An elementary school music teacher from Long Island has been charged with murder in the death of his sister-in-law, in a case that prosecutors have laid out in disturbing detail. The defendant, identified as Joseph Horner, is accused of strangling the woman, named as Victoria Castle, and now faces a second-degree murder charge in her killing.
According to prosecutors, Horner asked Castle to come to his apartment to help him move a piano while his wife was away at a party. What was presented as a request for help, prosecutors say, was the setup for an attack, with the victim arriving believing she was simply lending a hand to a relative.
Prosecutors allege that once Castle was there, Horner came at her from behind and sexually assaulted her before killing her. The account described in court laid out a sequence that prosecutors say ended in the strangling death of the young woman inside the apartment.
Prosecutors also said that Horner admitted to having had feelings for Castle since 2017, a detail they offered as they outlined the case against him. The claim added a further layer to the allegations as authorities described what they believe led up to the killing.
Horner appeared in court, where he pleaded not guilty to murder in the second degree. He is being held without bail as the case proceeds, meaning he will remain in custody rather than being released while the charges against him move through the court system. As a defendant, he is presumed innocent unless proven guilty at trial.
The fallout extended to his job as well. The Oceanside School District, where Horner works as a music teacher, said he has been placed on administrative leave in the wake of the charges. The case now heads deeper into the court process, with the allegations set to be tested as it moves toward trial.