Four people charged with hindering apprehension and desecration of human remains

TOMS RIVER — A Manchester Township man wanted in the June 27 murder of a Seaside Heights woman later murdered the owner of a home in Toms River where he was hiding out, and then, with the help of three others including a Brick Township man, dismembered the Toms River victim and dumped the remains in Jackson Township, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said. Then, during a July 5 standoff with police in the Toms River home, the Manchester man shot himself dead, the prosecutor said on Monday. Investigators learned of the  second murder when they discovered his remains in his Toms River home, the prosecutor said.

The man in the standoff, Maxwell Johnston, 35, of Manchester Township, was wanted in connection with the murder in Manchester Township on June 27 of Gabriella Caroleo, 25, of Seaside Heights.

On July 5, after a standoff, the residence on Ravenwood Drive in Toms River was cleared with a drone, Johnston was located in a bedroom, deceased, with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to his head.

At the residence on Ravenwood Drive, the remains, which were later identified as the owner of the home, Kerry Rollason, 56, of Toms River were found.

Four people, one a Brick resident, have been charged with hindering apprehension and the desecration of human remains, according to Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer.

Jared Krysiak (pictured), 34, of Brick Township, has been charged with hindering apprehension and desecration of human remains in connection with charges against Elizabeth Mascarelli, 29, of Seaside Heights, according to Billhimer. A press release on July 13 stated that Mascarelli and two others have been taken into custody,.

Krysiak was considered a fugitive from justice, until his apprehension on July 16 in Marlboro by detectives from the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit and Toms River Township Police Department.

Billhimer said that Mascarelli, 29, of Seaside Heights, was charged with hindering apprehension, desecration of human remains, being a certain person not to possess a weapon, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, unlawful possession of a weapon and possession of a defaced weapon, all in connection with a series of events that occurred in Toms River and Jackson Township on or about July 3.

Krysiak, Danielle Bolstad, 42, of Barnegat and Jarred Palumbo, 36, of Manchester, were each charged with hindering apprehension and desecration of human remains in connection with the same series of events, according to the release.

On July 5, detectives from the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit, Manchester Township Police Department, and United States Marshals Service, located Johnston at a residence on Ravenwood Drive in Toms River.

Upon their arrival at the residence, the marshals successfully called out three of the occupants, later identified as Bolstad, Krysiak and Palumbo. Johnston and Mascarelli remained in the residence, however, and it was learned that Johnston was armed.

Negotiators attempted to have Johnston surrender himself peacefully; those attempts were met with negative results.

After several hours, Mascarelli exited the residence and was transported to Community Medical Center in Toms River to be treated for injuries sustained throughout the standoff.

The residence was subsequently cleared using a drone, and Johnston was located in a bedroom, deceased, with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to his head.

Further investigation revealed that Mascarelli had allowed Johnston to stay at the residence on Ravenwood Drive with her for four days, despite her knowledge of the murder of Caroleo and Johnston’s alleged involvement in it.

As such, Mascarelli was charged with harboring a fugitive from justice, and served with the charge on a complaint at the hospital.

Mascarelli was later transported to the Ocean County Jail, where she is presently lodged pending a detention hearing.

In the continuing investigation into the death of Caroleo, detectives discovered evidence that a murder may have been committed at the Ravenwood Drive residence on or about July 3.

To that end, law enforcement came into possession of information indicating that evidence of that murder might be found at a property in Jackson Township.

On July 12, detectives from the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit, Manchester Township Police Department Detective Bureau, New Jersey State Police K-9 Unit New, Jersey State Police Forensic Science Unit, and Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit, executed a court-authorized search warrant on the property on Toms River Road in Jackson Township.

As a result, detectives discovered numerous body parts in black bags along with additional evidence connected to the murder.

On the same date, detectives executed a court-authorized search warrant on the Ravenwood Drive residence. As a result, detectives discovered a defaced .22 caliber handgun as well as additional evidence that the murder had been committed at that location.

On July 13, 2024, the Ocean County Medical Examiner’s Office conducted a post mortem examination of the body parts, and was able to identify the victim as the owner of the Ravenwood Drive residence – Rollason.

The medical examiner concluded that the cause of Rollason’s death was multiple gunshot wounds in addition to blunt force trauma, and the manner of death to be homicide.

Further investigation revealed that Johnston was responsible for the murder of Rollason at the Ravenwood Drive residence. It was also determined that the firearm found at the Ravenwood Drive residence belonged to Mascarelli.

Additionally, Mascarelli, Bolstad and Krysiak assisted Johnston with dismembering Rollason’s body, and Mascarelli, Bolstad, Krysiak and Palumbo assisted Johnston in disposing of the body in Jackson Township.

On July 13, Palumbo was taken into custody without incident. He was processed and served with the charges via summons pending an upcoming first appearance in Ocean County Superior Court.

On July 14, Bolstad was taken into custody without incident and transported to the Ocean County Jail, where she is presently lodged pending a detention hearing.

On July 15, Elizabeth Mascarelli was served with the charges referenced above on a complaint at the Ocean County Jail.

Prosecutor Billhimer urges anyone who has any information related to this investigation to contact Detective Denis Mitchell of the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office at 732-929-2027, extension 2476, or Detective James Carey of the Toms River Township Police Department at 732-349-0150.

“The crimes committed against Mr. Rollason are unsettling and disturbing. I am thankful for the law enforcement professionals that worked diligently to uncover these depraved and soulless crimes,” Prosecutor Billhimer said in a press release.

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