NJ killer, accomplice took photos with body they chopped up, cops say

🔴 Reputed gangster accused of killing ex-girlfriend

🔴 Shooter hid for days at NJ home, police say

🔴 Group accused of roles in brutal landlord killing

Police have been piecing together the bloody path of a reputed gangster in Ocean County who was accused of killing two victims before taking his own life in a police standoff.

Maxwell Johnston was wanted on a murder charge following the June 27 shooting death of 25-year-old Gabriella Caroleo in Manchester.

Law enforcement chased down multiple leads, arriving on July 5 at a Toms River home on Ravenswood Drive.

Four other people emerged from the house before an hours-long police standoff ended with the 35-year-old Johnston shooting himself inside, according to prosecutors.

Investigators later said they found grisly photos of Johnston and another defendant posing with a man’s dead body.

On July 12, police recovered the dismembered body of landlord Kerry Rollason stashed in trash bags in Jackson, about 12 miles away from the Toms River home he had been renting out and less than a mile west of the first killing.

Prosecutors have not publicly disclosed motives in either killing, as of July 29.

Caroleo shot, killed in Manchester

Police in Manchester responded to a 911 call on Thursday, June 27, from the area of Ridgeway Road and South Hope Chapel Road near Ridgeway Liquors.

Before dying, Caroleo reported being shot by her ex-boyfriend, Johnston.

Around the same time, Johnston called a woman he shared a child with and told her he would not be able to see their daughter again, according to a lengthy appendix to criminal complaints filed in the case.

Johnston, of Manchester, previously served prison time after conviction on drug and weapons charges before being released in December, according to state Department of Corrections records.

Officials believe Johnston was a ranking member of the Bloods street gang.

Toms River fatal standoff

When police arrived on July 5 at the Toms River home, Jarred Palumbo, Danielle Bolstad and Jared Krysiak emerged from the residence.

Elizabeth Mascarelli later left the home just before SWAT teams and local law enforcement recovered Johnston’s body after he took his own life.

While at a hospital, Mascarelli told police that she knew about the June 27 fatal shooting but she still allowed the fugitive Johnston to stay with her at the Ravenwood Drive home.

RELATED: Bags of body parts found after standoff in NJ homicide probe 

Police recovered 10 cell phones from the defendants and the Toms River home.

On Thursday, July 11, Mascarelli’s phone turned up photos of her and Johnston near a man’s dead body, already amputated at the legs, according to the affidavit appendix.

Additionally, Mascarelli was holding onto a hatchet protruding from the victim’s chest.

There were separate photos of Mascarelli, Johnston and Bolstad standing in a wooded area with an ax and an “active burn barrel” near them, the case documents said.

That night around 8 p.m., police were granted a search warrant for a property at 1382 Toms River Road in Jackson.

Detectives found a burn barrel, gloves, tools and a knife inside the barrel.

The following day, with help from State Police K-9 and Forensic Science Units, investigators found Rollason’s remains, as well as other various pieces of evidence.

Rollason had been shot three times and suffered blunt force trauma to the head, an autopsy found.

His body was then dismembered into eight separate pieces.

Missing pieces in Rollason killing

A witness told investigators Rollason was last seen alive outside 1905 Ravenwood Drive on July 2.

That night, a black Kia Soul registered to Bolstad was pinged leaving the Ravenwood Drive residence, driving near the Jackson site where Rollason's remains were found.

After being shown the recovered cell phone photos, Palumbo confirmed to police that very early on July 3, he was in the Toms River home's basement with Krysiak when he heard three gunshots.

Johnston came into the room and told them they needed to leave immediately with Mascarelli and Bolstad.

Upon returning to the house a short while later, Johnston dismembered the victim with help from Mascarelli and Krysiak, Palumbo told police.

Palumbo said he was then asked to help bring several bags upstairs, which were loaded into Bolstad's car.

On July 15, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer announced criminal charges of hindering apprehension and desecration of human remains against Palumbo, Bolstad, Krysiak and Mascarelli.

Krysiak was arrested in Marlboro a day later.

Mascarelli additionally faced four illegal weapons offenses.

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