A Pennsylvania resident, Christopher James Casey, 56, has been sentenced to a maximum of a few years in prison after confessing to the manslaughter of his neighbor, Robert Wallace, 62. The incident, which occurred in January, was the climax of an ongoing dispute between the two men over loud snoring. Initially, Casey was charged with third-degree murder.
Casey expressed remorse for his actions during his sentencing in court, referring to the fatal altercation as “unfortunate.” He was sentenced in Montgomery County Court to 11.5 to 23 months in county jail after pleading guilty to involuntary manslaughter and possession of an instrument of crime. Following his jail term, Casey will be under probation for three years.
Casey’s defense attorney, James Lyons, stated that his client had received numerous threats to his life and was ill-equipped to handle the sustained abuse and threats. The incident occurred when police responded to a 911 call about a stabbing at a residence in Upper Moreland, approximately 15 miles north of Philadelphia. Casey himself was the one who reported the stabbing.
Upon arrival, first responders found Wallace outside the residence, about 50 feet away, with multiple stab wounds. He was rushed to Abington Hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries. Casey was also treated at the same hospital for a stab wound on his thigh.
Police recovered a large military-style knife and a cellphone from Casey’s front porch. They also found a window screen that seemed to have been removed and discarded in a nearby grassy area. The window from which the screen was removed was open when the police arrived.
The investigation revealed that the two men were known to local police due to their ongoing disputes, including arguments about Casey’s loud snoring, which Wallace could hear through their shared wall. On the day of the incident, Wallace had come to Casey’s residence while Casey was having dinner and removed the screen from Casey’s window. A verbal altercation ensued, during which Casey stabbed Wallace multiple times with the military-style knife.
Blood spatter was found both inside and outside Casey’s home. An autopsy confirmed that Wallace’s death was a homicide caused by multiple stab wounds to the chest. Three days after the autopsy results, Casey was arrested and charged.
Court documents reveal that Casey told police he and Wallace had been talking for about 20 minutes through Casey’s window. By the end of the conversation, Casey claimed that Wallace had calmed down and even offered to give Casey money for nasal surgery. However, Casey did not believe Wallace’s intentions were genuine and decided to “surprise him” by stabbing him.