Conviction Upheld For Thomas Toolan In Nantucket Murder Case

NANTUCKET, MA — The murder conviction of Thomas Toolan was affirmed today by the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts, the District Attorney's Office announced. Toolan is serving a life sentence for the 2004 murder of Elizabeth "Beth" Lochtefeld on Nantucket.

According to the DA's Office, Toolan was convicted on two separate theories of First Degree Murder; deliberate premeditation and extreme atrocity and cruelty. The defendant also was convicted of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon.

Toolan was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole for first-degree murder.

According to the DA's Office, Toolan and Lochtefeld met on Labor Day weekend on Nantucket in 2004. They began dating but, in early October 2004, Lochtefeld became concerned with Toolan's drinking. She ended the relationship on Oct. 23.

Two days later, Toolan flew to Nantucket and rented a car, the DA's Office said. He drove to two stores looking to purchase knives. Then he drove to Lochtefeld's home, where he stabbed her multiple times.

He then flew to Hyannis and rented a car, but was stopped and arrested in Rhode Island.

Toolan was tried twice for the murder before this ruling and convicted both times. He was first convicted in Nantucket Superior Court in 2007.

In 2011, the Supreme Judicial Court reversed the defendant’s conviction. The defendant’s second trial was held in Barnstable Superior Court on June 10, 2013.

On appeal, the defendant raised a number of challenges to the jury instructions, the DA's Office said.

The Court noted that, “[t]he Commonwealth's case was very strong, and throughout the trial, the jury heard extensive evidence concerning the defendant's premeditated intent.”

The Court held that the claims regarding the jury instructions did not rise to the level of prejudicial error, and declined to reduce the verdict.

This case gained some national attention and was featured on Dateline NBC and other documentary-style shows. Brian McDonald penned the book "Safe Harbor: A Murder In Nantucket" about the case.

Toolan was an employee in the world of Wall Street banks, according to the New York Times. In 2001, he lost one of those jobs when he walked out of an antique show with an $80,000 Roman bust under his coat, the Times said.