Royce Moser’s mother apologized to Karoline Heintz’s family as she was led away in handcuffs.
Karoline Heintz, 18, an incoming freshman soccer player at PennWest California, was found stabbed to death in the back hatch of her Jeep Cherokee around 12:30 a.m. Thursday near the California Borough Public Library, just outside the Pennsylvania Western University campus in California, Pa. Her boyfriend, Royce Moser, 18, and his mother, Rachel Moser, 57, were arrested that morning and charged in connection with her killing.
Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Rocco Gagliardi told reporters the couple had met up Wednesday evening at Moser’s father’s home in North Strabane Township after Heintz attended a family party. They sat in her Jeep to discuss their relationship and how it might continue as she started college.
“They’re a younger couple talking about how relationships can continue maybe in a college setting. Somewhere that conversation probably goes a little bit south,” Gagliardi said.
Toward the end of that conversation, Moser told Heintz, “Wait, I have something for you,” according to the criminal complaint. He went inside his father’s house and grabbed a large knife from the kitchen. He returned to the vehicle and stabbed Heintz in the chest as she fell out of the car, authorities said.
Moser then stuffed his girlfriend into the back hatch of the Jeep and drove to his mother’s home in Beallsville, Pa., looking for help. The mother and son tried to clean clothes, clean the car, and get rid of blood stains, Gagliardi said.
“They tried to clean clothes, tried to clean the car up, tried to get rid of any blood stains possible and then proceeded to take that vehicle with the mother tailing all the way down to California Borough,” Gagliardi said.
The criminal complaint stated that Rachel Moser told her son to “take a bath and then shower” and change his clothes. She allegedly put the knife in a garbage bag, washed her son’s clothes, tried to clean the Jeep with disinfectant spray, and gave him latex gloves to wear as they drove around.
Royce Moser drove the Jeep with his mother following in another vehicle to the parking lot in California Borough where it was abandoned, investigators said. They then drove back together to her home in Beallsville, where police reached them Thursday morning.
Heintz’s family had called police for a wellness check after she failed to check in at an agreed-upon time and never made it back to her dorm room. Family members tracked her vehicle using an Apple AirTag to the area outside the California Borough Library and contacted 911, the criminal complaint said.
“Officers start to see some indicators from the vehicle which indicate blood,” Gagliardi said. “They check the vehicle to gain entry and they observe Karoline in the back hatch of that Cherokee.”
Royce Moser told investigators he got angry after something Heintz said during their conversation, though he could not remember exactly what it was, according to the criminal complaint. He then said he had a “demon take over,” telling him to stab his girlfriend. Rachel Moser also told police her son had confided that “demons” were telling him to hurt Heintz, the court document stated.
Royce Moser was charged with criminal homicide, two counts of tampering with evidence, two counts of abuse of a corpse, obstruction, and conspiracy counts. Rachel Moser was charged with tampering with evidence, obstruction, hindering the apprehension of a fugitive, abuse of a corpse, and conspiracy counts.
He remained stone-faced as he was led out of a police station Thursday evening, handcuffed and wearing a white prison jumpsuit. His mother hid her face and kept her head down as reporters surrounded her during her walk to a police car.
“I did not do it,” Rachel Moser said to reporters, according to video from the scene. She then apologized directly to Heintz’s family: “I’m sorry. That my son took a life.”
Washington County District Attorney Jason Walsh called Heintz’s death “the result of a domestic situation.” Officials did not reveal a specific motive beyond the alleged demonic influence and did not say if mental health history played a factor in Moser’s attack.
“It is more of an unfortunate event, 18-year-old girl, young soccer star ready to explore life, ready to start college, now can no longer get to do that,” Gagliardi said.
Heintz had graduated from Peters Township High School in June and was set to begin her collegiate career at PennWest University, where she had committed to play Division II soccer. The team’s first game was scheduled for Aug. 29. A woman whose daughter played soccer with Heintz for years described her as “the sweetest girl” who was always positive and made other girls feel like they belonged.
“PennWest University is deeply saddened by the tragic death of Karoline Heintz, who was a first-year student at the California campus. Our heartfelt condolences go out to her family, friends, and all those affected by this tragedy,” the school said in a statement. A spokesperson confirmed that while the incident occurred off campus, university police were cooperating with the investigation. Additional counselors and social workers were made available to students at Peters Township High School.
In the viral moment that preceded the arrests, Heintz’s family had grown concerned when she failed to return to campus after the family party Wednesday. Their use of the AirTag to track her Jeep to the library parking lot led officers to discover her body, turning a missing person call into a homicide investigation within hours.
State police continue to investigate the killing.
Royce Moser and Rachel Moser are expected to appear in court for preliminary hearings in Washington County.