30-year-old Zak Moyer was allegedly seen on video leaving the victim’s home “wearing a mask and a black costume-like garment, consistent with the ‘Scream’ movie character” after a deadly attack.
A Pennsylvania man is accused of murdering his neighbor — and wearing a Scream costume while he did it.
59-year-old victim Edward Whitehead Jr. was killed by 30-year-old Zak Russel Moyer, his neighbor, on Monday in Lehighton, say Pennsylvania State Police.
Clermont County Sheriff’s Office/Facebook
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According to a criminal complaint, via Lehigh Valley Live, the Lehighton Borough Police Department received a call regarding an assault in progress around 3:30pm. Whitehead was taken to the hospital after sustaining a cut above his right eyebrow and a large wound on the side of his head, as well as defensive wounds on his hands; he was later pronounced dead.
Whitehead was allegedly “struck multiple times with a knife and a battery-operated chainsaw,” with surveillance footage showing someone leave the victim’s home “wearing a mask and a black costume-like garment, consistent with the Scream movie character.” The man was seen entering a home next door.
After police identified Moyer as their suspect, he reportedly began to communicate with authorities with messages written on a notepad. On one page, he reportedly wrote, “Ed murdered women and kids. Eddie Junior murdered women and kids last summer” — police say his claims are “not something we are looking into.” The victim’s niece also told WNEP the accusations are totally made up.
Moyer reportedly told police he went to Whitehead’s “for the purpose of scaring him,” while wearing the costume and armed with the blade and saw. He also admitted to stabbing the victim in the head. His sister, however, told police he told her about a week before the murder that he “wanted to kill Ed the neighbor.”
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Moyer also told authorities he returned home after the attack and watched a movie while waiting for police. He allegedly admitted to hiding the knife and chainsaw in a desk drawer; both items and the costume were found after a search warrant was executed on his home.
Moyer was wearing a red hoodie when he was arrested, per the WFMZ video above.
The suspect was later charged with one count of Criminal Homicide; he remains incarcerated at the Carbon County Correctional Facility without bail and is set to appear in front of the court for a preliminary hearing on April 3.
Police, meanwhile, returned to the scene of the crime the next day after Moyer’s father allegedly harassed the Whitehead family after Zak’s arrest. Per WNEP, he was arrested.
Crawford County Correctional Facility
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