TOMS RIVER, N.J. — A Seaside Heights woman was sentenced Friday to 25 years in state prison for the killing and dismemberment of a Toms River man whose remains were found scattered in black bags at a remote Jackson Township property.
Elizabeth Mascarelli, 29, pleaded guilty in December to aggravated manslaughter for the July 3, 2024, killing of 56-year-old Kerry Rollason. Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer announced that Mascarelli’s sentence will be subject to the No Early Release Act, requiring her to serve at least 85% of her sentence before parole eligibility.
Authorities said the case unraveled during a July 5, 2024, standoff at a Toms River residence where Mascarelli had been harboring Maxwell Johnston, a fugitive wanted for the murder of 25-year-old Gabriella Caroleo in Manchester days earlier. When U.S. Marshals and local law enforcement arrived to apprehend Johnston, Mascarelli initially refused to leave the house. Hours later, she surrendered and was transported to a hospital for injuries sustained during the standoff. Johnston was later found dead inside the home from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
While investigating Caroleo’s murder, authorities discovered evidence suggesting another killing had taken place at the Toms River residence. Acting on information, detectives executed a search warrant on a Jackson Township property on July 12. There, investigators found multiple body parts in black bags, along with a hatchet and other evidence linking the crime to Rollason’s murder.
The Ocean County Medical Examiner determined Rollason had been shot multiple times and suffered blunt force trauma before his body was dismembered. His death was ruled a homicide.
Mascarelli was initially charged with hindering apprehension, desecration of human remains, and multiple weapons offenses. As the investigation progressed, authorities determined she had conspired with Johnston and was the primary perpetrator in Rollason’s killing.
Prosecutors said Mascarelli, along with three other individuals—Danielle Bolstad, 42, of Barnegat; Jared Krysiak, 34, of Brick; and Jared Palumbo, 36, of Manchester—helped dismember and dispose of Rollason’s remains.
On October 24, 2024, Mascarelli was indicted on charges including murder, conspiracy to commit murder, desecration of human remains, and weapons offenses. That same day, Bolstad, Krysiak, and Palumbo were indicted for hindering apprehension and desecration of human remains.
Since then, all three co-defendants have pleaded guilty. Krysiak admitted to desecration of human remains in December and is scheduled for sentencing on February 7, 2025. Bolstad and Palumbo pleaded guilty on January 13, 2025, with sentencing set for March 14, 2025.
Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said Mascarelli’s sentencing ensures she will be held accountable for her actions. “This was a brutal and senseless crime, and this defendant’s actions were nothing short of horrific,” Billhimer said.