Winchester, CA - Longtime Kanawha County Public Defender George Castelle died July 14, 2026, after a long and courageous struggle with Parkinson's Disease. He served as Chief Public Defender of Kanawha County, West Virginia, from 1989 until 2015.

Born in 1948 in Cumberland, Maryland, he was 77 years old. He studied architecture, economics and history at the University of Pennsylvania from 1966-70 and 1972-73, graduating in 1973. During breaks in his studies, he worked in construction and as a musician in numerous locations around the country.

In 1976, he enrolled at the West Virginia University College of Law, graduating in 1979. Upon graduation, he served as law clerk to Justice Thomas Miller of the Supreme Court of Appeals before entering the private practice of law in 1981. In 1984, he opened the first public defender office in Kanawha County, an office representing juveniles in trial and appellate proceedings. From 1985 until 1989, he served as Assistant Court Administrator, then as Deputy Court Administrator for the Administrative Office of the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals.

In 1989 he re-opened the Kanawha County Public Defender Office, this time as a full-scale office representing juveniles, indigent adults and mental health clients in trial courts and on appeals. In 1993, the Supreme Court of Appeals appointed him to represent the interests of all prisoners statewide, whose convictions may have been affected by fraudulent practices in the serology division of the West Virginia State Police Crime Laboratory. In 1997, he received the National Legal Aid and Defender Association's Reginald Heber Smith Award for his success in identifying faulty and fraudulent science and freeing wrongfully convicted prisoners. George helped push the West Virginia Supreme Court to launch a full investigation into forensic analyst Fred Zain's misconduct. He worked alongside Lonnie Simmons and prosecutor Bill Forbes to ensure the inquiry couldn't be buried or ignored. Castelle emphasized that Zain's fraud could have been exposed years earlier if defense attorneys had challenged his forensic claims. Castelle pointed out that "if even one defense lawyer had challenged Fred Zain to present his notes... the charade would have come to an end." His efforts helped uncover widespread evidence fabrication and protect future defendants from similar injustice.

In the early 2000s, he served as an adjunct lecturer at the WVU College of Law and as a senior visiting lecturing fellow at the Duke University School of Law Center for Criminal Justice and Professional Responsibility. Throughout his career, he spoke at several hundred legal conferences and numerous law schools throughout the country on topics including forensic science, wrongful convictions, criminal justice and legal ethics.

He stepped down as Chief Public Defender shortly after his diagnosis of Parkinson's Disease but continued working as senior counsel for eight more years. In an op-ed published in the Charleston Gazette in 2008, he described his admiration for the work of public defenders and explained his reason for remaining in his position as Chief Public Defender in Kanawha County throughout the bulk of his legal career. As he wrote, "There is nowhere else to go. I'm already at the top."

In addition to his legal work, he continued to perform music in various settings in West Virginia and Newfoundland, Canada. With pride in his ancestry, he also studied and researched 19th-Century Newfoundland history, with his work published in Memorial University's Journal of Newfoundland and Labrador Studies in 2019.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Dr. Paul Castelle, Baltimore, Maryland, mother, Daphne Clarke Castelle, Brigus, Newfoundland, and sister, Gigi Castelle Joly of Nailsworth, England. He is survived by his wife, Elena Bailey; brother, Clarke Castelle of Wallingford, CT; son, Aaron Castelle (Katie) and grandson, Calvin Castelle of Suffolk, VA; step-daughter, Danielle McCallister (Rick) and grandchildren, Marcus McCallister and Kieran McCallister of Winchester, CA.

George and Elena relocated to Winchester, California in December 2025, to share a multigenerational household with daughter, Danielle; son-in-law, Rick; grandchildren, Marcus and Kieran along with Fin the Basset hound, Dobby the Australian Cattle dog, Yoshi the orange cat and Voodoo the black cat. The cats were much more appreciated by George than the dogs!

He was a member of B'er Chayim Congregation, Cumberland, Maryland, and Temple Israel, Charleston, West Virginia.

George indicated a desire to be an organ donor and that process ensued during his last days.

George was taken to Cumberland, Maryland, where he was born and lived until college. He will be buried beside his uncle, Albert C. Eskin in East View Cemetery. A memorial service will be held in Cumberland on September 18, 2026 at 11 a.m. at B'er Chayim Temple with reception to follow in the Temple vestry.