Overview
- Investigators say 18-year-old Royce Moser stabbed PennWest California freshman Karoline Heintz during an argument on Aug. 19 and her body was found in the rear hatch of her Jeep the next day.
- Police released a 37-minute body-worn camera video showing officers discovering Heintz in the vehicle after her father tracked the Jeep with an Apple AirTag.
- Moser told troopers he had a “demon” that told him to stab Heintz and investigators say his post-incident internet searches included queries about the death penalty.
- Prosecutors allege Moser’s mother, Rachel Moser, washed his bloody clothes, tried to dispose of the knife and followed the vehicle to help conceal the crime, and police recovered the knife under a search warrant.
- Both defendants are held without bail after a preliminary hearing, their formal arraignment is scheduled for Oct. 13, and prosecutors are preparing forensic and digital evidence for trial while the campus community mourns.