In a Syracuse courtroom, 21-year-old Jhon Moises Chacaguasay-Ilbis pleaded guilty to the second-degree murder of Joselyn Jhoana Toaquiza. The tragic incident occurred on June 18th, Toaquiza's 21st birthday. Chacaguasay-Ilbis admitted to strangling Toaquiza and subsequently disposing of her body in a wooded area, even carrying her past a police vehicle in the process. Judge Ted Limpert has accepted the guilty plea and agreed to a sentence not exceeding 25 years to life imprisonment.
Reports indicate that both Chacaguasay-Ilbis and Toaquiza were undocumented immigrants from Ecuador, having known each other since childhood. Chacaguasay-Ilbis was reportedly residing in an Airbnb at the time of the murder and had traveled to see Toaquiza for her birthday. Security footage reveals the two entering the Airbnb around 4:30 p.m. on June 18th. Hours later, Chacaguasay-Ilbis is seen carrying Toaquiza's lifeless body. He is believed to have used a ligature to strangle her.
Jhon Moises Chacaguasay-Ilbis and Joselyn Jhoana Toaquiza. (Metro Ecuador)
After the murder, Chacaguasay-Ilbis allegedly buried Toaquiza in a shallow grave in Lincoln Park before fleeing to New York City on a Greyhound bus. He later surrendered to authorities. Toaquiza's body was discovered on June 22nd. It has been reported that Chacaguasay-Ilbis entered the U.S. illegally through El Paso, Texas in January 2023. He was apprehended but released due to capacity issues. Toaquiza entered the U.S. a few months later, in June 2023, through Lukeville, Arizona. She reportedly told border officials she was escaping an abusive relationship, although it's unclear if this involved her killer.
Joselyn Jhoana Toaquiza had just turned 21 years old when she was killed. (GoFundMe)
Jhon Moises Chacaguasay-Ilbis and Joselyn Jhoana Toaquiza were captured on surveillance footage before the June 18 homicide. (WSYR-TV)
Chacaguasay-Ilbis’s sentencing is scheduled for February 14th.
