Murder of Scott Robbins by James Dellavecchia examined on Fear Thy Neighbor

Fear Thy Neighbor is in Delaware County in Pennsylvania to investigate the murder of Scott Robbins and the shooting of his stepdaughter, Kirsten Snow, by their neighbor, James (Jim) Dellavecchia.

In the early morning of October 10, 2011, Robbins was due to be picked up at his home by his colleague Rick Wallace at 6 AM. Wallace was waiting in his work van in Robbin’s drive when he came out of his home.

Unfortunately, neighbor Dellavecchia was also waiting and was armed with a semi-automatic handgun. As Robbins went to get into the van, his neighbor began shooting. He was hit four times in the torso and the arm.

Robbin’s stepdaughter, Kirsten Snow, came running outside after hearing the shots, which caused Dellavecchia to turn the firearm on her. He shot her in the stomach. Snow would subsequently survive the horrific ordeal, but she required extensive and painful medical care.

Wallace had hidden under his van when the shooting began, but at one point, he made a run to escape. Dellavecchia fired in his direction, but thankfully, Wallace managed to get away unharmed.

After Dellavecchia had dispensed approximately 13 shots, he returned to his house, where he showered and appeared to have awaited the arrival of the police.

Another neighbor came to the assistance of Robbins and Snow and dialed the police. When the cops arrived, a severely injured Robbins told them that Dellavecchia had been the gunman.

James Dellavecchia did not resist arrest

Officers found Dellavecchia getting dressed in an upstairs bedroom; he offered no resistance and was promptly placed in handcuff. While in a holding cell, Dellavecchio put his hands in his pockets and rushed headfirst at the bars causing himself a severe head injury, which needed medical attention.

Robbins and Snow were transported to a nearby hospital, but tragically, Robbins died approximately two hours after the shooting.

The reason Dellavecchia had resorted to such extremes resulted from a dispute over the building of a shed. He had been angered by the noise of loud music and sounds of construction that had been emanating from Robbins’s property for months as he built a shed.

Dellavecchio had called the police on numerous occasions to complain about the noise, but Robbins had all the necessary permits and had done his building work during approved hours.

There was also a suspicion that Dellavecchio held a prior grudge against Robbins, believing that he had stolen his son’s bicycle years beforehand when Robbins had been a child.

James Dellavecchia was subsequently found guilty of first-degree murder and was sentenced to life in prison with an extra 14 years. He was already 73 years old at the time of sentencing.

More from Fear Thy Neighbor

Follow the links to read about more dreadful crimes perpetrated by neighbors

In Carter County in Kentucky, Clyde Reddicks stormed into the home of neighbor Jeffrey ‘Bub’ Flaugher and his girlfriend, Teresa Leadingham, and gunned them both down with a shotgun. He said he was driven crazy by their constant insults, jibes, and threats.

Robert ‘Chad’ Bridges had gotten into a boundary dispute with his neighbors Myla and Jeff Oaks in Cleveland County, New Jersey. One day, an argument escalated to the point where Bridges fired at his two neighbors, killing Myla and wounding Jeff.

Fear Thy Neighbor airs at 9/10c on Investigation Discovery.