HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. – Two men have been arrested in connection with the gruesome murder of a 75-year-old man whose disappearance in January sparked a homicide investigation by the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.
Joseph Schiliro, 45, and Silviano Christman, 31, are facing a slew of charges related to the death of Joseph Romano, whose dismembered remains were discovered in Schiliro’s backyard earlier this month.
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The investigation began on January 16, 2025, when HCSO received a missing person report for Romano. Detectives soon discovered that Schiliro had been attempting to retrieve Romano’s mail and uncovered a financial fraud scheme where large sums of money were transferred from the victim’s accounts to accounts linked to Schiliro.
Further investigation revealed that Christman had flown to Tampa from New York on January 3rd and was with Schiliro during that time.
On February 13th, a search warrant executed at Schiliro’s residence led to the grim discovery of Romano’s dismembered remains.
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Christman was arrested in New York on February 20th and faces charges of:
- Pre-Meditated First-Degree Murder
- Conspiracy to Commit Pre-Meditated First-Degree Murder
- Burglary with Battery
- Abuse of a Dead Body
- Fraudulent Use of Personally Identifiable Information of a Deceased Person
Schiliro was arrested in Pinellas County on February 21st and faces charges of:
- Pre-Meditated First-Degree Murder
- Conspiracy to Commit Pre-Meditated First-Degree Murder
- Burglary with Battery
- Fraudulent Use of Personally Identifiable Information of a Deceased Person
- Fraudulent Use of Personally Identifiable Information
- Money Laundering
- Exploitation of a Disabled Adult
“The actions of these two men are despicable and deeply disturbing. Through deceit and violence, they exploited and took the life of another individual,” said Sheriff Chad Chronister. “Thanks to the determined efforts of our detectives and law enforcement partners, they are both now behind bars. We remain committed to seeking justice for the victim and his loved ones.”
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