NORTH MASSAPEQUA, NY- In a bizarre story out of Long Island, a music teacher who had the hots for his sister-in-law for nearly 10 years, is accused of sexually assaulting her before strangling her to death, The New York Post reports.
Police and prosecutors say that Joseph Horner, 27, killed his 25-year-old sister-in-law, Victoria Castle, while his wife was out of town on a bachelorette trip. The assault occurred at the two-family home they share. After committing the murder, Horner called police at around 8:45 a.m. Monday, the Nassau County Police Department said.
The Nassau County District Attorneys Office said that Horner, a music teacher in the Oceanside School District, lived in a second-floor unit with his wife, while the victim lived in the ground-floor unit.
At his arraignment, prosecutors alleged that while his wife was out of town, Horner acted on a nearly decade-long obsession with his wife’s sister. Horner acted under the guise of asking Castle to help him move a piano.
As Castle went to help him, he attacked her from behind, putting her in a chokehold until she went limp, and then raping her after removing her clothing, the DA’s office said.
After the attack, Horner called 911 and when police showed up, he immediately admitted choking Castle and then having sex with her, prosecutors said. He was immediately arrested for at the scene, police said.
Castle was rushed by EMS to a local hospital where she succumbed to her injuries shortly thereafter, authorities confirmed.
The DA’s office said Horner had a “twisted” fascination with his sister-in-law, whom he met at the same time as his wife back in 2016.
Horner was charged with second-degree murder and is currently being held without bail. Additional charges related to the sexual assault may be forthcoming. Despite telling police he choked and raped Castle, Horner has pleaded not guilty.
In a statement, the Oceanside School District’s superintendent told News 12 Long Island that Horner has been placed on administrative leave.
“These are very serious and disturbing allegations, and there’s a very stark contrast between the allegations and his beloved reputation that he had as a teacher, with both his students and fellow teachers,” Horner’s attorney Gregory Grizopoulos said in a statement.
“His family is devastated by the loss of their family member, Victoria, as well as the allegations against their son, Joe. We’ll continue to evaluate the evidence as more details are disclosed to us,” Grizopoulos added.
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