A]

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.

[B]

Is she depressed?

[A]

Is she. I think she's depressed. Is she

[B]

not suicidal anyway, do you think?

[A]

I don't know.

[B]

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

[A]

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

[B]

Counting from 3, 5, 5, 8. I'll be out at 11.

[A]

Holly.

[B]

It's related to this call.

[A]

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

[B]

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?

[E]

No.

[A]

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

[B]

When was the last time you talked to her?

[C]

I was with her today.

[B]

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

[A]

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.

[B]

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

[A]

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.

[B]

You went to work at what time?

[A]

4:30.

[B]

Okay, so you haven't talked to her since 4:30? You have a cell phone you can reach out to her on? I actually haven't been able to find my cell phone.

[A]

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

[B]

Keep looking for your cell phone, man, because we're trying to find Sarah. What was her mindset last time you talked to her? I just know she's been trying to get away, telling me she's going to Canada.

[A]

This is the first time officers are hearing that Sarah may have run away.

[B]

Trying to get away. Okay.

[C]

Canada.

[B]

She's been real depressed lately. Her dad is crazy.

[A]

It's also the first time they're hearing that Sarah may have had a strained relationship with her dad. The officers only talked 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.

[B]

Maybe reach out some friends, Maybe hit our message on social media, 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.

[C]

All right.

[B]

Planning on getting a phone.

[E]

Okay.

[B]

And, yeah, we spoke. You hear anything, call the Neptune City or Neptune Township. Please come on and let us know. Thank you.

[A]

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 Robyn draper and Liam McAtasney.

[B]

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.

[A]

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

[G]

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

[A]

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

[H]

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.

[A]

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

[B]

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.

[A]

How did Sarah simply vanish into the night? If you or someone you know are experiencing suicidal thoughts, substance use, or any other mental health crisis, please call or text the 988suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You'll reach a trained crisis counselor for free 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can also go to 988lifeline.org Bridge of Lies is a production of ABC Audio and 20 20, hosted by me, Juju Chang. 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 Dendoz, Janice Johnston, Joseph Diaz and Michelle Margulis. Josh Cohan is our director of podcast programming. Eamonn McNiff is our executive producer.

[F]

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