Man set out to film a movie but recorded a real-life murder confession

This is the shocking true story of a man who set out to make a film and ended up recording a real-life murder confession.

Anthony Edward Curry is finally able to share his movie TRAP with the world, with its premiere scheduled this weekend at the Queens World Film Festival.

TRAP – which stands for The Real Asbury Park – centres on a group of youths as they struggle through life in the New Jersey city.

The synopsis describes the film as a 'hazy cavalcade of guns, drugs and death, united by a bone-deep nihilism from cradle to inevitable grave'. You can watch the trailer below:

But beyond the violence that's depicted within the script, Curry became embroiled in something far more sinister when he picked up the camera all those years ago.

The 25-year-old filmmaker, who was just 17 when he penned the script, started shooting the movie in October 2016 – just a few months before a local artist named Sarah Stern went missing.

Although the body was never found, her car was later discovered by authorities at a New Jersey bridge with the keys still inside.

At the time, the 19-year-old's disappearance was a missing person's case, but this all changed when Curry remembered something.

A week before she vanished, his childhood friend Liam McAtasney, who was also close with Stern, had pitched a film idea that involved him killing a girl.

Instagram/@anthonyedwardcurry

In an interview with ABC News, Curry said: "I'm a filmmaker. He used to tell me ideas all the time about films I should make and all that stuff.

"And he told me about this idea he had to kill this girl... that he was going to strangle her and throw her over the bridge with his friend."

When Stern's disappearance hit social media, initially Curry didn't put two and two together – but he grew concerned when McAtasney kept messaging him asking to meet up.

He explained that things came to a head 'when he asked me if the cops questioned me about him' – although the message was on Snapchat, Curry took a screenshot of it and in January 2017 he went to the police with the information he had.

Detectives then launched a sting operation which saw Curry agreeing for his car to be fitted with recording devices before meeting with McAtasney.

The killer didn't take long to confess, telling his friend: "It took me half an hour to kill her. The worst part of it is I thought I was walking out [with] $50,000 to $100,000 in my pocket.

"She had one safe that she took money out [of], and she only had $10,000."

The video was used as a key piece of evidence in a trial where McAtasney was found guilty of all seven charges against him including first-degree murder, robbery and desecrating human remains.

He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Curry was understandably concerned about the safety of his family, but ultimately he wanted to bring peace to Stern's love ones, telling the outlet: "I didn't do it for fame and notoriety... I was doing it to bring closure to a family."

If you have experienced a bereavement and would like to speak with someone in confidence contact Cruse Bereavement Care via their national helpline on 0808 808 1677