Texas Teen Kills Mother, Flees with Her Body in Car's Trunk to Nebraska

A teenager was sentenced to 40 years of prison by a court for killing his mother in their home and fleeing the state with her body. Tyler Roenz, 19, from Texas, had previously pled guilty to murdering his 49-year-old mother, Michelle Roenz, the Independent reported.

Tyler Roenz received an additional 20 years for tampering with evidence, announced Harris County District Attorney, Kim Ogg, the Independent reported. As part of the plea agreement, two other felonies against the accused were dismissed. 

The murder occurred on the morning of October 13, 2022, the Independent reported. The teenager admitted to strangling his mother in their house and then shoving her body in his car's trunk and driving to Nebraska.

Tyler Roenz's father called police after returning home to a bloody scene, ABC13 reported. The father informed officers that their car was missing, and he found human teeth and blood inside the premises.

Police issued a CLEAR alert for both mother and son, ABC 13 reported. The detectives recounted that they found suspicious charges on Michelle Roenz's credit card out of Oklahoma and Kansas. Police focused on those areas and used license plate readers to locate Tyler Roenz.

A car chase ensued between troopers and Tyler Roenz in Nebraska, ABC 13 reported. The suspect crashed the vehicle, and he was transported to the hospital due to injuries.

Michelle Roenz's body was found in the trunk of the car. The autopsy report concluded that she had died from strangulation and beating.

Tyler Roenz was released from the hospital after treatment and extradited to Texas for legal proceedings, ABC13 reported. Tyler Roenz must serve half of his sentence before being eligible for parole and will also be unable to appeal his convictions. 

Authorities did not disclose a motive in the case.

Michelle Roenz's obituary states that she had been married to her husband for 23 years and they also shared a daughter.

“This is an awful tragedy for this family,” Ogg said, the Independent reported. “It was important that this defendant took responsibility for what he did, and now he will spend decades in prison for his actions.”