Editor's Note: The details of this story are graphic and could be disturbing for some readers.
A Lehigh County man is accused of killing his roommate with a hammer, dismembering his body and then scattering his remains in three separate locations.
Joshua Moser, 33, was arrested and charged in the murder of David Hittinger, 37, of Slatington, Pennsylvania.
The investigation began on Monday, May 13 around 1:30 p.m. when Pennsylvania State Police received a missing person report for Hittinger, who had not been seen or heard from since May 11 around 7 p.m.
Investigators later determined that Moser had recently allowed Hittinger to live with him at his home along the 600 block of West Franklin Street in Slatington.
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State troopers executed a search warrant at the home. During the search on Tuesday, May 14, they found a large amount of blood in the basement, according to the criminal complaint. Investigators said the basement had been “hastily staged” to conceal the blood.
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During a second search on Wednesday, May 15, investigators found a saw, a box cutter and bloody clothing inside the home, officials said.
Moser was taken into custody on Wednesday in Monroe County, Pennsylvania, for an unrelated incident, officials said. During an interview with investigators, Moser allegedly admitted to strangling Hittinger and striking him over the head with a hammer in the basement of his home, killing him. Moser then dismembered Hittinger’s body at the home and discarded his body parts in three locations in Slatington Borough and Washington Township, according to the criminal complaint.
Investigators found dismembered body parts in trash bags at the Fairview Cemetery in Slatington, an area off of the D&L Trail in Slatington, and a small quarry behind Northern Lehigh High School in Washington Township, Lehigh County.
Investigators identified Hittinger as the victim through a fingerprint on a dismembered hand, according to the criminal complaint.
Moser was arraigned on May 17 and charged with criminal homicide, abuse of corpse and tampering with/fabricating physical evidence. He is being detained without bail at the Monroe County Prison and will be transported to Lehigh County later this month. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for May 29.
Officials did not reveal a possible motive behind the murder but during a Friday afternoon press conference, Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin Holihan said their "appeared to be some sort of disagreement" prior to the killing. Holihan also said at this point the investigation suggests that Moser acted alone and there does not appear to be a threat to the public.
Online court documents do not yet list an attorney for Moser.
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline by calling 1-800-799-SAFE (7233), visiting www.thehotline.org or texting LOVEIS to 22522.
