Joshua Moser, inset, is accused of bludgeoning his roommate to death with a hammer and then chopping up the body and dispersing the parts in three separate locations. (Mug shot: Monroe County Jail; Screenshot: WCAU/YouTube)
Pennsylvania authorities arrested a man after he allegedly beat his roommate to death with a hammer and proceeded to chop up his body and dispose of the parts in a cemetery, quarry and trailhead.
Joshua Moser, 33, is charged with criminal homicide, abuse of a corpse and tampering with evidence in the death of 37-year-old David Hittinger, according to the Lehigh County District Attorney’s Office.
District Attorney Gavin Holihan told reporters Friday at a press conference that a friend reported Hittinger missing under suspicious circumstances on May 13 to the Pennsylvania State Police after the victim failed to show up to his own birthday celebration. Holihan said troopers learned that Moser had recently taken Hittinger in as a roommate. Hittinger was last seen at Moser’s home on May 11.
Cops served a search warrant at Moser’s house on Monday and discovered blood and hair along with evidence that someone made efforts to conceal the blood, Holihan said. Investigators searched the home again two days and recovered a saw, box cutter and bloody clothing, according to Holihan. Meanwhile, authorities took Moser into custody in nearby Monroe County on an unrelated matter.
Also on Wednesday, authorities discovered Hittinger’s body parts stuffed in trash bags at Fairview Cemetery, not far from Moser’s house. Cops found more of Hittinger’s remains at the D&L Trail and a small quarry off Welshtown Road in Washington Township, Holihan said. Prosecutors charged Moser with Hittinger’s murder on Friday after the corner’s officer ruled the death a homicide.
Holihan credited Hittinger’s friend for reporting him missing right away.
“This is a person who lost track of a friend and then reached out and said, ‘Can you do something about it?’ Can you look into it?,’” Holihan said. “And the answer was, ‘Yes, we will.’ And we did. And I think that’s what moved this along so rapidly.”
Allentown TV station WFMZ reported Moser previously was sentenced to three to 10 years in prison for DUI manslaughter when a passenger in his car died in a crash.
Neighbors also told the outlet about his cold demeanor.
“I would see him outside a few times, wave, and say ‘hi’ and he would always nod back, but it was never, never seemed like a happy expression if that makes any sense,” neighbor John Kurtz said.
Other neighbors had similar thoughts, although they hadn’t seen anything to cause them concern.
“We’ve always had positive interactions with him. Sometimes they were a little off putting things but nothing major,” said another neighbor.
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