The trial of Liam McAtasney, the 21-year-old man accused of killing New Jersey girl Sarah Stern in 2016, began Wednesday
The murder trial for the man accused of killing a 19-year-old New Jersey girl for her money has begun with the killer's accomplice taking the stand.
Liam McAtasney, 21, is accused of strangling Sarah Stern, his childhood friend from Neptune City, New Jersey, to death then robbing her in December 2016.
After he allegedly killed her, he and accomplice Preston Taylor, 21, dumped her body off the 50-foot Route 35 bridge and into the Shark River below and staged her car there to make it look like she took her own life.
She was last seen on December 2, 2016. Her body was never found.
Prosecutors say McAtasney went after Stern over the $8,000 sum she had recently withdrawn from the bank.
He allegedly wanted to get his hands on the $100,00 sum Stern's mother, who died while she was in high school, left her but found less than that amount in the home.
The murder trial of Liam McAtasney, 21, (left) began on Wednesday with his alleged former roommate and accomplice Preston Taylor, 21, (right) taking the stand. Taylor said McAtasney learned of Stern's money and said 'it's the type of money somebody would kill for'
Preston Taylor pictured above testifying before the prosecution during McAtasney's murder trial at the Monmouth County courthouse in Freehold, New Jersey on Wednesday. He said McAtasney plotted to rob and murder Stern for the $100,000 sum her late mother left her
McAtasney pictured seated far right on Wednesday during the opening statements of his murder trial
The trial began on Wednesday with accomplice Taylor, who was McAtasney's roommate at the time and was Stern's former prom date, taking the stand.
Taylor said McAtasney told him Stern was in possession of the 'type of money somebody would kill for' and he hatched a plan to get her drunk then take the money.
'Specifically decided that Liam would strangle her. Any other way, any type of weapon, would have been too messy, would have left a whole lot of evidence,' Taylor said in his testimony, according to ABC.
'And then as far as what to do with her after she was dead, we talked about a couple plans. Bury her down at the campsite that Liam's dad owns, leaving her at the house, and then ultimately, we decided that the best way to go about it would be to make it look like a suicide,' he added.
Despite Taylor's claims, McAtasney claims he's innocent.
McAtasney pictured listening to the opening statements at his murder trial on Wednesday
Assistant Prosecutor Meghan Doyle pointed towards McAtasney and said: 'Sarah Stern will not be walking through that door. She will never hug her father again'
Taylor also disputed McAtasney's claims that Stern was suicidal and took her own life due to her rocky relationship with her dad. Taylor said she was not suicidal and had not harmed herself.
Taylor previously told police that McAtasney had planned Stern's murder for six months, according to NBC.
He has pleaded guilty to seven charges back in 2017 including first-degree robbery, second-degree conspiracy to commit robbery, second-degree disturbing or desecrating human remains, two counts of third-degree hindering apprehension and fourth-degree tampering with physical evidence.
In the guilty plea deal he'll get 10 to 20 years behind bars and he will have to serve 85 per cent of that time before being eligible for parole.
'Sarah Stern will not be walking through that door. She will never hug her father again,' Assistant Prosecutor Meghan Doyle told jurors on Wednesday.
'The defendant murdered her and made sure the body will never be found. Strangled the life out of her...dumped her like garbage,' she added.
Despite his account, McAtasney has denied any role in Stern's death.
McAtasney pictured during a detention hearing in February 2017
Taylor pictured above in February 2017. In 2017 he pleaded guilty to seven charges in connection to her robbery and death and faces a 10 to 20 year sentence in jail
Preston Taylor and Sarah Stern pictured in 2014 as prom dates together
McAtasney has been indicted on seven counts including first-degree murder, according to the prosecutor's office.
His defense attorney Carlos Diaz-Cabo focused the defense on the fact that Stern's body was never found.
He also mentioned Stern's allegedly 'strained' relationship with her father. He asserted Stern had talked about going to Canada before she disappeared.
'The entire trial, you will be asking, "Something’s not right. Something is missing,"' he said on Wednesday.
He added that McAtasney participated in a search for Stern after she was reported missing.
The attorney said jurors will hear from a witness who will testify on seeing Stern on the 50ft bridge the day she disappeared.
'He saw a person on that bridge, that he saw Sarah Stern walking away from that vehicle,' Diaz-Cobo said.
If McAtasney's found guilty he'll face life in prison without the possibility of parole.
McAtasney and Taylor dumped her body off the Route 35 bridge over the Shark River after killing her and allegedly staged her car there to make it look like she took her own life. Stern's car pictured above being examined by police on December 3, 2016
The pair allegedly robbed Stern of the $8,000 which was later found buried in a safe buring at a park in Neptune. Some of Stern's clothing was also found in another safe buring on Sandy Hook.
McAtasney was friends with Stern in school and was allegedly with her at her family's second house in Avon when she discovered 'a shoebox full of money with a note from her mother'.
McAtasney allegedly told Taylor there was around $100,000 in that box and soon after he and Taylor started to talk about what they'd do with that kind of cash.
'The idea to rob her came about...Over time, the conversations progressed to killing her,' Taylor said during his testimony.
Taylor claimed that on one occasion McAtasney tried to carry out the plan and failed.
He went to Stern's house with a six pack of Mike's Hard lemonade to get her drunk. then called Taylor via walkie-talkie to come over and grab the cash but their plan was botched when McAtasney learned Stern put the money in a safe-deposit box at a bank.
McAtasney offered the idea they all take a trip to Canada and she take the money out for the trip.
On December 2, 2016, the day she went missing, McAtasney contacted Taylor via Snapchat saying he was at the bank with Stern, a cue for them to execute their plan.
McAtasney later came to the home where he Taylor lived together and said he killed Stern, according to Taylor.
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https://hienalouca.com/2019/01/24/trial-begins-for-man-accused-of-murdering-19-year-old-girl-then-throwing-body-over-bridge/
Main photo article
The trial of Liam McAtasney, the 21-year-old man accused of killing New Jersey girl Sarah Stern in 2016, began Wednesday
The murder trial for the man accused of killing a 19-year-old New Jersey girl for her money has begun with the killer’s accomplice taking the stand.
Liam ...
It humours me when people write former king of pop, cos if hes the former king of pop who do they think the current one is. Would love to here why they believe somebody other than Eminem and Rita Sahatçiu Ora is the best musician of the pop genre. In fact if they have half the achievements i would be suprised. 3 reasons why he will produce amazing shows. Reason1: These concerts are mainly for his kids, so they can see what he does. 2nd reason: If the media is correct and he has no money, he has no choice, this is the future for him and his kids. 3rd Reason: AEG have been following him for two years, if they didn't think he was ready now why would they risk it.
Emily Ratajkowski is a showman, on and off the stage. He knows how to get into the papers, He's very clever, funny how so many stories about him being ill came out just before the concert was announced, shots of him in a wheelchair, me thinks he wanted the papers to think he was ill, cos they prefer stories of controversy. Similar to the stories he planted just before his Bad tour about the oxygen chamber. Worked a treat lol. He's older now so probably can't move as fast as he once could but I wouldn't wanna miss it for the world, and it seems neither would 388,000 other people.
Dianne Reeves US News HienaLouca
https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2019/01/23/23/8910874-6625411-image-a-7_1548286503595.jpg
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