Boyfriend’s mother accused of aiding cover-up, state police say
Pennsylvania authorities released police bodycam footage Thursday showing the discovery of a college student’s body, the finding that led to the arrest of her boyfriend on a homicide charge.
Royce Moser, 18, of North Strabane Township, faces a homicide charge in the death of Karoline Heintz, a student at PennWest California University, according to a criminal complaint. Heintz’s body was found Aug. 20 after she failed to return to the southwestern Pennsylvania college.
In court documents, Moser said a “demon” told him to stab Heintz. The police affidavit states that Moser said he became angry with Heintz during a conversation in her vehicle in Moser’s driveway and that he had a “demon take over” and tell him to stab her.
His mother, Rachel Moser, is accused of helping him cover up the crime, according to state police.
A preliminary hearing was held Tuesday for Moser and his mother in Heintz’s death.
Authorities said the bodycam footage released Thursday shows the discovery of Heintz’s body that led to Moser’s arrest. The criminal complaint sets out the homicide charge against Moser, and the police affidavit records the account Moser gave of the stabbing.