Pennsylvania Man Fatally Stabs Neighbor Following Dispute Over 'Loud Snoring'

  July 06, 2024    Buddieizreal

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Pennsylvania Man Fatally Stabs Neighbor Following Dispute Over 'Loud Snoring' 

A 55-year-old man in Pennsylvania has been arrested for allegedly killing his neighbor by stabbing him in what authorities say was the culmination of a nearly two-year feud over “loud snoring.” Christopher James Casey, from Hatboro, was taken into custody on Thursday. He faces charges of third-degree murder, voluntary manslaughter, and possessing an instrument of crime in the death of 62-year-old Robert Wallace, according to authorities.

The Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office reported that officers from the Upper Moreland Township Police Department responded to a 911 call at around 6:34 p.m. on Monday regarding a stabbing at a residence in the 300 block of Fitch Road, about 15 miles north of Philadelphia. Casey himself made the call, identifying himself as the person who reported the stabbing.

Upon arrival, first responders found Wallace outside, approximately 50 feet from the home, suffering from multiple stab wounds. He was transported to Abington Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries. Casey was also taken to Abington Hospital to treat a stab wound on his right thigh. Officers recovered a “large military-style knife” and a cell phone on Casey’s front porch. They also found a removed window screen lying in a nearby grassy area, with the window itself open.

A joint investigation by Upper Moreland Township Police and Montgomery County Detectives revealed that the two men were familiar to local police due to ongoing disputes, including arguments about Casey’s loud snoring, which Wallace could hear through the shared wall of their residences. The incident escalated when Wallace showed up at Casey’s residence while Casey was eating dinner, removed the screen from Casey’s window, and a verbal altercation ensued. Casey then used a large, military-style knife to stab Wallace several times.

Blood spatter was found inside and outside Casey’s home, authorities said. An autopsy determined that Wallace’s death was a homicide caused by multiple stab wounds to the chest. Following the autopsy results, Casey was arrested three days later. According to court documents obtained by Philadelphia ABC affiliate WPVI, Casey told police that he and Wallace had been talking through Casey’s window for about 20 minutes. By the end of the conversation, Wallace had calmed down and even offered to give Casey money for nasal surgery.

Pennsylvania Man Fatally Stabs Neighbor Amid Feud Over 'Loud Snoring'

Wallace then went to Casey’s front door to shake hands, at which point Casey, holding a knife and stun gun, unlocked the door.  “Casey described Wallace as very ‘volatile,’ ‘very strong,’ and ‘angry,’” the charging documents state. “Casey said he did not believe Wallace’s intention to ‘work this out’ and ‘shake hands’ was genuine. As a result, Casey decided to ‘surprise him’ by stabbing Wallace with a knife.” Casey appeared before Judge Wendy Rothstein for his arraignment, and his bond was set at $1 million. He is scheduled to appear in court again on January 29 before Magistrate Judge Thomas Murt.