A Hatboro man went to confront his next-door neighbor on Sunday after becoming fed up with his snoring, according to Montgomery County prosecutors. But after a heated exchange, the snorer was accused of more than just keeping those around him awake at night.
Why did Christopher Casey stab Robert Wallace?
Christopher Casey stabbed Robert Wallace, 62, to death with a military-style knife after Wallace pushed Casey’s first-floor window in and threatened to kill him for snoring, prosecutors said Friday.
According to officials, the two men lived next to each other in a duplex on Fritch Road, with their bedrooms sharing a common wall.
Casey, 55, was charged late Thursday with third-degree murder, voluntary manslaughter, and other crimes after admitting in an interview with detectives that he had concealed a knife and a Taser when he went to speak with Wallace outside his home, according to the affidavit of probable cause filed for his arrest.
The two men lived next to each other in a duplex
Casey remained in custody on Friday in lieu of $1 million bail. There was no indication that he had an attorney.
Upper Moreland Police said they had previously responded to several calls for a dispute between Casey, who lives alone, and Wallace over Casey’s snoring in the previous 18 months. He lived with his mother.
Wallace approached Casey’s house late Sunday, knocked on his window, and threatened to kill him, Casey told police in an interview. Wallace then ripped the window’s screen and pushed it open, arguing with Casey through it for about 20 minutes.
Casey told police that Wallace eventually calmed down and offered to shake his hand and pay for corrective surgery to help his neighbor stop snoring, according to the affidavit.
Casey then moved to unlock his door and face Wallace. According to the affidavit, he grabbed the knife and Taser and hid them in his hands under a blanket. He then stabbed Wallace at least three times in the chest, injuring himself once in the leg in the process.
Wallace collapsed nearby, and Casey dialed 911. He was taken to Jefferson Abington Hospital and later pronounced dead.
When asked why he stabbed Wallace, Casey told detectives that, despite admitting Wallace had calmed down and appeared to offer a solution, he didn’t believe Wallace was genuine, according to the affidavit.
Wallace, he claimed, was larger than him and prone to rage.
Casey is set to appear before District Judge Michael P. Quinn for a preliminary hearing on January 29.
