Where are Raquel Garajau and Joseph Villani now? Details explored ahead of Snapped: Killer Couples on Oxygen
Raquel Garajau and Joseph Villani are serving lengthy prison terms for their involvement in the 2017 killing of a marijuana seller in New Jersey. Both, according to court documents and media reports, were convicted following a sensational trial. They were found to have conspired to rob and kill the victim. Garajau was sentenced to 33 years, while Villani was given a 40-year sentence.
The case is featured in Snapped: Killer Couples Season 18, Episode 9, which will air on the Oxygen network on May 11, 2025.
The crime and investigation
As per the court documents, Joseph Villani and his then-girlfriend Raquel Garajau, in February 2017, conspired to rob a marijuana dealer reportedly named Patel. The couple, as per court records, targeted Patel for his cash and marijuana. Villani shot and murdered Patel during the robbery. Text messages, acquaintances' testimony, and physical evidence connecting both Garajau and Villani to the crime were presented at trial.
The investigators established that Garajau and Villani had planned the robbery and made efforts to conceal the crime. As per the court documents, testimony established that Garajau ordered Villani to clean up the area and destroy evidence, such as using bleach. The pair also tried to sell the stolen marijuana following the murder.
Legal proceedings and sentencing
As per the court documents, both Villani and Garajau were charged and arrested with various crimes, such as murder, robbery, conspiracy, and evidence tampering. They were tried for 24 days, and more than 30 witnesses testified against them. The prosecution showed evidence of planning and activity before and after the crime.
Joseph Villani was found guilty of murder and other charges. As per the court documents, in April 2019, he was sentenced to 40 years in prison, with no chance of parole for 35 years, reported NJ.com.
Raquel Garajau was found guilty on 16 charges, including conspiracy and tampering with evidence. As per NBC New York, she was given a 33-year prison sentence, with 30 years of parole ineligibility, as outlined in court documents.
Where are Raquel Garajau and Joseph Villani now?
As of May 2025, Raquel Garajau and Joseph Villani are still in New Jersey state prisons, as per the court documents. Garajau has appealed her conviction on her behalf, but the courts have upheld her sentence. As per NBC New York, Villani is serving his sentence and will not be eligible for parole for many decades.
The killing and trial drew major media attention as a result of the ages of the perpetrators and the circumstances of the crime. The two defendants were young college students at the time. As per NBC New York, issues surrounding drug-related violence and the implications of criminal conspiracies were brought to the fore by the case.
Snapped: Killer Couples on Oxygen delves into the specifics of their relationship, the crime itself, and the consequences that followed, giving the audience a comprehensive insight into the case.
It explores how love can turn into criminal alliances. The episode on Raquel Garajau and Joseph Villani employs interviews, court documents, and reenactments to chronicle the crime and its effect on society.
For more details about the case of Raquel Garajau and Joseph Villani, watch Snapped: Killer Couples on Oxygen.
