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New Jersey Woman Allegedly Murdered Roommate With Shower Rod And Tape Dispenser
Mary Carbone allegedly weaponized “several household items” when murdering roommate Frank Stochel.
A New Jersey woman allegedly bludgeoned her roommate to death last month, authorities said.
Mary Carbone, 56, is accused of fatally attacking high school custodian Frank Stochel, whose lifeless body was discovered on Feb. 24. The Toms River woman allegedly used a tape dispenser and shower rod to murder the 55-year-old janitor at a Manchester Township home the two shared, prosecutors announced this week.
“A tape dispenser and a shower rod were recovered from the scene,” prosecutors said in a statement. “The injuries sustained by Mr. Stochel were consistent with the implementation of these items. Further investigation ultimately determined that Carbone was the individual responsible for Mr. Stochel’s death.”
After an autopsy confirmed Stochel was killed, Carbone was charged with murder by New Jersey authorities. From the beginning of the investigation, investigators suspected that “several household items” were used by Carbone to kill Stochel. Stochel's injuries were consistent with "the implementation of these items," officials stated.
“These detectives combed through a ton of forensic evidence to ultimately determine that Ms. Carbone did in fact cause Mr. Stochel’s death,” Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer stated in the press release this week.
Law enforcement arrested Carbone and transported her to an Ocean County jail on Wednesday.
Authorities haven’t released a motive in the slaying and it’s unknown what triggered the alleged physical altercation.
Stochel had worked as a janitor for 15 years at a Manchester High School, the New York Post reported. He left the school in 2018, a school district spokesperson told the newspaper in February.
Although he lived with Carbone, property records indicated that Stochel shared the residence with his wife, Cindy, according to the Asbury Park Press.
Prior to his alleged murder, Stochel was facing burglary, harassment, and terroristic threat charges, related to a prior arrest in October, the outlet reported.
Carbone was also charged with two counts of possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and two counts of unlawful possession of a weapon. She remains in custody while awaiting a detention hearing, Ocean County officials said.
Ocean County prosecutors declined to further comment on the case on Friday.
It’s unclear if Carbone has retained legal counsel as of yet.
