Madison Man Facing Strangulation Charges Shoots Parents Dead After They Pay His $10K Bail, Turns Gun on Himself

A Madison man who was out on bail and facing 24 violent charges, including multiple felony strangulation counts, is believed to have shot his parents dead before killing himself at their home on McCormick Road in Madison, New York, on Friday morning, 7 August.

Madison County Sheriff's Office deputies identified the deceased as 35‑year‑old Justin Sislo, his 72‑year‑old mother Donna Walker‑Sislo and his 76‑year‑old father Steve Sislo inside the residence.

Sislo's parents had paid his £7,800 ($10,000) bail bond less than a month earlier, securing his release from custody despite the 24 violent criminal counts. Those charges included multiple counts of second‑degree strangulation and firearm offences linked to an assault on his 56‑year‑old girlfriend, alongside release conditions that barred him from possessing any weapons.

Deputies Sent to Welfare Check at Family Home

Deputies went to the rural McCormick Road address on Friday morning after a call from the shooter's brother, Jordan Sislo, who lives out of state.

Jordan contacted Madison County 911 dispatchers after being unable to reach his family since Monday. He expressed concern because his brother had moved into the home with their parents while awaiting a court appearance scheduled for 21 August.

He told dispatchers that Justin was staying at the family home and highlighted a documented history of domestic disputes between Justin and their parents, according to emergency dispatch records.

When deputies arrived at 7625 McCormick Road, they reported a strong smell of propane or petrol in the air and said they could hear flammable gas escaping into the structure, creating an immediate hazard as they approached.

Looking through a window, officers saw two people who were clearly deceased. After entering the property, deputies found a third deceased person and confirmed all three had suffered fatal gunshot wounds. Investigators also recovered a firearm from the scene, which Sislo had been legally prohibited from owning following his earlier arrest.

Previous Police Call Over 'Manic' Incident

Deputies had previously attended the property in 2024 after Steve Sislo contacted law enforcement about a physical altercation with his son.

Reflecting on that earlier call‑out, Madison County Sheriff's Office Captain Jon Morticelli said the father had described the incident to deputies.

Morticelli stated that Steve 'reported that Justin had shown up to his residence in a manic state, they'd gotten into a minor physical altercation... and that he was speaking a bunch of nonsense, not making a lot of sense, and was talking about cults.'

Sheriff Questions Bail Decision After Killings

The presence of a firearm inside the house violated Sislo's pre‑trial release conditions, and investigators are working to establish how he obtained the weapon while living with his parents.

Sheriff Todd Hood criticised the bail decision, saying publicly that the suspect should have remained in custody without bail rather than being released back into the community.

Hood noted that the seriousness of the 24 violent charges, which included strangulation and prior weapons offences, warranted keeping Sislo in custody without bail to protect the public and family members.

The Madison County Sheriff's Office said the investigation into the deaths remains ongoing. Detectives are reviewing the sequence of events and have appealed to members of the public with relevant information to contact authorities.