Preston Taylor’s Sentence: Plea Deal, 18 Years, and Appeal

Preston Taylor was sentenced to 18 years in New Jersey state prison on June 28, 2019, for his role in the December 2016 robbery and killing of his friend Sarah Stern. The term, imposed by Monmouth County Superior Court Judge Richard W. English, followed a cooperation plea deal in which prosecutors dismissed a first-degree felony murder charge in exchange for Taylor’s testimony against co-defendant Liam McAtasney. Taylor must serve 85 percent of the sentence under New Jersey’s No Early Release Act before he can be considered for parole, with projected eligibility in May 2032.¹

What the Plea Deal Covered

Taylor was charged by accusation on April 24, 2017, with seven counts, including first-degree felony murder and first-degree robbery. He pleaded guilty to six of them: first-degree robbery, second-degree conspiracy to commit robbery, second-degree disturbing or desecrating human remains, fourth-degree tampering with physical evidence, and two counts of third-degree hindering apprehension. In exchange for truthful testimony at McAtasney’s trial, the state dismissed the felony murder count and agreed to recommend a sentence of up to 20 years on the robbery count, with all other terms running concurrently.²

Without the deal, Taylor faced a maximum exposure of life in prison plus 51 years.³⁴⁵

Why the Judge Imposed 18 Years Instead of 15

Prosecutors recommended a 15-year term. Judge English went higher, sentencing Taylor to 18 years on the robbery count, a concurrent 10 years for desecration of human remains, and concurrent 18-month and five-year terms on the remaining counts. The conspiracy count merged into the robbery count. The judge also imposed a $10,000 fine.²

English applied two aggravating factors. He found Taylor posed a risk of reoffending, pointing to a separate, uncharged scheme after the murder to steal drugs from a former fraternity member at a party.⁶ He also applied pecuniary incentive, reasoning that Taylor’s motive to profit extended to the cover-up, the desecration of remains, and the other ancillary crimes. On the mitigating side, the judge credited Taylor’s cooperation with law enforcement but noted that Taylor came forward only after an acquaintance’s secretly recorded conversation with McAtasney had already brought police to both men.⁷

The Motion to Reduce the Sentence

On August 30, 2019, Taylor’s attorney, John Perrone, asked Judge English to cut the sentence to 15 years. Perrone argued the judge had leaned too heavily on aggravating factors, including a minor jail infraction involving a message written on a bunk and the planned drug theft, and cited the punishment Taylor had faced in prison for being labeled a cooperator. The judge denied the motion. He noted that 18 years fell squarely within the 10-to-20-year range set by the plea agreement and that he was not bound by the prosecution’s recommendation. “He is going to get out,” English said of Taylor. “Sarah Stern is gone.”⁷

The Appeal

Taylor took the case to the Superior Court of New Jersey, Appellate Division. He argued the trial judge had misapplied aggravating and mitigating factors and had improperly prevented his mother from speaking at the sentencing hearing. In February 2022, a three-judge panel upheld the 18-year prison term, finding no error in the trial court’s exercise of sentencing discretion.⁸

The appellate court did give Taylor one piece of relief. It set aside the $10,000 fine because the trial judge had not held a required hearing on his ability to pay, and it sent the case back to the trial court for that hearing. The panel said it took “no opinion on the amount of the fine that is appropriate.”¹

How the No Early Release Act Applies

Because Taylor pleaded guilty to first-degree robbery, the No Early Release Act governs when he can be considered for parole. That statute requires him to serve 85 percent of the 18-year term, roughly 15 years, before becoming parole-eligible. Taylor was 19 at the time of the crime in 2016.²

Where Taylor Is Now

Taylor is serving his sentence at South Woods State Prison in Bridgeton, New Jersey. His projected parole eligibility date is May 2032.¹

McAtasney, whom Taylor testified against, was convicted by a Monmouth County jury on all seven counts in February 2019 and sentenced on June 21, 2019, to life without parole plus a consecutive 10 years for desecration of human remains.⁹ His direct appeal was rejected in 2023, and the New Jersey Supreme Court declined to hear the case. In November 2025, a state appeals panel upheld the denial of McAtasney’s petition for post-conviction relief, in which he alleged his trial attorney was intoxicated and that prosecutors engaged in misconduct; the court dismissed those claims as unsubstantiated.¹⁰

1
NJ.com. Court Upholds Sentence of Man Who Tossed His Friend Sarah Stern’s Body Off Jersey Shore Bridge
2
New Jersey Courts. State v. Taylor, Appellate Division Opinion
3
NJ.com. Man Lied About Helping His Friend Kill Sarah Stern, Defense Attorney Claims
4
Asbury Park Press. Sarah Stern Murder Timeline
5
ABC News. New Jersey Man Describes How Roommate Threw Childhood Friend Off Bridge
6
Asbury Park Press. Sarah Stern Murder: Preston Taylor Motive
7
Asbury Park Press. Sarah Stern Murder: Judge Won’t Reduce Preston Taylor’s Sentence
8
Asbury Park Press. Sarah Stern Murder: Preston Taylor Loses Appeal for Reduced Sentence
9
CBS News New York. Sarah Stern Sentencing
10
NJ.com. Man Loses Second Appeal in Murder of Childhood Friend Sarah Stern