Teen plotted the murder of his high school friend - whose body he threw off a bridge into a river - for SIX MONTHS

  • Prosecutors on Tuesday said that Liam McAtasney, 19, planned the murder of his former high school classmate Sarah Stern for six months 
  • After strangling her to death, McAtasney had his roommate Preston Taylor, also 19, hide her body in some bushes for eight hours
  • The two then dumped her body from a bridge into a New Jersey river 
  • All of this was revealed as Taylor tried and failed to convince a judge to release him on bail  

By Ashley Collman For Dailymail.com

Published: 10:20 EST, 8 February 2017 | Updated: 13:23 EST, 8 February 2017

Prosecutors say the New Jersey teen who strangled his high school friend and then dumped her body in a river planned the murder for six months. 

Earlier this month, 19-year-old Preston Taylor confessed to helping his friend Liam McAtasney, also 19, dispose of Sarah Stern's body after his roommate robbed and murdered her. 

Prosecutors revealed more details about the dark plot in court on Tuesday, as they successfully blocked Taylor's request to be released on bond while awaiting trial. 

Stern, of Neptune City, New Jersey, was allegedly strangled by former high school classmate Liam McAtasney when he was robbing her of a large amount of money she had recently withdrawn from a bank. Her body was swept to sea by ocean currents and never found

Prosecutors on Tuesday said that Liam McAtasney (pictured February 2, left) planned the murder of his former high school classmate Sarah Stern (right) for six months  

Assistant Monmounth County Prosecutor Meghan Doyle said that McAtasney planned the attack for at least six months. 

She says that McAtasney brought Taylor into the plans the night of the murder, calling him before hand and telling him what he planned to do. All three attended Neptune High School together and Taylor even took Stern to junior prom as his date. 

'I'm at the bank. I'm going to do it now. I'm going to take her out,' McAtasney allegedly told Taylor.

Alleged conspirator Preston Taylor was denied bail on Tuesday (pictured above). The 19-year-old is accused of helping his roommate dispose of the body of his former prom date, Sarah Stern

Alleged conspirator Preston Taylor was denied bail on Tuesday (pictured above). The 19-year-old is accused of helping his roommate dispose of the body of his former prom date, Sarah Stern

McAtasney reportedly later called back saying 'Dude, I did it'. 

He then asked Taylor to help him out by going over to Stern's house to hide her body and find his cellphone, which he left behind. 

Taylor reportedly followed his roommate's orders, and Doyle says he hid the victim's body in some bushes in her backyard and searched for the phone but couldn't find it. 

The two left Stern's body in the bushes for eight hours, before returning to dispose of it. 

Doyle says that on the second visit, Taylor's job was to act as the lookout while McAtasney threw Stern's body over a fence and put her in the front passenger seat of her car. 

McAtasney then drove the car to the  Route 35 bridge in Belmar where he proceeded to throw her body down into the Shark River. Taylor followed in his own car to help.  

Taylor and Stern are seen in this undated photo from 2014. The two went to junior prom together. Taylor is charged with tampering with evidence and hindering prosecution

Taylor and Stern are seen in this undated photo from 2014. The two went to junior prom together. Taylor is charged with tampering with evidence and hindering prosecution

At the hearing on Tuesday, Taylor's attorney argued that he should be released because he tried to talk McAtasney out of the killing - but Doyle said there was no evidence of that. 

Prosecutors previously said that they wanted Taylor to stay in jail because he posed a threat to a witness who went to police about his suspicions on the two.  Taylor's attorney said the witness was afraid of McAtasney, not Taylor. 

But the judge sided with the prosecution, ordering that Taylor remain behind bars for the trial. 

McAntansey has his own detention hearing scheduled for next week. 

Earlier this month, Taylor confessed to his role in covering up the murder - providing information that led investigators to two buried safes in Sandy Hook and Sandy River Park. One safe contained cash and the other contained pieces of Stern's clothing. Her body has not been recovered.  

McAtasney is charged with murder, felony murder, conspiracy, hindering apprehension and disposal of human remains. Taylor faces charges of conspiracy, hindering apprehension and disposal of human remains.  

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