Hatboro man killed his neighbor during a dispute over snoring, Montgomery County DA says

Fed up with his next-door neighbor’s snoring, a Hatboro man went to confront him Sunday, prosecutors in Montgomery County said. But the end of a heated exchange resulted in the snorer being accused of more than keeping those around him up at night.

Christopher Casey stabbed Robert Wallace, 62, to death with a military-style knife after Wallace pushed Casey’s first-floor window in and threatened to kill him over his snoring, prosecutors said Friday.

The two men lived next door to each other in a duplex on Fritch Road and their bedrooms shared a common wall, according to officials.

Casey, 55, was charged late Thursday with third-degree murder, voluntary manslaughter and related crimes after admitting in an interview with detectives that he had concealed the knife and a Taser when he went to speak with Wallace outside of his home, according to the affidavit of probable cause filed for his arrest.

Casey remained in custody Friday in lieu of $1 million bail. There was no indication he had an attorney.

Upper Moreland Police said they had previously responded to multiple calls for disputes between Casey, who lives alone, and Wallace over Casey’s snoring in the last 18 months. Wallace lived with his mother.

Late Sunday, Wallace walked over to Casey’s house, knocked on his window and yelled that he was going to kill him, Casey told police in an interview. Wallace then ripped the screen off the window and pushed it open, arguing with Casey for about 20 minutes through the window.

Casey told police that Wallace eventually calmed down, and offered to shake his hand and pay for corrective surgery to help curb his neighbor’s snoring, the affidavit said.

Casey then moved to unlock his door and speak face-to-face with Wallace. Before doing so, he grabbed the knife and Taser, and hid them in his hands under a blanket, the affidavit said. He then stabbed Wallace at least three times in the chest, stabbing himself once accidentally in the leg in the process.

Wallace collapsed nearby, and Casey called 911. Wallace was taken to Jefferson Abington Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.

When asked why he stabbed Wallace, despite admitting that Wallace had calmed down and seemed to offer a solution to the problem, Casey told detectives he didn’t think Wallace was being genuine, the affidavit said.

Wallace was larger than him, he said, and was prone to anger.

Casey is scheduled to appear before District Judge Michael P. Quinn for a preliminary hearing on Jan. 29.