Overview
- Prosecutors unsealed an indictment Wednesday, July 29, charging 27‑year‑old Joseph Horner with first‑ and second‑degree murder and two counts of first‑degree rape in the death of his 25‑year‑old sister‑in‑law, Victoria Castle.
- Prosecutors told court they have video and still images that show Horner practicing a chokehold on a stuffed animal minutes before the June 28 attack, and they say that method matches the killing.
- Officials say Horner lured Castle to help move a keyboard, then raped and strangled her, called 911 afterward, waited calmly outside and admitted to a long‑term fixation on the victim, according to prosecutors.
- Horner has pleaded not guilty, was ordered held without bail and faces life in prison if convicted on the top count, with his next court return date set for mid‑August.
- The Oceanside School District has moved to terminate Horner’s employment, and prosecutors and parents are pointing to the case as a troubling example of how someone in a position of trust can have access to children and young people.