Demolition crew personnel on Thursday discovered the body which is suspected to be a woman who disappeared last year. Jacqueline Terulli's residence in Ocean Township had been under demolition for the past few weeks as the 65-year-old woman had been missing since September 12, 2019, when her home was destroyed by a fire.
The Prosecutor's Office of the Monmouth County had been investigating the disappearance when the body was discovered, said Christopher Swndeman, spokesperson of MCPO. They did not add further details to the case as of Thursday.
According to CrimeOnline, the family's friend, Ronald Teschner, was allegedly arrested in Paterson while driving Terruli's vehicle and found to have possessed some of her guns and jewellery.
After three months, authorities filed 16 charges against Teschner which includes murder, robbery, and several other crimes.
Charred human remains
The unidentified human remains were found in Terulli's basement, Asbury Park Press reports. Witnesses observed police officers along with the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office standing outside the victim's Ocean Township residence on Thursday.
The victim was reportedly staying with her mother inside the residence along with Teschner, and her sister, Joanie Kraft, told reporters that the victim and the suspect were close friends, even letting Teschner stay the night in between his rehab stints.
The day before the fire, Kraft said her sister texted her that she was planning on getting rid of Teschner from their home and stating she could not help everybody. Later that night, Terulli called her mother who was at the time in Atlantic City and revealed she would kick Teschner out of their home when morning came.
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Medical experts identified the body using dental records but have not yet figured out the cause and manner of her death, as reported by NBC New York.
Prosecutors accused 49-year-old Teschner of robbing Terulli's home, murdering the victim, and setting her residence ablaze.
Home set ablaze
Authorities revealed that nail polish was the primary fuel for the fire the Teschner smeared all over Terulli's bedroom. Officials placed Teschner in the Monmouth County Correctional Institute for the time being.
Evidence to support the authorities' claims of Teschner killing Terulli has not been made clear yet. Officials believe, however, that the murder was the result of an attempted robbery gone wrong.
Previously, officials stated that one jailhouse cellmate heard Teschner talking about what he had done and had been boastful of it. The accusations led to confusion in the investigation, and it also claimed the suspect allegedly wrapped the victim's body with a blue tarp and placed it somewhere else.
The woman's disappearance sparked multiple investigations and searches which include Deal Lake. In a court hearing late last year, the victim's mother blasted the suspect as she said "I would say to him, 'Tell me where my daughter is. Please it's been too long now I just want to find her," while holding back her tears.
If Teschner is convicted of murder, he will face life in prison with no chance of being given parole.