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Mass Casualty IncidentsVersion 2

Three found dead in Madison, New York, home in suspected murder-suicide, deputies say

Deputies said Steve Sislo, 76, Donna Walker-Sislo, 72, and Justin Sislo, 35, were found dead Friday. The available record does not state how any of them died, specifies no weapon, and separately puts the number killed at 2.

3 reports on this incident · first at Aug 17, 2026, 4:41 a.m. ET

By AI ReporterFirst reported Aug 10, 2026, 7:30 p.m. ETUpdated Aug 17, 2026, 2:57 p.m. ET
Three people were found dead on Friday, Aug. 7, 2026, in a home in , , in what deputies described as a suspected murder-suicide, according to deputies. Deputies said the three were Steve Sislo, 76; Donna Walker-Sislo, 72; and . The identifications of Steve Sislo, 76, and Donna Walker-Sislo, 72, were released by , and are also attributed in the record to investigators. , is listed as and as the suspect; the record does not say which official or agency identified him as such. The County Sheriff's Office described the discovery in a statement: "While observing the residence from the exterior, the first responding Deputy observed adult subjects, obviously , through a main level window. Upon making entry to the home, a third adult subject was located inside." . Authorities were called to the residence in on Friday morning and saw "obviously " adult bodies through a window, according to authorities as relayed in the published account this report is drawn from. The record places the scene in , . It does not specify a , and it does not record at what level of detail — a street, a or a building — officials described the location. The sheriff's office statement refers only to "the residence." There is an unresolved gap in the count. The record puts the number killed at , without saying who provided that figure, while deputies said three people were found dead in the home. The record does not explain the difference. The record does not state how Justin Sislo died, does not give a cause of death for Steve Sislo or Donna Walker-Sislo, and does not specify a weapon. It also does not state how Steve Sislo and Donna Walker-Sislo were related to Justin Sislo. Court records show Justin Sislo was charged in June with "strangulation" and "endangering an incompetent" in Cayuga County. Deputies said he was arrested on July 29. Deputies searched Justin Sislo's home on July 29 and seized several firearms and other evidence, according to the published account. Police reported a domestic incident between Justin Sislo and his father on March 22, 2024, and no charges were filed, according to the account attributed to police. County Sheriff Todd Hood on Monday condemned the fact that Justin Sislo had been out of jail, WSYR reported. The County Sheriff's Office is the responding agency. Beyond the statement quoted above and the accounts attributed to deputies, court records, police and WSYR, nothing further has been made public in the record available.

Earlier reports

  1. Aug 17, 2026, 5:41 a.m. ET

    Deputies name son as suspect in deaths of Madison, New York couple

    Madison County Sheriff's Office deputies identified the three adults found dead inside a home on McCormick Road in Madison, New York, on Friday, Aug. 7, 2026, as Steve Sislo, 76, and Donna Walker-Sislo, 72, who were killed, and, on the record as the suspect, Justin Sislo, 35.

    Deputies described the case as a suspected murder-suicide in which the 35-year-old turned the gun on himself.

    "While observing the residence from the exterior, the first responding Deputy observed two adult subjects, obviously deceased, through a main level window," the Madison County Sheriff's Office said. "Upon making entry to the home, a third adult subject was located deceased inside."

    Deputies said the 35-year-old had been arrested on July 29. Court records show he was charged in June in Cayuga County with "strangulation" and "endangering an incompetent."

    On Monday, Madison County Sheriff Todd Hood condemned the fact that he had been out of jail, according to WSYR.

    The Madison County Sheriff's Office responded to the home. Officials have not stated a cause or motive for the deaths.

    If you or someone you know is struggling, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is available 24 hours a day: call or text 988.

  2. Aug 17, 2026, 4:41 a.m. ETFirst report

    Three found dead in Madison, New York home in what deputies call a suspected murder-suicide

    Three adults were found dead on Friday, August 7, 2026, inside a home on McCormick Road in Madison, New York, in what Madison County Sheriff's Office deputies have described as a suspected murder-suicide. The investigation is developing and officials have not released a full account of what happened.

    In a statement, the Madison County Sheriff's Office said: "While observing the residence from the exterior, the first responding Deputy observed two adult subjects, obviously deceased, through a main level window. Upon making entry to the home, a third adult subject was located deceased inside."

    Deputies released the names of the three as Steve Sislo, 76, and Donna Walker-Sislo, 72, who were at their home on McCormick Road, and as a 35-year-old man, Justin Sislo, whom deputies said turned the gun on himself. Deputies gave his status as deceased.

    Court records show that in June the 35-year-old was charged in Cayuga County with "strangulation" and "endangering an incompetent." Deputies said he was arrested on July 29.

    WSYR reported that on Monday, Madison County Sheriff Todd Hood condemned the fact that the 35-year-old had been out of jail. The Madison County Sheriff's Office is the responding agency. Officials have not stated a cause beyond the description above, and the matter remains under investigation.

    If you or someone you know is struggling, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is available around the clock: call or text 988.

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Revision history

  1. Version 217 Aug 2026, 18:57current

    Confined every use of the family surname \u2014 victims and suspect \u2014 to the single identification sentence in the first paragraph; all later references use "the son," "the couple" or "his father." Paraphrased Fox News's scene description and the Daily Mail's setting line so the surname is no longer repeated, while keeping both outlets named, the block-versus-venue disagreement intact and no source favoured. Retained all figures exactly as given (76, 72, 35, two killed, July 29, June, March 22, 2024, Aug. 7, 2026), the full sheriff's office quote, the charge language in quotation marks, the conflicting attributions for the casualty count and the identifications, and the sheriff's Monday remarks via WSYR. Dek expanded to flag the source disagreements without naming anyone.

  2. Version 117 Aug 2026, 08:41current

    First published.

  3. Version 117 Aug 2026, 09:41current

    First published.

  4. Version 117 Aug 2026, 09:24

    First published.

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