In a chilling turn of events, a New York couple who recently secured their son’s release from jail now find themselves at the center of a tragic murder-suicide. The son, just days out, is accused of fatally shooting them before taking his own life.
Justin Sislo has been identified by Madison County Sheriff’s Office as the suspect in this heartbreaking crime. On August 7, authorities discovered him deceased within the family home alongside his parents, philanthropists Steve M. Sislo, 76, and Donna M. Walker-Sislo, 72.
The grim discovery confirmed that all three lives were ended by gunshot wounds, as detailed in the official report from law enforcement.
Concern for the family prompted deputies to arrive at the residence around 9:13 a.m. for a welfare check.
“Upon reaching the scene, the first deputy could immediately detect a potent smell of propane or gas permeating the area,” authorities noted. “The sound of gas escaping into the house was audible, and from an exterior vantage point, the deputy spotted two visibly deceased adults through a main-level window.”
Once inside, the deputies discovered the third body in what is being investigated as a murder-suicide. The firearm believed to be used in the killings was also discovered at the scene, according to the statement.
Before his death, Justin had been facing a series of criminal charges. In March 2024, the sheriff’s office said Justin was “involved in a domestic with his father,” but no charges were ever filed in connection to the incident.
Then, on July 2, 2026, the the Madison County Sheriff’s Office was contacted by the Moravia Police Department, located in Cayuga County, after Justin was arrested for a domestic related assault on a 56-year-old woman he had been in a relationship with at the time.
“While Moravia Police were conducting the investigation into the crime that occurred in their jurisdiction, they became aware of additional crimes that Sislo had allegedly committed against the same female victim in the Town of Madison,” the sheriff’s office explained. “The Madison County Sheriff’s Office opened an investigation into the facts brought forth by the Moravia Police Department.”
They executed a search warrant on his residence on Hill Road in the Town of Madison on July 29, seizing firearms and additional evidence.
He was arrested on multiple charges which included assault, menacing, strangulation, promoting a suicide attempt, reckless endangerment, criminal possession of a weapon, criminal obstruction of breathing and harassment, according to the sheriff’s office.
Justin was brought to the Madison County Jail, but after a judge remanded him to custody on a $10,000 cash bail, authorities said his parents posted the bail and he was released from custody.
“It should be noted that, at the time of his arrest in Madison County, Justin Sislo was out on $10,00 cash bail from the charges in Cayuga County as well,” the sheriff’s office noted. “Additionally, at the time of his release from Madison County custody, Justin was named as the respondent in two temporary orders of protection that prohibited him from possessing firearms.”
Days later, the family would be dead.
Steve was reportedly known in the community as a supporter of local theater and the Rome Area Chamber of Commerce, according to The Rome Sentinel.
The sheriff’s office has said their investigation into the incident remains ongoing.