CENTENNIAL, Colo. — A man charged in connection with the murders of four people in Aurora in late 2022 was found guilty of first-degree murder Thursday.
Joseph Castorena, 22, was found guilty on all four counts of first-degree murder as well as one count of attempted first-degree murder after deliberation by an Arapahoe County jury in connection with the Oct. 30, 2022, quadruple homicide at a home near E. 10th Ave. and Geneva St.
Information from witnesses on the day of the crime revealed that Castorena had broken into the home and ambushed the family living there, shooting and killing his ex-girlfriend’s twin sister, his sister’s husband and the sisters’ father. He was also accused of killing a man staying in an RV in the backyard of the home.
Records show a court had granted Castorena’s ex-girlfriend and her father a protection order against him a week before the deadly shooting.
Castorena’s brother and cousin were arrested in the days after the shooting, but the suspect continued to elude authorities for several months, fleeing into Mexico to avoid capture.
Crime
Victims identified in Aurora quadruple homicide; suspect remains at large
He was found and arrested in Mexico in December 2022 with the help of the FBI, local police officers in Mexico, the Instituto Nacional de Migración – Mexico’s immigration enforcement agency – and the Mexican government, according to a spokesperson with the Aurora Police Department and extradited back to Colorado in March of last year.
“Mr. Castorena attempted to evade justice by fleeing to Mexico,” Senior Chief Deputy District Attorney Darcy Kofol said. “We were not going to let a cold-blooded coward get away with murder. It was my honor to prosecute this case and help bring justice to the victims’ families.”
Under Colorado law, each conviction of first-degree murder carries an automatic sentence to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
“This defendant went on a murderous rampage and then tried to escape justice by fleeing to Mexico,” District Attorney John Kellner said. “I want to commend the tremendous efforts of the detectives and officers with the Aurora Police Department who investigated this case and tracked him down. After today’s verdict, he deserves to spend every last second of his life behind bars."
His sentencing is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. on Sept. 3, 2024.
