An Oceanside School District music teacher, Joseph Horner, 27, faces a charge of second-degree murder after Nassau County police say he strangled his sister-in-law, Victoria Castle, in a North Massapequa home. Prosecutors allege the attack followed years of se
The day unfolded like any other call for help in North Massapequa—until Joseph Horner asked for an ambulance.
Investigators say Horner, 27, called 911 to request medical assistance for a female victim and officers responded to 285 N Oak Street around 8:45 a.m. on Monday. When police arrived, they found Horner outside the home. Inside, they said the house was multi-family and split into two apartments.
Police described the setup in plain terms: Horner and his wife lived upstairs, and his wife was not home at the time. The sister—in law lived on the ground level. On the ground floor, police said they found Victoria Castle on the floor of that apartment.
Castle was taken to the hospital, where she died at 9:25 a.m., according to officials.
At the center of the case is what prosecutors say happened during the hours when Horner’s wife was away. At Horner’s arraignment, a Nassau prosecutor told the court that Horner saw what he described as an opportunity to follow through on a “sexual desire” he had harbored for his sister-in-law.
The prosecutor said Horner allegedly admitted that he had been lusting over his wife’s sister since 2017. The same account laid out a sequence prosecutors claim began with what looked, from the outside, like a normal request. Horner asked for help moving a piano, the prosecutor said. Then, without warning, he attacked her and placed her in a chokehold until her body went limp.
Afterward, prosecutors said Horner placed Castle in bed and had sex with her. They said he then called 911. The prosecutor added that Horner later admitted to authorities that he choked Castle and had sex with her.
Castle was a PhD student at Stony Brook University, and police said Horner had known her since 2016, when he met his wife.
Nassau County police said they arrested Horner on Tuesday and charged him with second-degree murder in Castle’s death. Horner pleaded not guilty. He is being held without bail.
Horner’s attorney responded to the allegations by describing him as a tenured teacher who is well loved by his students and colleagues.
Outside of the accusations, police said Horner acted alone and that he had no prior interactions with law enforcement or previous arrests.
The investigation changed the rhythm of the neighborhood as well. Nassau County police said the case shut down the area for 12 hours between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. on Monday.
The Oceanside School District also moved quickly once the arrest became public. In a statement. Oceanside Superintendent of Schools Phyllis Harrington said: “According to the Nassau County Police Department. a staff member in the Oceanside School District was recently arrested on charges of homicide. Nassau County Officials indicated that these charges have no connection to the school district or its students. We understand that this news is deeply disturbing. This staff member has been placed on administrative leave effective immediately, pending further review. We have no further information at this time. The Oceanside School District is committed to maintaining a safe, professional, and trustworthy environment for our students, staff, and community. We stand by that commitment at all times.”.
Nassau County police charged Horner with one count of second-degree murder. Prosecutors say he is facing up to 25 years to life if found guilty.
By the time the court process began. what remains clear is the sharp contrast between two parts of Horner’s life: the teacher described by his attorney as well loved. and the man prosecutors say used a sudden attack—after a request to move a piano and in the window when his wife was away—to fatally strangle Victoria Castle and then place the call for help himself.
Oceanside music teacher Joseph Horner North Massapequa Victoria Castle second-degree murder Nassau County police administrative leave