1 00:00:04,040 --> 00:00:08,039 Speaker 1: Hi, guys, Nancy Grace here, Welcome back to Killers amongst Us, 2 00:00:08,200 --> 00:00:14,160 Speaker 1: the production of iHeartMedia and Crime Online. We start today 3 00:00:14,360 --> 00:00:18,360 Speaker 1: and the story of Sarah Stern, a beautiful teen girl 4 00:00:18,720 --> 00:00:22,319 Speaker 1: who loses her mom after a fight with cancer and 5 00:00:22,520 --> 00:00:25,120 Speaker 1: was trying to find her way in the world. She 6 00:00:25,200 --> 00:00:29,080 Speaker 1: disappears from home without a trace, leaving behind so many 7 00:00:29,200 --> 00:00:34,839 Speaker 1: questions and so few clues. You will hear from Sarah's dad, Michael, 8 00:00:35,159 --> 00:00:39,760 Speaker 1: about his anguish learning his little girl is missing, and 9 00:00:39,880 --> 00:00:43,120 Speaker 1: how the search for Sarah begins. You hear from a 10 00:00:43,159 --> 00:00:47,280 Speaker 1: local reporter on the scene, Alex Epoliello, who covered Sarah's 11 00:00:47,280 --> 00:00:52,600 Speaker 1: disappearance from day one. FBI special agent Bobby Chicone, and 12 00:00:52,800 --> 00:00:58,240 Speaker 1: renowned Hollywood psychoanalyst doctor Bethany Marshall weigh in with expert 13 00:00:58,280 --> 00:01:03,120 Speaker 1: analysis on Sarah's appearance. We start at two forty five 14 00:01:03,320 --> 00:01:08,000 Speaker 1: a m. The morning of December three, twenty sixteen. An 15 00:01:08,040 --> 00:01:11,960 Speaker 1: abandoned car found on any Jersey Bridge bine one one 16 00:01:12,000 --> 00:01:16,000 Speaker 1: where the emergency and not the emergency actually on the 17 00:01:16,040 --> 00:01:20,040 Speaker 1: Belmar Bridge right after heading south in the middle of 18 00:01:20,120 --> 00:01:22,840 Speaker 1: the bridge, there's a car that abandoned. It's off at 19 00:01:22,880 --> 00:01:25,080 Speaker 1: the side of the road. But the Belmark Bridge being 20 00:01:25,080 --> 00:01:28,399 Speaker 1: the thirty five bridge. Yeah, the thirty five bridge would 21 00:01:28,440 --> 00:01:32,480 Speaker 1: be going over then going from north going down. Nancy 22 00:01:32,520 --> 00:01:39,720 Speaker 1: Grace killers unlist us. So what kind of carson? I 23 00:01:39,800 --> 00:01:42,199 Speaker 1: kind of looked like an old beat up, light hand 24 00:01:42,319 --> 00:01:46,640 Speaker 1: colored like to Dan, was there anybody inside the vehicle? 25 00:01:47,000 --> 00:01:50,560 Speaker 1: I looked, now, okay, unless they were sleeping. I couldn't 26 00:01:50,600 --> 00:01:55,000 Speaker 1: see them by their head being up. Nobody. A light 27 00:01:55,240 --> 00:02:01,080 Speaker 1: colored sedan parked on an obscure bridget is the beginning 28 00:02:01,520 --> 00:02:05,160 Speaker 1: of the story of the disappearance of a beautiful young girl, 29 00:02:05,440 --> 00:02:12,040 Speaker 1: Sarah Stern. But why there, why that bridge, and what, 30 00:02:12,280 --> 00:02:16,760 Speaker 1: if anything does it mean. I'm Nancy Grace, thank you 31 00:02:16,800 --> 00:02:23,320 Speaker 1: for being with us today the mystery of Sarah Stearn's disappearance. 32 00:02:23,720 --> 00:02:28,720 Speaker 1: But what do we know about Sarah? Alex Napoliello, Alex, 33 00:02:28,800 --> 00:02:30,959 Speaker 1: thank you for being with us crime and Court reporter 34 00:02:31,080 --> 00:02:34,760 Speaker 1: for the NJA dot com and Star Ledger. I've watched 35 00:02:34,840 --> 00:02:39,839 Speaker 1: the bodycam footage. I've I've listened to it very very 36 00:02:39,960 --> 00:02:45,279 Speaker 1: carefully explained to me how the police were first alerted 37 00:02:45,440 --> 00:02:48,040 Speaker 1: to this sedan part on the side of a bridge, 38 00:02:48,280 --> 00:02:51,399 Speaker 1: and what time of the day was it and why 39 00:02:51,520 --> 00:02:54,320 Speaker 1: was that so unusual? So police were called to the 40 00:02:54,400 --> 00:02:58,000 Speaker 1: bridge shortly before three am on December third, in two 41 00:02:58,080 --> 00:03:01,840 Speaker 1: thousand and sixteen. They were alerted to this car parked 42 00:03:01,880 --> 00:03:04,120 Speaker 1: on the shoulder at the top of the Route thirty 43 00:03:04,160 --> 00:03:08,120 Speaker 1: five bridge in Belmar buy a couple ride share drivers 44 00:03:08,160 --> 00:03:11,120 Speaker 1: who were in the area. So it's important to note 45 00:03:11,120 --> 00:03:13,960 Speaker 1: that that bridge at the base of the bridge is 46 00:03:13,960 --> 00:03:18,639 Speaker 1: a popular nightclub called the Headliner. That bridge goes from 47 00:03:18,840 --> 00:03:23,480 Speaker 1: Neptune Township into Belmar, so it's pretty well trafficked even 48 00:03:23,560 --> 00:03:26,720 Speaker 1: at three am, So it wasn't uncommon for a ride 49 00:03:26,720 --> 00:03:29,360 Speaker 1: share driver to be in that area and call it 50 00:03:29,400 --> 00:03:31,440 Speaker 1: into police. Hold on, are you talking about an Uber? 51 00:03:31,760 --> 00:03:34,720 Speaker 1: It was an Uber person. I believe that it was 52 00:03:34,880 --> 00:03:37,520 Speaker 1: Uber and he was doing both Uber endless. And was 53 00:03:37,520 --> 00:03:39,800 Speaker 1: it the driver? I thought it was the driver, not 54 00:03:39,880 --> 00:03:43,040 Speaker 1: someone who was actually ride sharing. It was the driver, Yeah, 55 00:03:43,080 --> 00:03:46,680 Speaker 1: the ride share driver, you know. To FBI Special Agent 56 00:03:46,720 --> 00:03:50,000 Speaker 1: Bobby's account. First of all, as I always told Jerry's 57 00:03:50,080 --> 00:03:53,320 Speaker 1: nothing good happens after midnight period. Okay, let's just start 58 00:03:53,320 --> 00:03:57,080 Speaker 1: with that. But it doesn't affect me one way or 59 00:03:57,120 --> 00:03:59,720 Speaker 1: the other, other than me trying to establish a timeline 60 00:04:00,080 --> 00:04:04,600 Speaker 1: that they first spotted this tan sedan, this light colored 61 00:04:04,600 --> 00:04:07,360 Speaker 1: sedan on the side of the bridge at three am. 62 00:04:07,400 --> 00:04:10,240 Speaker 1: That does not mean to me that that's when it 63 00:04:10,400 --> 00:04:13,480 Speaker 1: was parked there by any means, Oh no, not at all. 64 00:04:13,520 --> 00:04:18,000 Speaker 1: I mean that's even if it's heavily trafficked. You'd be 65 00:04:18,000 --> 00:04:20,240 Speaker 1: surprised to how many people don't report cars on the 66 00:04:20,240 --> 00:04:23,000 Speaker 1: side of the road. It's become a pretty routine occurrence. 67 00:04:23,040 --> 00:04:24,919 Speaker 1: I mean, I probably see it every day on my commute, 68 00:04:24,920 --> 00:04:29,880 Speaker 1: So you don't always have a proper timing of when 69 00:04:29,920 --> 00:04:32,720 Speaker 1: that car was left simply by the reporting of the car. 70 00:04:33,600 --> 00:04:36,039 Speaker 1: It does it does. It is somewhat dependent on the 71 00:04:36,080 --> 00:04:41,279 Speaker 1: time of day. But but if three am is a 72 00:04:41,279 --> 00:04:45,240 Speaker 1: heavily traffic time, then you may you may not have Okay, 73 00:04:45,279 --> 00:04:47,800 Speaker 1: I don't know what alternate universe you're living in, but 74 00:04:48,080 --> 00:04:51,279 Speaker 1: three am out on an obscure bridge I do not 75 00:04:51,480 --> 00:04:55,679 Speaker 1: think would be heavily traffic, which leads me to another point. 76 00:04:55,800 --> 00:04:59,680 Speaker 1: Bobby Chicone with me Alex Napole Yellow Crime and Court 77 00:04:59,680 --> 00:05:02,960 Speaker 1: Report for the NJA dot Com and Star Ledger, and 78 00:05:03,440 --> 00:05:07,120 Speaker 1: Bobby Chicone FBI special Agent. That that leads me to 79 00:05:07,160 --> 00:05:10,919 Speaker 1: another point. I find this bridge based on all my 80 00:05:11,000 --> 00:05:15,000 Speaker 1: research to be fairly obscure, I mean in the big 81 00:05:15,040 --> 00:05:20,240 Speaker 1: scheme of things. And I noticed on the original nine 82 00:05:20,240 --> 00:05:22,719 Speaker 1: one one call, which we're going to play for you shortly, 83 00:05:23,440 --> 00:05:26,960 Speaker 1: even the cops we're not sure which bridge they're talking about. 84 00:05:27,680 --> 00:05:30,039 Speaker 1: And when you say it could be a I don't 85 00:05:30,080 --> 00:05:33,240 Speaker 1: know if it was a highly traffic time. Let's just rephrase. 86 00:05:33,279 --> 00:05:38,320 Speaker 1: Here is December three, that's Saturday at three am in 87 00:05:38,440 --> 00:05:41,640 Speaker 1: the morning. Now, the few times I'm out on the 88 00:05:41,720 --> 00:05:44,960 Speaker 1: highway at that time of the morning, it's still dark 89 00:05:45,040 --> 00:05:47,440 Speaker 1: and nobody's on the road. Bobby Chicom, what are you 90 00:05:47,440 --> 00:05:50,200 Speaker 1: talking about. Well, Alex just described it as a as 91 00:05:50,240 --> 00:05:53,440 Speaker 1: a heavily trafficked bridge in a you know, in an 92 00:05:53,480 --> 00:05:55,440 Speaker 1: area where people do you use that bridge? I'm not 93 00:05:55,720 --> 00:05:59,000 Speaker 1: I would have to determine how obscure or not obscure 94 00:05:59,080 --> 00:06:01,760 Speaker 1: the bridge would be. But you do start making those 95 00:06:01,880 --> 00:06:05,400 Speaker 1: kinds of judgments on what the chances are that the 96 00:06:06,160 --> 00:06:11,160 Speaker 1: reporting of the missing car approximates when it was actually abandoned, 97 00:06:11,160 --> 00:06:14,480 Speaker 1: and so you do factor in our traffic patterns, and 98 00:06:14,560 --> 00:06:18,040 Speaker 1: local authorities would obviously be very familiar with those local 99 00:06:18,279 --> 00:06:22,520 Speaker 1: traffic patterns. Well, that lays me to another issue. Alex 100 00:06:22,560 --> 00:06:24,880 Speaker 1: did jointing me Crime and Court reporter Jay dot Com 101 00:06:24,920 --> 00:06:27,360 Speaker 1: and Star Ledger Alex, I don't believe that the car 102 00:06:27,440 --> 00:06:30,280 Speaker 1: was actually reported missing. If it hadn't been for this 103 00:06:30,400 --> 00:06:33,960 Speaker 1: Uber driver driving along and seeing it, it would not 104 00:06:34,080 --> 00:06:37,880 Speaker 1: have been reported. I mean, did anybody report it stolen? Yeah, 105 00:06:37,960 --> 00:06:41,200 Speaker 1: no one reported the vehicle stolen. And you know, whether 106 00:06:41,360 --> 00:06:43,760 Speaker 1: or not we know if that vehicle would have been reported, 107 00:06:44,400 --> 00:06:48,120 Speaker 1: we don't know. But an Uber driver found it unusual 108 00:06:48,240 --> 00:06:50,800 Speaker 1: enough that he did report it. And when he reported 109 00:06:50,839 --> 00:06:54,200 Speaker 1: it was just as a disabled vehicle. He didn't believe 110 00:06:55,600 --> 00:06:58,760 Speaker 1: at that moment that there was anything suspicious in nature. 111 00:07:00,000 --> 00:07:03,920 Speaker 1: And just to go back to some earlier points, this bridge, 112 00:07:04,400 --> 00:07:06,840 Speaker 1: it's the Route thirty five bridge. The reason there was 113 00:07:06,880 --> 00:07:10,640 Speaker 1: some confusion was because over the Shark River where that 114 00:07:10,720 --> 00:07:14,760 Speaker 1: bridge runs over that body of water, there are three 115 00:07:14,800 --> 00:07:18,880 Speaker 1: bridges in that area. There's one bridge over Ocean Avenue 116 00:07:19,000 --> 00:07:23,000 Speaker 1: along the beach, there's another bridge called commonly referred to 117 00:07:23,040 --> 00:07:26,000 Speaker 1: as the Belmar Bridge, and then there's the Root thirty 118 00:07:26,000 --> 00:07:29,000 Speaker 1: five bridge. So those names often do get confused. So 119 00:07:29,000 --> 00:07:31,720 Speaker 1: how does this compare. I mean, is there a lot 120 00:07:31,760 --> 00:07:33,360 Speaker 1: of traffic? Is there a lot of traffic there at 121 00:07:33,400 --> 00:07:36,960 Speaker 1: three am. I don't think there's a lot of traffic 122 00:07:37,000 --> 00:07:40,440 Speaker 1: at three am. The bar that I mentioned earlier, the 123 00:07:40,440 --> 00:07:43,840 Speaker 1: Headliner club in Neptune gets out at two am, so 124 00:07:43,880 --> 00:07:47,800 Speaker 1: I guess you have some trickle, some people trickling out 125 00:07:47,960 --> 00:07:51,480 Speaker 1: still at three am and hopping in cabs and ubers 126 00:07:51,480 --> 00:07:56,800 Speaker 1: to head home for the evening early morning. But no, 127 00:07:56,960 --> 00:07:59,520 Speaker 1: I mean at three am. I wouldn't say it's it's 128 00:07:59,720 --> 00:08:03,080 Speaker 1: get more traffic than it would middle of the day. Listen, 129 00:08:04,000 --> 00:08:15,080 Speaker 1: I started Tello one nine er. I'm tanning. Do you 130 00:08:15,120 --> 00:08:17,320 Speaker 1: see if we have any contact info for the r 131 00:08:17,400 --> 00:08:39,160 Speaker 1: O trying to give me to doctor Bethany Marshall joining 132 00:08:39,200 --> 00:08:42,920 Speaker 1: me psycho analyst out of California at doctor Bethany Marshall 133 00:08:42,960 --> 00:08:46,840 Speaker 1: dot com. Dotor Bethany, you know Chicon's right. I passed 134 00:08:47,040 --> 00:08:50,360 Speaker 1: abandoned cars on the side of the road all the time, 135 00:08:50,800 --> 00:08:53,360 Speaker 1: and I typically will call on nine one if I 136 00:08:53,400 --> 00:08:55,760 Speaker 1: see there's a crash and people are standing around or 137 00:08:55,800 --> 00:08:59,240 Speaker 1: somebody standing by their car. But if I just see 138 00:08:59,240 --> 00:09:01,480 Speaker 1: an abandoned car, are I don't think anything of it. 139 00:09:01,559 --> 00:09:03,600 Speaker 1: I think they've run out of gas or they had 140 00:09:03,640 --> 00:09:06,440 Speaker 1: a flat tire and they've gone to get help. I 141 00:09:06,480 --> 00:09:11,640 Speaker 1: would not report it. Why, Nancy. It depends on the bridge. 142 00:09:12,320 --> 00:09:15,079 Speaker 1: We have two bridges here in California, the Golden State 143 00:09:15,120 --> 00:09:18,160 Speaker 1: Bridge and then there's a very famous bridge as you 144 00:09:18,280 --> 00:09:21,920 Speaker 1: drive into Pasadena where one of my offices is located, 145 00:09:22,520 --> 00:09:27,520 Speaker 1: and those bridges are notorious for people committing suicide. So 146 00:09:27,760 --> 00:09:30,400 Speaker 1: if you were going over one of those bridges, you 147 00:09:30,520 --> 00:09:33,520 Speaker 1: might report. But now this seems to be a very 148 00:09:33,640 --> 00:09:38,280 Speaker 1: rural area, one nightclub nearby, people ride sharing going back 149 00:09:38,280 --> 00:09:41,360 Speaker 1: and forth. It seems like perhaps it was an older 150 00:09:41,400 --> 00:09:44,840 Speaker 1: car in this case, I don't think anybody would report. 151 00:09:45,320 --> 00:09:49,080 Speaker 1: And the reason people do not report, Nancy, is that 152 00:09:49,120 --> 00:09:51,720 Speaker 1: they think that they've made it up. They think that 153 00:09:51,760 --> 00:09:56,400 Speaker 1: they're overreacting. And often people underreport all kinds of crimes 154 00:09:56,400 --> 00:09:59,840 Speaker 1: and mysterious happenings because they don't want to get an 155 00:10:00,000 --> 00:10:03,120 Speaker 1: other person in trouble. We see this with underreporting of 156 00:10:03,160 --> 00:10:05,920 Speaker 1: domestic violence and child abuse. And I would imagine it 157 00:10:05,920 --> 00:10:09,400 Speaker 1: would be seem with an abandoned sedan on a bridge 158 00:10:09,559 --> 00:10:11,520 Speaker 1: that you feel like you're going to look foolish, or 159 00:10:11,600 --> 00:10:14,920 Speaker 1: maybe there's a homeless person in there that couldn't have 160 00:10:15,280 --> 00:10:18,080 Speaker 1: you afford a hotel or another place to spend the night. 161 00:10:18,120 --> 00:10:20,040 Speaker 1: And you don't want to alert the police and get 162 00:10:20,040 --> 00:10:22,839 Speaker 1: somebody into trouble unnecessarily. So what do we do now, 163 00:10:22,880 --> 00:10:26,120 Speaker 1: Bobby Chicone? This the police can't ignore. They've gotten a 164 00:10:26,120 --> 00:10:28,719 Speaker 1: call from a new Bord driver. Here's the car. They 165 00:10:28,800 --> 00:10:32,560 Speaker 1: make their way after much confusion to the correct bridge 166 00:10:33,040 --> 00:10:35,720 Speaker 1: and what happens then, Bobby? What do you do with 167 00:10:35,760 --> 00:10:39,480 Speaker 1: an abandoned cars? What is sop for cops? Well, the 168 00:10:39,480 --> 00:10:41,040 Speaker 1: first thing they do is run the license plate. If 169 00:10:41,040 --> 00:10:42,480 Speaker 1: they have a license plate on the car, see who 170 00:10:42,480 --> 00:10:45,080 Speaker 1: the registered owner of the car is. See if you 171 00:10:45,120 --> 00:10:48,560 Speaker 1: can make contact with that registered owner. If there's not 172 00:10:48,600 --> 00:10:50,080 Speaker 1: a license plate on the car, you can run the 173 00:10:50,120 --> 00:10:52,800 Speaker 1: VIN number which is visible from the windshield. You run 174 00:10:52,840 --> 00:10:55,240 Speaker 1: the VIN number. That could also lead you to the 175 00:10:55,240 --> 00:10:57,319 Speaker 1: registered owner. Which I want to do is find out 176 00:10:57,320 --> 00:11:00,600 Speaker 1: who who the registered owner is and then who had 177 00:11:00,760 --> 00:11:02,840 Speaker 1: less possession of the vehicle. They could have barred it, it 178 00:11:02,760 --> 00:11:05,520 Speaker 1: it could have been leant out, whatever, whatever the status 179 00:11:05,559 --> 00:11:07,120 Speaker 1: of that vehicle is. You have to start with the 180 00:11:07,120 --> 00:11:09,600 Speaker 1: registered owner of the vehicle. And so you do that. 181 00:11:09,800 --> 00:11:12,600 Speaker 1: You try to determine that either through the election play 182 00:11:12,720 --> 00:11:14,600 Speaker 1: or with a VIN number, the registration of the car. 183 00:11:14,920 --> 00:11:18,600 Speaker 1: They find the VN registration. That means they can find 184 00:11:18,679 --> 00:11:21,520 Speaker 1: out the owner of the car. A V I N 185 00:11:22,080 --> 00:11:26,400 Speaker 1: is a number that's on your car. It's like a fingerprint. 186 00:11:26,920 --> 00:11:30,800 Speaker 1: Every car has their own VIN number V I N. 187 00:11:31,480 --> 00:11:33,760 Speaker 1: No car will have the same one. When you go 188 00:11:33,840 --> 00:11:36,600 Speaker 1: to a shop shop where you're dealing with stolen cars, 189 00:11:36,840 --> 00:11:41,920 Speaker 1: they scratch out the VIN number. It's very difficult to 190 00:11:41,960 --> 00:11:45,040 Speaker 1: do on a car. It's it's it's welded in there. 191 00:11:45,040 --> 00:11:48,720 Speaker 1: It's hard to get it off. They track the VIN 192 00:11:49,040 --> 00:11:51,880 Speaker 1: or they track the tag number, and then they find 193 00:11:51,920 --> 00:11:57,400 Speaker 1: out who owns the car. Alex Napoliello explain to me 194 00:11:57,760 --> 00:12:01,880 Speaker 1: what was unusual about the car. Did they automatically know 195 00:12:02,880 --> 00:12:05,440 Speaker 1: that the car was not just a band? And what 196 00:12:05,559 --> 00:12:09,640 Speaker 1: was found in the car and what deductions do you make? 197 00:12:09,800 --> 00:12:14,080 Speaker 1: So police arrive at the bridge behind. They pull up 198 00:12:14,120 --> 00:12:18,600 Speaker 1: behind the vehicle. The officer walks up to the driver's 199 00:12:18,600 --> 00:12:21,800 Speaker 1: side of the vehicle, shines the slashlight intough the vehicle, 200 00:12:22,480 --> 00:12:27,720 Speaker 1: sees the keys still inside the vehicle, but sees nothing else. 201 00:12:27,800 --> 00:12:31,520 Speaker 1: There's no one around there. They run the registration, they 202 00:12:31,600 --> 00:12:33,880 Speaker 1: run the VIN number. They find out that the car 203 00:12:34,080 --> 00:12:38,520 Speaker 1: is registered to a Lilian Stern. Lilian Stern is Sarah 204 00:12:38,520 --> 00:12:45,199 Speaker 1: Stern's grandmother. They also learned that Lilian doesn't drive this 205 00:12:45,240 --> 00:12:47,640 Speaker 1: car anymore, that she had given it to Sarah, and 206 00:12:47,720 --> 00:12:51,079 Speaker 1: Sarah was the one who typically drove the vehicle, so 207 00:12:52,120 --> 00:12:57,240 Speaker 1: the car. The officer gets back to his car, calls dispatch, 208 00:12:57,280 --> 00:13:01,360 Speaker 1: and shortly thereafter, thinking that there was nothing suspicious with 209 00:13:01,400 --> 00:13:04,880 Speaker 1: this vehicle, he calls it to be towed from the scene, 210 00:13:05,280 --> 00:13:09,200 Speaker 1: and then radio's other officers to respond to this Stern 211 00:13:09,320 --> 00:13:12,360 Speaker 1: residence in Neptune City. Now, isn't it true that the 212 00:13:12,440 --> 00:13:15,120 Speaker 1: keys were in the car? Is that right, Bobby Chicon? 213 00:13:15,200 --> 00:13:16,880 Speaker 1: And what do you deduce from that? Yeah, well, if 214 00:13:16,880 --> 00:13:19,800 Speaker 1: I saw the keys in the car, I would automatically 215 00:13:19,800 --> 00:13:25,080 Speaker 1: think that, you know, there's something suspicious about it, because 216 00:13:25,360 --> 00:13:27,840 Speaker 1: if the car was broken down, most people leave if 217 00:13:27,880 --> 00:13:29,760 Speaker 1: they have a flat tire, if they're out of gas. No, 218 00:13:29,880 --> 00:13:33,280 Speaker 1: they'll secure their vehicle before they walk off to get assistance. 219 00:13:33,320 --> 00:13:36,520 Speaker 1: I mean, most people would simply call Triple A or 220 00:13:36,559 --> 00:13:39,720 Speaker 1: another vehicle repair service. But once I saw the keys 221 00:13:39,720 --> 00:13:43,200 Speaker 1: in the car, I would not probably have that car 222 00:13:43,360 --> 00:13:47,200 Speaker 1: touched until we could do some kind of forensic exam 223 00:13:47,280 --> 00:13:49,079 Speaker 1: on the car. If the keys are in it, it 224 00:13:49,240 --> 00:13:54,080 Speaker 1: just raises the level of concern for me to think 225 00:13:54,120 --> 00:13:57,000 Speaker 1: that somebody who abandoned their car, simply walked away from 226 00:13:57,040 --> 00:13:59,679 Speaker 1: that car on their own, would leave their keys in 227 00:13:59,720 --> 00:14:02,040 Speaker 1: their car. It's just not a common occurrence, and so 228 00:14:02,120 --> 00:14:05,720 Speaker 1: I would it would ratchet up my concern about what's 229 00:14:05,760 --> 00:14:07,439 Speaker 1: going on with this vehicle. So I would start taking 230 00:14:07,480 --> 00:14:10,439 Speaker 1: a look around the vehicle, on the floor, on the ground, 231 00:14:10,520 --> 00:14:12,559 Speaker 1: around the vehicle, and then I would start thinking about, 232 00:14:12,800 --> 00:14:15,680 Speaker 1: maybe we need to process this because remember our crimes, 233 00:14:15,720 --> 00:14:18,160 Speaker 1: if it is intact a crime scene, we have to 234 00:14:18,880 --> 00:14:22,160 Speaker 1: You lose anything if you if you step past that process, 235 00:14:22,440 --> 00:14:25,720 Speaker 1: So you have to be very cautious about how you proceed. 236 00:14:25,760 --> 00:14:29,240 Speaker 1: Oh well, you just kind of glossed over that. When 237 00:14:29,320 --> 00:14:31,880 Speaker 1: you say you lose anything, if you gloss over the process. 238 00:14:32,720 --> 00:14:35,840 Speaker 1: What I take that to mean is you look, you 239 00:14:35,880 --> 00:14:41,680 Speaker 1: don't destroy any potential evidence in the car, such as fingerprints, fluids, hair, fiber, 240 00:14:42,000 --> 00:14:44,160 Speaker 1: all of that remains in the car. So while you 241 00:14:44,200 --> 00:14:46,200 Speaker 1: look in the car, you see the keys are in there. 242 00:14:46,560 --> 00:14:49,840 Speaker 1: You've got to be very very careful about, for instance, 243 00:14:49,880 --> 00:14:52,640 Speaker 1: taking the keys out of the ignition, looking in the trunk. 244 00:14:52,880 --> 00:14:56,440 Speaker 1: You don't want to destroy any potential evidence. Take a 245 00:14:56,480 --> 00:14:59,240 Speaker 1: listen to our friends at twenty twenty. This is a 246 00:14:59,280 --> 00:15:03,480 Speaker 1: small town. Word travels fast. The cops know obviously a 247 00:15:03,520 --> 00:15:06,240 Speaker 1: lot of people in this small town. They have a 248 00:15:06,240 --> 00:15:09,360 Speaker 1: car parked on a bridge and they quickly find out 249 00:15:09,480 --> 00:15:12,120 Speaker 1: it's normally driven by a nineteen year old by the 250 00:15:12,200 --> 00:15:17,440 Speaker 1: name of Sarah Stern. Phone rang around three o'clock in 251 00:15:17,480 --> 00:15:21,760 Speaker 1: the morning. Do you know anything about a the car? 252 00:15:22,120 --> 00:15:25,120 Speaker 1: You know, gray Oldsmobile? And I said, yeah, my daughter 253 00:15:25,200 --> 00:15:28,200 Speaker 1: drives that car. A million things go through your mind. 254 00:15:29,520 --> 00:15:32,520 Speaker 1: You were in Florida. Yeah, we drove from Florida back 255 00:15:32,520 --> 00:15:36,040 Speaker 1: to New Jersey three thirty four o'clock in the morning. 256 00:15:36,080 --> 00:15:43,000 Speaker 1: Is no traffic, so you can drive pretty quick. Sarah 257 00:15:43,000 --> 00:15:48,240 Speaker 1: Stern was very well known through the community. To fact 258 00:15:48,240 --> 00:15:50,480 Speaker 1: that her family was very well known and Sarah was 259 00:15:50,520 --> 00:15:54,320 Speaker 1: a kid that everybody knew, she was always around kind 260 00:15:54,320 --> 00:15:56,920 Speaker 1: of threw everybody off with that car just being left 261 00:15:56,920 --> 00:16:02,720 Speaker 1: at the top of that bridge with as to why 262 00:16:03,040 --> 00:16:05,960 Speaker 1: no one knew where Sarah was and they didn't know 263 00:16:06,360 --> 00:16:09,480 Speaker 1: why they couldn't get in touch with her. She was 264 00:16:09,640 --> 00:16:13,120 Speaker 1: attached to her phone like most nineteen year olds are 265 00:16:13,560 --> 00:16:17,280 Speaker 1: and there would be no reason for why her phone 266 00:16:17,360 --> 00:16:21,240 Speaker 1: was off and she wasn't taking calls, taking text messages 267 00:16:21,360 --> 00:16:28,720 Speaker 1: on a Friday night, no answer on her phone. Police 268 00:16:28,800 --> 00:16:35,320 Speaker 1: then immediately started investigating, and this becomes not just an 269 00:16:35,320 --> 00:16:38,920 Speaker 1: abandoned car on a bridge, but a missing person. There's 270 00:16:38,960 --> 00:16:42,480 Speaker 1: this nineteen year old girl who has gone off the 271 00:16:42,520 --> 00:16:49,640 Speaker 1: grid and no one knows why. Joining me now a 272 00:16:49,760 --> 00:16:53,800 Speaker 1: very special guest, Michael Stern. This is Sarah's dad, Michael. 273 00:16:54,920 --> 00:16:58,520 Speaker 1: Why were you in Florida that night of all nights? Well, 274 00:16:58,560 --> 00:17:01,480 Speaker 1: I was on vacation for a down at the Disney World. 275 00:17:01,640 --> 00:17:05,159 Speaker 1: Do you recall that phone call when you learned the 276 00:17:05,320 --> 00:17:09,040 Speaker 1: car was missing and what went through your head? Well, 277 00:17:10,000 --> 00:17:14,160 Speaker 1: in the beginning when the call came in, and I've 278 00:17:14,200 --> 00:17:17,000 Speaker 1: explained this a few times, but the call came from 279 00:17:17,040 --> 00:17:20,680 Speaker 1: the what appeared to be the Mama's County Sheriff's department, 280 00:17:21,680 --> 00:17:27,160 Speaker 1: and it was, you know, it wakened out of a sleep, 281 00:17:27,400 --> 00:17:30,760 Speaker 1: and the call was kind of a high pitched voice 282 00:17:30,840 --> 00:17:33,720 Speaker 1: and it was a little um it almost sounded like 283 00:17:33,720 --> 00:17:37,200 Speaker 1: a prank call at the beginning, and they just stanced. 284 00:17:37,240 --> 00:17:40,480 Speaker 1: They said that Mama's County Sheriff's department were inquiring about 285 00:17:40,520 --> 00:17:45,800 Speaker 1: a car drive you know, an aldimopial, and I said, yeah, 286 00:17:45,840 --> 00:17:50,760 Speaker 1: my daughter drives that car, and then the call hung up. 287 00:17:52,359 --> 00:17:54,199 Speaker 1: So I called it back and I could see on 288 00:17:54,359 --> 00:17:57,760 Speaker 1: my caller ID that you know in the answered it 289 00:17:57,880 --> 00:18:00,639 Speaker 1: was the the Sheriff's department, except I got a recording 290 00:18:01,280 --> 00:18:04,399 Speaker 1: that said that the hours are from nine am to 291 00:18:04,680 --> 00:18:08,080 Speaker 1: five pm and call back or leave a message. So 292 00:18:08,240 --> 00:18:10,879 Speaker 1: right there I knew it was you know, it was 293 00:18:10,920 --> 00:18:16,560 Speaker 1: called from an official phone, but didn't have any details. 294 00:18:16,600 --> 00:18:21,879 Speaker 1: And that's that's how the whole thing started. And you know, 295 00:18:21,960 --> 00:18:23,960 Speaker 1: I hadn't been able to get in touch with Sarah, 296 00:18:24,000 --> 00:18:27,080 Speaker 1: so you know, I thought something at that point might 297 00:18:27,119 --> 00:18:30,120 Speaker 1: be wrong. How long had you been trying to reach her? 298 00:18:30,680 --> 00:18:34,960 Speaker 1: From about ten thirty the evening before, so that would 299 00:18:34,960 --> 00:18:39,240 Speaker 1: have been Friday night going into Saturday morning. And is 300 00:18:39,240 --> 00:18:41,639 Speaker 1: that normal for her to go that long without you 301 00:18:41,760 --> 00:18:45,760 Speaker 1: talking to her? No, not necessarily, but it wasn't unusual 302 00:18:46,280 --> 00:18:48,560 Speaker 1: because she had been away the week before. She was 303 00:18:48,600 --> 00:18:52,560 Speaker 1: in Florida the week before with her cousins and aunts 304 00:18:52,560 --> 00:18:57,040 Speaker 1: and stuff. So I had left the day after she 305 00:18:57,200 --> 00:19:00,639 Speaker 1: came back, which was blast Friday. I picked her up 306 00:19:00,680 --> 00:19:04,520 Speaker 1: to the airport, and then the following morning, I left 307 00:19:04,600 --> 00:19:09,199 Speaker 1: for Florida, driving at about five thirty am. So I 308 00:19:09,240 --> 00:19:12,720 Speaker 1: only been in touch with you know, talked to her 309 00:19:12,760 --> 00:19:15,720 Speaker 1: that day and I think goodbye to her that morning, 310 00:19:16,400 --> 00:19:18,679 Speaker 1: and you know, talked to her during the week, but 311 00:19:18,800 --> 00:19:21,720 Speaker 1: nothing seemed unusual at that point. What were her spirits 312 00:19:21,840 --> 00:19:24,040 Speaker 1: like that week when you talk to her while you 313 00:19:24,080 --> 00:19:26,480 Speaker 1: were on vacation for a week. She had been on 314 00:19:26,560 --> 00:19:29,240 Speaker 1: vacation for a week. Let me understand that she's in 315 00:19:29,280 --> 00:19:32,760 Speaker 1: Florida for a week with relatives, friends, she comes back, 316 00:19:32,880 --> 00:19:35,440 Speaker 1: you pick her up the airport, You pretty much leave 317 00:19:35,520 --> 00:19:38,680 Speaker 1: shortly after that to go to Florida yourself, and you 318 00:19:38,800 --> 00:19:42,399 Speaker 1: are in touch every day by phone. Yeah, either you know, 319 00:19:42,480 --> 00:19:47,359 Speaker 1: on the telephone with the boys four tax right right? Okay, 320 00:19:47,400 --> 00:19:51,800 Speaker 1: So that evening you started trying to contact her around 321 00:19:51,800 --> 00:19:55,080 Speaker 1: ten thirty pm, which would have been I guess a 322 00:19:55,119 --> 00:19:59,040 Speaker 1: Friday night. Okay, let me go back just a little. 323 00:19:59,400 --> 00:20:03,960 Speaker 1: My Sarah's grandma and my mother had called me and 324 00:20:04,040 --> 00:20:05,879 Speaker 1: said she hadn't been able to get in touch with 325 00:20:05,920 --> 00:20:10,440 Speaker 1: Sarah all day and she was staying at my sister's 326 00:20:10,480 --> 00:20:13,119 Speaker 1: house because she was recovering from being in the hospital, 327 00:20:13,320 --> 00:20:16,520 Speaker 1: so she was over there for ten or twelve days 328 00:20:18,600 --> 00:20:23,520 Speaker 1: to recover, so she wasn't home. And you know, she 329 00:20:23,600 --> 00:20:25,679 Speaker 1: talked to Sarah every day, and she had seen Sarah 330 00:20:25,760 --> 00:20:29,400 Speaker 1: during the week, but she said she haven't been able 331 00:20:29,440 --> 00:20:31,080 Speaker 1: to get in touch with her. So I said, well, 332 00:20:31,080 --> 00:20:35,159 Speaker 1: it's Friday night at ten thirty. You know, she's either sleeping, 333 00:20:35,600 --> 00:20:39,679 Speaker 1: or she's out, or her phones died or something and 334 00:20:40,080 --> 00:20:43,480 Speaker 1: she's charging it. Sarah always had things going on to 335 00:20:43,560 --> 00:20:46,080 Speaker 1: in like twenty four hours a day, so she'd be 336 00:20:46,160 --> 00:20:51,280 Speaker 1: up at four o'clock in the morning talking to people 337 00:20:51,320 --> 00:20:56,760 Speaker 1: in Australia or London or California. So okay, wait, wait, 338 00:20:56,800 --> 00:20:58,640 Speaker 1: wait wait, I just got to ask you. It's neither 339 00:20:58,680 --> 00:21:00,919 Speaker 1: here nor there. But why as Sarah up at four 340 00:21:00,920 --> 00:21:03,880 Speaker 1: o'clock in the morning talking to people in Australia. Well, 341 00:21:03,920 --> 00:21:08,200 Speaker 1: they were friends. They were her YouTube and internet friends 342 00:21:08,240 --> 00:21:12,399 Speaker 1: that she had met at VidCon, Buffer, Fast Book Con, 343 00:21:12,560 --> 00:21:15,320 Speaker 1: Comic Con. Okay, wait wait, wait wait wait, I'm learning 344 00:21:15,600 --> 00:21:18,040 Speaker 1: what tell me about all the cons she went to. 345 00:21:18,119 --> 00:21:21,160 Speaker 1: I just went to Comic Con and took the children. 346 00:21:21,760 --> 00:21:25,040 Speaker 1: We had the best time. But what were the other 347 00:21:25,119 --> 00:21:30,439 Speaker 1: cons you you went? She went to well VidCon, which 348 00:21:30,800 --> 00:21:33,719 Speaker 1: you know is in I guess in different places. I 349 00:21:33,720 --> 00:21:39,040 Speaker 1: don't know. There was California, Anaheim, a couple of times, 350 00:21:39,520 --> 00:21:45,760 Speaker 1: New York, Toronto, so she was kind of jumping around 351 00:21:45,800 --> 00:21:48,960 Speaker 1: all over the place. Along with going to the people 352 00:21:49,000 --> 00:21:54,560 Speaker 1: she liked, Grace Helbig and Jenna Marbles and Hannah Heart 353 00:21:55,680 --> 00:21:58,679 Speaker 1: autograph parties and things like that that they would have 354 00:21:58,680 --> 00:22:02,920 Speaker 1: a bookstores, signing and stuff. So she was into the 355 00:22:03,960 --> 00:22:11,760 Speaker 1: very heavily into internet, YouTube and you know the social media. Okay, wait, 356 00:22:11,840 --> 00:22:15,600 Speaker 1: I just had to actually look up vidcom and my son, 357 00:22:15,840 --> 00:22:18,240 Speaker 1: who's the tech in this house? I mean, Michael, you 358 00:22:18,280 --> 00:22:22,560 Speaker 1: would laugh so hard. Bethany and Bobby you already know this. Alex. 359 00:22:22,680 --> 00:22:27,280 Speaker 1: I have twins boy girl, John, David and Lucy. I 360 00:22:27,320 --> 00:22:30,199 Speaker 1: once and it's my fault because I won't take the 361 00:22:30,240 --> 00:22:33,199 Speaker 1: time to learn how to make the TV or the 362 00:22:33,280 --> 00:22:38,040 Speaker 1: remote or anything else technical work. I'm like, guys, I'll 363 00:22:38,080 --> 00:22:42,000 Speaker 1: handle the legal business. You handle the TV and the 364 00:22:42,080 --> 00:22:44,440 Speaker 1: remote control. Can you do that? And they're like yes. 365 00:22:44,800 --> 00:22:49,400 Speaker 1: Whenever there's any tech related event or incident, I call 366 00:22:49,520 --> 00:22:52,359 Speaker 1: now my eleven year old son. He's like a monkey. 367 00:22:53,440 --> 00:22:57,159 Speaker 1: You give him the device whatever it may be and 368 00:22:57,200 --> 00:22:59,600 Speaker 1: he finds the answer. So I'm looking this up. He 369 00:22:59,680 --> 00:23:02,000 Speaker 1: would be so disappointed that I didn't know what this is. 370 00:23:02,400 --> 00:23:06,639 Speaker 1: Celebrate online video with your friends, meet your favorite creators, 371 00:23:06,840 --> 00:23:10,200 Speaker 1: have the time of your life, create better content, grow 372 00:23:10,240 --> 00:23:14,600 Speaker 1: your channel, break into the industry, meet fellow creators. Wow. Okay, 373 00:23:14,640 --> 00:23:19,439 Speaker 1: so I'm learning all about what this is VidCon, and 374 00:23:19,640 --> 00:23:25,440 Speaker 1: I guess everyone, all the YouTubers, all the TikTokers, all 375 00:23:25,480 --> 00:23:27,720 Speaker 1: of them show up at vidcan So do I have 376 00:23:27,760 --> 00:23:31,520 Speaker 1: an understanding of what VidCon is? Michael Stern, Yes, that's 377 00:23:31,600 --> 00:23:37,439 Speaker 1: exactly the way. It kind of an international national media 378 00:23:37,520 --> 00:23:40,800 Speaker 1: thing where it could be local or a distant And 379 00:23:40,960 --> 00:23:45,840 Speaker 1: Sarah had friends in Australia, London. Oh yeah, I'm looking 380 00:23:45,840 --> 00:23:49,240 Speaker 1: at it right now. Australia London are the ones they mentioned. 381 00:23:49,720 --> 00:23:52,160 Speaker 1: So she's all over the map. Now you mentioned another 382 00:23:52,200 --> 00:23:54,119 Speaker 1: thing she liked to go to. What was that started 383 00:23:54,160 --> 00:23:57,560 Speaker 1: with a bee as in brother? Well, let's see there 384 00:23:57,720 --> 00:24:01,960 Speaker 1: was a buffer fest, which is another internet what's that? 385 00:24:02,440 --> 00:24:05,480 Speaker 1: But I guess I'm gonna have to look that up too. 386 00:24:05,560 --> 00:24:09,520 Speaker 1: Don't don't judge me. Did you say buffer fast? Buffer Fest? Yeah, 387 00:24:09,600 --> 00:24:12,720 Speaker 1: that's a you know when sometimes when you're downloading a 388 00:24:12,800 --> 00:24:17,240 Speaker 1: program or a video or something. It buffers, you know, 389 00:24:17,400 --> 00:24:19,800 Speaker 1: just you see the little circle going around. Well, Buffer 390 00:24:19,880 --> 00:24:23,000 Speaker 1: Fest was kind of a takeoff on that thing where 391 00:24:23,000 --> 00:24:25,760 Speaker 1: it was an Internet thing where you just learned about 392 00:24:25,800 --> 00:24:29,480 Speaker 1: the different things that were going on in I looked 393 00:24:29,480 --> 00:24:32,560 Speaker 1: it up. I had to look everything up. Buffer Festival 394 00:24:32,680 --> 00:24:37,239 Speaker 1: is a four day theatrical showcase of theatrical screenings that 395 00:24:37,480 --> 00:24:44,399 Speaker 1: celebrates video premiers from acclaimed digital creators. Okay, yep, that 396 00:24:44,480 --> 00:24:50,720 Speaker 1: says annually in Toronto or Ontario. Okay, so she's all 397 00:24:50,760 --> 00:24:54,200 Speaker 1: about digital and see. Well, the reason I'm curious about 398 00:24:54,200 --> 00:24:56,360 Speaker 1: this Michael Stern and I'm going to get back to 399 00:24:56,520 --> 00:24:59,200 Speaker 1: her car being found is Bobby, you can't help me 400 00:24:59,240 --> 00:25:03,600 Speaker 1: out here. I need everybody on this. The bigger her 401 00:25:03,680 --> 00:25:08,480 Speaker 1: circle is, okay, the more people we've got to look 402 00:25:08,520 --> 00:25:11,040 Speaker 1: at that may know where she is or what happened 403 00:25:11,040 --> 00:25:14,040 Speaker 1: to her, see what I mean. So it's not no 404 00:25:14,119 --> 00:25:18,080 Speaker 1: longer just let's go at the next door neighbor. It's 405 00:25:18,200 --> 00:25:21,800 Speaker 1: let's go on her all of her devices, her phone, 406 00:25:21,920 --> 00:25:26,000 Speaker 1: her laptop, her desktop, her iPad, and who is she 407 00:25:26,040 --> 00:25:29,400 Speaker 1: talking to? Who are her best friends online? She's heavily, 408 00:25:29,440 --> 00:25:34,080 Speaker 1: heavily involved in and in a fun, fun, good way 409 00:25:34,680 --> 00:25:39,600 Speaker 1: in creating video content. Bobby Chicon, I mean that's a 410 00:25:39,680 --> 00:25:44,320 Speaker 1: little overwhelming for an investigator because there's so many directions 411 00:25:44,320 --> 00:25:48,680 Speaker 1: in which to go looking for information about where is Sarah? 412 00:25:48,840 --> 00:25:51,240 Speaker 1: Do I have to go to Vican and Buffer Fest? 413 00:25:51,440 --> 00:25:53,639 Speaker 1: I mean, it really does. It's created in a complete 414 00:25:53,720 --> 00:25:57,480 Speaker 1: new way of having to investigate these cases that wasn't 415 00:25:57,520 --> 00:26:00,400 Speaker 1: in existence when I started in this business. And and 416 00:26:00,480 --> 00:26:04,800 Speaker 1: so you always look at the world of the missing person, 417 00:26:04,920 --> 00:26:07,919 Speaker 1: the world of whoever you're looking at. And while the 418 00:26:07,920 --> 00:26:11,360 Speaker 1: Internet has made the world such a smaller place in 419 00:26:11,359 --> 00:26:15,440 Speaker 1: one way, it's now completely made the you know, the 420 00:26:15,480 --> 00:26:17,600 Speaker 1: pool of people you have to look at and investigate 421 00:26:17,680 --> 00:26:26,240 Speaker 1: much much lawger for investigators. Where is Sarah Stern? Nancy 422 00:26:26,280 --> 00:26:28,840 Speaker 1: Grace signing off good night,