Ax Murder Of Mother Nets Man 30 Years In Prison: Report

A Lakewood man has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for the brutal murder of his mother, according to a report.

The Asbury Park Press reported Brian Cassidy was sentenced Friday by state Superior Court Judge Wendel E. Daniels for the 2013 ax murder of his mother, Gail Conway, 61.

Cassidy pleaded guilty Aug. 17 to the murder, which occurred in the apartment the two shared in Lakewood.

Cassidy, 43, made no statement and showed no emotion in court, the Press report said.

Conway, 61, was killed in her bed on June 25, 2013, when Cassidy, a former Marine who has a history of substance abuse, hit her in the head with an ax because he was angry, the Press reported. He also cut her throat with a carpet cutter tool, the report said.

Conway’s supervisor called police that day when she failed to show up for work and was not answering her phone. When police arrived and got no answer at the door, they went into the residence and found Conway dead in bed.

During the investigation, they realized that Conway’s car was missing. A Lakewood detective saw her car -- a gray 2013 Honda Civic -- in Howell and saw it pull into a park. Cassidy got out to walk a dog, and was arrested, the prosecutor’s office has said.