Tyler Roenz, who was 17 at the time of the murder, pleaded guilty to murder in connection with the 2022 death of his mother, 49-year-old Michelle Roenz.
A Texas teenager who strangled his mother to death and drove to Nebraska with the body hidden in the trunk of the family car agreed to a plea deal, authorities said.
Tyler Roenz, who was 17 at the time of the murder, pleaded guilty to murder in connection with the 2022 death of his 49-year-old mother, Michelle Roenz, Harris County District Attorney. Kim Ogg announced in a Press release shared on June 28th.
Tyler, now 19, was later sentenced to 40 years in prison and must serve at least half of the prison sentence before being eligible for parole, according to Ogg.
On Oct. 13, 2022, Tyler killed his mother while they were both at home, authorities said. He then hid her body in the trunk of the family’s black Mazda and drove north. A relative who arrived at the house after Tyler left called local authorities after they suspected foul play and believed the mother and son were missing.
Court documents previously obtained by ABC-13 stated that the family member was Tyler’s father, who became concerned when he arrived at the Humble, Texas, home and found blood and a human tooth in the garage. His father then followed a trail of blood to the master bedroom, where he allegedly found four additional human teeth in a pool of blood, the outlet reported, citing the documents.
Tyler and Michelle were reported missing by authorities, who then found charges on Michelle’s credit card from Oklahoma and Kansas, ABC-13 reports.
According to the release, authorities were also able to track Tyler as he drove through Oklahoma and Kansas using license plate readers. The day after the murder, he was arrested in Nebraska by a state highway trooper who spotted the car.
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Michelle’s body was found in the trunk of the car, authorities said. A medical examiner in Nebraska determined she died from blunt force trauma to the head and strangulation, according to the release.
A motive for the murder was not shared by authorities.
According to your obituary, Michelle loved caring for animals, enjoyed photography and had completed several half marathons. Her obituary states that she was married to her husband for 23 years and shared a daughter with him in addition to her son Tyler.
Tyler also pleaded guilty to tampering with evidence in exchange for a 20-year sentence, the release states. The sentences will run concurrently and two other crimes were dismissed as part of the plea agreement.
“This is a terrible tragedy for this family,” Ogg said in the statement. “It was important that this defendant took responsibility for what he did and will now spend decades in prison for his actions.”
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