TOMS RIVER – A Brick Township Man will be serving time in New Jersey State Prison for helping dismember and hide a body.
Jared Krysiak, 34, of Brick, was sentenced to eight years for Desecration of Human Remains, connected to the case of one of two recent murders in Ocean County.
On July 5, 2024, authorities responded to a home on Ravenwood Drive in Toms River to locate 35-year-old Maxwell Johnston of Manchester. Johnston was wanted in connection with the murder of Gabriella Caroleo, 25, of Seaside Heights, which occurred in Manchester on June 27, 2024.
At the home, officers successfully called out three of the occupants, one of them being Krysiak. The other two were Danielle Bolstad, 42, of Barnegat, and Jared Palumbo, 36, of Manchester.
Johnston and Elizabeth Mascarelli, 29, of Seaside Heights, remained in the home, however, and officers learned that Johnston was armed.
Attempts to get Johnston to surrender himself peacefully failed, officials said. After several hours, Mascarelli exited the home and was brought to Community Medical Center in Toms River to be treated for injuries sustained throughout the standoff.
The home was ultimately cleared using a drone and Johnston was found in a bedroom, deceased, with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to his head. Detectives searched the home and discovered a defaced .22 caliber handgun and a 9mm handgun.
While investigating the death of Caroleo, detectives found evidence that a murder may have been committed at the Ravenwood Drive home on or about July 3, 2024. Additionally, authorities came into possession of information indicating that evidence of that murder might be found at a property in Jackson Township.
On July 12, 2024, detectives searched the property on Toms River Road in Jackson and discovered numerous body parts in black bags along with additional evidence connected to the murder, including a hatchet.
A post mortem examination of the body parts led authorities to identify the victim as the owner of the Ravenwood Drive home – Kerry Rollason, 56, of Toms River. The cause of Rollason’s death was multiple gunshot wounds in addition to blunt force trauma, and the manner of death to be homicide, officials said.
It was later determined that Mascarelli conspired with Johnston, and was, in fact, the person responsible for Rollason’s death. In addition, Mascarelli, Krysiak and Bolstad assisted Johnston with dismembering Rollason’s body; and Mascarelli, Krysiak, Bolstad, and Palumbo assisted Johnston in disposing of the body in Jackson.
On July 13, 2024, Krysiak was charged with Hindering Apprehension and Desecration of Human Remains.
On October 24, 2024, Krysiak, Bolstad and Palumbo were indicted on charges of Hindering Apprehension and Desecration/Disturbing of Human Remains. On that same date, Mascarelli was indicted on charges of Murder and Conspiracy to Commit Murder in connection with the death of Rollason, along with numerous weapons offenses, Hindering Apprehension, and Desecration/Disturbing of Human Remains.
Mascarelli was recently sentenced to 25 years in prison. Her sentence is subject to the terms of the No Early Release Act, which means that Mascarelli will be required to serve at least 85 percent of her prison sentence before she may be eligible for parole.
Bolstad and Palumbo are scheduled to be sentenced on March 14, 2025.
Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer acknowledged the diligent efforts of Assistant Prosecutor Julie Peterson who is handling the case on behalf of the State, and commended the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit, Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office High Tech Crime Unit, Manchester Police, Manchester Police Detective Bureau, Toms River Police, Toms River Police Detective Bureau, Toms River Police Emergency Services Unit, Jackson Police, Ocean County Regional SWAT Team, Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit, Ocean County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Unit, United States Marshals Service, Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office, Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office, Monmouth County Emergency Response Team, Howell Police, New Jersey State Police, New Jersey State Police K-9 Unit, New Jersey State Police Forensic Science Unit, Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, Newark Police, and Ocean County Medical Examiner’s Office, for their combined and collective assistance in connection with this investigation leading to Krysiak’s guilty plea, and now his state prison sentence.
