Updates On Sarah Stern Trial: Videos Show Dramatic Testimony

The trial for the accused killer in the death of a woman whose body was apparently thrown off the Belmar bridge in 2016 is underway.

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.

Here is what has happened:

• Taylor testified Wednesday that McAtasney convinced her to take the money out of a safe-deposit box at the bank so that they could take a trip or move to either Canada or California, according to The Asbury Park Press. He also described how she was thrown off the bridge.
• The defense attorney questioned the credibility of Taylor's testimony.
• Taylor also went into detail on how long it took the suspect to allegedly commit the murder.

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.

Here is The Asbury Park Press video:

YouTube photo of Stern