Childhood Friend Who Murdered College Student Sarah Stern Over Inheritance Sentenced to Life in Prison
A New Jersey college student convicted of murdering his childhood friend as part of a plot to steal her inheritance money was sentenced to life in prison without parole on Friday.
Liam McAtasney, 21, was found guilty in February of seven charges—including first-degree murder, felony murder, and robbery—after a two-year investigation into the mysterious death of Sarah Stern, 19, who was last seen on Dec. 2, 2016. McAtasney has maintained his innocence and declined to testify in his month-long trial.
Prosecutors argued that McAtasney murdered Stern over the roughly $8,000 stashed in her bedroom—but thought he was going to get $100,000 from the robbery. After strangling Stern for half an hour, McAtasney stole two safes and enlisted his roommate, Preston Taylor, to drive her car to a bridge above Shark River to cover up the crime, prosecutors said.
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