Ocean County Woman Sentenced for Gruesome Murder Case

Elizabeth Mascarelli, 29, of Seaside Heights,

Ocean County Woman Sentenced for Gruesome Murder Case

According to the Ocean County Prosecutors Office, a woman from Seaside Heights had been sentenced to 25 years in prison for her involvement in the July murder and dismemberment of the owner of a house in Toms River where she harbored a man wanted in a murder case.

According to prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer, Elizabeth C. Mascarelli, 29, will not be eligible for parole until she has completed 85 percent of the sentence of 21 years and 3 months for aggravated manslaughter, which was handed down by Superior Court Judge Guy P. Ryan.

On December 9, Mascarelli entered a guilty plea to the murder of Kerry Rollason, 56, on or around July 3.

The murder was found while police were conducting an investigation following a nearly seven-hour standoff at a residence on Ravenwood Drive in Toms River where they were attempting to apprehend Maxwell A. Johnston, 35, in relation to the June 27 shooting death of Manchester resident Gabriella Caroleo, 25.

When Johnston killed himself in a bedroom at Rollason's house on July 5, the standoff came to an end. Mascarelli, who stayed with Johnston in the house throughout the confrontation.

Hours after leaving the house on July 5, Mascarelli was taken into custody and charged with harboring a fugitive after authorities discovered that Johnston had been staying with her for four days even though she was aware that he was wanted in connection with Caroleo's murder.

In the basement of the house, authorities discovered pictures of Maxwell and Mascarelli posing with Rollason's partially dismembered body while she held the handle of a hatchet lodged in Rollason's chest.

Rollason was later dismembered and his body parts taken to a Jackson property after authorities concluded he had been killed in the house sometime on July 3. Authorities discovered the parts in black plastic bags with a hatchet on July 12.

She was charged on July 15 with defaming human remains, preventing apprehension, possessing a weapon for an illegal purpose, unlawfully possessing a weapon, and possessing a defaced weapon.

Mascarelli was charged on October 24 with murder and conspiracy to commit murder, among other charges, after the investigation showed that she was the one who killed Rollason and had planned to do so with Maxwell.

Jared M. Krysiak, 34, of Brick Township; Jarred Palumbo, 36, of Manchester; and Danielle M. Bolstad, 42, of Barnegat, who were also arrested in connection with Rollason's murder, have since entered guilty pleas.

Krysiak is set to be sentenced on February 7 after entering a guilty plea to desecration of human remains on December 16.

Palumbo, who entered a guilty plea to obstructing apprehension on January 13, and Bolstad, who entered a guilty plea to desecration of human remains on January 13, are set to be sentenced on March 14.