A longtime high school math teacher and her elderly parents were found dead inside a Pennsylvania home, and authorities say the victims’ brother and son has been charged in their killings.
Police went to a residence on Heather Road in Northampton Township for a welfare check on the afternoon of Monday, Jan. 26, according to the Northampton Township Police Department. Officers say they encountered an adult man later identified as Kevin Castiglia, 55, who was allegedly armed with a knife.
After officers tried and failed to persuade him to surrender, police say he barricaded himself inside the house. A standoff lasted about five hours before tactical officers took him into custody around 8 p.m.
Once inside, authorities found three bodies. The Bucks County District Attorney’s Office identified the victims as Deborah Castiglia, 53, of Plumstead Township, and her parents, Judith Castiglia, 84, and Fred Castiglia, 90, who lived at the Heather Road home.
The investigation began earlier Monday when Deborah’s boyfriend went to the house looking for her after days of not hearing back, according to an affidavit obtained by 6ABC Action News, the Daily Voice, and NBC 10. The affidavit says Kevin Castiglia answered the door wearing a robe and told the boyfriend Deborah “probably went on vacation.”
A short time later, Kevin allegedly returned to the door holding what the boyfriend described as a “Psycho type” chef’s knife and warned him, “Don’t ever come here again, or I will kill you,” the affidavit alleges. The boyfriend then left and called 911.
When officers arrived, Kevin allegedly came to the door holding two knives and began “talking incoherently,” according to the affidavit. When asked about his family, he allegedly pointed the knives at the officers.
Police say they used tasers, but he allegedly pulled the probes out, shut the door, and locked it. Authorities later forced entry and found him barricaded in a second-floor bedroom, the affidavit states.
During a search of the house, investigators found a woman believed to be Deborah dead in the kitchen, while her parents were found deceased elsewhere in the home.
After being taken into custody and transported to a local hospital, Kevin allegedly told a doctor, “I hurt someone,” according to the affidavit. He later allegedly told hospital staff, “I killed my parents in their sleep” and “I killed my sister when she found them,” the affidavit says. Authorities also allege he confessed again at police headquarters.
Kevin Castiglia is charged with criminal homicide, abuse of a corpse, possession of an instrument of crime, terroristic threats with intent to terrorize another, and other offenses, according to the criminal docket. He is being held without bail ahead of a court date scheduled for Feb. 12.
Deborah Castiglia was a longtime math teacher in the Centenniel School District, the Daily Voice reports. It was not immediately clear whether Kevin has retained an attorney who can comment on his behalf.
