MANCHESTER, N.J. (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) — A New Jersey woman pled guilty on Monday to aggravated manslaughter in connection with the 2020 death of her roommate with household items, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer announced.
According to police, on Feb. 24, 2020, officers responded to a residence on 6th Avenue in the Pine Lake Park section of Manchester for a report of an unresponsive man.
Upon arrival, officers found the body of Frank Stochel, 55, lying on the floor of the residence.
On February 25, 2020, the Ocean County Medical Examiner performed a post-mortem examination of Stochel’s body and ruled his death to be a homicide.
An investigation determined that Mary Carbone, 60, and Stochel both resided at the residence. The investigation further revealed that several household items including, a wooden board, a heavy duty tape dispenser, and a shower curtain rod were utilized in the homicide and were recovered from the scene.
Carbone was ultimately identified as the person responsible for Stochel’s death.
She was arrested and charged on March 4, 2021, and has been at in the Ocean County Jail since that date.
At the time of her sentencing, set for Sept. 13, the state will seek a term of 10 years.
"Although Mary Carbone was originally facing a murder charge in connection with Mr. Stochel’s death, legitimate proof issues arose during the course of our investigation that we simply could not ignore, and which we were ethically bound to take into account in evaluating this very difficult case," Prosecutor Billhimer said. "We believe this to be a just and reasonable resolution after careful consideration of all the facts and circumstances."