Became a murderer after NJ COVID release: Killer blows kiss to victim’s family

An Asbury Park man who had been released from prison early during the pandemic before going on to kill his two lovers in a New Hampshire hotel room last year taunted relatives during his sentencing.

Theodore Luckey, 43, of Asbury Park, pleaded guilty to the murders of Nathan Cashman, 28, of Seaside Heights, and David Hanford, 60, at the Country Inn and Suites in Bedford in August 2021.

He was sentenced on Monday to life without the possibility of parole.

Luckey admitted to killing Cashman in the hotel lobby with multiple "chop wounds of the head, neck and body." Hanford was found strangled in a room of the hotel.

According to coverage by WMUR TV of the New Hampshire court hearing, Luckey spoke for an hour about how he and Cashman shared a cell in prison and began a physical relationship upon their release. He became furious when Cashman broke off their relationship.

Luckey said he also had a relationship with Hanford and they had traveled together to New Hampshire.

Cashman's family reacted negatively as Luckey spoke.  He blew them a kiss as he was led out of the courtroom.

Early release due to the pandemic

Luckey was released from prison early under Gov. Phil Murphy’s program that freed offenders who had less than a year left in their sentence in 2020 during the pandemic. The intent was to lessen the jail population so prisoners were not so close.

The law did not apply to offenders serving time for murder, aggravated sexual assault or other serious sex crimes.

Luckey is not the first early-release ex-convict accused of going on to commit a violent crime. A man charged this month in the fatal shooting of a Bridgeton 18-year-old in November had been released days earlier under the new law.  another man who had been released in November was charged with murder after cops said he shot two people at a party in Edgewater in January. 

Dan Alexander is a reporter for New Jersey 101.5. You can reach him at dan.alexander@townsquaremedia.com

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