Police bodycam video released Thursday shows the moment authorities found the body of a Pennsylvania college student, a discovery that led investigators to arrest her boyfriend, who allegedly told police a “demon” instructed him to stab her, according to court records.
State police say the boyfriend’s mother is also facing accusations after allegedly helping him conceal the crime.
Royce Moser, 18, of North Strabane Township, has been charged with homicide in the death of Karoline Heintz, a PennWest California University student whose body was discovered Aug. 20 after she did not return to the southwestern Pennsylvania campus, according to a criminal complaint.
Investigators said Moser claimed he grew angry during a conversation with Heintz inside her vehicle while it was parked in his driveway. In a police affidavit, authorities said he described having a “demon take over” and tell him to stab her. A preliminary hearing for Moser and his mother, Rachel Moser, was held Tuesday in connection with Heintz’s death.
An attorney representing Royce Moser declined to comment on the charges. A message seeking comment from a public defender listed for Rachel Moser was not immediately returned.
The 37-minute video released Thursday is from an officer’s body-worn camera. It shows the California, Pennsylvania, police officer walking up to Karoline Heintz’s Jeep in the dark. The officer points a flashlight inside the back window, yells toward another officer nearby, then gets on his radio.
“Control, I need EMS here right now,” the officer said. “I’ve got an unconscious female in the back of this car right now. Any additional units, any in the available area, please.”
An operator radios back, “Is she breathing?”
“Negative,” the officer responds as sirens are heard in the background. “I’ve got blood everywhere.”
The officer then breaks two windows to gain access inside the vehicle.
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“Get someone here now,” he said.
According to the affidavit, Moser said he told Heintz, “wait, I have something for you” before retrieving a knife from his home. The victim fell out of her vehicle after being stabbed and Moser put her in the back hatch before getting into the driver’s seat. Moser then asked his mother to follow him to PennWest California University in southwestern Pennsylvania to drop off the vehicle, the affidavit said.
Heintz’s father had asked police to look for his daughter’s vehicle after she failed to return to campus, and indicated an AirTag in the vehicle showed she was in a parking lot, according to a criminal complaint. Police found Karoline Heintz’s body in the vehicle. The AirTag also indicated Heintz had been at Moser’s home earlier.
Royce and Rachel Moser were later located at Rachel Moser’s residence in Beallsville. According to the affidavit, Rachel Moser told her son to bathe and change his clothes, which she placed in a washing machine. She then took the knife and put it in a garbage bag to dispose of in the trash outside her home, according to the affidavit. The knife was retrieved after investigators obtained a search warrant.
Royce and Rachel Moser both were charged with tampering with evidence, abuse of a corpse and obstruction of justice. Rachel Moser, 56, also was charged with hindering the apprehension of a fugitive and criminal use of a communication device. Their next court appearance is a formal arraignment scheduled for Oct. 13.
Mother and son are being held without bail in the Washington County jail.
Heintz’s family issued a statement asking the public to respect their wishes for privacy.
“This is a parent’s worst nightmare,” the statement said. “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.”
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