A Pennsylvania resident has been accused this week of murdering a woman in an attempt to disguise her death as a suicide.
Chase Steigerwald, aged 34, faced arraignment on Tuesday in connection with the November 5 death of 45-year-old Rachel Roman, according to ExploreJefferson.
Authorities responded to a call at Steigerwald’s Clarion residence shortly after 7 a.m. that day, discovering Roman lifeless on the floor, her neck bearing a cut and surrounded by a pool of blood. A knife was discovered in proximity to her body.
Steigerwald initially informed police that he, along with another woman known as Witness #1, had been on a walk and returned to find Roman deceased. He claimed the knife was one he typically used for hunting.
However, the witness later withdrew her initial statement, revealing she was actually present in the apartment during the murder. She recounted hearing “gurgling/choking noises” emanating from the living room and witnessing Roman’s lifeless body. According to the criminal complaint, Steigerwald was gathering belongings into a backpack, urging the witness that they “needed to leave.”
The witness detailed how she carefully maneuvered to avoid the blood as she exited the apartment with Steigerwald. During their walk around the borough, Steigerwald allegedly informed her of his plan to make the crime appear as a suicide.
When they got back to the apartment, the witness said, Steigerwald picked up the knife that was lying near Roman’s body and “put the knife on the [the victim’s] hand,” apparently trying to transfer he fingerprints to it. He also tossed a container of methamphetamine onto the couch where Roman had been sitting. The bag was later found by officers searching the apartment.
Officers also found blood residue on the kitchen and bathroom sink, and Steigerwald later admitted to smoking ecstasy and rinsing “his hands in the kitchen sink” before calling 911.
Investigators interviewed another witness who reported seeing Roman alive at the apartment around 11 p.m. the night before, and neighbor who heard “partying” at the apartment until around midnight, when it became “very quiet.” A fourth witness reported a FaceTime call with Steigerwald around 11 p.m. in which he displayed a long gun and a knife before leaving the room. After that, with the call still on, she said she heard arguing between him and Roman.
Further, data from Roman’s phone showed that she sent a text to a co-worker at about 11:39 p.m. The co-worker replied at 12:30 a.m., but the text was not delivered, indicating the phone was powered off. When police found Roman’s phone, it was, in fact, powered down but still had a charge.
An autopsy determined that Roman died from multiple sharp force injuries to the neck.
Steigerwald was initially arrested on drug charges but those charges were later dismissed when he was charged with murder.
He was denied bail and has a preliminary hearing scheduled on December 2.
