A New York elementary school music teacher has been charged with the murder of his sister-in-law. Joseph Horner, 27, is accused of strangling 25-year-old Victoria Castle in their shared multifamily home.
Police responded to a home in North Massapequa at 8:44 a.m. on Monday after Horner called 911 to report an unresponsive woman. Officers found Castle and took her to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
Prosecutors said Horner lured Castle to his apartment by asking for help moving a piano. They alleged he then held her in a chokehold until she went limp, sexually assaulted her, changed his clothes and waited for police on the front porch.
Horner pleaded not guilty to intentional murder during his arraignment on Tuesday. He remains held without bond and is due back in court on July 2. The Oceanside School District has placed him on administrative leave.
