CALIFORNIA, PA — Police in southwestern Pennsylvania have released body camera footage showing the moment an officer found a college student unresponsive in the back of her Jeep, days after she was reported missing. The discovery led to homicide charges against her boyfriend, 18-year-old Royce Moser of North Strabane Township, and a series of related charges against his mother, Rachel Moser.
Authorities say the victim, Karoline Heintz, was a PennWest California University student whose body was found Aug. 20 after she failed to return to campus. Investigators allege Royce Moser told them he stabbed Heintz after an argument in his driveway and said a “demon” told him to do it. A preliminary hearing was held Tuesday, and both defendants are being held without bail in the Washington County jail.
Officer’s flashlight led to a grim discovery in the dark
The 37-minute video released Thursday comes from an officer’s body-worn camera. In the footage, the officer walks up to Heintz’s Jeep in the dark, shines a flashlight through the back window and quickly realizes something is wrong inside the vehicle.
He radios for emergency medical help and backup, saying he has an unconscious female in the car. When asked whether she is breathing, the officer answers no and says there is blood everywhere. He then breaks two windows to get inside. “Get someone here now,” he says in the video as sirens can be heard in the background.
The footage captures the urgent first response, but not the broader chain of events investigators say happened before police arrived. Those details come from a criminal complaint and affidavit filed in the case.
What investigators say happened at Moser’s home
According to the affidavit, Royce Moser said the confrontation began during a conversation with Heintz in her vehicle at his driveway. He allegedly told investigators he became angry, then claimed a “demon take over” and ordered him to stab her.
Investigators say he told Heintz, “wait, I have something for you,” before going into his home and retrieving a knife. The complaint says Heintz fell out of the vehicle after being stabbed, and Moser then placed her in the rear hatch area before getting behind the wheel himself.
Police say he later asked his mother to follow him to PennWest California University in southwestern Pennsylvania so he could drop off the vehicle. The complaint places the case squarely in the days after Heintz failed to return to campus, setting off a search that eventually led officers to the Jeep and her body.
AirTag and missing-person concern helped point police to the Jeep
Heintz’s father had asked police to look for her vehicle after she did not come back to campus, according to the criminal complaint. He also told authorities that an AirTag in the vehicle suggested it was in a parking lot.
Investigators later found Heintz’s body inside the Jeep. The AirTag information also indicated she had been at Moser’s home earlier, adding another piece to the timeline police were building around her movements before the killing.
The complaint does not say how long Heintz had been missing before the vehicle was found, but it makes clear that family members were worried enough to push police to search for the car. That effort, along with the location data, appears to have helped narrow the investigation quickly.
Police say the mother tried to clean up after the killing
Royce Moser and Rachel Moser were later located at Rachel Moser’s home in Beallsville. Investigators allege she then tried to help her son hide what had happened by telling him to bathe and change clothes. The affidavit says she also put those clothes in a washing machine.
Authorities further allege Rachel Moser took the knife and placed it in a garbage bag before throwing it away outside her home. Investigators later recovered the knife after getting a search warrant.
Those allegations led to additional charges against both mother and son. Police say the cleanup effort, along with the handling of the knife and clothing, became part of the case against Rachel Moser as investigators worked to piece together the aftermath.
Both defendants are jailed as formal arraignment is set for Oct. 13
Royce and Rachel Moser both face charges of tampering with evidence, abuse of a corpse and obstruction of justice. Royce Moser is also charged with homicide. Rachel Moser, 56, additionally faces charges of hindering the apprehension of a fugitive and criminal use of a communication device.
The next court appearance for both is a formal arraignment scheduled for Oct. 13. Until then, they remain in the Washington County jail without bail.
An attorney for Royce Moser declined to comment on the charges, and a message left for a public defender representing Rachel Moser was not immediately returned. Heintz’s family, meanwhile, has asked for privacy and said the loss has devastated relatives, friends and the wider community.
Heintz’s family remembers a loved student and asks for privacy
In a statement, Heintz’s family called the case a parent’s worst nightmare and said the death has been devastating for everyone who knew her. They described Karoline Heintz as a kind, smart and beautiful young woman who was loved by many.
The family also used the statement to ask the public to respect their privacy while they grieve. “We want justice for our sweet Karoline,” the family said.
The release of the body camera video added a visual record to a case that has already drawn intense attention because of the allegations, the claimed confession and the accusation that the boyfriend’s mother helped cover up the killing. The formal court process is now set to move forward in Washington County.
Local news that matters, from Dulaney Griffin.
