Man Sentenced to 24 Years for 2021 Weehawken Homicide
Jersey City, New Jersey – Joseph Palacios, a 24-year-old resident of Weehawken, has been sentenced to 24 years in New Jersey State Prison for the 2021 murder of Michelle Paola Castillo Siguencia, also 24, of Weehawken. The sentencing took place on Friday, September 8, 2023, by the Honorable Vincent J. Militello.
The tragic incident occurred on June 19, 2021, when Weehawken Police Department responded to a medical emergency at 561 Hudson Ave, apartment 1, around 6 p.m. Upon their arrival, officers found Castillo Siguencia unresponsive in the bathroom. She was pronounced dead at 6:48 p.m. The Regional Medical Examiner’s Office later confirmed the cause of death as stab wounds to the neck and ruled it a homicide.
Palacios was arrested shortly after the incident in an apartment in Union City. He later pleaded guilty to Aggravated Manslaughter, a violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:11-4a. His sentence is subject to the No Early Release Act, ensuring he serves a significant portion of his sentence before being eligible for parole.
The case was represented by Hudson County Assistant Prosecutor Leo Hernandez. Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez released the details of the sentencing in a press statement on Monday, September 11, 2023.
For further information or inquiries, the public can contact Caitlin Mota at (201) 577-6699 or via email at cmota@hcpo.org. Updates are also available on the official Twitter handle @HCPOProsecutor and the website HCPO.org.
