Juju Chang

Listen now to Bridge of Lies, wherever you get your podcasts.

Not at the end of the season.

In the middle of a cold December night by the Jersey Shore, a driver spots something that gives him a strange feeling.

Police head to the bridge and find a silver 1994 Oldsmobile 88.

It's rusty, and some of the paint is flaking off.

Inside, the leather seats are wrinkled and worn with big gashes that reveal yellow stuffing.

But the strange thing is, it doesn't seem like the car broke down or got in an accident.

It's unlocked, keys are in the center console, and the caller was right, nobody is inside.

There's also no ID, no money, and no clothing.

The trunk has some Disney memorabilia and artwork in it.

But otherwise, it's just an empty old car left on a bridge in the middle of the night.

The bridge runs between Neptune City and Belmar across the Shark River, which flows out to the Atlantic Ocean.

On this cold December night, the river has a strong current.

Some of the officers walk down to the Belmar Marina to see if there are any clues by the water, but it's so dark they can hardly see anything.

As the waters of the Shark River rush into the ocean, the officers begin an investigation that will rock this sleepy shore town, an investigation that will make people question who they can really trust and what those closest to them are capable of.

From ABC Audio and 2020, I'm Juju Chang, and this is Bridge of Lies.

Police run the plates and figure out that the abandoned Oldsmobile is registered to a woman in her 90s.

Her name, Lillian Stern.

She lives about 10 minutes away from the bridge in Neptune City.

Officers head to Lillian's house, but they're actually looking for her granddaughter, Sarah Stern, who they've learned by now typically drives the Oldsmobile and lives with her father and her grandmother.