A quiet neighborhood in Northampton Township was shaken after police discovered three members of the Castiglia family dead inside their Heather Road home following a tense, hours-long SWAT standoff. Authorities say 55-year-old Kevin Castiglia now faces homicide charges in connection with the deaths of his sister, Deborah Castiglia, and their elderly parents, Fred and Judith Castiglia.
Police were called to the home Monday afternoon after Deborah Castiglia’s boyfriend asked officers to conduct a welfare check. According to court records, the boyfriend told police he had not heard from Deborah, 53, since Jan. 24 and was worried about her safety. When he went to the house, Kevin Castiglia answered the door wearing a bathrobe and allegedly threatened him with a large knife, described as a “Psycho-type” blade. The boyfriend said Castiglia warned him, “Don’t ever come here again or I’ll kill you.”
When Northampton Township officers arrived, they found Kevin Castiglia armed with two knives, one of which appeared to have blood on it. Police said he was speaking incoherently and refused to answer questions about his family. Officers attempted to de-escalate the situation, but when Castiglia pointed the knives toward them, they deployed Tasers. He reportedly removed the probes, slammed the door, and barricaded himself inside the house.
The situation quickly escalated into a major police response. The South Central Emergency Response Team was called in and eventually forced entry into the home. Inside, officers made a grim discovery. Deborah Castiglia was found dead in the kitchen. Her parents, Fred Castiglia, 90, and Judith Castiglia, 84, were found deceased in the lower level of the house. Kevin Castiglia retreated to a bedroom, where he remained barricaded for several hours before surrendering. He was taken into custody after a standoff that lasted about five hours.
Initially, Castiglia was charged with multiple misdemeanors, including terroristic threats, simple assault, and reckless endangerment related to his actions toward the boyfriend and police officers. Authorities later filed three counts of murder and related charges. The Bucks County District Attorney’s Office said the investigation is ongoing, and autopsies are pending to determine the exact causes of death.
The loss of Deborah “Debbie” Castiglia has deeply affected the local community. She was a longtime math teacher in the Centennial School District, teaching at Klinger Middle School and William Tennent High School since at least 2016. The district offered grief counseling to staff and students as news of her death spread. Friends and colleagues remembered her as a dedicated educator who also coached girls’ volleyball and softball. A graduate of Council Rock High School, Deborah was also a mother to an adult daughter. As the investigation continues, neighbors and loved ones are left searching for answers in a tragedy that has stunned the community.
