A 22-year-old Colorado man was guilty Thursday on four counts of First-Degree Murder after Deliberation and one count of Attempted First Degree Murder after Deliberation following a quadruple homicide at a home in Aurora.
According to police, at around 2:00 a.m. on October 30, 2022, a woman called Aurora police to report that her ex-boyfriend, Joseph Castorena, may be hiding inside her home and should not be there.
About a week prior, a restraining order was issued against Joseph.
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While the ex-girlfriend was on the phone with dispatchers, shots were fired. When officers arrived, they found four people deceased from gunshot wounds. The ex-girlfriend and her two young children were not physically hurt.
Three of the four victims were relatives of Castorena’s ex-girlfriend. The fourth victim rented an RV on the property and was killed when he came outside during the shooting.
The investigation revealed Castorena broke into his ex’s home in the 900 block of Geneva Street and waited inside with a gun until the family returned home. Upon entering her house, the ex noticed Joseph’s keys were in her bedroom, and that’s when she called the police.
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Following the shooting, Castorena fled the country before he was captured in December 2024 and then extradited back to Colorado.
“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.”
Castorena will be sentenced on September 3, 2024.
“In the blink of an eye, Mr. Castorena destroyed many lives,” Deputy District Attorney Lauren Raible said. “This guilty verdict ensures the defendant will never be able to victimize anyone else.”
Under Colorado law, each First-Degree Murder conviction carries an automatic life sentence with no 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.”
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