| Notes |
- Death Record
Name: John O./Casto
Sex: Male
Death Date: 14 Jan 1956
Death Place: Chandlers Drive, Charleston, Kanawha, West Virginia
Age at Death: 45y 11m 10d
Cemetery: Salt Hill Cem
Birth Date: 2/4/1910
Birth Place: Putnam Co, WV
Marital Status: Widowed
Occupation: Electrician
Address: Chandlers Drive, Charleston
Mother: Cora/Proctor
Father: George/Casto
Informant: Mary Casto
Cause: Homocide Four pistol shot wounds - 2 abdominal, 1 in neck, 1 T???
Charleston Man Shot to Death by Neighbor
Slaying Climaxed Dispute
by Glad Little, Staff Writer for the Gazette
A 45-year-old Kearse Ave. man was shot to death last night in the climax of a feud with a neighbor.
Dead was John Casto, who police said was killed by Kenny Casto, 33, no relation.
John Casto was shot at the back door of Kenny Casto's home at 1544-B Kearse Ave after he demanded to be admitted, officers related. Kearse Ave is just off Chandler Dr.
A bullet from a pistol cut John Casto down, police said, and three other shots wer fired into his prostrate body. Two other shots went wild.
Kenny, an employee if True Temper Corp., surrendered to police at the home of a neighbor, Hayward Blackshire of 1542 Chancler Dr. After brief questioning there, he was taken back to the scene of the shooting and then to police headquarters for further interrogation.
He told officers that John knocked violently at the back door of his home and yelled: "If you don't let me in I'll break the damn door down."
Kenny said he replied: "Get away from that door, John."
He further reported to police that John Casto replied, "you can't make me get away." and then started kicking at the door, finally forcing it open.
Kenny said that he was holding his little daughter in his arms while he was engaged int he argument through the closed door with John. He told police, however, that when John started kidking on the door he got excited and didn't rmemeber whether he put his daughter on a nearby bed before picking up the pistol off a dresser, or was still holding her in his arms.
When John Casto kicked the door open, Kenny said he had the pistol in his hand and fired, but couldn't recall how many shots he actually discharged.
Police investigators said however, that there were six empty shell cases, four separate penetrations of John Casto's body - three in the chest and one in the neck - and two bullet holes in the ground just off the small porch.
The arresting officers were Det. Sgt. W. W. Fisher, Det. Harry Silverman and Patrolmen Wayne Summerfield and Bill Moore.
In the Kenny Casto house at the time of the slaying was Kenny's father, Urban Casto, 64, his wife, Marie, 27 and their 19 month old daughter, Janet Marie.
The father said he was in another room and heard the exchange of words between Kenny and John, but did not see the actual shooting.
When police arrived at the scene, the body of the dead man was sprawled on the back porch. He had fallen backward.
The death weapon was found by police on a chest of drawers in a back room of Kenny Casto's home.
Investigators said Kenny showed them receipts for the pistol and a box of shells dated Jan. 13.
After interrogating Kenny at police headquarters for more than an hour, Lt. Dallas Bias of Charleston police said last night that he will be formally charged with murder.
John Casto, who was employed by the Charleston Electrictical Supply Co, is survived by a daughter, Miss Mary Elizabeth Casto, at home; his mother, Mrs. Cora Proctor of Jackson County; two sisters, Mrs. Bertha Smith and Mrs. Ollie McClanahan, both of Charleston; a half-sister, Mrs. Tina Southall of Jackson County; and a brother, Robert of Cleveland, O.
The body is at Long and Fisher mortuary.
Charleston Gazette Jan 15, 1956
Kenna Casto Given Term in Slaying
A one to five-year State Penitentiary term yesterday was imposed upoon Kenna Casto, 33, of 1544B Kearse Ave, in Kanawha County Intermediate Count on his plea of guilty to voluntary manslaughter of John Casto, 48, also of Kearse Ave.
The two men were not related.
John Casto was shot to death the night of Jan 14 at the home of the accused as the climax of a feud with his neighbor, reported by police to have grown out of John Casto's paternity of a child by Kenna Casto's wife.
Det. Lt. Dallas Bias said the victim was the father of a child by Mrs. Marie Casto, wife of Kenna.
Kena Casto told police that he shot John Casto after the latter refused to leave the home when ordered. He quoted John Casto as saying:
"If you don't let me in, I'll break the damn door down."
Kenna said he replied:
"Get away from that door John, " and that John Casto replied: "You can't make me get away" Then, according to Kenna Casto, he became excited and fired the pistol but couldn't recall how many shots he actually fired.
Charleston Gazette, Tuesday, Feb 21, 1956
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West Virginia Pioneers
1907 - 1956 (48 years)
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