Karoline Heintz, 18, of McMurray, was discovered dead inside the back hatch of her parked Jeep Cherokee near the California Public Library along Wood Street around 12:30 a.m. on Thursday, according to the Washington County Coroner’s Office and Pennsylvania State Police. Investigators stated that Heintz had been stabbed in the chest.
Teenager and Mother Charged in Fatal Stabbing of PennWest California Student Karoline Heintz
Royce Moser, 18, is charged with criminal homicide, tampering with evidence, abuse of a corpse, conspiracy, and obstruction of justice in connection with the attack. His mother, 56-year-old Rachel Moser of Beallsville, is charged with hindering apprehension, tampering with evidence, abuse of a corpse, conspiracy, and obstruction.
Investigation Details and Police Timeline
According to a criminal complaint and police statements, Heintz had spent Wednesday with family and was returning to campus housing at PennWest California when she failed to check in at an agreed-upon time. Family members tracked the location of her vehicle using her phone and contacted 911.
Police officers responded to Wood Street shortly after midnight and noticed indicators of blood on the vehicle. Upon opening the Jeep, they found Heintz’s body in the rear hatch area.
Investigators established that Heintz had left her family’s home in Peters Township around 9:30 p.m. Wednesday and stopped at Royce Moser’s residence in North Strabane Township. Washington County District Attorney Jason Walsh described the incident as the result of a domestic situation.
According to the police affidavit, Royce Moser told investigators that the couple got into a discussion about the future of their relationship while Heintz was seated in her parked car. Moser stated he became angered by something the victim said and claimed that a demon take over
him and told him to stab her. He admitted to going inside to retrieve a large knife from the kitchen before returning outside to attack her in the chest area.
Mother Accused of Helping Clean Crime Scene and Abandoning Vehicle
State police stated that after the stabbing, Royce Moser placed Heintz’s body in the back hatch of her vehicle and drove to his mother’s house in Beallsville Borough.
According to the criminal complaint, Royce recruited his mother, Rachel Moser, to help clean up blood stains and dispose of evidence. Investigators stated that Rachel Moser provided her son with latex gloves and disinfectant spray to clean the car and his clothing.
The mother and son then drove separately to California Borough, where they abandoned the Jeep containing Heintz’s body near the campus library. Upon returning to the Beallsville residence, Rachel Moser allegedly instructed her son to take a bath and a shower, placed the knife used in the killing into a household garbage bag, and put her son’s bloody clothes into the washing machine.
When both suspects were taken into custody at the Pennsylvania State Police station in Washington on Thursday night, Rachel Moser spoke to reporters outside, stating, My son took a life,
and adding, I’m sorry.
When asked why she was sorry, she repeated, That my son took a life.
Royce Moser declined to comment as troopers led him away.
University and Community Mourn the Loss of Freshman Athlete
Heintz was a recent graduate of Peters Township High School and had signed a National Letter of Intent to play soccer as a defender for the California Vulcans, preparing to begin her collegiate classes as a freshman.
PennWest University is deeply saddened by the tragic death of Karoline Heintz, who was a first-year student at the California campus,
the university said in a statement, noting that university police are fully cooperating with the state police investigation even though the incident occurred off campus.
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