Disturbing Details On Murder Of Monmouth County Woman: Affidavit

OCEAN TOWNSHIP, NJ — An Ocean Township man told an acquaintance he "dealt with" his housemate who has been missing since their home caught fire in September, according to the case affidavit. Ronald Teschner also confided that he wrapped up Jacquelin Terrulli's body in a tarp, drove somewhere to hide her remains and then burned the house down, the document says.

Teschner was charged with murdering Terrulli, disturbing her remains and arson, the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office said Wednesday. Three months after Terrulli's disappearance, the announcement was the first public indication from law enforcement that they believe Teschner killed Terrulli and intentionally burned the house down.

Background

The affidavit describes some of the horrifying events relating to the incident. Teschner was Terrulli's on-again, off-again boyfriend. They lived together at 86 Wickapecko Drive. A neighbor reported their house was on fire Sept. 12.

Teschner and Terrulli were unaccounted for during the fire, while the home's other residents were out of town, the affidavit says. Terrulli's vehicle was also missing.

The MCPO announced in September that police found Teschner, 49, in Paterson, driving Terrulli's Jeep Cherokee.

Here are more details revealed in the affidavit:

• Police found a trove of items in the vehicle, including two shotguns that belonged to Terrulli — Teschner can't possess firearms because of prior convictions for assault and burglary, the affidavit says.
• Teschner also had a Rolex watch, Terrulli's earrings and other jewelry that belonged to the victim. Then police discovered he had leaf blowers, chainsaws and a weed wacker, which Terrulli, 65, used for her landscaping business, the document says.
• Teschner confessed to an acquaintance that he was involved in Terrulli's death, the affidavit says. Teschner overheard Terrulli on the phone, saying she wanted him out of the home. So he decided to wait until she fell asleep before stealing and selling items from the house, documents say.
• But Terrulli caught him stealing belongings and threatened to call police. "At that point, the defendant 'dealt with' J.T.," the affidavit states, referring to Terrulli by her initials. The cause of death was asphyxiation, Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher Gramiccioni told reporters.
• Teschner wrapped her body in a tarp and put her in the Jeep and hid Terrulli's remains in an unknown location, court documents say. Then Teschner returned to the house, loaded the Jeep with items and lit the house of fire with nail polish remover, according to authorities.
• The investigation team spoke to two individuals — identified by initials N.L. and M.L. — with whom Teschner interacted with after the fire. They both indicated Teschner was trying to give the stolen landscaping equipment to M.L. to settle a debt, authorities said.
• Surveillance footage showed the Jeep one mile away from the home at 7:23 a.m. Sept. 12, three minutes before a neighbor reported the fire. Based on surveillance video and cell phone records, Teschner never returned to the burning home. Instead he took Terrulli's vehicle and drove north to Passaic County, where he was arrested, authorities said.

Read more: Ocean Fire: Housemate Accused Of Murdering Missing Woman

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