Karoline Heintz PennWest student stabbed to death by Royce Moser during ‘difficult discussions’ as suspect’s mom, Rachel Moser accused of trying to help her son cover up murder apologizes for ‘teen son taking a life’.
The Pennsylvania mom accused of helping her teenage son dispose of his murdered 18-year-old soccer player girlfriend’s body apologized while being taken into custody.
Rachel Moser was seen shackled at the hands and feet Thursday as she was led to a squad car after being charged with helping her son, Royce Moser, 18, clean up after he allegedly stabbed to death 18-year-old girlfriend, Karoline Heintz, a standout player for Pennsylvania Western University.
‘I’m sorry, my son took a life’
‘I’m sorry,’ the mom told reporters as she was marched barefoot by a pair of Pennsylvania State Troopers.
‘Why are you sorry, Rachel?’ a reporter asked — with the mom responding, ‘my son took a life.’
Royce Moser did not comment as he was being taken away by state troopers.
Heintz was a recent graduate of Peters Township High School and a star soccer player who was set to begin classes at PennWest as a freshman. It remained unclear how long she had been dating Royce leading up to the tragic stabbing.
Heintz’s body was found in the back hatch of her Jeep Cherokee around 12:30 a.m. Thursday just outside the Pennsylvania Western University campus in California, Pa., where she had been a standout incoming freshman on the women’s soccer team.
Boyfriend races back to mom’s help where she helps son dispose of evidence
Royce had allegedly placed Heintz’s body in the back of the vehicle before racing to his mother’s home in Beallsville in a desperate search for help.
Authorities said the mother and son ‘tried to clean clothes, tried to clean the car up, tried to get rid of any blood stains possible and then proceeded to take that vehicle with the mother tailing all the way down to California Borough.’
According to the mother, Royce Mosher allegedly confided to her that he had a ‘demon take over’ and was told to stab Heintz, CBS News Pittsburgh reported.
Officials did not reveal a motive behind the stabbing and didn’t say if mental history played a factor in Mosher’s alleged attack.
Had freshman soccer star sought to end the young couple’s relationship?
During interviews, the son is alleged to have stated the pair ‘…talking about their relationship inside Rachel’s car only for discussions to ‘become difficult,’ according to Pennsylvania State Trooper Rocco Gagliardi.
Adding, ‘Towards the end of that conversation between boyfriend and girlfriend, he goes inside and grabs a large knife from the kitchen.’
The teen allegedly told Heintz he had something for her, before running inside his North Strabane Township house and grabbing a knife, and fatally stabbing Rachel in the chest, her body slumping onto the back seat.
It remained unclear if the teen girl had sought to end their relationship leading to the boyfriend resorting to violence.
The teen is reported to have then driven Rachel’s vehicle to his mom’s house in Beallsville Borough, where mother and son attempted to clean up before later disposing Rachel’s Jeep, with her body still inside at California Borough.
Mom and son charged in soccer star girlfriend’s murder
Rachel, according to the criminal complaint, allegedly told Royce to ‘take a bath and then shower,’ upon returning to her house.
The complaint stated Royce’s mom putting the knife used to kill Heintz in a garbage bag and putting her son’s clothes into the washing machine.
Both mother and son were arrested and booked on various charges, Thursday morning.
Royce Moser was charged with homicide while Rachel Moser is facing charges for allegedly helping cover up the crime, including hindering apprehension, tampering with evidence, obstruction and related offenses.
Both mother and son remain in custody.
Related posts:
