Introducing "Bridge of Lies"
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Hi, I'm Juju Chang. You may know me as the co-anchor of Nightline or from my true crime reporting on 2020. Complex, layered stories like the Murdoch family murders and I'm going to get you the case of Debbie Dorian. And now I get to host a new true crime podcast from 2020 and ABC Audio called Bridge of Lies. It's a heart pounding thriller about the mysterious disappearance of Sarah Stern, a 19 year old from New Jersey who had dreams of becoming an artist. The night she disappeared, the only clue authorities discovered was her car, abandoned on a bridge overnight. Her friends and loved ones offered different theories. Maybe she jumped or fled to Canada. But the more police were digging, conflicting statements moved investigators to consider the possibility of foul play.
But what motive would there be to harm Sarah? The detectives start to piece together a shocking betrayal. It makes you question, who can you trust? Finally, a daring sting operation reveals a heartbreaking betrayal. You actually have to hear it to believe it. In Bridge of Lies, we'll be sharing every twist and turn of this entire story over the next six weeks. Keep listening now to hear the first episode right here. And if you like it, you can get the rest of the series by following Bridge of Lies on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, or wherever you're listening now. 911, where is the emergency? In the middle of a cold December night by the Jersey Shore, a driver spots something that gives him a strange feeling.
The caller thinks it looks like a car someone in their 70s or 80s would drive. And was there anybody inside the vehicle? I looked, no. OK. Unless they were sleeping. I couldn't see them by their head being up. Nobody looked like they were in it. All right. OK? 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. The 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.
Episode 1, The Abandoned Car. 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. Police shine their flashlights as they check the perimeter of the Stearns' house, and then they prepare to enter. From body camera footage, we can see it's very dark outside. There are just a few glimmers of distant light coming from porches throughout the neighborhood. The street's quiet and residential.
It has sidewalks and modest homes with short driveways and fenced-in yards. The Stearns' house is white with black window shutters. Sarah and her father both grew up in this house, where police are now knocking. But no one answers. We're getting no answer at the house. I might, uh... Go inside and make sure everything's kosher here.
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