Pennsylvania Teen Charged With Stabbing Girlfriend, Mother Accused of Cover-Up

Royce Moser, 18, faces homicide charges in the stabbing death of PennWest student Karoline Heintz. His mother Rachel Moser is accused of helping him conceal the crime.

Pennsylvania Teen Charged in Girlfriend's Stabbing Death; Mother Held for Alleged Cover-Up

Royce Moser, 18, of North Strabane Township, Pennsylvania, has been charged with homicide in the fatal stabbing of his girlfriend, Karoline Heintz, a student at PennWest California University, ABC News US reports. His mother, Rachel Moser, 56, faces charges of hindering his apprehension and additional counts tied to an alleged cover-up.

Heintz's body was found on Aug. 20 in her Jeep in a campus parking lot in southwestern Pennsylvania after she failed to return to the university. Her father had contacted police when she did not come back to campus and told officers that an AirTag in the vehicle placed it in the lot. The tracker also indicated Heintz had previously been at Moser's home.

Bodycam Footage Released

Authorities released 37 minutes of police bodycam footage Thursday showing the moment officers discovered Heintz's body. The footage shows a California, Pennsylvania, officer approaching the dark Jeep, shining a flashlight through the rear window, then immediately radioing for help.

"Control, I need EMS here right now," the officer said. "I've got an unconscious female in the back of this car right now."

When a dispatcher asked whether she was breathing, the officer responded: "Negative. I've got blood everywhere." He then broke two windows to access the vehicle.

"A Demon Told Me to Stab Her"

According to a police affidavit, Moser told investigators he became angry with Heintz during a conversation inside her vehicle in his driveway. He stated that he had a "demon take over" and tell him to stab her. Before the attack, he told Heintz, "wait, I have something for you," then went inside his home to retrieve a knife.

After stabbing Heintz, Moser said she fell from the vehicle. He placed her body in the rear cargo area, got behind the wheel, and asked his mother to follow him to the PennWest campus so he could leave the Jeep there and get a ride back.

Mother Accused of Destroying Evidence

State police allege Rachel Moser took active steps to conceal the crime after her son returned home. According to the affidavit, she instructed Royce to bathe and change his clothes, then placed the clothing in a washing machine. She also took the knife used in the stabbing, put it in a garbage bag, and discarded it in trash outside her home. Investigators recovered the knife after obtaining a search warrant.

Both Royce and Rachel Moser were charged with tampering with evidence, abuse of a corpse, and obstruction of justice. Rachel Moser faces two additional counts: hindering the apprehension of a fugitive and criminal use of a communication device.

A preliminary hearing for both was held Tuesday. Their next scheduled court appearance is a formal arraignment on Oct. 13. Both are being held without bail in the Washington County jail.

An attorney for Royce Moser declined to comment. A message left for a public defender representing Rachel Moser was not immediately returned.

Family Calls It "A Parent's Worst Nightmare"

Heintz's family issued a statement asking for privacy in the wake of her death.

"This is a parent's worst nightmare," the statement read. "It has been devastating for family, friends, and the whole community. Karoline was loved by all. She was a kind, smart, beautiful girl. We want justice for our 'sweet' Karoline."

Source: ABC News US