TOMS RIVER, N.J. — Mary Carbone, 60, of Toms River, was sentenced to 10 years in New Jersey State Prison for the aggravated manslaughter of Frank Stochel, 55, of Manchester Township, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer announced on Friday.
The sentencing follows Carbone’s guilty plea to the charge, which she entered on July 8, 2024. The Honorable Guy P. Ryan, P.J.Cr.P., handed down the sentence, which requires Carbone to serve at least 85 percent of her term under the No Early Release Act before being considered for parole eligibility.
The case stems from a February 24, 2020, incident in which Manchester Township police officers responded to a residence on 6th Avenue in the Pine Lake Park section of Manchester. Upon arrival, they found Stochel unresponsive on the floor.
A subsequent autopsy conducted by the Ocean County Medical Examiner on February 25 ruled the death 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 lived together at the 6th Avenue residence. Investigators determined that several household items—including a wooden board, a heavy-duty tape dispenser, and a shower curtain rod—were used in the attack, consistent with Stochel’s injuries.
Carbone was arrested and charged with Stochel’s death on March 4, 2021, and has remained in the Ocean County Jail since.
“Although this defendant was originally facing a murder charge, legitimate proof issues arose during our investigation that we could not ignore,” said Prosecutor Billhimer. “We believe this to be a just resolution after careful consideration of all the facts and in consultation with Mr. Stochel’s family, who approved of the outcome.”
Carbone’s sentence marks the resolution of the case after years of investigation and legal proceedings.
