Ocean County Woman Pleads Guilty In Death Of Housemate

MANCHESTER – A 60-year-old woman faces jail time for the death of a man she lived with in Pine Lake Park, officials said.

Mary Carbone of Toms River pled guilty to Aggravated Manslaughter in connection with the death of Frank Stochel, 55, of Toms River, in Manchester Township on February 24, 2020.

At the time of her sentencing on September 13, the State will be seeking a term of 10 years New Jersey State Prison, subject to the terms of the No Early Release Act.

Stochel was found unresponsive, on the floor in a home on 6th Avenue in the Pine Lake Park section of Manchester. The following day, a post-mortem examination ruled the manner of death to be a homicide.

According to authorities, several household items were used in the homicide, specifically, a wooden board, a heavy-duty tape dispenser, and a shower curtain rod – which were all recovered from the scene. Stochel’s injuries were consistent with the implementation of these items, officials said.

Additionally, Carbone and Stochel both resided in the home, officials said.

It was ultimately determined that Carbone was responsible for Stochel’s death.

Carbone was arrested and charged on March 4, 2021, and has been lodged in the Ocean County Jail since that date.

“Although Mary Carbone was originally facing a murder charge in connection with Mr. Stochel’s death, legitimate proof issues arose during the course of our investigation that we simply could not ignore, and which we were ethically bound to take into account in evaluating this very difficult case,” Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer stated. “We believe this to be a just and reasonable resolution after careful consideration of all the facts and circumstances. Additionally, Mr. Stochel’s family was consulted in connection with this resolution, and approved of same,” Prosecutor Billhimer concluded.

Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer acknowledges the diligent efforts of Supervising Assistant Prosecutor Meghan O’Neill and Assistant Prosecutor Victoria Veni who are handling the case on behalf of the State, as well as the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit, Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office High Tech Crimes Unit, Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Victim Witness Advocacy Unit, Manchester Township Police Department, Manchester Township Police Department Detective Bureau, Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit, Toms River Township Police Department, and Ocean County Medical Examiner’s Office, for their collective and cooperative assistance in connection with this investigation resulting in Carbone’s guilty plea, and soon her state prison sentence.