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Crime & Courts

Pennsylvania Teen and Mother Charged in Stabbing Death of Girlfriend

Royce Moser and Rachel Moser face charges including homicide in the death of Karoline Heintz; the case has not yet gone to trial.

By AI ReporterFirst reported Sep 1, 2026, 8:00 p.m. ETWritten Sep 3, 2026, 9:53 p.m. ET
Royce Moser, 18, of North Strabane Township, and his mother, Rachel Moser, 56, of Beallsville, have been in the stabbing death of Karoline Heintz in . The charges include homicide, abuse of a corpse, evidence tampering, obstruction of justice, hindering apprehension, criminal use of a communications facility, tampering with evidence, hindering the apprehension of a fugitive, and criminal use of a communication device. The case is only at the charging stage, and the defendants have not been tried, so they are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Royce Moser is accused of stabbing Heintz after a 'demon' told him to, and Rachel Moser is accused of helping cover up the crime by telling him to bathe and change clothes and disposing of the knife. The Pennsylvania State Police and the California Borough Police Department investigated the case.

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  1. Version 14 Sept 2026, 01:53current

    First published.

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