Authorities released police bodycam footage Thursday showing the discovery of a Pennsylvania college student’s body that led to the arrest of her boyfriend, who said in court documents that a “demon” told him to stab her.
The boyfriend's mother, meanwhile, is accused of helping him cover up the crime, according to state police.
Royce Moser, 18, of North Strabane Township, faces a homicide charge in the death of Karoline Heintz, a student at PennWest California University whose body was found Aug. 20 after she failed to return to the southwestern Pennsylvania college, according to a criminal complaint.
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, according to the police affidavit. A preliminary hearing was held Tuesday for Moser and his mother, Rachel Moser, in Heintz’s death.
An attorney for Royce Moser declined to comment on the charges against him, and a message left for a public defender representing Rachel Moser was not immediately returned.
The 37-minute video released Thursday is from an officer’s body-worn camera. It shows the California, Pennsylvania, police officer walking up to Karoline Heintz’s Jeep in the dark. The officer points a flashlight inside the back window, yells toward another officer nearby, then gets on his radio.
“Control, I need EMS here right now,” the officer said. “I’ve got an unconscious female in the back of this car right now. Any additional units, any in the available area, please.”
An operator radios back, “Is she breathing?”
“Negative,” the officer responds as sirens are heard in the background. “I’ve got blood everywhere.”
The officer then breaks two windows to gain access inside the vehicle.
“Get someone here now,” he said.
According to the affidavit, Moser said he told Heintz, “wait, I have something for you” before retrieving a knife from his home. The victim fell out of her vehicle after being stabbed and Moser put her in the back hatch before getting into the driver’s seat. Moser then asked his mother to follow him to PennWest California University in southwestern Pennsylvania to drop off the vehicle, the affidavit said.
Heintz’s father had asked police to look for his daughter’s vehicle after she failed to return to campus, and indicated an AirTag in the vehicle showed she was in a parking lot, according to a criminal complaint. Police found Karoline Heintz’s body in the vehicle. The AirTag also indicated Heintz had been at Moser's home earlier.
Royce and Rachel Moser were later located at Rachel Moser’s residence in Beallsville. According to the affidavit, Rachel Moser told her son to bathe and change his clothes, which she placed in a washing machine. She then took the knife and put it in a garbage bag to dispose of in the trash outside her home, according to the affidavit. The knife was retrieved after investigators obtained a search warrant.
Royce and Rachel Moser both were charged with tampering with evidence, abuse of a corpse and obstruction of justice. Rachel Moser, 56, also was charged with hindering the apprehension of a fugitive and criminal use of a communication device. Their next court appearance is a formal arraignment scheduled for Oct. 13.
Mother and son are being held without bail in the Washington County jail.
Heintz’s family issued a statement asking the public to respect their wishes for privacy.
“This is a parent’s worst nightmare,” the statement said. “It has been devastating for family, friends, and the whole community. Karoline was loved by all. She was a kind, smart, beautiful girl. We want justice for our “sweet” Karoline.”
Police body cam footage released by the California Borough Police Department in Washington County, Pennsylvania shows the moment officers discovered the body of a college student in a vehicle in Washington County, Pa. on Thursday, Aug. 20, 2026. (California Borough Police Department via AP)
Police body cam footage released by the California Borough Police Department in Washington County, Pennsylvania shows first responders working a scene after police officers discovered the body of a college student in a vehicle in Washington County, Pa., Thursday, Aug. 20, 2026.(California Borough Police Department via AP)
