Ocean County Man Indicted In Mother's 2013 Murder

An Ocean County man has been indicted on charges of first-degree murder of his mother in the home they shared, Ocean County Prosecutor Joseph D. Coronato said.

Brian K. Cassidy, 43, of Lakewood, was indicted Friday on charges of first-degree murder, theft and a variety of weapons offenses, Al Della Fave, spokesman for the prosecutor’s office, said.

Cassidy is accused of killing his mother, Gail Conway, 61, on June 25, 2013, in the Lakewood home they shared at 3C Sumac Court.

Della Fave summarized the chain of events:

Lakewood Police were called to the Sumac Court address on June 25, 2013, around 8 a.m. for a wellbeing check when Conway’s supervisor at the CVS Pharmacy in Toms River called because Conway had not reported 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. Blood evidence and the condition of the body made it clear Conway was the victim of a homicide. The officers secured the scene and the Ocean County Sheriff’s Department Crime Scene Investigation Unit, Ocean County Prosecutors Office, and the Ocean County Medical Examiner’s Office were called to assist in the investigation.

Detectives noticed a burgundy Nissan Sentra with a New Jersey plate parked in the driveway, and a check of the registration showed it belonged to Cassidy, who they later learned also lived at the residence. Further investigation found that the victim’s vehicle, a gray 2013 Honda Civic, was missing.

About 5:30 p.m. that day, Lakewood Detective Jason Pederson saw the Honda on Lakewood-Allenwood Road in Howell. The car turned into Deerwood Park and pulled into a parking space near the park’s hockey rink. A white male, whom Pederson identified as Cassidy, got out and began to walk a dog near the wood line of the park.

Pederson kept a visual on Cassidy until additional units arrived, then he was taken into custody without incident and transported back to the Lakewood Police.

Della Fave said that with Cassidy in custody, detectives were able to piece together events that led to Gail Conway’s death and confirm Cassidy’s role in the murder. He was charged with first-degree murder, three counds of third-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and third-degree theft of a vehicle.

Cassidy is being held at the Ocean County Jail in lieu of $1 million cash bail, set by Superior Court Judge Wendel Daniels. Detectives Leroy Marshall of the Lakewood Police Department and Thomas Tiernan of the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office are the lead detectives on the case. The Lakewood Police Department, the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office, and the Ocean County Sheriff’s Department CSI all contributed to the investigation culminating in the arrest of Cassidy. The case is being prosecuted by Ocean County Assistant Prosecutor Michelle Armstrong.