TOMS RIVER, N.J. — Jared Krysiak, 34, of Brick Township, pleaded guilty to desecration of human remains on Monday in Ocean County Superior Court, admitting his role in a gruesome case involving the dismemberment and disposal of a murder victim’s body, according to Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer. Krysiak faces up to eight years in state prison when sentenced on Feb. 7, 2025.
The case began on July 5, when law enforcement responded to a standoff at a home on Ravenwood Drive in Toms River. Officers were pursuing Maxwell Johnston, 35, of Manchester, who was wanted for the murder of Gabriella Caroleo, 25, of Seaside Heights. After a tense hours-long negotiation, Johnston was found deceased from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. A subsequent search of the home uncovered firearms and evidence of another murder, leading investigators to a property in Jackson Township.
A search of the Jackson property on July 12 revealed human remains in black bags, as well as evidence of dismemberment, including a hatchet. The victim was identified as Kerry Rollason, 56, the owner of the Ravenwood Drive residence. The medical examiner determined Rollason had died from multiple gunshot wounds and blunt force trauma, ruling the death a homicide.
Detectives later determined that Elizabeth Mascarelli, 29, of Seaside Heights, had conspired with Johnston to kill Rollason and was responsible for his death. Prosecutors allege Mascarelli, Krysiak, and two others—Danielle Bolstad, 42, and Jared Palumbo, 36—assisted Johnston in dismembering and disposing of Rollason’s body. Krysiak was arrested on July 16 after evading capture for several days.
Mascarelli pleaded guilty to aggravated manslaughter on Dec. 9 and is scheduled for sentencing on Jan. 31. Bolstad and Palumbo are awaiting trial on charges of hindering apprehension and desecration of human remains, while Krysiak’s guilty plea is the latest development in the ongoing investigation.
Prosecutor Billhimer credited the collaborative work of local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies in resolving the complex case.