In the winter of 2024, the life of 27-year-old Hispanic man Brennan Reece Pelio was tragically cut short in Manchester, New Hampshire. On the night of December 10th, police responded to a call about a suspicious death at a condominium building on Silver Street. Inside a fourth-floor unit, they discovered Pelio, who had been fatally shot. He was pronounced deceased at the scene.
An autopsy later confirmed that Brennan Pelio's cause of death was a single gunshot wound to the head, and the
manner of death was ruled a homicide. The investigation into his death quickly led to a suspect. A 24-year-old woman named Alicia Castagnino, a resident of Manchester, was arrested in connection with the shooting. Sources indicated that Castagnino was Pelio's girlfriend and that he was shot while playing a video game.
Alicia Castagnino was charged with second-degree murder, with alternative charges of knowingly and recklessly causing his death under circumstances manifesting an extreme indifference to the value of human life. Following her arrest, Castagnino was held without bail. In the months that followed, legal proceedings began, and in April 2025, she was indicted on the two second-degree murder charges. However, questions about her fitness to stand trial arose. A judge later determined that a "bona fide doubt exists regarding the defendant's competency," leading to a halt in the proceedings for further evaluation.
Brennan Reece Pelio was born in San Diego, California, and had moved with his family to New Hampshire in 2018. He earned an associate degree in cybersecurity from Manchester Community College and worked as a surveyor. His family remembered him as a kind and adventurous young man with a passion for cars and a deep love for his family, especially his younger brother and cousin.
