Update On Sarah Stern Murder Trial: Testimony On Money Burial

An Asbury Press video of testimony in the Sarah Stern murder trial Wednesday showed investigators detailing how they had to scale the top of a mortar battery in the Sandy Hook area to find a safe where Stern's stolen money was buried.

Here is the Asbury Park Press video:

Also this week: Here is how the Michael Stern's last exchange with his daughter went before he never heard from her again. She was impressed with the photographs he sent her from Walt Disney World in Florida:

Prosecutors have said they believe Liam McAtasney, with Preston Taylor's help, threw Stern's body into the Shark River off the Route 35 bridge in Belmar more two years ago.

This happened after McAtasney strangled her, prosecutors said. McAtasney allegedly strangled his former classmate for $7,000 or more that he removed from her home. Taylor was accused of helping conceal Stern's body.

Taylor has pleaded guilty to seven charges, including robbery and conspiracy to commit robbery, for his part in Stern's murder. Taylor also agreed to testify against McAtasney.

McAtasney, Taylor and Stern were all longtime friends who grew up together, according to News12, and Taylor and Stern went to their junior prom together as dates.

In an Asbury Park Press video, McAtasney said: "If she did jump off the bridge, what are the odds that she's not somewhere all the way out in the ocean by now?" (see video below).

"If she had told me that she was going to jump off the bridge, there would have been no way I would have gone to work that night," he said in the video, referring to the disappearance of Sarah Stern, 19, of Neptune City.

YouTube photo