24 Years In Prison For Weehawken Man Who Fatally Stabbed Girlfriend

WEEHAWKEN, NJ — On Friday, Sept. 8 a 24-year-old Weehawken man was sentencing for the stabbing death of his girlfriend.

Joseph Palacios, 24, of Weehawken, will serve 24 years in New Jersey State Prison for the death of Michelle Paola Castillo Siguencia, 24.

He previously pleaded guilty to aggravated manslaughter and his prison term is subject to the No Early Release Act.

Police say he stabbed the young woman to death on June 19, 2021 in Weehawken: At 6 p.m. on that date, Weehawken Police responded to a medical emergency at 561 Hudson Ave, apartment 1.

Upon entry, officers discovered a woman, later identified as Michelle Paola Castillo Siguencia, unresponsive in the bathroom. She was pronounced dead at 6:48 p.m. Police say she died of multiple stab wounds to the neck.

Palacios was arrested a short time later at an apartment in Union City.

In her obituary, Siguencia was described as "a free spirit who loved to travel." She earned her bachelor's degree from NJ City University in Jersey City and at the time she was murdered, she was employed as an administrative assistant for the Beazley Group in New York City. She was currently enrolled in Hofstra University where she was studying to become an attorney. She lived with her family in Kearny.