Overview
- Karoline Heintz, an 18-year-old PennWest California freshman and soccer player, was found dead in the rear hatch of her Jeep shortly after midnight on Aug. 20 when officers responding to a welfare check located the vehicle near the California Public Library.
- Police allege 18-year-old Royce Moser stabbed Heintz after an argument at his father’s home and then placed her body in the vehicle before driving to his mother’s house in Beallsville.
- Authorities say Rachel Moser aided her son by helping clean the Jeep, providing latex gloves, disposing of the knife and driving a separate car that followed the Jeep as it was taken back toward the university area, actions detailed in the criminal complaint and supported by surveillance footage.
- Royce Moser has been charged with criminal homicide and related counts including tampering and abuse of a corpse, while Rachel Moser faces charges for hindering apprehension, tampering, abuse of a corpse and obstruction; both are in custody.
- The university and athletic community have held tributes and planned a vigil as investigators prepare forensic and digital evidence for prosecution and the pair face upcoming court appearances that will shape pretrial custody and formal case filings.