An 18-year-old accused of killing his girlfriend and his mother allegedly wore blue latex gloves as they moved the young woman’s body in a two-car convoy along quiet Pennsylvania roads last week, police said.
Royce Moser, 18, has been charged with fatally stabbing his girlfriend, Karoline Heintz, during an argument in her car. Investigators say he then contacted his mother, 56-year-old Rachel Moser, who is accused of helping him dispose of the body.
Police complaints obtained by Our News Outlet describe Heintz’s final moments and outline what authorities allege was an effort by Royce and Rachel Moser to conceal the killing, including by using disposable gloves to avoid leaving fingerprints.
Heintz, also 18, was preparing to begin her freshman year at Pennsylvania Western University, where she was expected to play Division II soccer.
Police say her life was cut short shortly after 10 p.m. on August 19, when her boyfriend stabbed her in the chest with a “large kitchen knife” in Washington County, a suburban area just outside Pittsburgh.
According to Pennsylvania State Trooper Rocco Gagliardi, the incident began while Royce Moser and Heintz were sitting in her Jeep Cherokee outside Moser’s father’s home in North Strabane Township.
Gagliardi told Our News Outlet the couple started arguing about “how their relationship was going to go or last” as Heintz prepared to leave for college.
Moser then claimed he “had something for Heintz” inside the house, such as a gift or personal item, and asked her to remain in the car, the state trooper said.
Royce Moser, 18, is accused of fatally stabbing his girlfriend, Karoline Heintz, also 18
Rachel Moser, 56, who is accused of helping her son dispose of his murdered girlfriend’s body, has said she was ‘sorry’ that he ‘took a life’ in an astonishing perp walk admission. She is shown above being marched to a patrol car on Thursday evening
‘He goes into his father’s house, grabs a large kitchen knife, and stabs her in the chest with it,’ Gagliardi said, adding that it is unclear whether his father was home at the time.
The police trooper said that Heintz tumbled out of the vehicle onto the ground before Moser placed her in the back hatch before driving to his mother’s house about 30 minutes away in Beallsville.
Moser later told police that ‘demons’ had told him to hurt Heintz, according to his criminal complaint.
Heintz was an incoming PennWest freshman
The complaint adds that he called his mother during the early hours of Thursday morning, and told her ‘he needed to have her follow him to PennWest- California University to drop off a vehicle.’
The teenager then admitted to his mother that he had stabbed Heintz and he needed her to give him a ride back after he dropped off the Jeep, the complaint states. He allegedly added that he didn’t know whether his girlfriend was ‘dead or alive.’
Instead of alerting the authorities, Rachel Moser helped him clean the Jeep with disinfectant spray and the two drove from her home to California Public Library on Wood Street, about 15 minutes away, the complaint states.
Surveillance footage which police are not releasing to the public shows the duo traveling in tandem past Daisytown and Richeyville, both clutching the steering wheel in blue latex gloves, according to the document.
Rachel later claimed that she was wearing the gloves because she had ‘picked up dog poop before she left and still had the gloves on,’ according to her criminal complaint.
Royce Moser is accused of stabbing Heintz and then leaving her body in her Jeep Cherokee
Heintz was a popular star soccer player, and she was also on her high school hockey team
Heintz was remembered as a ‘kind, smart, beautiful girl’ who was loved by all
They left Heintz’s vehicle in the parking lot with her body still inside, before returning to Rachel’s home where she told her son to ‘take a bath and then shower,’ the filing states.
‘She took the knife that was used to stab the victim and put it in a garbage bag to be put in the trash outside of her residence’ and ‘put his clothes into the washing machine’, according to the complaint.
Heintz’s family quickly alerted police to her disappearance after tracking her car and realizing that she had not returned to the university campus.
Despite the alleged cleanup by the Mosers, detectives said they found ‘blood spatter’ across the driver side of the car and on the outside of the vehicle.
Pennsylvania State Police arrested Moser and Rachel later on Thursday and they were filmed being escorted to a squad car with their ankles and wrists shackled.
Though she hid her face from the cameras for the duration of the perp-walk, Rachel made a stunning admission to the reporters surrounding her.
After declining to answer several questions, she said: ‘I’m sorry, my son took a life.’
Rachel also denied the charges leveled against her.
When asked: ‘Why did you help your son cover up a murder?’ the 56-year-old replied: ‘I did not,’ as she continued to hide her face.
Heintz was also a talented hockey player. Her friends organized a vigil in her memory where teammates left their sticks outside their homes overnight in a tribute called ‘sticks out for Karoline’
Moser has been charged with homicide, tampering with evidence, abuse of a corpse, conspiracy to commit tampering of evidence, conspiracy to commit abuse of a corpse and obstruction of justice. He is pictured above with Heintz
Moser did not respond to questions. He has been charged with homicide, tampering with evidence, abuse of a corpse, conspiracy to commit tampering of evidence, conspiracy to commit abuse of a corpse and obstruction of justice.
His mother, meanwhile, faces charges of hindering the apprehension of a fugitive, tampering with evidence, abuse of a corpse, conspiracy to commit tampering of evidence, conspiracy to commit abuse of a corpse and obstruction.
Heintz’s heartbroken family released a statement through Pennsylvania State Police.
‘This is a parent’s worst nightmare. It has been devastating for family, friends, and the whole community,’ the family said. ‘Karoline was loved by all. She was a kind, smart, beautiful girl. We want justice for our “sweet” Karoline.’
‘Please respect our privacy as we grieve. Any questions refer to the PA State Police.’
Heintz was slated to play Division II soccer at PennWest University, and she also played hockey for her high school team.
In a statement, the school said it ‘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.’
Her friends held a vigil in her memory, and her hockey teammates left their sticks outside their homes overnight in a tribute called ‘sticks out for Karoline.’
