FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 18, 2026
Contact: Team Saritha
Email: [email protected]
NEW YORK — New York Attorney General candidate Saritha Komatireddy today released the following statement following reports that Justin Sislo, a Central New York man accused of months of horrific domestic violence, killed his parents and himself days after being released from jail:
What happened in Madison County is nothing short of horrifying, and it is exactly why we cannot afford to treat domestic violence as anything less than the serious and escalating threat that it is.
Justin Sislo’s girlfriend told authorities that she endured months of physical and psychological torture. She suffered broken bones, burns and 32 fractured ribs. Sislo was accused of strangling her multiple times. He was arrested twice in one month, ultimately facing 24 charges in Madison County, including violent felonies. Yet both times, he was able to walk out of jail after posting $10,000 bail. Days after his second release, he shot and killed his parents, Steve Sislo and Donna Walker-Sislo, before killing himself.
The warning signs were not hidden. They were screaming at us.
And this is not an isolated case. As I said just weeks ago, violence against women is getting worse across New York. Since 2020, reported domestic violence victims have increased 41% in New York City and 16% across the rest of the state. Orders of protection have increased 46%. Strangulation charges have increased 34%. And 83% of people charged with assault are released the same day.
For nearly eight years, NY AG Letitia James has watched these numbers climb while supporting a criminal justice system that prioritizes release over public safety. New York’s bail laws — unlike every other state in the country — tell judges they cannot consider the danger that a defendant poses to the victim and the community when deciding whether to put him in jail. Letitia James supports these bail laws and always has. When crime spiked and lawmakers started talking about fixing those laws, she told them not to “overreact.” As a result, New York’s system under Letitia James regularly releases dangerous criminals into the community.
In this case, even the Madison County District Attorney acknowledged that the state’s requirement to impose the “least restrictive” conditions can undermine judges’ ability to keep dangerous people off the streets.
That is a system badly in need of change.
As Attorney General, I will make combating domestic violence a priority of the office. I will fight for reforms that allow judges to consider dangerousness when deciding whether violent defendants should be detained. I will work with district attorneys, sheriffs, and police departments across New York to ensure repeat and escalating domestic violence is treated as the warning sign it is.
And I will use the full prosecutorial power of the office to protect victims and hold violent offenders accountable always.
A woman should not have to suffer 32 fractured ribs before the system recognizes the person attacking her is dangerous. A sheriff should not have to warn that someone belongs behind bars, only to watch that person walk free. And a family should not have to die before we admit something is wrong.
New York can do better. As Attorney General, I will.
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