A Pennsylvania man is facing a criminal homicide charge after investigators concluded he attempted to stage his friend’s death as a suicide. Thirty-four-year-old Chase Steigerwald remains held without bond at the Clarion County Jail following the November 5 death of 45-year-old Rachel Roman, who was found in his apartment early that morning.
The case began when police responded to Steigerwald’s residence after he reported finding Roman unresponsive. According to the criminal complaint, Steigerwald told officers that he and a woman who was also present had gone for a walk and returned to discover Roman already deceased. Authorities soon learned that the woman provided a very different account of the events inside the apartment.
The woman told investigators she had been in another room when she heard concerning noises from the living area. When she went to check, she said she saw Steigerwald packing a backpack as Roman lay on the floor. She reported that Steigerwald urged her to leave with him. Surveillance footage later confirmed that the pair left the apartment around 5:05 a.m. and did not return until 6:38 a.m.
While they were out, the woman stated that Steigerwald said he planned to make Roman’s death appear self-inflicted. After they returned, she told police she saw him place a knife in Roman’s hand to transfer her fingerprints and hide a container of illegal drugs in the couch.
Witness testimony further supported investigators’ findings. A person who attended a gathering at Steigerwald’s apartment the night before reported seeing Roman alive around 11 p.m. Another witness, who had been on a video call with Steigerwald that same evening, said she saw him holding a knife similar to the one later collected by authorities and heard an argument occurring in the background.
Digital evidence also came into play. Roman sent a message to a colleague at 11:39 p.m., but the colleague’s reply shortly after midnight never delivered, indicating that Roman’s phone had likely been powered off around that time. A neighbor reported that music and voices from the apartment were loud until around midnight, when the noise abruptly stopped.
During questioning, Steigerwald allegedly admitted the knife belonged to him and acknowledged using drugs before contacting emergency services. Police said they found blood in several areas of the apartment, along with the methamphetamine the woman reported seeing him hide. An autopsy determined that Roman died from sharp-force injuries, and her death was ruled a homicide without publicly released medical details.
Steigerwald was originally arrested on a drug charge in the days after Roman’s death. After being formally charged with criminal homicide on Tuesday, the drug charge was withdrawn. He remains in custody without bond, and his next court appearance is set for December 2.
As the case moves forward, investigators continue reviewing witness statements, physical evidence, and digital records to establish a full timeline of events leading up to Roman’s death.
