CLARION, PA — A Clarion County man has been charged with criminal homicide following the death of a 45-year-old woman, whom authorities found with multiple stab wounds in the man’s apartment. The case has taken a grim turn as investigators assert that the suspect tried to stage the death as a self-inflicted act.
Chase Steigerwald, 34, is being held without bail after the deceased, identified as Rachel Roman, was discovered in his residence on November 5. Steigerwald initially told police he stumbled upon Roman’s body after returning from a walk with another woman.
Contradictory statements from this accompanying woman, who has not been named, have complicated Steigerwald’s initial account. She told police that upon hearing unsettling noises from the living room while she was elsewhere in the apartment, she found Roman bleeding and witnessed Steigerwald hurriedly packing a backpack, urging her to leave the scene with him.
Subsequent scrutiny of surveillance videos showed that Steigerwald and the woman left the apartment early at around 5:05 a.m., only to return about an hour and a half later. It was during this period away that Steigerwald allegedly disclosed his plans to manipulate the scene to make Roman’s death look like a suicide.
Upon their return, the woman observed Steigerwald placing a knife in Roman’s hand and concealing a bottle of methamphetamine in the couch. These actions were reportedly intended to mislead investigators by imprinting Roman’s fingerprints on the knife and associating her with drug use.
The evening before the macabre discovery, there had been a social gathering at Steigerwald’s apartment. Attendees and remote witnesses provided accounts of seeing Roman alive as late as 11 p.m., noting an argument between her and Steigerwald, and spotting a knife similar to the one found at the crime scene.
Further complicating the timeline, Roman had sent a text message to a coworker before midnight, which shortly after went undelivered, suggesting that her phone was switched off soon after. Neighbors also recounted a noticeably loud party that quieted down suddenly at around midnight.
Steigerwald admitted ownership of the knife, claiming it was used for hunting and acknowledged consuming drugs labeled as “molly” before calling 911 the following morning. The investigative team found traces of blood in various locations throughout the apartment and seized the hidden methamphetamine bottle.
An autopsy concluded that Roman died from a fatal stab wound to her neck, among other injuries across her face, chest, arm, and hand. Following his initial arrest on drug charges, which were later dismissed, Steigerwald now faces homicide charges with his preliminary hearing scheduled for early December.
This tragic incident has rocked the small town of Clarion, highlighting issues around drug use and violence. As the case unfolds, the community seeks answers and justice for the untimely death of Rachel Roman.