Police charge 17-year-old with murder after finding mom’s body in trunk of car

(NEXSTAR) – A teenager from Texas has been charged with murder after troopers with the Nebraska State Patrol discovered a dead body in the trunk of the car he was driving last week.

Tyler Roenz, 17, was also charged with tampering with evidence “in the death and disappearance of his mother, 49 year-old Michelle Roenz,” tweeted Sheriff Ed Gonzalez of the Harris County Sheriff’s Office in Texas on Friday.

NPS troopers first apprehended the suspect on Oct. 13, after being alerted to a homicide investigation by authorities in Harris County. The sheriff’s office had informed NPS that a vehicle believed to be involved in the investigation — a black Mazda — was traveling through Nebraska.

NSP troopers located the Mazda shortly afterward. The driver then led troopers on a high-speed chase after ignoring a traffic stop, at times reaching speeds in excess of 110 miles per hour, according to an NPS news release issued the following day.

“After approximately nine miles, the Mazda attempted to slow down, but struck the rear of a semi, left the roadway, and struck a tree in the ditch,” the NSP wrote.

Troopers then found the body of a deceased woman in the trunk. NPS later identified the victim as Michelle Roenz, who, along with Tyler Roenz, had been reported missing in Harris County earlier that week.

The 17 year-old suffered serious injuries in the crash, according to both the NSP and HCSO, though the NSP said they were “non-life-threatening.”

Tyler Roenz was placed in the custody of the Nebraska State Patrol (NPS) while awaiting extradition to Texas, Sheriff Gonzalez said.

The investigation is ongoing.