Man Arraigned In Stabbing Deaths Of Sister, Parents In Bucks Co.

DOYLESTOWN, PA — A 55-year-old Northampton Township man is facing three counts of criminal homicide in the brutal slaying of three family members inside a Churchville home over the weekend, officials said.

Kevin Carl Castiglia was formally arraigned on Monday in the stabbing death of his elderly parents and his sister, Bucks County District Attorney Joe Khan and Northampton Township Police Chief Steve LeCompte announced Wednesday afternoon at a press conference in Doylestown.

"Our investigation revealed that Kevin Castiglia, 55, murdered his parents, Fred, 90, and Judith, 84, as they slept, and he subsequently killed his sister, Deborah, 53, inside the house on Heather Road," said Khan.

Fred and Judith recently celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. Deborah Castiglia was a Doylestown resident who had taught more than two decades in the Centennial School District.

Following his arrest, Khan said Kevin Castiglia admitted to the stabbing deaths of his elderly parents and his sister while he was being treated at a local hospital and then later provided a full confession to detectives.

The District Attorney's office did not comment on a possible motive for the killings.

The investigation began on Monday at about 2:15 p.m., when Northampton Township Police were dispatched for a well-being check. Police were first alerted by Deborah Castiglia’s boyfriend, who had grown concerned after being unable to reach her since Saturday.

After visiting the home on Sunday and seeing no footprints in the snow despite her car being present, he returned Monday and was met at the door by Kevin Castiglia. The complaint alleges that Castiglia, dressed in a robe, claimed his sister was likely on vacation before brandishing a large “Psycho-style” chef’s knife and threatening to kill the boyfriend. The boyfriend retreated and called 911.

Upon arrival, officers were confronted by Castiglia, who was still armed with two knives — one of which was already stained with blood. Despite the use of less-lethal TASER devices, the suspect retreated and barricaded himself in a second-floor bedroom for five hours.

The South Central Emergency Response Team (SERT) was able to gain access to the room and took Castiglia into custody at approximately 8 p.m. Inside the residence, investigators found Deborah Castiglia in the kitchen and Fred and Judith in their bed in the master bedroom.

Khan commended the responding officers for their professional restraint, stating that the efforts by the Northampton Township Police and the SERT team to take this suspect into custody alive, despite being faced with an armed and barricaded individual, were truly admirable.

Kevin Castiglia was arraigned Tuesday evening before Magisterial District Judge Brian Marriott on three counts each of criminal homicide, abuse of a corpse, terroristic threats, and recklessly endangering another person, two counts of possession of an instrument of crime with Intent, six counts of simple assault, and one count of resisting arrest.

Due to the nature of the homicide charges, bail was denied, and Castiglia has been remanded to the Bucks County Correctional Facility. Authorities emphasized that this was a contained domestic tragedy, and there is no further threat to the community.