Gabriella Caroleo dies in fatal New Jersey crime spree
Fatal New Jersey crime spree death of Gabriella Caroleo – Obituary
A recently released court document has uncovered unsettling details about a series of crimes culminating in a standoff at a New Jersey residence earlier this month.
Among the revelations is that Elizabeth C. Mascarelli, 29, was involved in photographing a man’s dismembered body.
On July 13, Mascarelli faced charges including hindering apprehension and desecration of human remains, as reported by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office.
Mascarelli is accused of aiding Maxwell Johnston, 35, who reportedly murdered his girlfriend, Gabriella Caroleo, 25, and then sought refuge at Mascarelli’s home in Toms River, New Jersey.
Johnston was subsequently found dead by suicide before his arrest, as previously reported by HuffPost.
Mascarelli was apprehended following a police standoff on July 5, along with three alleged accomplices: Danielle Bolstad, 42, Jared Krysiak, 34, and Jarred Palumbo, 36.
As the investigation into Caroleo’s death continued, authorities discovered the dismembered remains of Kerry Rollason, 56, in a separate residence in Jackson. Rollason was the homeowner where Johnston had been hiding.
A forensic examination of Mascarelli’s phone revealed disturbing images of her with Johnston next to Rollason’s dismembered body.
The photographs show Mascarelli holding a hatchet positioned over Rollason’s chest, whose legs had been severed.
Further images from the phone display Mascarelli, Johnston, and Bolstad in a wooded area, with Johnston holding an ax and an active burn barrel in the background. An item with possible bloodstains was also visible in the barrel.
Palumbo told detectives that he was in the basement of Rollason’s home on July 3 when he heard gunshots from outside. Johnston soon joined him and Krysiak, instructing them to leave immediately.
Upon exiting the basement, Palumbo discovered Rollason’s body. The group initially departed but returned to handle the remains.
According to Palumbo, Johnston, Mascarelli, and Krysiak proceeded to dismember Rollason and then instructed him to transport several bags to Bolstad’s car.
The medical examiner later reported that Rollason’s body was cut into eight parts, with the cause of death listed as multiple gunshot wounds and blunt force trauma.
Bolstad’s phone records indicated she traveled to Jackson, New Jersey, on the day Rollason was killed.
Authorities found a burn barrel at a nearby house, along with gloves matching those worn by Mascarelli and Johnston in the photos. The barrel contained human blood and a knife.
A search of the area led to the discovery of body parts in black bags and blankets, 9mm rounds, a saw, and the hatchet Mascarelli was seen holding in the photos.
Prosecutors revealed at a hearing that Johnston was a Bloods street gang member but did not disclose a specific motive for Mascarelli’s alleged involvement in Rollason’s death. Mascarelli’s public defender argued that she struggled with addiction and feared Johnston, while Bolstad’s defender claimed she was merely in the wrong place at the wrong time, according to NJPatch.
Fatal New Jersey crime spree death of Gabriella Caroleo – Obituary A recently released court document has uncovered unsettling details about a series of crimes culminating in a standoff at a New Jersey residence earlier this month. Among the revelations is that Elizabeth C. Mascarelli, 29, was involved in photographing a man’s dismembered body. On…
Fatal New Jersey crime spree death of Gabriella Caroleo – Obituary A recently released court document has uncovered unsettling details about a series of crimes culminating in a standoff at a New Jersey residence earlier this month. Among the revelations is that Elizabeth C. Mascarelli, 29, was involved in photographing a man’s dismembered body. On…