Ocean County Woman Beat Man To Death With Shower Curtain Rod, Tape Dispenser: Prosecutor

TOMS RIVER, NJ — A Manchester woman has been indicted on a murder charge in the February 2020 0killing of the man she lived with, the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office announced.

Mary B. Carbone, 57, of Toms River, was indicted Thursday by a grand jury sitting in Ocean County on a charge of murder in the death of Frank Stochel, 55, in Manchester Township, Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said.

Carbone was also indicted on three counts of possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, three counts of unlawful possession of a weapon, and tampering with physical evidence, Billhimer said.

Prosecutors allege Carbone beat Stochel and killed him in the home they shared on 6th Avenue in Pine Lake Park. On Feb. 24, 2020, Manchester Township police found Stochel lying on the floor dead when they responded to a call for an unresponsive man.

The Ocean County Medical Examiner ruled Stochel had been killed, and prosecutors allege Carbone use several household items, including a wooden board, a heavy duty tape dispenser and a shower curtain rod to kill him.

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

Carbone was arrested and charged in his killing on March 4, 2020, and has been held at the Ocean County jail since her arrest.

Billhimer said the following people and agencies have contributed to the investigation: Senior Assistant Prosecutor Meghan O’Neill, who is handling the case on behalf of the state; the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime, High Tech Crime, and Victim Witness Advocacy units; the Manchester Township Police Department and its Detective Bureau; the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit; the Toms River Township Police Department; the Ocean County Medical Examiner’s Office; the Santa Rosa County (Florida) Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Unit; the Westchester County (New York) Police Department, and Oneida County (New York) Sheriff’s Department.

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