Teen and Mother Charged After College Student Found Stabbed in Vehicle
An 18-year-old and his mother have been charged with homicide and evidence-tampering after the body of PennWest student Karoline Heintz was discovered in a Jeep.
Body-camera footage captured the moment Washington County officers discovered the lifeless body of Karoline Heintz, a PennWest California University student, inside a Jeep. The investigation revealed that Royce Moser, 18, claimed a “demon” took over and instructed him to stab Heintz after a heated conversation in his driveway. After the attack, Moser placed the victim in the back hatch, drove the vehicle, and later asked his mother to transport it to the university.
Rachel Moser allegedly instructed her son to change clothes, washed his garments, and attempted to discard the murder weapon, which was later recovered on a search warrant. Both mother and son face charges of homicide, tampering with evidence, abuse of a corpse, and obstruction of justice, and remain jailed without bail awaiting an October 13 arraignment.
Why it matters
The case highlights a violent homicide and alleged cover-up involving a teen and his mother, raising concerns about community safety.
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