A chilling series of crimes unfolded in New Jersey last month, beginning with a fatal shooting and culminating in the discovery of a dismembered body. The saga began when Gabriella Caroleo, 25, was shot by her ex-boyfriend, Maxwell Johnston, 35, following an argument in Manchester Township. Caroleo, who had called 911 and texted her mother for help, was airlifted to a hospital but later succumbed to her injuries.
Johnston, an alleged member of the Bloods gang, was located by law enforcement officials on July 5 in a Toms River residence. After a seven-hour standoff, during which Johnston was armed, he was found dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. Four other individuals were also in the house, including Elizabeth Mascarelli, 29, who was taken to a hospital for injuries sustained during the standoff.
Mascarelli was later arrested and charged with harboring Johnston, a known fugitive, for four days following Caroleo’s fatal shooting. The house where the standoff took place belonged to Kerry Rollason, 56, who was not present at the time. Rollason, a landlord, had rented the house out.
A search warrant executed on the house led to the discovery of a defaced .22 caliber handgun and evidence of a murder. Further investigation revealed disturbing photos on Mascarelli’s cell phone, showing her and Johnston with a dismembered body, identified as Rollason, with a hatchet in his chest. Additional images showed Mascarelli, Johnston, and another individual, Danielle Bolstad, in a wooded area with a large ax and a burn barrel.
A search of the wooded area in nearby Jackson yielded gloves soaked in human blood, a knife, two pick axes, a shovel, and numerous body parts in black bags and blankets. Live 9mm rounds of ammunition, the hatchet from the photos, a saw, clothing, and multiple latex gloves were also found.
The property owner reported seeing Johnston and Mascarelli on his property on July 3, the same day investigators determined Rollason was murdered. Surveillance footage showed Bolstad’s car leaving and returning in the early hours of July 3. Another individual, Jarred Palumbo, admitted to hearing gunshots and later helping Johnston and Mascarelli move Rollason’s dismembered body parts.
Palumbo was charged with hindering Johnston’s apprehension and failing to dispose of human remains in a lawful manner. Rollason’s death was ruled a homicide, caused by multiple gunshot wounds and blunt force trauma. An autopsy revealed that Rollason had been shot three times, with bullets piercing his heart and liver, and suffered a significant skull fracture.
Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer described the crimes committed against Rollason as “unsettling and disturbing,” and expressed gratitude for the law enforcement professionals who worked diligently to uncover these “depraved and soulless crimes.”