State police say Royce Moser stabbed Karoline Heintz after a relationship discussion, while Rachel Moser allegedly helped move the vehicle and conceal evidence.
CALIFORNIA, Pa. — An 18-year-old man and his mother are in custody after Pennsylvania State Police charged the man with homicide in the death of PennWest California soccer player Karoline Heintz and accused his mother of helping conceal evidence after the killing.
Heintz, 18, of McMurray, was found dead in the rear hatch of her Jeep Cherokee near the California Public Library early Aug. 20, according to state police. Investigators said Heintz had failed to return to the university, prompting her family to track the location of her vehicle and contact authorities. Royce Moser, 18, was charged with homicide and several evidence-related offenses. His mother, Rachel Moser, was charged with hindering apprehension, evidence tampering and other offenses. Both defendants are presumed innocent unless convicted.
State police said California Borough officers were asked shortly after midnight to check the area for Heintz’s Jeep. Officers found the vehicle near the library and noticed what authorities described as blood inside and outside it. When officers checked the vehicle, they found Heintz in the rear cargo area. Pennsylvania State Police’s Troop B Major Case Team then took over the homicide investigation in cooperation with the Washington County District Attorney’s Office.
Investigators allege Heintz had met Royce Moser outside his father’s residence in North Strabane Township on Aug. 19 to discuss the couple’s relationship. According to state police, Moser became angry during the conversation, went inside the residence, returned with a kitchen knife and stabbed Heintz. Police allege he then placed her in the rear of the Jeep and drove to his mother’s residence in Beallsville. The account is an allegation contained in the investigation and criminal case and has not been proven in court.
According to court documents cited by local news organizations, Royce Moser told investigators that he believed a “demon” had taken over and told him to hurt Heintz. Authorities have presented the statement as something Moser allegedly told investigators, not as an independently established explanation for the killing. Police have not publicly identified a separate confirmed motive beyond their account of the discussion between Heintz and Moser before the attack.
Police allege Rachel Moser became involved after her son arrived at her Beallsville residence. The Pennsylvania State Police said she attempted to clean the Jeep with cleaning products, provided her son with latex gloves and instructed him to follow her toward the university area. Investigators said the Jeep was later left near the California Public Library with Heintz still inside. Rachel Moser then allegedly drove her son back to her residence, where police said his clothing was cleaned and he showered.
Royce Moser faces charges of homicide, tampering with evidence, abuse of a corpse, conspiracy to commit tampering with evidence, conspiracy to commit abuse of a corpse and obstruction of justice, according to Pennsylvania State Police. Rachel Moser faces charges of hindering apprehension of a fugitive, tampering with evidence, abuse of a corpse, conspiracy to commit tampering with evidence, conspiracy to commit abuse of a corpse and obstruction of justice. The charges against Rachel Moser accuse her of conduct after Heintz was killed; authorities have not charged her with homicide.
Heintz was beginning her first year at Pennsylvania Western University’s California campus and was a defender on the women’s soccer team. The university’s athletic department said she had graduated from Peters Township High School in the spring. Athletic Director Karen Hjerpe described Heintz as “a bright and kind young woman with so much ahead of her” in a statement issued after her death. The university said its counseling center was providing support to students and other members of the campus community.
PennWest athletics also announced that the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference planned moments of silence at conference athletic events from Aug. 27 through Sept. 3 in Heintz’s memory. Her teammates joined other community members at a candlelight vigil in Washington County on Sunday. Heintz’s family said in a statement reported by local news organizations that her death had been devastating for relatives, friends and the broader community and that they wanted justice for her.
The case began after Heintz’s family became concerned when she did not check in as expected while returning to campus housing. Local reporting citing court documents said relatives used a tracking device in her vehicle to determine that the Jeep was near the library and then called 911. That welfare check led officers to the vehicle and quickly expanded into a major homicide investigation involving searches of residences connected to Royce and Rachel Moser.
Royce and Rachel Moser were arraigned and taken to the Washington County jail without bond, according to local court reporting. Their preliminary hearings were tentatively scheduled for Aug. 31. Pennsylvania State Police said the homicide investigation remains ongoing in conjunction with the Washington County District Attorney’s Office, and the allegations against both defendants will proceed through the court system.
Author note: Last updated August 26, 2026.