State police allege the 18-year-old suspect killed Karoline Heintz before his mother helped conceal evidence and move her vehicle.
CALIFORNIA, Pa. — An 18-year-old man has been charged with homicide in the death of PennWest California student Karoline Heintz, while his mother faces charges accusing her of helping him conceal evidence after the killing, according to Pennsylvania State Police and court records described by local authorities.
Heintz, 18, was found dead early Thursday, Aug. 20, inside her Jeep Cherokee near the California Public Library on Wood Street. She was a first-year student at Pennsylvania Western University’s California campus and a member of the women’s soccer team. Police said her boyfriend, Royce Moser, 18, was taken into custody along with his mother, Rachel Moser.
Royce Moser is charged with homicide and other offenses connected to Heintz’s death. Rachel Moser faces charges including hindering apprehension and tampering with evidence. The charges are allegations, and the criminal cases remain pending.
Investigators said Heintz had spent time with family Wednesday and was expected to return to campus housing. When she did not check in as planned, family members tracked the location of her vehicle to a parking area near the library and contacted authorities shortly after midnight. Officers responding to the welfare check found Heintz inside the vehicle.
State police later said Heintz and Royce Moser had met Wednesday at a home in North Strabane Township to discuss their relationship. According to investigators and a criminal complaint, the two were sitting in Heintz’s vehicle when the conversation deteriorated. Police allege Moser went inside the home, obtained a knife and returned to the vehicle before stabbing Heintz.
Police allege Moser then placed Heintz in the rear of the Jeep and drove to his mother’s home in Beallsville. Investigators accuse Rachel Moser of helping clean the vehicle and providing items used in an effort to remove evidence. Authorities also allege she accompanied her son as the Jeep was taken to California Borough and left near the university area.
Investigators searched homes in North Strabane Township and Beallsville as they reconstructed Heintz’s movements. Local television crews observed investigators removing items from one property and a vehicle being towed from another. Police said evidence gathered during those searches became part of the continuing homicide investigation.
Washington County authorities initially described Heintz’s death as suspicious while investigators worked to determine what had happened. Later Thursday, state police announced the arrests and outlined the allegations against the mother and son. The Washington County Coroner’s Office and state police were among the agencies involved in the investigation.
Heintz had recently graduated from Peters Township High School and was preparing to begin her first semester at PennWest California. The university said the death occurred off campus and that university police were cooperating with the state police investigation. PennWest also expressed condolences to Heintz’s family, friends and others affected by her death.
Peters Township School District said Heintz was a member of its Class of 2026 and announced that additional counselors and social workers would be available for students. She had joined the PennWest California women’s soccer program as the university prepared for the start of the academic year.
The investigation remained active Friday. Authorities had not announced a final resolution of the criminal cases, and the allegations against Royce and Rachel Moser will be addressed through the court process.
Author note: Last updated August 21, 2026.