CALIFORNIA, Pa. — A teen and his mother have been charged in the murder of PennWest California student Karoline Jordyn Heintz, who was found dead inside a vehicle early Thursday morning.
Royce Jones Moser, 18, has been charged with homicide, while his mother, Rachel Moser, is facing hindering and tampering charges, state police announced in a press conference.
Throughout the day, Channel 11 has learned that state police have been investigating at two homes in Washington County in relation to Heintz’s death.
On Thursday morning at around 12:24 a.m., police were called to the area of the California Public Library at 100 Wood Street at around 12:24 a.m., where they found Heintz, 18, dead inside the back hatch of a gray Jeep Cherokee.
Court documents say she had a wound to her chest cavity.
Heintz was with family earlier in the day and was supposed to be returning to campus housing, according to Washington County Coroner Tim Warco.
When Heintz never checked back in, Warco said family members tracked her vehicle’s location using an Apple AirTag to a parking area on Wood Street, not far from campus, and called 911 at around 12:14 a.m.
According to the criminal complaint filed against Royce Moser, the AirTag showed Heintz had stopped at his house on William Drive in North Strabane Township.
Investigators reviewed surveillance footage, which they say showed Royce Moser driving Heintz’s vehicle near where her body was found. Police said he was wearing blue latex gloves while driving the vehicle.
Police say Rachel Moser was also seen driving her own vehicle behind him. She was also wearing latex gloves.
Troopers took Rachel and Royce into custody at Rachel’s Moser’s house on the 2800 block of Main Street in Beallsville. They were taken to Pennsylvania State Police barracks and interviewed.
In an interview with Royce Moser conducted at 12:15 p.m., police say he told them Heintz had come over to his house around 10:15 p.m. on Wednesday. The two had a conversation while she was still sitting in her vehicle. He said Heintz said something that made him angry, but he did not remember what it was. Royce Moser told police that was when he had a “demon take over” that told him to stab Heintz.
According to court documents, Moser said he told Heintz, “Wait, I have something for you,” before going back inside his house, grabbing a knife, coming back outside, and stabbing her. Police say he moved her to the back hatch of her vehicle.
That’s when police say Rachel Moser received a call from her son. According to investigators, in a separate interview held at 9:08 a.m., she told troopers Royce told her he needed her to follow him back to drop off a vehicle at PennWest California, later adding that he had “demons” hurt Heintz. She said she did not know if Heintz was dead or alive. When asked why she was wearing the latex gloves, she told police she had picked up dog poop before she left and still had the glove on.
Her son added a more detailed explanation about his interaction with his mother. Police said Royce said his mother told him to come to her house. Once he got there, she told him to pull the car into the garage so she could help him clean it with disinfectant spray. She gave him the latex gloves and told him to follow her vehicle back to the university, where they left Heintz’s Jeep with her body still inside.
Court documents say Royce told troopers his mother told him to take a bath and a shower and to change his clothes when they got back to her house. He added that Rachel Moser put the knife in a garbage bag in the trash outside her house and the clothes were put into the washing machine.
Police reported finding the knife in the garbage while serving a search warrant.
Channel 11 reached out to PennWest University, which released the following statement:
“PennWest University is deeply saddened by the tragic death of Karoline Heintz, who was a first-year student at the California campus. Our heartfelt condolences go out to her family, friends, and all those affected by this tragedy.
“Pennsylvania State Police are investigating the incident, which occurred off campus, and PennWest University police are cooperating fully with the investigation.”
Heintz is listed on the 2026 Women’s Soccer Roster for the California Vulcans.
Heintz graduated from Peters Township High School in 2026, who sent Channel 11 the following statement:
“We were deeply saddened to learn of the tragic death of a member of the PTHS Class of 2026. We know that news like this can be difficult to process and we are sharing resources with our staff and students to support those in need. Throughout the coming days, we will have additional counselors and social workers available to students at the High School. Our thoughts are with the graduate’s family, friends, classmates, teachers, and all those affected by this heartbreaking loss.”
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