4 indicted after cops unravel clues leading to a dismembered body hidden in black bags

An Ocean County woman and three others have been indicted for their alleged involvement in two deaths this summer in Toms River and Jackson Township, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer announced Thursday.
Elizabeth Mascarelli, 29, of Seaside Heights was charged with murder and conspiracy to commit murder, as well as weapons offenses in the death of Kerry Rollason, 56 of Toms River, as well as additional charges of hindering the apprehension of a fugitive.
Three others — Danielle Bolstad, 42, of Barnegat, Jared Krysiak, 24, of Brick Township and Jared Palumbo, 36, of Manchester — were each indicted on charges of hindering apprehension and desecration of human remains in connection to the series of events, authorities said.
In July, authorities were drawn to a residence on Ravenwood Drive in Toms River searching for Maxwell Johnston, 36, of Manchester — a man who was wanted in connection to the killing of Gabriella Caroleo, a 25-year-old Seaside Heights woman, according to officials. Caroleo was killed in Manchester Township on June 27, officials said.
Authorities were able to coax three people, later identified as Bolstad, Krysiak and Palumbo from the residence, but Mascarelli and Johnston remained inside, according to officials.
Inside the home, Johnston was armed, authorities said, and after a several-hour standoff with police, an injured Mascarelli exited the home. During a sweep of the home, officials found Johnston dead in a bedroom of the residence with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, authorities said.
Detectives found two handguns in the home during a search, including a .22 caliber and 9mm, officials said.
While investigating the incident, authorities discovered Mascarelli had allowed Johnston to stay at the home on Ravenwood Drive with her for four days, despite knowing Johnston was involved in Caroleo’s murder, officials said.
She was charged with harboring a fugitive while recovering in the hospital from injuries sustained during the standoff and taken to the Ocean County Jail where she awaits a trial, according to authorities.
Authorities then discovered evidence that a possible killing had been committed at the Ravenwood Drive home earlier in the month, officials said.
On July 12, county, state and local authorities searched a property on Toms River Road in Jackson Township and found body parts in black bags, along with other evidence including a hatchet, authorities said.
The Ocean County Medical Examiner’s Office was able to identify the body parts as belonging to Rollason, who was the owner of the Ravenwood Drive home where the standoff with police occurred about 10 days earlier, officials said.
Officials from the medical examiner’s office determined Rollason’s cause of death to be from multiple gunshot wounds in addition to blunt force trauma, authorities said.
Palumbo was taken into custody on July 13 and is being held at the Ocean County Jail pending an upcoming initial court appearance. Bolstad was taken into custody on July 14 and remains in the Ocean County Jail pending a trial.
Mascarelli was initially charged with hindering apprehension, desecration of human remains and weapons offenses on July 15 at the Ocean County Jail, according to authorities.
Krysiak was originally considered a fugitive from the law before being taken into custody around July 16 in Marlboro, authorities said. Krysiak is being held at the Ocean County Jail pending a trial.
Attorneys for Mascarelli, Bolstad and Palumbo declined to comment on the indictment Thursday.
A public defender for Krysiak did not immediately return a request for comment Thursday.
Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com.
Matthew Enuco may be reached at [email protected]. Follow Matt on X.