'I hurt someone': Suspect confessed to killing parents, sister in Churchville, court documents say

CHURCHVILLE, Pa. - Officials in Bucks County are releasing more details about the suspected murders of a woman and her parents inside their Churchville home.

The Bucks County District Attorney’s Office also addressed the deaths of Frederick, Judith, and Deborah Castiglia in a Wednesday afternoon press conference. 

What we know:

According to a criminal complaint obtained by FOX 29, Kevin Castiglia, 55, while in police custody, confessed to fatally stabbing his family to death. He was arrested after a tense, hours-long standoff with police on Monday. 

Prior to confessing to police, documents revealed that Castiglia received treatment at St. Mary’s Medical Center after his arrest. While in the hospital, Castiglia allegedly made statements to a doctor saying, "I hurt someone," About two hours later he allegedly told hospital staff, "I killed my parents in their sleep" and added, "I killed my sister when she found them."

The backstory:

Northampton Township officers first responded to the Heather Road home around 2 p.m. to perform a wellness check after Deborah’s boyfriend reported  that he hadn't heard from her since Saturday.

The boyfriend told police that he had previously checked Deborah’s Doylestown home and twice knocked on the door at her parents' home in Churchville.

According to the criminal complaint, the second time he knocked on the door of the Churchville home, Kevin Castiglia answered the door in a robe and told Deborah’s boyfriend that she was not inside the home. Castiglia then allegedly threatened the boyfriend with a knife in hand and told him not to return to the home. 

The boyfriend then contacted police after retreating to his car and driving down the street. 

Investigators say responding officers knocked on the door and called out to Kevin Castiglia from outside. He eventually answered the door armed with two knives, one of which police believed had blood on it. After trying to talk to Castiglia, police say he pointed knives at the officers, at which time a Taser was deployed unsuccessfully. 

Castiglia ran back inside and closed and locked the door behind him. A tactical team then responded to the scene and forced entry into the home, where they found Deborah deceased in the kitchen and Frederick and Judith deceased in a rear bedroom. 

The tactical team attempted to take Castiglia into custody, but he barricaded himself in a second-floor bedroom. He was taken into custody approximately five hours later without incident. 

Dig deeper:

The Centennial School District confirmed on Wednesday that Deborah Castiglia had been a teacher in the district since 1999. During that time, she had worked as a middle school math teacher before moving to William Tennent High school in 2018. 

The district said they would be providing support to students and staff in the wake of Ms. Castiglia’s death. 

"The loss of an educator impacts an entire community. We recognize that this news may bring a range of emotions, including grief, shock, sadness, anger, or concern. Please know that the safety, well-being, and emotional health of our students and staff remain our highest priorities," the district said in a statement. 

What's next:

Kevin Castiglia faces a long list of charges including murder, possession of an instrument of crime, abuse of corpse and related offenses.

He is currently being held without bail.