2nd Defendant In Toms River Dismemberment Case Pleads Guilty

TOMS RIVER, NJ — A Brick Township man has pleaded guilty in connection with the murder and dismemberment of a Toms River landlord in July, the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office said.

Jared M. Krysiak, 34, pleaded guilty on Monday before Superior Court Judge Guy P. Ryan to a charge of desecration of human remains in the death of Kerry M. Rollason, 56, of Toms River on July 3, Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said.

He is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 7, and the state will be seeking eight years in prison, Billhimer said.

Krysiak was among five people in the home Rollason owned on Ravenwood Drive in Toms River when authorities arrived on July 5 to arrest Maxwell Johnston, 35, of Manchester, in the killing of Gabriella Caroleo, 25, of Manchester. Krysiak and two others — Danielle Bolstad, 42, of Barnegat, and Jared Palumbo, 36, of Manchester — came out of the home as a standoff began between law enforcement and Johnston.

The standoff lasted several hours and ended when Johnston shot and killed himself. Elizabeth Mascarelli, who remained in the home with Johnston during the standoff, was later charged with harboring a fugitive.

As authorities investigated further following Johnston's death, they found evidence that a man — who later was identified as Rollason — had been killed during the time Mascarelli was harboring Johnston, the prosecutor's office said.

The investigation led authorities on July 12 to a property on Toms River Road in Jackson, where they found numerous body parts in black trash bags along with additional evidence connected to the murder, including a hatchet. The body parts were identified as Rollason the following day by the Ocean County medical examiner.

Authorities determined Mascarelli conspired with Johnston and killed Rollason, and that Mascarelli, Krysiak and Bolstad assisted Johnston with dismembering Rollason and along with Palumbo assisted in disposing of it in Jackson, the prosecutor's office said.

Krysiak was charged with hindering and desecration of human remains on July 13, and arrested July 16 after being a fugitive for three days. He was taken to the Ocean County Jail and has been held there since his arrest. He was indicted on Oct. 24 on the same charges, along with Bolstad and Palumbo, authorities said.

Mascarelli pleaded guilty on Dec. 9, and is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 31.

Charges remain pending against Bolstad and Palumbo, authorities said.