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Mary Carbone, 60, was sentenced on Friday, Sept. 13 to ten years in state prison, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer said in a news release. She must serve eight-and-a-half years before she's eligible for parole under the No Early Release Act.
Carbone pleaded guilty on Monday, July 8 to aggravated manslaughter. She had been indicted for murder in the death of 55-year-old Frank Stochel of Toms River.
Manchester Township police responded to a report of an unresponsive man at a home on Sixth Avenue in the Pine Lake Park section on Monday, Feb. 24, 2020. Officers found Stochel's body on the floor of the home and an autopsy the next day ruled his death a homicide.
Stochel was the head custodian at Manchester High School from 2003 until 2017, according to his obituary from Horizon Funeral and Cremation Services. He was born in Elizabeth and enjoyed crabbing, as well as collecting sports memorabilia and coins.
Investigators said several household items were used in Stochel's death, including a wooden board, a heavy-duty tape dispenser, and a shower curtain rod. Stochel's injuries were consistent with the recovered items.
Billhimer said it would have been difficult to prove Carbone was guilty of murder and agreed to the lesser charge in the plea deal.
"Although this defendant 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," said Billhimer. "We believe this to be a just resolution after careful consideration of all the facts and circumstances, and in consultation with Mr. Stochel’s family - who approved of same."
Carbone has been held in the Ocean County Jail since she was arrested on Wednesday, Mar. 4, 2020.
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