Answering her phone. How did love go so wrong . In a Surprising New twist, it would take not one, but two trials to discover the truth. All of a sudden he wasnt convicted of murdering my sister anymore. Heres hoda kotb with fatal attraction. Nantucket, massachusetts, a Beautiful Island off the coast of cape cod. Its simple and elegant in a way that says serious money. The beaches are pristine. The food phenomenal and the shopping, pack your credit cards. As the setting for romance with surf, sunset and sea breezes, nantucket is 50 shades of fabulous. But then the fog rolls in, dense, mysterious and everything changes. Suddenly it seems anything is possible in this moody place. Maybe even sinister things. 911. This line is recorded. State your emergency. My sister is not answering her phone. It was monday, october 25, 2004. A gray day. An officer from the Nantucket Police department was on patrol when the car radio crackled at 1 15 in the afternoon. A call had come in. She was supposed to leave and pick up my son at day care. She wont answer her cell phone. It was a routine matter or so it seemed. The officer was dispatcheded e check it out. He met his partner at 1 hawthorne lane. There were two homes on the property. I said are you elizabeth . She said, no, shes over there and pointed toward the cottage. The officers walked to the cottage and knocked. No answer. It was the first hint of trouble. I moved around to the bay window and i looked in at which time i saw someone laying on the ground. The officer was looking at a crime scene. I turned toward the sergeant and told him we had someone down inside. His partner kicked in the door. The body was on the living room floor. A woman stabbed to death. The officer had never seen anything like it and was hit by a wave of fierce emotions. From shock to awe to frightened is how it went and then Police Training kicked in. Adrenaline surging, the cops pulled their weapons. Our immediate thought was to draw our weapon for our safety so with weapons drawn, we proceed to clear the house. It was all clear. But horrifying. There were signs of a struggle. Blood in a bedroom and in the living room by the body. The officer radioed in. I made the comment just get here. It was his first homicide but if he was a stranger to homicide, so was nantucket. There hadnt been a murder on the island for two decades. It doesnt happen here. It cant happen here. And that was kind of the way it was up until that day. Her name was elizabeth. Everyone called her beth and she was an unlikely victim. She was 44 years old. A successful business woman from new york who sold her company for a tidy profit and moved to this nantucket cottage just months before. Beth had this incredible gift of making people feel comfortable around her. Beths brother, tom. I would be with her. We would go into a store to run an errand and she would chat up the clerk at the counter getting into a conversation and i would be, like, come on, beth. Lets go. What are you doing . Smart, vibrant, adventurist, beth was all that and more but what tom remembers most is her way with people. It sounds like your sister made the other person feel better, bigger, more loved. Thats a gift. She would make everyone feel special. The third of five children, beth was raised in new york about 50 miles north of new york city. My mom stayed home and cared for us. My dad was home at 5 30 for dinner at 6 00. When school was out, the family headed to nantucket where beths father, john, has had a gallery for years and for years if it was summer, beth was on the island. She was game for everything. Leslie met beth more than three decades ago. They were freshmen together at the university of notre dame. The last time she was in california we were going to go out surfing and i said, beth, i think she never surfed before. I said you might have more fun boogie boarding. No. I want to go for it. I want to learn to surf. Off she was always willing and wanting to embrace a new experience with joy. After college, beth settled in new york and started her own company. In this video she talked about those early days. Hard work and work your fingers to the bone. Your nose to the grindstone. Blood, sweat and tears. She chose a tough gig. Helping arkt architecting navigate the scene. That sounds like a hard edged type woman and not the woman youre describing really. You know what . She was enormously successful because she was hard working and she was honest. She shined and people just could trust her. It sounds like there was just one part of her life that was missing. Just love. Finding someone to spend her life with. Did she talk about that . She did want a family. In early september, 2004, that dream suddenly seemed to be within reach. She was thinking this could be the guy, absolutely. It was labor day weekend. A sunny day on nantucket. I said, hi. You know what . I think im looking at your future husband right now. She said really . I said yeah. She said ill be right over. She had only known beth for a few months. Not long but long enough. She told me she had been successful in every part of her life except for love. When tom came to stay at her nantucket home, she introduced him to beth. It was a connection. It was electric the minute she walked in. Whoa. Beth had finally met mr. Right. But people arent always what they seem to be or pretend to be. There was a lot to like about beths new beau but there was also something a little troubling especially after he met beths friends. She said Something Like i thought you were really sophisticated and charming and he said under his breath, boy, i really should have been an actor. [ female announcer ] you wont believe your eyes. With Olay Regenerist eye and lash duo. The serum instantly thickens and defines lashes. The cream smooths and softens the look of lines. So wow another eye opener from olay. But at least i can help keep their underwear clean. With charmin ultra strong. Ill take that. Go get em, buddy [ female announcer ] charmin ultra strong has a duraclean texture and its four times stronger than the leading bargain brand. Enjoy the go with charmin ultra strong. In september 2004, Beth Lochtefeld was a woman in love. Her brother, tom, remembers exuberant phone calls about the new man in her life. Of course she was over the top. I met this guy. Friend of a friend. And of course i had learned after many of those phone calls to try not to get too excited for her. At 37, tom toolan was a walking, talking swoon machine. Tall, broad shouldered, preppie and beth had a lot in common with him. He liked literature and music and he was good looking and came from a catholic family whose parents were still married 30 years later. That was a big attraction for beth. She saw someone who she thought was like minded. In many ways, yes. Tom toolans childhood friend bernadet bernadette, had introduced them. He was four years younger and same age as my brother. He always felt like a little brother to me. We were i cant even tell you how close we were. Tom went to private school and then columbia university. After college, he sold cars for a while and then landed a job as a broker at smith barney. Other jobs in finance followed including a stint as a Bank Executive on wall street. He seemed to have it all with charm to spare. She would call me from the corner of manhattan, im just waiting for him here. I want to thank you. This is unbelievable. Were having so much fun. Tom was smitten too from day one. Shes a great gal. An amazing gal. Tom lived in new york and beth in nantucket, they started seeing each other regularly. Beth had 44 was eager for marriage and a family. Very soon there was talk of rings although beths brother says it was mainly tom doing the talking. As a matter of fact, its my understanding that first day he said im going to marry you. And she was, like, yeah, right. Beth may have hesitated as she learned more about her new man. He told her he had drinking problems. But for bernadette, the drinking hardly seemed like a deal breaker. I knew he had a drinking problem. I know a Million People with drinking problems. Other friends had misgivings, louis taught beth martial arts on nantucket and she confided in him. She said i met somebody. I said thats great and she smokes and drinks. I said, beth, that doesnt sound like a good mix for you. She said, well, hes a little crazy and she said im a little crazy too. If she was making excuses for him, she had her reasons. She said she felt so good in his arms. He was so protective. She told me this is theirst time in 15 years im with a man that wants to be with me. Besides, beth was a fixer. When she would date guys, a lot of times she would say to herself, well, he would be really great except for this but i think we can work on that. No surprise then that beth decided to work on toms drinking problem with him. I believe, yes, she was trying to help him dry out and he told her he wanted to stop and wanted to dry out. Two weeks after they met, beth and tom flew to california together. Tom, who was now working as an Investment Consultant had meetings there and beth decided to tag along. It was their first extended trip together and for beth, it was an eye opener. Now she saw things she could not dismiss. Hes a mess. She said. He couldnt get on the plane. They missed the plane. I said what was he doing . She said i stood back and watched him and he was walking in circles in the hotel room smoking cigarettes, not packed. Just a mess. Beth wanted to introduce tom to her friends on the west coast. Tom of the list was leslie costello, beths College Friend it leslie lives in san diego and was eager to meet beths new beau but she was less than impressed. He was very informal. I didnt understand him. The trip ended badly. They were in a taxi and he had a temper tantrum and i guess she said let us off here. Whatever she said. He turned and yelled at her and she said it was a little bit scary. And he was drinking. She said he had eight beers by the time they got to the airport and got on the plane. Bernadette said on the way home tom asked beth what her friends thought of him. He said something chilling during the exchange that followed. Something that troubled her so much she told bernadette about it right away. He said what did they say about me . She said Something Like they thought you were really sophisticated and charming and this and that and he said under his breath, boy, i really should have been an actor. And she said that just went into her gut. It was at that point perhaps that she began asking who was the real tom toolan . She told family and friends that she was going to give the relationship the four seasons test to see how things stood in a year but it was becoming clear that tom toolan was not inclined to let one season pass let alone four. Coming up, a troubled relationship becomes a terrifying one. My guess is that she was just probably in a state of shock. Why she didnt leave that next day, im not exactly sure. When dateline continues. In october, 2004, Beth Lochtefeld went to new york to be with her boyfriend, tom toolan. By then, the two had been dating for six weeks but the relationship was fraying. Beth was beginning to see a troubling side of this new guy and she had started to give him ultimatums. He would start drinking and he would get really ugly. She would say youre a good guy but when youre drinking, youre an idiot and you need to decide between alcohol and me. He would apologize and say i choose you and i want you. I dont want the alcohol. That week beth invited her brother to meet her boyfriend. Perhaps she wanted his take on tom. First impression, you see him walk in. Well, he had longish blond hair combed back and a double breasted blue blazer on. Very pompous. He seemed fake to me. That night over dinner, beths brother kept asking tom toolan what he did for a living. And he couldnt really tell me to my satisfaction what he did. Im an investor. What do you invest in . He couldnt really give me an answer. Beths brother said toolan was drinking during dinner but not to excess. Afterwards toolan and beth headed back to his apartment and on the way home beth told friends something shocking happened. She had seen him drunk. She had seen him angry. But she had never seen her new boyfriend like this. He had put her into a headlock and was walking down the street saying i want to beat your head in. She shared with me, i went back to his apartment to just get my palm pilot and cell phone and get out of there and i wonder if i shouldnt have just left that stuff behind and left at that moment. Little did beth know that toolan had apparently been aggressive with at least one other woman after he had a few drinks. I thought, wow, flowers. How nice. I thought hes such a gentleman. Becky was working as a bartender dating toolan once. We had dinner plans. A nice date. It didnt turn out that way. Dinner was pleasant and then came drinks. Thats when he accused me of flirting with the bartender. She said toolan tried to grope her. When she reached her street, she didnt wait around. I ran across the street. Four years later, Beth Lochtefeld was in a frightening situation with the same man. Instead of grabbing her stuff from toolans apartment when she got there, beth stayed and later said that things went from bad to terrible. He got very violent with her that night and he sexually assaulted her. I think that beth was probably sort of in a state of its a confusing thing when it is somebody that youre supposedly close to violates you. My guess is that she was just probably in a state of shock and why she didnt leave that next day, im not exactly sure. By friday, october 22nd, two days after the dinner with her brother, beth decided to leave new york. Friends and family say it was clear that she intended to call it quits with toolan. She even left a message at her brothers connecticut home saying she was coming to spend the night. But by now Something Else was becoming clear. Tom toolan was not going to let beth go. He wouldnt leave her. He followed her and she said we ended up in the metropolitan and she said i was standing there in front of this painting and it was an incredibly dark painting thinking this painting reminds me of tom toolan. That was the moment that tom toolan picked to propose to her. He chose the most public place possible. A gallery in this world famous museum, the metropolitan museum of art. He proposed to beth before but never like this. He pulls this ring outs a an gets on his knee and proposes to her again. She said i was not she didnt feel safe enough to say no. She knew she was in a dangerous situation so she said to him, i need more time. She was, like, so upset because he said, you know, its now or never. And her response to him was . It has to be never. These are words right out of beths mouth. Beth rushed out of the museum. Toolan pursued her. Im going to go get drunk with my friends. At the last minute he hopped in the cab with her and they ended up back at his apartment. At some point that night, beth called her brother. In retrospect he says, she sounded terrified. Her words were very measured. She was talking very slowly and enunciating very clearly. Unlike her. She kept saying im here with tom in the city and were trying to work things out. And i didnt even think to ask her are you okay . Or cough twice if youre in trouble or Something Like that. He had no idea his sister was in danger. I was sort of tired. I didnt want to deal with the breaking up, making up kind of thing. Later from family and friends he would learn the horrifying details of beths ordeal that night. It is my understandi ining hs holding her at gunpoint. He has no proof of what went on that night but hes pieced together a story from various accounts. He held her captive. She tried to get away. He was either drunk or tired and he ended up she was laying down in led. He laid on her legs and then going to sleep or passing out himself. To prevent her from leaving. At which point she slipped out and slipped away. I understand that she didnt even want to use the elevator because she was afraid the ding might wake him up so she ended up taking the stairs. It was around 4 00 a. M. When beth managed to escape from the apartment. Where was she going to go . She was going straight to laguardia to get the next flight to nantucket and get away and get back to her home. It was now saturday, october 23rd. At 8 00 a. M. , beth called her brother. It would be the last time the two spoke. She mentioned she had broken up with him and he had called her about 50 times since on her cell phone and the guy wouldnt stop calling her. Did that raise any alarm bells with you . Just a guy whos heartbroken . I was thinking she would go to nantucket and it will be over and it will be fine. Except that was not going to happen. Tragedy was two short days away. Coming up, a surprise visitor and a panicked phone call. I told him that i think its bests boyfriend and he just said to me, barbara, lock your door. Dont go out. Im calling the police. Crisp, fall Rocky Mountain air makes an epic journey through pines, wildflowers, and aspens. And is matched only by our journey to capture its scent. 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Seems tough for a tough dog like duke. But when it has to do with gwen, hes putty in her hands. For a love this strong, dukes family only feeds him iams. Compared to other leading brands, it has 50 more animal protein. To help keep his body as strong as a love that can endure any fashion trend. Iams. Keep love strong. Now you can keep love fun with new shakeables meaty treats. After a terrifying night when she was held captive in tom toolans new york apartment, Beth Lochtefeld had managed to escape and get home to nantucket, her island refuge. She called her friend, leslie, the morning she got back. She did say he has a gun and im afraid he might use it. Im not going to stay here tonight. Im going to spend the night at my brothers house. That same day, saturday, october 23rd, beth stopped by the Nantucket Police department to ask about filing a restraining order. For her to get to the point of stopping at the police department, that probably tells you all you need to know about what was going on inside of her. I think she had very wellfounded fears especially after the incident in new york where he held her captive. Beth did not file the paperwork. She spent that night and the next at her brother peters home. She was frightened enough not to go home. I would have to say she had fear that something would happen to her. On monday, october 25th, beth returned to her cottage in the morning, collected tom toolans clothes, parcelled them up and mailed them back to him. She returned to the cottage and chatted with her land lady, barbara. It was just after 10 30. She came in the yard. We were talking in the driveway. Shes going to do some work on her computer and we were going to meet again around 1 00. Beth went inside the cottage to work. Thats the last i saw of beth. Arbara continued to garden. A short time later she was filling a wheel barrel. The man was oddly dressed for nantucket in a hat and long overcoat was inquiring about beths cottage. I said i dont know. I know beth had been seeing someone and i thought she more or less told me that i think its over. I said i guess this boyfriend has come back. He moved toward the cottage door. Barbara went to her house to have lunch but she was uneasy. And as i said, it was an intuition. She called peter but couldnt reach him and called beths parents and couldnt reach them either. She knew beth was planning to pick up her nephew but beths car did not move and she noticed the shades in beths bedroom windows had been drawn. I had a bad feeling. She called peter lochtefeld again and this time she reached him. I said there was someone in the yard. I think its beths boyfriend and he just said to me, barbara, lock your door. Dont go out. Im calling the police. 911. Hes at her house now. She wont answer her cell phone. It was then that the sergeant of the Nantucket Police arrived at the cottage and with his partner made the discovery. Beth lochtefelds body on the living room floor. It was just weeks after she thought she had found the love of her life and dreamed of a new beginning. For the lochtefeld family, life would never be the same. What did you lose on that day . I would have to say i lost probably my best friend and confidant aside from my wife. She was my closest siblings in terms of i worked with her in her business and helped her run her business for three years. We always had a lot in common. We had the city in common. We always got along really well. Leslie costello got a call that same day. When you heard the news, how was it told to you . He killed her. I remember just being in shock. I didnt see it coming. I didnt know it was coming. It was shocking. You knew exactly who the he was . Yeah. Yeah. I did. Bernadette, the friend that played match maker, got the news from her husband. At first she couldnt take it in. Theres a big buzz going around that a woman in her 40s boyfriend flew in from new york and killed her. Im screaming, what . What . What . Tom toolan was arrested within hours of the murder picked up in rhode island driving a rented car with bottles of beer and vodka in the car with him. His bloody clothes in a bag on the back seat. The Rhode Island State Police videotaped his arrest and recorded his voice in the cruiser. Toolan was held without bail and arraigned a month later. Bernadette was in the courtroom. She could barely contain herself. It was the reality hitting me. Sitting there. This happened. This really happened. He walked in and it was like they were bringing in king kong like a monster. I felt like it was my fault and shes gone. Toolan was charged with firstdegree murder and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. He pleaded not guilty. Ahead lie a trial and explosive revelations about a man finally stripped bare of all pretense. Coming up, what seemed like an open and shut case was anything but. It was like the perfect storm. You have all of these swirling together inside this mans head. Would a jury be willing to find him guilty of murder . When dateline continues. [ male announcer ] sheets or bar . How do you get your bounce . Bounce keeps my clothes fresh for weeks, even when theyve been sitting in the drawer a long time. Like those jeans you cant fit into anymore. Uh. By that, i mean. [ male announcer ] how do you get your bounce . Longlasting freshness. Makes an epic journey throughr pines, wildflowers, and aspens. [ male announcer ] how do you get your bounce . And is matched only by our journey to capture its scent. Crafted by expert perfumers for your home, air wick mountain woodlands and crisp air is part of our limited Edition National park collection. Airwick. The craft of fragrance. In june 2007, while tourists wondered through old nantucket town looking for souvenirs, tom toolan went on trial in the center of town. He pleaded not guilty. He was as smartly turned at as ever looking for the successful executive he long wanted to be. The kind of guy that would fit right in on the island. The defense would argue that toolans polished exterior was nothing more than a facade for a troubled man. They would not say he killed Beth Lochtefeld but that he was not guilty by reason of insanity. Toolans attorney began by hunting at the turmoil that lurked within tom toolan. Looks good. Suit on and a tie. Hair slicked back. Certainly someone would say he doesnt look crazy to me. The master of the universe act was just that. An act. Because tom toolan was a mess plagued not just by alcohol abuse but drug addiction too. His drink of choice would be absolute vodka right out of the bottle. Drink a fifth a day. When beth broke up with him, redington told the court toolan snapped. Drinking and drugging and even deeper troubles all of them combined to push him over the edge. The evidence will show that Thomas Toolan was suffering from a mental disease or defect at the time of this incident and he was well within our Legal Definition of insane. And who better to tell the jury about the defendants de n demons than the defendants mother. She recounted the facts of her sons life. Was it apparent to you that he had an alcohol problem . Yes, i would say when he was 16. 17. His battle with drugs. Did you know that he had occasion to make purchases from places other than drug stores . He got some prescriptions from the internet. She told the court she and her husband tried to straighten him out sending him to rehab several times beginning in 1999. How long was he in hazelton for . A month. Now to describe toolans state in the days before the murder did you at some point receive a phone call from your son . Yes. She described a conversation with her son two days before the murder. He was inconsolable over the breakup with beth. He said shes gone. Shes gone. Shes taken all her stuff. He said i was asleep. She just left. The next day, sunday, the toolans went to manhattan to see their son. He was in terrible shape. His whole body exuded the smell of alcohol. The defense believed that established toolans state in the days before the murder. Now for the day itself. When toolan was picked up in rhode island hours after the murder, he had been drinking. Sobriety tests later put him at twice the legal limit. Multiply that by six. Estimation was at the time of the murder toolans blood alcohol level was. 30. Where does that fit in . That fits in the next level above confusion to the stupor face. So toolan was profoundly impaired at the time of the murder and that was just from drinking. Add in the drugs how much did drugs play in tom toolans life . He would take whatever drugs he could get his hands on. Such as . Methamphetamines, zoloft. There was more. The defense revealed that toolan spent years fighting depression and obsessive compulsive disorder and in the late 80s he attempted suicide and finally the defense was ready for its knockout punch. A neuropsycholo siepsychologneu. He has profound dysfunction. He testified that years of Substance Abuse brought about that mental defect. Because of it, toolan could not control his impulses so the defense argued he could not be held criminally responsible for the murder. It was like the perfect storm. You have the frontal lobe defect. Person is unable to control their emotions and executive function coupled with the lowering of the inbighibitions through alcohol all swirling together inside this mans head. The prosecutors job was to blow that argument away and to argue that tom toolan knew exactly what he was doing and that he carried out a cold, calculated killing. The commonwealth will present to you a time line. As evidence of premeditation, the prosecutor told the court that on the night before the murder, security guards at new Yorks Laguardia airport stopped toolan from boarding a plane to nantucket because he was carrying a 10inch knife. When asked about the knife, toolan offered a series of stories. He said he forgot it was in there. He had it to cut a birthday cake. He was having lunch with his sister in nantucket and she wanted him to bring a knife. The prosecutor brought evidence to show at that toolan boarded another plane for nantucket this time without a knife but when he landed, he went shopping for knives. Toolan may have been drinking that day, prosecutors argued, you he was used to consuming quantities of alcohol and drugs without showing it. And the prosecutor called witnesses who would testify that toolan didnt seem drunk. Raise your right hand. Thats what the clerk who sold him the knives testified. I would say he was sober. And the rental car agent at the nantucket airport. Did he seem intoxicated to you at that time . No. Would you rent a car to him if he appeared intoxicated to you . Not likely. The prosecutor played a surveillance tape from the airport. Toolan flew into the airport after the murder arriving at about 1 15. Jurors can see him renting a car, walking out to get it and driving away in a gray chevrolet impala. Youre able to see how hes walking. Hes not falling. Hes not stumbling. The persons sp s interacting wim are interacting a normal way. There was audio in the back of the state troopers cruiser after he was arrested in long island. Can you tell me whats going on . Well discuss it when we get back. The prosecutor argued that toolan was coherent. He was capable of thinking clearly and distinguishing right from wrong despite the alcohol. And the prosecution also had a forensic psychiatrist who they thought would deliver their own knockout punch. Were you able to form an opinion concerning the criminal responsibility of Thomas Toolan iii on or about october 25, 2004, in respect to the killing of Beth Lochtefeld . On that date he did not have a mental disease or defect. And so the prosecutor told the jury tom toolan was criminally responsible when he stabbed Beth Lochtefeld to death. The testimony took nine days in all. As the summer arrived on nantucket, the surf and sea beguieling visitors and stores beckoning shoppers inside nantucket superior court, the juror in toolans murder trial got the case. Coming up, the end of a trial. Is the defendant guilty or not guilty. But not the end of the story. Beth lochtefeld didnt get a Second Chance but tom toolan will. The jury in the tom toolan trial took five hours to reach a verdict. Do you get butterflies every time . Yes, you do. As family members and jurors returned to their seats, the courtroom suddenly seemed too small for a big drama. You can hear a pin drop in the courtroom. Motion are palpable. High stakes with subtle hints. You can tell if the Court Officer surround the defendant, you figure things arent going that well. Is the defendant guilty or not guilty . Guilty. Guilty of firstdegree murder. Guilty of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. A stoic tom toolan, a distraught mother and no rejoicing from the victims family. We are relieved that this troubled and dangerous man can never harm another innocent person. Tom toolan was sentenced to life in prison and that is where things stood for four years but in august of 2011, everything changed. The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court overturned tom toolans conviction. The court said there were flaws in the jury Selection Process and ordered a new trial. The new trial got under way in june. This time at a courthouse on the mainland. For the lochtefeld family going through it a second time was deeply disappointing and worrying. All of a sudden he wasnt convicted of killing my sister anymore and he was as far as i was concerned. No tom tofor tom toolan, it incredible Second Chance. This time the defendant looked thinner than during the first trial and this time a new defense attorney argued the case. This is not a who done it . This is not a clear when, how, case. Robert sheketoff he opened with an admission that toolan did kill Beth Lochtefeld. What the jury had to decide was why. Its a difficult issue to look into somebodys mind and figure out what was going on in that mind. Was he a common criminal or was he not . Thats the issue. It was the insanity defense all over again. Dressed up a little differently presented in court by an attorney who was keenly aware he had an uphill battle on his hands. The real question is anyone willing to let somebody who has done something this horrific off the hook because of the problem with their drug abuse, alcohol abuse and underlying mental issues. The prosecutor had the gloves off once again. 52 days, ladies and gentlemen. 52 days from the time elizabeth Beth Lochtefeld met Thomas Toolan until he stabbed her to death. He said that tom toolan knew what he was doing the day he killed Beth Lochtefeld. A choice he made knowing it was wrong and he understood that at the time and he still chose to do it. Thats what criminal responsibility it. This time the trial was considerably shorter and this time when the jurors went out to deliberate, they were back the same day. The defendant thomas e. Toolan is charged with murder. Is he not guilty or is he guilty . The jury has found him guilty. Guilty of what, please . Firstdegree murder. Guilty again on all counts and the defendant sentenced against to life and from the families. Beths sister, kathy, read a statement in court. This verdict cannot bring beth back but it does bring a measure of justice. For tom lochtefeld, it was satisfying even though for him the first conviction was the one that mattered. On that day, we all took a walk up to beths grave site after the conviction and i just remember feeling that it was a beautiful, june day, and it felt like, wow, this is finally im finally not upset to be here anymore and it was good again. For those who were close to Beth Lochtefeld, theres a real sense of closure this time. The trial behind him, beths father, the artist, john lochtefeld, is back at work on nantucket. In his studio is the book he and beth worked on together. It was published after she died. He illustrated her words and dedicated the book to beth and her dreams. The dreams she lived and those that died too soon with her. Thats all for now. Im lester holt. Thanks for joining us. Breaking news this morning secretary of state john kerry joins me to explain president obamas political gamble. Why he decided to seek Congressional Authority for military action against syria. This attack is an assault on human dignity. It also presents a serious danger to our national security. With the debate now shifting to congress, well have reaction from Kentucky Republican senator rand paul, a member of the Foreign Relations committee, plus our roundtable on president obamas leadership. Has he presented a convincing case to a skeptical American Public . Will the abrupt delay of military action be interpreted by the world as weakness or careful deliberation . And the terrible human toll. Our own ann curry joins me with her firsthand account of the life and death struggles of the syrian refugee camps. Im david gregory. All that ahead on meet the press for sunday, september 1st. And good sunday morning. Im joined by the secretary of state, john kerry. Mr. Secretary, welcome back to meet the press. Glad to be with you, david. Let me get right to it. Its been a jarring 48 hours in the runup to a potential conflict with syria. On friday, the president dispatched you, the secretary of state, to make the case to the country and the world that the assad regime used chemical weapons and you spoke with passion and great strength. This is what you said. It matters because if we choose to live in a world where a thug and a murderer like Bashar Al Assad can gas thousands of his own people with impunity, even after the United States and our allies said no, and then the world does nothing about it, there will be no end to the test of our resolve and the dangers that will flow from those others who believe that they can do as they will. That was friday. Saturday morning the the president decides in an abrupt change to delay and seek Congressional Authority. You were making the case for a military strike. Why the abrupt change . Well, the case remains the same, david. The president of the United States has made his decision. His decision is to take military action in response to this outrageous attack, this affront against the decency and sensibilities of the world. Bashar al assad and now joins a list of adolf hitler and Saddam Hussein who have used these weapons in time of war. This is of greatco