Bridge of Lies: The Abandoned Car

It's a heart-pounding story about the mysterious disappearance of Sarah Stern, a 19-year-old from New Jersey who had dreams of becoming an artist.

“When she disappeared, the only clue authorities discovered was her car, parked on a bridge overnight.”

Friends offered theories that she may have jumped or fled to Canada, but troubling statements moved investigators to consider the possibility of foul play.

Finally, a sting operation reveals a shocking betrayal you're going to have to hear it to believe.

We'll be sharing the whole chilling story on the 2020 podcast feed over the next seven weeks, starting right now with episode one. But if you are anxious to get started, you can find early episodes by following Bridge of Lies on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, or wherever you're listening now. Now, here's episode one of Bridge of Lies.

This show is sponsored by Quince, a thoughtfully built wardrobe is all about pieces that mix well and last.

“That's where Quince shines. Premium fabrics, thoughtful design, and everyday essentials.”

Their pieces are effortless, and dependable, even as the seasons change.

From the short-sleeve Mongolian Kashmir Paolo's to the linen pants and shorts, their pieces are designed to stay crisp and comfortable, season after season. And Quince works directly with top factories, so you're not paying for any mark-up, or middlemen, or fancy retail stores. It's all just quality clothes. No matter where you are, whether it's already warm enough that it feels like summer,

or it's still a bit chilly and damp, like it is here in York. Quince has the pieces you'll need for the perfect spring wardrobe.

Right now, go to Quince.com/bridge of Lies for free shipping and 365-day returns.

That's a full year to build your wardrobe and love it. And you will. Now available in Canada too. Don't keep settling for clothes that don't last. Go to QU-I-N-C-E.com/bridge of Lies for free shipping and 365-day returns. Quince.com/bridge of Lies. Mine 111 wears the emergency.

In the middle of a cold December night by the Jersey Shore, a driver spots something that gives him a strange feeling. Not the emergency, I actually have the film arm for it.

“In the middle of the bread, there's a car that's abandoned. So what kind of car is it?”

Uh, it kind of looks like an old beat-up light can followed, like, to dance. The collar thinks it looks like a car someone in their 70s or 80s would drive. And was there anybody inside the vehicle? I looked now. Okay, let's do it sleeping. I couldn't see them by their head being up. Okay, like, burning. Power. Okay. Police head to the bridge and find a silver 1994

old-smobile 88. It's rusting 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. Keys are in the center console and the collar 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 walked 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 the 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 Tuti Cheng, and this is Bridge of Lies. Episode 1, the abandoned car. Let's see, please! Hello! Hello! Let's see, please! Hello! Police run the plates and figure out that the abandoned old-smobile is registered

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 old-smobile and lives with her father”

and her grandmother. Police shine their flashlights as they check the perimeter of the Stern's house, and then they prepare to enter. From Bonnie 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 streets quiet and residential. If it's sidewalks and modest homes with short driveways and fenced in yards, the Stern's house is white with black window shutters. Sarah and her father,

they're both grew up in this house, where police are now knocking. But no one answers. We're getting

no answer with the house. I might go inside and make sure everything's kosher here. I don't want to make sure we don't have a jumper. 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 and climbed over the edge. Before walking into the house, officers worry. Someone might be home. I'm pretty sure we're going to run into Mike in there. Mike, Michael Stern, that's Sarah's dad.

Be prepared for if if Mike is home, yeah, for him to be pissed. He may be out of state, but who knows? The front door is unlocked and they head inside. We're going to make ourselves very well known by yelling and screaming. The bang on walls. The home is mostly dark, but there's a small

“lamp and overhead light on in the living room. Hello, it's a police department, hello, anybody home?”

And now it's your cell, please. Hello, I guess the grandma is not here. A big dog is locked in a crate. It's buddy, Sarah's 10-year-old fox-hound. He's brown and white with floppy ears and big brown eyes. The officers shine their flashlights into every corner of the house, putting a quick spotlight on family photos, Christmas decorations, and point setups, 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. Wow, this house is jammed packed. Look at that fire hazard. 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 momentum 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. 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. Besides, buddy, a house is empty. We went through the entire house, backyard, everything there's absolutely nobody home. They leave with the same question they started with. Where is Sarah's turn? Well, I guess Neptune's going to have to figure out what their mindset of this kid is. Neptune's going to have to figure out what the mindset of this kid is. So while these officers were going through the Stern's 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. And phone rang about three o'clock in the morning. Mom with county sheriff's department, do you know anything about a car? You know, great olds will be all and I say, yeah, my daughter drives that car. Then they hung up. 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 the first responder in Neptune. And they asked him, I said, "Find out if anything's

going on at the car, whether it was an accident, didn't know." Maybe the car is, you know,

tow away zone. I didn't know. And he called back a few minutes later and said, yeah, they found

“the car up on the bridge in Belmore. Naturally, Sarah's dad started calling and texting her,”

but she didn't respond. I hadn't heard from her. I mean, her text messages on the iPhones are coming back green. So, no answer on her phone. 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's 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. Sarah, a couple pictures of the castle and lit up for Christmas at Cinderella's Castle. And it just happened to be that afternoon there was a rainbow

“over the Magic Kingdom. I sent her picture of that tow and she just said it was great.”

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

He quickly packed up his things and began the long drive from Florida back to his new Jersey home. That 334 clock in the morning is no traffic, so you can you can drive pretty quick, but talking constantly to the police, they would call, I would call them and they could call us from the family and we're still looking for Sarah. 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?”

This show is sponsored by Zockdog. We all know that health problems don't follow a nine to five schedule, but with Zockdog having no time for a doctor's appointment is no problem. So whether you hurt your back on the dance floor at a family wedding, cut your finger, making a midnight snack, or gain to new health anxiety, watching a medical drama, you can go to Zockdog anytime and find a new doctor. Any day, anytime, even after hours. Zockdog is a free app and website that can help you,

find and book high quality in network doctors. They work with more than 150,000 providers all across the country. Specialties including primary care, dermatology, dentistry, I care, and so much more. And you can filter for your choice of in-person or virtual visits. Stop putting off those doctor's appointments and go to zockdog.com/bridge to find an instantly book a doctor that you're probably going to love. That's zockdog.com/bridge. Zockdog.com/bridge. And thank you to Zockdog for sponsoring

this message. We invest in our careers, our finances, and our relationships. But when was the last time you invested in your health? Want to shut that extra weight? Need more energy throughout

the day? Want to finally crush that brain fog? That's where goby meds can help. And here's the

best part. Unlike the other big medical weight loss in telehealth companies, goby meds has zero monthly membership fees. You pay for your treatment. Not a subscription. No hidden costs. Just transparent access to great care. And treatments start at just $99 a month. The process is really simple. Fill out a quick consultation form. A licensed provider will review and ask any questions. And if approved, your medications will be sent directly to your door. And you can do all of this

from your phone. So stop settling for tired as your new normal. Go see what the best version of you actually feels like. Head to gobe meds.com. That's G-O-B-Y-M-E-D-S.com. Use code True Crime for $25 off. Go be you with gobe meds.com. 2020 is partnering with Vibes, open your wireless headphones. That's V-Y-B-Z. If you listen to a lot of True Crime, you probably like to listen with a good pair of headphones. But it can be tricky to find a pair that provides great sound quality that's not too immersive.

Because when you're out with a podcast during a late night dog walk or a pre-done run, you don't necessarily want noise cancellation that blocks out the sounds around you. That's why you

maximum comfort with ultra lightweight earbuds that just sit outside the ear canal. And they offer

“crystal clear audio. No matter what you're listening to, whether it's your favorite song or a sound”

rich True Crime podcast, it'll come across loud and clear and silky smooth. The battery lasts up to 10 hours per charge and they come in a range of sleek modern colors and styles. So what are you waiting for? Order now and you'll be listening to better sound with better headphones before you know it. For a limited time, our listeners can get more than 60% off a pair of vibes wireless headphones. Just go to ABCSecretSavings.com/2020. Again, that's ABCSecretSavings.com/2020. ABCSecretSavings.com/2020.

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 Belmars E Street, which for 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 pizza reas, but other than that, a lot of quiet streets lined with houses. Neptune City, New Jersey is as small town USA as a getts. It's a small

tight-knit community of people whose families have lived there for generations. Jessica Eastope covered Sarah's disappearance for Files 1 News, a local news channel at the time. 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-a-mill sleepy town. But on December 3rd, 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. 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. 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 drunk by each other's houses and played together

all the time. My parents had bought a little outward, 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're little and just have like little pizza rolls and like iced tea and my parents got flamingo sprinklers from Costco whenever their arms should go. The water would shoot out and we just play back there all day long, sitting on the chairs and playing the sprinklers.

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 McKennan 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 Non-Sense. They weren't really talking to an audience. They were just chatting with each other and putting it out there. Hey Sarah, when did you hear? How did he? What did you eat? Oh Jesus, I had pork chops and yogurt.

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 Susa, Sarah's friend and softball team made, said she had a gift for making people laugh. Sometimes, like when you're with her, you 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. She did a nice snowman holding an ice cream gun. 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. She tried to put that on her

“cap when during the graduation ceremony. And one of the teachers or advisors seen is 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. She graduated in 2015 and the summer after graduation, Sarah worked as a badge checker at Bradley Beach, a classic job for a jersey short 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 Lilly and 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 Stern's house to knock on another door in the middle of the night, hoping for some clues about where Sarah could be. ABC Wednesdays, the Emmy-winning comedy scrubs is all new. This is all new chapter for me.

“No more sad stuff. That's what I'm talking about. I want both of our sacks to be fun.”

The two idiots are perfect for each other. For me executive producers of Ted Lassow and Shraking. We were all a part of this victory. Now get those not chosen out of the premium warmer. Those are like there's more applause for the not shows than my speech. The new season of scrubs Wednesdays, 8/7 central on ABC at Stream on Hulu.

Some cases fade from headlines. Some never made it there to begin with. I'm Ashley Flowers

and on my podcast The Deck. I tell you the stories of cold cases featured on playing cards distributed in prisons designed to spark new leads and bring long overdue justice. Because these stories deserve to be heard and the loved ones of these victims still deserve answers. Are you ready to be dealt in? Listen to the deck now wherever you get your podcasts. You're going to present one time. It's only it's all the jokes.

Police had 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. Liam McAtazney is the friend officers are looking for. His mom Megan is at the door.

She tells officers that Liam doesn't live in her house anymore. He's a block away.

“In a small, two-bedroom house, the McAtazney's also own.”

Now we're looking for a friend of his that's possibly a missing person and she's supposed to be hangs out with him. Do you see Sarah Stern to see hang out with her? Yes, Sarah is a very good person. Can you call Liam? If you don't mind. While police wait for Liam's mom to call him, another woman walks up to them in the dark. Robin 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?”

So she brought a bin of stuff from her mother's to your house? Tathed 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 try to touch the dinner and let them. 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. We're going to go not see if we can wake them up over there. The officer turns back to Robin Draper and asks if she told Michael Stern

about the bin 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.

“She depressed that she, I think she said, is she not suicidal on any way do you think?”

I don't know. All right. We're going to continue the search then. Liam's on the other block. We're going to go over there now. The officers get in the car and move on to their next stop. Liam Maccatezny's house. I've got 11 holly. It's related to this call.

Around 4 a.m. police knock on Liam's door. Liam, you're Liam. You have a second. Can I come in and

talk to you real quick? Yeah, no problem. Is Sarah here by chance? No. The officer step into the house. It's dark inside. There are no lights on. When was the last time he talked to her. He's with her today. What time? We're going to work. So was her earlier today? Yeah. The officer turns on a light and he can see Liam more clearly. He's wearing a great t-shirt and shorts. He's tall. Six foot two with blue eyes and wavy blonde hair that's messy.

On police body camera footage, it seems like he's just woken up. Who's the last time he had any kind of contact at all over there? We wanted to get food today.

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. And you went to work with Tom. For 30. Because you haven't talked to her since 430. You have a cell phone. You can reach out to it to where I'm. I actually hadn't been able to find myself. Liam says he's been looking for his phone. People 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. I can tell me she's going to Canada.

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

Trying to get away, okay. Canada, she's been under press lately. Her dad is crazy. It's also the first time they're hearing that Sarah may have had a strange relationship with her dad. The officer's 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.

somebody if anybody's talked to her or when they talked to her, what her mindset wasn't all that right?

Playing on getting a phone and you hear anything called the Neptune city or Neptune town. When the officers get back in the car, one of them sums up everything they've learned during their middle of the night's search for Sarah. It's a muddled picture of Sarah's life and mental state, shaped by their interviews with Robin Draper and Liam McItanzney. She's back in

long a father. So it'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 our bridge.

“Officers don't know what to make of the case. Is it a missing person? Is it a suicide?”

At this point nobody knows. By daybreak, the search for Sarah will accelerate with divers and rescue boats on the frigid shark river. And 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. And police will look more closely at Sarah's inner circle, examining friendships, lies, and perhaps even betrayal. You're young. I want to make sure you get how important this is.

“This young girl is off the grid all the sudden. 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 988 suicide in 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, Juju Chen, produced by Camille Peterson and Sabrina Fag. Fact checking and production help from

Audrey Mastek and Annalysa Lindur. Tracy Samielsen is our story editor, our supervising producer is Sasha Aslinian, music and mixing by Evan Viola. Special thanks to Katie Dendons, Janice Johnson, Joseph Diaz, and Michelle Marulous. Josh Cohen is our director of podcast programming. Amen McNiff is our executive producer. Sam, are you talking about the story, also this school flashback, just in the middle of the night,

and then do you hear that it's empty? No, not at all. This story is my safe space. Do you think it's all yours? Yes, exactly. This story is the story of the story that you just understand. The story of the studio, the job, or the music. Friends like this, the murder of Skylar News, is now streaming on Kulu and Hulu on Disney Plus. We wanted to talk to Skylar's friends.

“They're not telling the full story. The truth is gruesome way, horrific. How could you do this to your best friend?”

There's a darker secret that's not been said.