Manchester Woman Charged In Pine Lake Park Killing: Prosecutor

MANCHESTER, NJ – A 56-year-old woman has been charged with murder in connection with a the killing of a Manchester man in February, the Ocean Conty Prosecutor's Office announced on Wednesday.

Mary Carbone, 56, of the Pine Lake Park section of Manchester, was also charged with two counts of possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose.

The incident happened on Feb. 24 when Manchester Township Police responded to a residence on 6th Avenue in the Pine Lake Park section on a report of an unresponsive man, the OCPO said.

Upon arrival, officers found the lifeless body of Frank Stochel lying on the floor of the residence, the OCPO said.

On Feb. 25, the Ocean County Medical Examiner performed a post-mortem examination of Stochel’s body. The medical examiner ruled the manner of death to be a homicide.

An investigation by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit, Manchester Township Police Detective Bureau, and Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit revealed that Carbone and Stochel both resided at the 6th Avenue residence in Manchester.

The cooperative investigation further revealed that several household items were used by Carbone in the murder, the prosecutor said. Specifically, a tape dispenser and a shower rod were recovered from the scene.

The injuries sustained by Stochel were consistent with the use of these items, the prosecutor's office said.

On Wednesday, Carbone was arrested and transported to the Ocean County jail where she is lodged pending a detention hearing.

“This truly was a team effort in terms of the investigation. These detectives combed through a ton of forensic evidence to ultimately determine that Ms. Carbone did in fact cause Mr. Stochel’s death,” Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said.

“We were able to determine very early on in this investigation that there was no immediate danger to the public, from there — these detectives went to work doing what they do best. For that, every law enforcement officer involved this investigation has my profound gratitude,” Billhimer said.

Note: This article has been updated to correct the hometown to Manchester; Pine Lake Park has a Toms River mailing address, which led to confusion.