Pennsylvania man sentenced for killing neighbor over loud snoring

A Philadelphia man has been sentenced to prison for stabbing his neighbor to death after a snoring dispute. Christopher Casey, 55, of Hatboro, received a sentence of 11-and-a-half to 23 months in prison, followed by three years of probation after pleading guilty to involuntary manslaughter and possession of an instrument of crime in Montgomery County Court.

The incident occurred on January 15 when Upper Moreland Township Police responded to a 911 call made by Casey reporting a stabbing at his residence. Upon arrival, officers found the victim, Robert Wallace, 62, approximately 50 feet from Casey's home, suffering from multiple stab wounds. Casey also had a stab wound to his right thigh.

Both men were shifted to Abington Hospital, where Wallace was pronounced dead an hour later. Prior to the incident, the two men were known to local law enforcement due to an ongoing dispute over Casey's loud snoring, which Wallace could hear through the shared wall between their residences.

Investigators reported that Wallace had removed a window screen to confront Casey about his snoring while the latter was eating dinner. The confrontation escalated into an argument during which Wallace allegedly threatened to kill Casey. In response, Casey stabbed Wallace several times with what police described as "a large military-style knife."

According to an affidavit obtained by 6ABC, Casey told police that Wallace appeared to calm down after about 20 minutes of conversation through the window. Casey claimed Wallace was willing to shake hands and even offered to help pay for nasal surgery. However, Casey stated he remained suspicious and decided to surprise Wallace by stabbing him with the knife.

Investigators determined that Casey's leg wound was self-inflicted and accidental. Police recovered the knife and a cell phone from Casey's front porch, with blood found both inside and outside the residence.

Initially, Casey was arrested on January 18 on charges of third-degree murder, voluntary manslaughter, and possessing an instrument of crime, with bail set at $1 million cash.

Wallace's family members claimed he had been unable to sleep due to Casey's snoring, with the resulting fatigue significantly impacting Wallace's life and ability to work. The defense, however, argued that Casey's life had been threatened numerous times before the incident, describing him as "a really good man who was not equipped to deal with this type of sustained abuse and threats."

In court, Casey apologized to the victim's family members, referring to the argument that led to Wallace's death as "unfortunate."