A young, vibrant 25-year-old mother, Gabriella M. Caroleo of Barnegat, New Jersey, tragically lost her life on the evening of Thursday, June 27, 2024. Responders found her near the intersection of Ridgeway Road and Hope Chapel Road in Manchester with a gunshot wound to her stomach. She was quickly airlifted to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune, but she ultimately succumbed to her injuries.
The investigation into her death swiftly identified a suspect: 35-year-old Maxwell
A. Johnston of Manchester. An official warrant for his arrest on charges of murder and weapons possession was issued. For a week, Johnston remained a fugitive, managing to evade law enforcement. During this time, he reportedly taunted Gabriella's grieving family, even sending a text message to inquire about their police protection during her funeral.
The manhunt for Johnston came to a dramatic and violent end on July 5th. Authorities located him at a home on Ravenswood Drive in Toms River, leading to a tense, seven-hour standoff. After four other individuals exited the residence, law enforcement discovered Johnston inside, deceased from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. One of the individuals in the house with Johnston, 29-year-old Elizabeth Mascarelli, was subsequently arrested and charged with harboring a fugitive.
The investigation took another dark turn following the standoff. Evidence uncovered at the Toms River home led authorities to a property in Jackson Township where they made a gruesome discovery: the dismembered remains of 56-year-old Kerry Rollason, the owner of the Ravenswood Drive home. Investigators believe Johnston killed Rollason on July 3rd, just two days before taking his own life. Mascarelli and two others, Danielle Bolstad and Jared Krysiak, have been charged in connection with the dismemberment and disposal of Rollason's body. A fourth individual, Jarred Palumbo, was charged with assisting in moving the remains.
