The Trial

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Also, with Amazon Music Unlimited, you can now listen to your favorite music, podcasts, and audiobooks, all in the Amazon Music app. It's January 2019, more than two years since Sarah Stern's car was found abandoned on the Belmar Bridge.

Liam McItsazney is now standing trial on seven charges, including first-degree murder,

robbery, and desecrating human remains. He could face life in prison if he's convicted. The wood-paneled courtroom fits a little over 50 people, and today, it's packed. Michael Stern and Sarah's friends and family are on one side. The McItsazney family, on the other. Monmouth County Assistant Prosecutor Megan Doyle takes the floor to give the states opening statement.

“I think it's a gentleman. Sarah Stern will not be walking through those doors into this courtroom at any point.”

She will never send her father another text. She will never hug him or tell him. She loves him.

Her friends and family will never get to enjoy her company for smile, her laugh, or being with her. That's not because she drove to the top, but there were 35 bridge in Belmar. It's not because she disappeared to Canada, created some false identity, and is living her best life. It's because this defending murder pack. Doyle walks the court through the kind of evidence they should expect to see over the next few weeks of

trial, including testimony from two close friends of Liam. One, she claims, helped Liam plan Sarah's murder. The other, she says, helped police, record Liam describing how he did it. But Liam's attorney Carlos Diaz Kobo urges the jury to be skeptical, to question the evidence, and just how little of it he argues their actually is. Trials very much are like a puzzle, crossword puzzle if you love it.

And there has to be pieces that fit in order for that puzzle to reveal itself to you. And in this case, throughout the entire trial, you will be asking yourselves, that doesn't fit. This doesn't. Something's not right. Something's missing. He says there isn't enough to show Liam had anything to do with his 19-year-old friend Sarah's disappearance. Like the lack of physical evidence, he says if Sarah was harmed, why was nothing

found at her house, or in her car? No blood, no urine, no fingerprints. The defense argues there isn't enough evidence to support the testimony the court will hear from the prosecutions key witnesses. So Diaz Kobo says that what the jury should expect to hear from these witnesses are lies. And if the state's evidence doesn't give you a complete picture and firmly convince

“you that Liam's guilty, you must find that black goat.”

Sarah's case has been a dark cloud over her family and friends, especially her father Michael. The trial will bring to light new details about the investigation that at this point

have never been heard. The prosecution says she was murdered by her childhood friend,

someone she trusted, who they say spent months planning how he'd kill her and steal her money. But the defense says that couldn't be true. Sarah wasn't dead because they have someone who says they saw her the day she went missing. From ABC audio and 2020, this is Bridge of Lives. I'm Judy Chang. Episode 6, the trial. The first person to take the stand is Liam's old roommate, turned lead witness.

state prison. He pled guilty to six charges, including robbery and desecrating human remains.

“Now 21, he's wearing a blue suit and matching tie. His short brown hair is neatly combed back,”

but he still has a five o'clock shadow. On the stand, he seems calm. Prosecutors plan to use Preston to lay the groundwork for the state's case, but assistant prosecutor Chris Decker says, despite the evidence, this might not be an easy win. They're facing a unique challenge. We're still dealing with the case where we had not recovered

Sarah's body. So the way I always looked at Preston is that we want to also have them here from

Preston to say, listen, I found her in a bathroom and she was dead. I hid her. I then helped put her in her own car. He drove over to the bridge and then we threw her off. I mean to me, there's something that was very helpful to be able to present someone who touched her body and could say that she was dead. The prosecution wants Preston to start at the very beginning.

“And for them, the beginning is when Preston says he first learned that Sarah had found some money,”

a lot of money. Preston testifies that Liam told him about the money when they were at home, but nothing more came of it. The next time Liam mentioned the money, Preston tells the jury they were with friends at the Irish pub where he used to work. Towards the end of his shift as things were slowing down, Preston testifies that Liam and a couple of friends came by to hang out. Some point on, you go sit down with him and the money comes out.

Yes, you shared the Mr. Magnet as you get a specific comment at that table. And what was that? That it was the type of money that somebody killed for. It was the type of money somebody would kill for. Preston testifies that he doesn't know of their friends knew about the money. Liam immediately dropped it and Preston didn't ask any questions.

“After that, Preston tells the court they'd only talk about the money whenever he and Liam were alone.”

What a huge amount it was and what they could do with it. Eventually, Preston tells the jury their conversations changed from daydreaming to scheming. The conversation evolved into what if we did have that type of money specifically per money and that was why the idea to rob her came about.

He testifies that at first the plan was just to rob her. They spent weeks planning how to do it.

And then Preston tells the jury something surprising that he and Liam actually did try to rob Sarah. One month before she went missing. Well, I went gone over Sarah's house with her six back in my apartment and then even though they were hanging out, started drinking and the plan was that she would be drunk. I would come and take the money and leave.

On the witness stand, Preston says he was down the street in a getaway car with his walkie talkie waiting for Liam's signal. But that night, they found out Sarah didn't have the money in her house anymore. She'd put it in a safety deposit box at Carney Bank. So they came up with a new plan. Preston testifies that Liam was going to convince Sarah. They should plan a trip to Canada together to get her to withdraw the money.

But the room mates realized they couldn't just take Sarah's money. If they wanted to get away with it, they needed to do something more drastic. They started off as plans to categorize her answer to rob her personally. And over time the conversations progressed to getting her to an order to obtain the money. Where did that idea come from?

We didn't see any way that we would see evidence that read a book or a robbery without everything coming back on us. Preston tells the court that they wanted to make Sarah's death look like a suicide. When Liam and Sarah were alone, Preston testifies that the plan was for Liam to kill her and take her money. Then he and Preston would throw her body over the Belmar Bridge.

He testifies that they even timed how long it would take to drive from Sarah's house to the bridge and then go home.

So about a month after the first attempt to rob Sarah, Preston tells the jury that Liam put this new,

And a warning, his account of the murder is graphic.

“Does he ever more specifically tell you about what he did to Sarah earlier that afternoon?”

Yeah, he's went into detail about how he killed him, said that he's strangled there. But it took quite a while for that. Actually, step by step, half hour, and in the process, she started throwing up feet, stuffed in scarf bathroom, and all the while she set his name a couple times. Those horrifying details may sound familiar. They align pretty closely with what Liam told his

friend Anthony Curry when they met in his car while police were recording.

As Preston walks through his version of what happened, the court camera briefly cuts to Sarah's dad, Michael Stern. At one point, Michael looks down and closes his eyes. A few people reach over to squeeze his shoulder. It's harder to see Liam. He's just a few feet away from Preston as he testifies, but his back is toward the camera the entire time. We only catch glimpses of his face. He seems focused as his old friend lays out their darkest secrets. Preston describes

to the jury what happened when they got to the bridge and threw her body over.

Well, I mean, blitzers, top out of thought, both over and push her feet over.

On the way down, like there's a metal bang, we'll get back to the car. This is when the prosecution argues their mission goes from crime to cover up. Preston testifies they knew police would question them, so he and Liam had their stories ready to go.

“Remember how they both said Sarah had a bad relationship with her father that she was depressed”

and that she wanted to move to Canada to get away from him. According to Preston's testimony, that was all part of the plan. There's certain things that you told the police because he told you they? Yeah, it'd be, of course, yeah. It's all made to let the police know that they're in, she had been following out of their dad for them and has some arguments recently. And some other things said it just make her look unstable, kind of stuff and make her look like

she was passionate about suicide. So Preston testifies that he and Liam mapped out every step of Sarah's murder from how they'd get her to withdraw the money from the bank to timing a practice run at the bridge. It was all calculated. But when it's time for the defense to cross examine Preston, Liam's attorney Carlos Diaz Kobo questions his credibility. He warns the jury. Don't trust what Preston Taylor tells you. He says Preston lied to investigators

when they interviewed him after Sarah's disappearance. And again, after his arrest, the defense questions Preston about a statement he made while in custody. Preston initially told investigators that he was sexually assaulted as a child. But when detectives said they were going to look into his allegations, he took back his claim. Uh, he made a story about what he made sexually assaulting with a child. Just like a fair vicinity of an courtroom. In an interview with ABC News in 2019,

Diaz Kobo said it's strange that Preston would lie about something like that.

“Why would he do that? It doesn't make any sense. I think that when you have a 19-year-old boy”

who's put inside an interrogation room and told it you're about to be charged with murder, I think that he panicked and didn't know what to do. In court, he argues that Preston has a history of lying. The defense suggests that if Preston's lied in the past, who's to say he's telling the truth on the stand? The prosecution pushes back. They remind the jury that Preston's cooperation agreement hinges on Preston telling the truth,

or else he could be facing felony murder charges. Over the next couple of weeks, the prosecution calls more witnesses. Michael Stearns in the court every day, listening to things no parent should ever have to hear about their child. Until it's his turn to take the stand.

daughter. Michael's wearing a black sweater over gray plaid shirt.

That's peaking through the collar. His bright blue eyes stand out, even behind his glasses. Assistant prosecutor Megan Doyle starts her questioning by asking about Sarah's mother, Carla. Michael testifies that Carla was sick for six years before passing away.

“At any point during those six years, did you worry about Sarah's well-being?”

Did you think she would murder soft at all? What about after Carla died? She had some areas of sadness, but other than that, she seemed to be okay.

Doyle asks Michael about Sarah's career ambitions. Sarah had been attending Brookdale Community

College, but later dropped out. She wanted to be an artist and she wanted to stick with the YouTube series. Michael testifies that he was supportive of Sarah pursuing YouTube as a full-time career. He knew how into social media she was, and how much she loved going to fan conventions. He also tells the court that he knew how much Sarah wanted to move to Canada.

“Michael testifies that he and Sarah talked about how she could make the move.”

He suggested she go back to school, then transfer to a university in Canada and get a student

work visa. Sarah's ant testified a few days earlier that the goal was for Sarah to move that summer.

It would give her enough time to save up, get a job, and find a place to live. It's why she was moving boxes of her things. She was getting ready for her big move. Was she happy sad, excited? She was happy, sometimes she was excited about, you know, planning trips and stuff like that. At any point during this time period, were you worried about your daughter? No. You got concerns about her well being. So there was some truth to what Liam told

“investigators. The prosecution wants the jury to know that Sarah did have plans to move to Canada”

because she was a 19-year-old girl with dreams of building a future there. She wanted to move to Canada to be an artist, not to run away from her dad. To further prove that Sarah and her dad had a strong, loving relationship prosecutors had Michael read some of their text messages. Doyle asks Michael about Thanksgiving 2016. He and Sarah were spending the holiday separately. Sarah with her aunt in Florida and Michael in New Jersey, but they were constantly texting each other.

The prosecution pulls up their text exchange from that day on the TV monitor. The messages are shown on pictures of Michael's blue iPhone. His texts show up blue, indicating Sarah's phone received them. Sarah sent Michael a message early that morning, wishing him a happy Thanksgiving and said she'd call him later. Michael reads his reply back to the courts. The prosecution shows more of their messages,

texts about watching the national dog show, a photo of buddy, their dog. What time Michael would need to pick Sarah up from the airport? Soon after Sarah came back from Florida, Michael drove down to Disney World. Did you have contact with your daughter while you were in Disney? Yes. Was there anything about your interaction with her prior to her gleaming that had you worried? No. The prosecution pulls up the last text message Sarah sent

Michael before she disappeared. She replied to the photo he'd sent her of Cinderella's castle and said, "Wow, the castle looks so pretty with the lights." Every message Michael sent after that shows up green, meaning Sarah's phone either had no service or was turned off. Over the next few hours, Michael was desperately texting Sarah and each message got more and more frantic. Sarah, are you up? Sarah, what's going on? Then in all caps, call me as soon as you get this message.

Mr. Stewart and the phone that we looked at, looked at pictures? Where's that phone now?

Doyle is referring to the phone Michael was using when Sarah went missing. The one that appeared

on the monitor when the prosecution was presenting his text messages. Did you turn that phone in when you're up pretty today? Why? You felt well with text and messages from Sarah. Could you have said that? I don't know. I know people have tried to transfer things and they've lost all the pictures and information texts and thought texts and when I just didn't look at the chance. The chance that the last words his daughter sent him, the whole history of

their communication could be lost in some tech issue. Doyle continues her questioning, but Michael just tears forward. He reaches for the tissue box in front of him, removes his glasses and wipes his eyes. Doyle asks Michael about Liam. If he ever reached out when Sarah was missing,

“did he ever call or check in? Did he ever ask what he could do to help find his daughter?”

Michael says no. And you see Liam and Quartz act? Yes. Can you find him out for me? Yeah. I'm right there. I can send it to the station.

It's the first and only time Michael addresses Liam. He points directly at him over the stand

and Liam just tears down at the defendant's table. When he's dismissed, Michael doesn't return to a seat in the audience. He had straight to the door and leaves the courtroom as people in the audience wiped their eyes. The story of what might have happened to Sarah's turn is coming together for the jury. But both sides have yet to present their star witnesses. For the prosecution, Liam's former friend Anthony Curry, who went undercover to record him talking about Sarah's death,

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stand. Filmmaker, Jersey sure native, and Liam's old friend, the one who got him to talk about murdering

Sarah Stern on tape. In a lot of trials, Preston, the accomplice would be the star witness, the main attraction. But in this case, he's sharing the spotlight, because not only will prosecutors have Anthony tell the court what Liam did, his testimony will allow them to play a recording of Liam describing in his own words what he did to Sarah. Now, you know from Hasefall, were you guys friends? Yes. Good friends. Yes. Anthony's answers are gruff. He looks uncomfortable

on the stand. He's biting his lip and tapping his foot. He's constantly reaching for the water

“bottle in front of him. Anthony can't seem to sit still. Why are you here? Do you know anything?”

On the stand, Anthony says he's doing the right thing. The last time he saw Liam was two years ago when Liam got into his car and told him how he killed Sarah, and it was all caught

on tape. At the time, the video had never been made public. Doyle pulls out a white envelope.

I'm going to show you what's been marked as eighty-two. Do you recognize that? Yes. What is it? The video comes on. Great. You have our academic time to stay with life, enriching the play for its executive, too. The lights in the courtroom dim and everyone's attention

“turns to the TV. It's the first time the footage is being played publicly, not even Michael Stern”

has seen the tape. Doyle hits play. The TV and the courtroom shows Anthony as he drives to meet Liam. He's blasting bad reputation by Joan Jett on the radio. Then the music stops. Liam gets into a car. Everyone in the courtroom hears the same shocking story investigators heard two years earlier. The same details that surprised and horrified them. How Liam wastes no time telling Anthony about how he killed Sarah that day. How he spent six months

plotting her murder, how he strangled Sarah, and took her money. And how Preston helped him throw

“her body over the bell-mar bridge. And the worst part is we took her out of the fridge and”

the body never showed up. Michael's head is down. He's sobbing into his lap. A friend

has his arm wrapped around Michael's shoulders. About half an hour later, the video ends and the courtroom lights brightened. The prosecution hopes the video sent the jury a clear message. Liam McAtasney killed Sarah Stern. There's a lot in that video that just tells a story. Assistant prosecutor Chris Decker and his interview with ABC News in 2019. Like, while in this case, it's interesting that it's one of the few cases you're going to see

where you don't have Sarah Stern's body, which is obviously something that normally you would have in a homicide. But I would say based on that video, we know more about how Sarah Stern died than we almost ever know in other cases where we have expert testimony has to cause a manner of death. But the defense has a totally different interpretation of that video. When he spoke to ABC News, Carlos Diaz Kobo said that Liam made up the story about killing Sarah

to impress Anthony. This video taped statement was made to an individual that he admired. Somebody that has engaged in the business of filmmaking. And so that's something that appealed to Liam. He wanted to be in his world, so to speak. He wanted to be a part of that filmmaking process and being in this individual's world. In his cross-examination,

making movies since he was eight years old. Long before he met Liam, he now has his own production company. So how many times would you say that Liam gave you ideas for her possible ideas of the course of your friendship? Be more than five? We know we talked about movies all the time. So it wasn't something that was uncommon for him to bring new ideas for movies, correct?

Yep. Diaz Kobo says this isn't the first time Liam's made up larger than life stories.

He points to something Anthony told police that Liam had told stories about his father being in the Mafia. Do you remember, you're stating something to the effect that Liam told you stories about his father being in the Mafia? You didn't know you knew that he wasn't.

“You remember that? Yeah. So can they make up things to you when he spoke to you?”

Correct. Sure. The defense is trying to show that Liam is a storyteller. Someone who's willing to create these shocking stories to impress others. Diaz Kobo and his interview with ABC News.

He tends to make up things in order to make himself be either tougher than he is or different than

who he actually is and I think that that's something that is characteristic of Liam. And according to Diaz Kobo, beyond Liam wanting to impress his friend, there just isn't any physical evidence to prove what Liam said in that conversation was true. There was no urine whatsoever found in any area of that of the residents. There's no sign of any struggle in the house. There was no blood found in the sign of the house.

There was some testimony or a part of the confession that says that at some point that she may

have vomited. But that, again, there's no evidence. And so that lack of evidence tells me

that the false statement or false confession that he gave Anthony Curry is absolutely false. During cross-examination, he asks each investigator that takes the stand if they found any kind of physical evidence that could prove Sarah was harmed. They all said no. And again, the biggest piece of physical evidence missing from this case is a body. Since no body was recovered, could investigators really prove that Sarah was thrown over

“the Belmar Bridge? Could anyone really be sure that Sarah was even dead?”

After four weeks of trial, the prosecution rests. Now it's the defense's turn to call up their bench of witnesses. And they start with someone who might be their star witness. Someone who the defense argues could put into question everything the courts heard so far. Yes, they say your name is though you're lasting for the record. Craig Kevin, that's all senior. Craig Hetzel is a contractor and a Neptune city local. He has dark gray hair and a

strong build. He says he's been a handyman working along the Jersey Shore for almost 50 years. Toward the end of 2016, he testifies that he was helping his son get to work every morning. They had a routine. Craig would hit the road by 430 a.m. pick up his son. Then had to work together.

“They cross the Belmar Bridge every day to get to the highway.”

They took their usual route. He tells the jury there are barely any cars out at that time. Occasionally, he'd see a homeless person walking around. But that morning, he says he saw someone who made him do a double take. A young woman walking down the street. I said to my son, I said that is an awfully good-looking girl to be walking on the street of five o'clock in the morning. That girl did not want to be seen. I got a good look,

right in her face, stare it right into her eyes, the way I'm looking at you right now. And she turned her head that way and duck down an alleyway. They passed the young woman and kept driving toward the Belmar Bridge. And then opened the bridge on 35. And just before the top of the bridge, there was a car group in down on the side of the road. Craig testifies that the woman was wearing

a leather bomber jacket with a fur collar, a head scarf, and heels. We're just so unusual to see

Nope. Did you ever see this person acted that way? The person who I thought I saw was the person in the picture. A couple days later, Craig tells the court he was with his son when they stopped by 7/11. And on the front door was a picture of the woman he spotted by the bridge.

“I said, that's, that's who we saw. That's why I saw that day.”

Do you know what picture that was that you saw? I would, if I saw it. The defense pulls up a picture on the monitor. It's Sarah's senior portrait. She's wearing a black graduation drape. She has a soft smile for dimples showing. That's it. This is the picture that you saw up, that's it. And Sarah, is this the individual that you saw

on the center of third morning and about three. I would find that person as that person. Yes.

Craig is confident that the person he saw on the bridge that morning was Sarah. So according to the defense, that would mean Liam and Preston did not throw her off the bridge the night before. Could Sarah actually be alive? Craig testifies that the young woman he saw

“didn't look like she wanted to be seen and ducked into the alley. But when the prosecution”

starts their cross-examination, they question the accuracy of Craig's story. Craig tells the court that when he saw news that Sarah was missing, he didn't go to the police to report what he saw.

He talked to a private investigator first. The first thing you told him about seeing Sarah's turn

was that you saw her on Friday the second, 2016. That's correct. Okay, then he then told you that the car was found on the bridge the severed third Saturday morning. That's correct. And then he asked you, well, you could be wrong about the date, right? And you said, I guess I could be wrong about the date. That's correct. So Craig acknowledges he could be wrong about when he saw Sarah. He could have seen the woman in the

leather jacket on Friday, December 2nd, the day before Sarah was reported missing on Saturday, December 3rd. There was also the issue of what time Craig saw the car on the bridge that morning. The prosecution calls Detective Weissbrot to the stand to explain. So with Mr. Absolutely provided me with the information. I of course looked into it,

it indicated that he had seen the car parked on the bridge at 515 a.m. On the third, the car was removed

from the bridge at 246 a.m. So it was apparent that if he did see a car on that particular day, it was the Sarah's turn's car because the car had even been pounded by the police at that point. Craig wouldn't have seen Sarah's car at 5 a.m. because it was towed away shortly after her car was reported abandoned at 2 a.m. Craig's confident he saw something, but would the jury believe it was Sarah? The defense calls two more witnesses to the stand before resting its case.

The private investigator Craig Hetzel spoke to who confirms the conversation they had and one of Liam's friends who testifies that he doesn't want to see Liam get in trouble. The prosecution had called 25 witnesses. After a month of trial, the case of Sarah's disappearance is finally coming to an end. Both sides are ready to give their closing arguments.

“Without a body, did the prosecution do enough to prove Liam McItazney was Sarah's killer?”

Or did the defense create enough doubt to leave the jury questioning his guilt? Sunday nights on ABC, what happens when the person "you love the most" turns out not to be who you think they are? Everything he told me was alive. I was betrayed from the number one true crime podcast, The Trail. He's been living a secret double-life. My marriage ended with a 9-1-1-1-4. The tape is blood curdling. The trail. Secrets and lies.

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“Both sides take the floor to present their closing statements. Assistant Prosecutor Chris Decker”

approaches the jury. Behind him on the prosecution table is Sarah's safe and stacks of envelopes labeled evidence. The biggest mistake Sarah Stern ever made was telling this man about this. Decker holds up a thick stack of old bills for the jury to see. Cash that Decker notes was found in Sarah's safety deposit box and the safe Liam is accused of bearing with Preston in Sandi Hook. He runs through the other evidence. The prosecution spent weeks presenting to the court.

Preston's admission to being in a complex, the taped conversation with Anthony Curry. But the most egregious part, Decker says is how Liam took advantage of Sarah's trust, someone who was supposedly his close friend. Decker argues Liam made Sarah believe that she could go to Canada and then made it look as if she ran away or died by suicide. He says it was all part of his cold-blooded betrayal. He waited as he told you for a 19-year-old girl to turn her back

before he wrapped his arm around her neck and each shoaketer to death. It is obvious that he purposely killed Sarah Stern for her money. That is why he is guilty, absolutely, with the murder, with felony murder and with robbing. But the defense says again that there just isn't enough evidence to prove Liam is guilty. No matter what anybody has said or testified in this case, there is reasonable doubt that Sarah Stern, the evidence tells us this. There is reasonable doubt

that Sarah was murdered. There's reasonable doubt that she was wrong. And as a result,

“you must find Liam not guilty of these charges.”

Diaz Kobo tells the jury to question what they've heard. To be wary of Preston who was quick to throw his friend under the bus, to be skeptical about why no physical evidence has been recovered. And if the jury still has questions about the case after four weeks of trial, then they need to acquit Liam of any wrongdoing. Michael Stern is in the audience during closing statements by the end of the day after hearing

both sides lay out their arguments one last time and reliving the details of how his daughter died, Michael again has his head in his hands, sobbing. He described what it was like to be there in an interview with ABC News. It's a little nerve-wracking, but I have to be there in the other people that testify to Sarah's disposition and everything. You know, after hearing lies in misdirection from Liam McIthazney, just making up stories.

But as strong as he thought the prosecution's case was, he understood there was always a chance

the verdict wouldn't go their way. There's always a doubt because some people just don't

I can't convict this person with the conscious of a juror thinking, well, this is a

“kid that's 21 years old, but we can't do this, though.”

It's now a waiting game to see when the jurors will make their final decision. On February 26th, the court reconvenes after just two days of jury deliberations. The jury is ready to deliver a verdict. The room is tense as everyone waits for them to file in. The presiding juror stands and the court clerk starts to read through the list of charges, one by one. Question number one, how do you find us to count one of the indictments

asked to whether the defendant Liam Maccachazney committed the crime murder by purposely

“or knowingly causing the death of Sarah Strick. guilty. Count two of the indictments asked to”

what the defendant committed. I heard the first guilty and then didn't hear anything after that.

I don't know what happened. It just, it just, it just, it's a physical evidence. The jury finds Liam guilty on all seven counts against him. For months later, he sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole and in additional ten years for the desecration of human remains. He'd later filed two appeals to overturn his conviction, which were denied in 2023 and 2025. At Liam's sentencing hearing, Michael takes the stand again.

This time, to confront his daughter's killer. "If you agree to contact us before me, Sarah was

murdered, we don't belong." "I was never saved and not for sharp and never felt so much

elbow on my pain and my heart and my soul." For the most part, Liam keeps his head down as Michael speaks. He looks older. He's wearing a blue prison jumpsuit and handcuffs. He's no longer that 19-year-old Jersey Shore teen police first visited over two years ago. The one time Liam looks up to glance at Michael, tears streamed down Liam's cheeks. "I have to deal with never any closure because Sarah's body has ever been recovered. The horrific act of what happened to Sarah's body is only to stay

“able for the threat. I will never be able with them, Sarah. I think that's all I love her."”

Since his arrest, Liam has chosen to remain silent. He didn't testify at his trial, and when it came time for sentencing, Liam again chooses to keep quiet. "Rust and tell you to stand and when you're ready, you can just tell me what you want to say before I send you." But Preston did speak to police at Liam's trial, and when it comes time for his own sentencing, he decides to speak up once again. "So Mr. Stern and all those who are the blessing and one

Sarah, I'm sorry for your loss. I know no amount of apologies will bring it back or make any of this okay. I'm not truly funny about it when I'm sorry. There's only things wrong with this scenario that I wish I could say back. And I see most importantly to Sarah herself who I've no doubt watches over us. I'm sorry." But Sarah's dad doesn't hear Preston's apology. Michael had abruptly left when Preston stood to speak. Preston is sentenced to 18 years in prison with the possibility of parole

after 15 years. "Thank you, everybody. It's been a long two and a half years for this journey."

Outside the courthouse, Michael addresses reporters. He says they finally got justice for Sarah.

"I love my daughter. And everybody else did too. She good kids. She was a talented artist. She was a rising star. Their life ended way too soon. I miss her. I cried for her every night. I'm just glad to finally justice is served."

for the Arts to support aspiring high school and college artists. The scholarship is still active

“and the organization hosts a major fundraiser every March around the time of Sarah's birthday.”

And on the Belmar Bridge, there's a memorial dedicated to Sarah. It's Sarah's senior portrait in a small white wooden frame bolted to the side of the bridge. People still stop by the bridge to leave flowers. At 19, Sarah was just starting to discover herself. She had big plans for the life that lay out in front of her. But all that promise was taken from her. And to think, Liam might have gotten away with it. If another one of his close friends, Anthony Curry

“hadn't summoned the courage to cooperate with police in that daring undercover operation.”

Michael can't help but think about the potential Sarah had and what she could have done with it.

My daughter, smart kid, good kid, friendly, cared about people, never heard anybody.

She was just a wonderful, wonderful child. You know, becoming an adult and starting to do live her own life. And it was ended by somebody that's just agreed and me callousness of killing another human being. It's just something I'll never understand.

“But he's relieved that at least her killer will be behind bars for life.”

I felt that Sarah got some justice. So about her, she deserved it and she got her justice. Friends and family describe Sarah as creative and loving. Someone who could make you laugh. She was also trusting. And it seems Liam McItazney took advantage of that. He wasn't the close friend Sarah thought he was. But even close friends can hide dark secrets.

Brige of lies is a production of ABC Audio and 2020. Hosted by me, due to Chang, produced by Sabrina Fang, Audrey Mossdeck and Camille Peterson. Production help and fact checking by Annelys Alinder. Tracy Samelson is our story editor. Our supervising producer is Sasha Aslanian, music and mixing by Evan Viola. Special thanks to Katy Dendos, Janice Johnston, Joseph Diaz, Avery Brook and Michelle Margillus. Josh Kohan is our director of podcast programming. Amy McNiff is our executive producer.

We gather here tonight to bring women back to their rightful place. The NFL draft on ESPN live from Pittsburgh. The blueprint for football greatness was built here by hometown legends like Nameth, Montana and Marino. Now for Nando Mendoza, share my life and the next generation are ready to show the world what they're made of.

The first pick in the NFL draft. The 2020 6 NFL draft, April 23rd or 25th, on ABC ESPN and NFL

Network, also streaming on the ESPN app.