A 55-year-old Northampton Township man is being held without bail after authorities say he admitted to stabbing his elderly parents to death while they slept, then killing his sister when she discovered their bodies inside the family’s home.
Kevin Castiglia faces three counts of criminal homicide, abuse of a corpse, and multiple related charges in the deaths of his father, Frederick “Fred” Castiglia, 90, his mother, Judith Castiglia, 84, and his sister, Deborah Castiglia, 53, according to court documents and the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office.
The case came to light Monday afternoon after police were called to the family’s Heather Road home in the Churchville section of Northampton Township for a welfare check that escalated into a five-hour barricade situation.
Police say Deborah Castiglia’s boyfriend contacted authorities after he was unable to reach her for several days. He told investigators he went to her parents’ home around 2:15 p.m. Monday, noticed her car parked in the driveway, but saw no footprints in the snow that had fallen the day before.
According to court documents, Kevin Castiglia answered the door and initially told the boyfriend his sister “probably went on vacation.” Moments later, authorities allege, he opened the door holding a knife and warned, “Don’t ever come here again, or I will kill you.”
The boyfriend fled and called 911.
When Northampton Township officers arrived, police say Castiglia came to the front door holding two knives, one of which appeared to have blood on it. Officers described him as talking incoherently and alleged that he pointed the knives toward them when asked about his family.
Police attempted to subdue him with a Taser, but authorities said he pulled the probes from his body, retreated inside the home, and locked the door. Negotiators attempted repeatedly to communicate with him as officers established a perimeter, but he refused to engage.
The South Central Emergency Response Team was called to the scene, and after tactical officers entered the home, investigators discovered Deborah Castiglia dead in the kitchen. Fred and Judith Castiglia were later found in their bedroom, authorities said. Police noted the parents were not located in the basement, correcting earlier information released during the investigation.
Castiglia then barricaded himself inside a second-floor bedroom, where the standoff continued for several more hours. He was taken into custody at about 8 p.m. without injury to officers.
During the operation, snipers positioned themselves in a neighboring home. Resident Erica Titlow said she “had no idea what was happening,” describing officers as “polite” and “grateful.”
After his arrest, Castiglia was taken to a hospital, where he made statements to medical staff, according to the affidavit of probable cause.
Court documents state he initially told a doctor, “I hurt someone.” Roughly two hours later, he allegedly said, “I killed my parents in their sleep,” and added that he killed his sister “when she found them.”
Investigators said Castiglia later repeated his confession at police headquarters, admitting to stabbing all three victims to death.
Prosecutors said investigators believe Fred and Judith Castiglia were killed on Friday, with Deborah Castiglia killed Saturday when she came to the home. All three victims died from stab wounds, and the Bucks County Coroner’s Office ruled each death a homicide.
Deputy District Attorney Monica Furber said one knife believed to have been used in the killings was recovered from the home. She added that investigators “don’t believe there was any kind of struggle” during the attacks.
Authorities declined to discuss a possible motive.
Deborah Castiglia worked in the Centennial School District for more than two decades. She began teaching math at Klinger Middle School in 1999 and joined the faculty at William Tennent High School in 2018.
In a message to the school community, Superintendent Abram Lucabaugh said she taught with “dedication, care, and compassion,” adding, “Her loss is profoundly felt across our school community.”
The district activated crisis response teams and is offering counseling and support services for students and staff at both schools.
Castiglia was arraigned Tuesday before District Judge Brian M. Marriott, who denied bail. He remains held at the Bucks County Correctional Facility. Court records did not immediately list an attorney for him.
A preliminary hearing is tentatively scheduled for February 12, when a judge will determine whether the case will proceed toward trial in the Bucks County Court of Common Pleas.
Bucks County District Attorney Joe Khan praised the response by police and emergency personnel, saying, “Despite being confronted by an armed individual, under excruciatingly difficult circumstances for roughly five hours in the bitter cold, officers utilized every tactical resource available to take the suspect into custody alive, preventing further tragedy.”
Khan also emphasized there is no ongoing danger to the public, describing the incident as a “contained domestic tragedy.”
