CLARION, Pa. (EYT) – Police allege a Clarion man fatally stabbed a 45-year-old DuBois woman, washed the blood from his hands in his kitchen sink, and attempted to stage the scene to look like a suicide before calling 9-1-1.
Chase Wayan Steigerwald, 34, was arraigned on Tuesday morning on a felony charge of criminal homicide before Magisterial District Judge Timothy P. Schill in connection with the death of Rachel Roman.
Roman was pronounced dead at Steigerwald’s 308 Main Street apartment by Clarion County Coroner Dan Shingledecker on November 5, 2025.
According to the affidavit of probable cause filed by Detective Roger E. Wright, of the Clarion Borough Police Department, and Trooper Stephanie J. Lindenmuth, of the Pennsylvania State Police, the investigation uncovered significant discrepancies in the initial accounts provided to officers.
Police were dispatched to Steigerwald’s apartment at 308 Main Street at approximately 7:10 a.m. on November 5. Officers found Steigerwald and a female witness (Witness #1) outside the residence near a white Geo Metro. Inside, officers discovered the victim deceased on the living room floor with a laceration to her neck and a large amount of blood surrounding her. A fixed-blade knife was found near the body.
Steigerwald initially told investigators that the knife belonged to him for hunting. He claimed he and Witness #1 had left the apartment for a walk and returned to find the woman deceased.
However, during subsequent interviews, Witness #1 recanted that story, telling detectives that Steigerwald killed the woman while the witness was inside the apartment.
The affidavit states that Witness #1 heard “gurgling/choking noises coming from the living room” and then saw the victim deceased on the floor. Steigerwald was reportedly seen packing a bookbag and telling the witness they “needed to leave,” according to the complaint.
Witness #1 described stepping over a black futon to avoid the blood on the floor before leaving the apartment with Steigerwald.
According to the complaint, while the two were walking through Clarion Borough, Steigerwald told the witness he would make the death “look like a suicide.”
Video surveillance reviewed by troopers confirmed the pair left the apartment at 5:05 a.m. and returned at 6:38 a.m.
Upon their return, Witness #1 alleged she observed Steigerwald pick up the knife lying near the victim and “put the knife on [the victim’s] hand,” in an apparent attempt to transfer fingerprints onto the weapon.
Witness #1 also reported seeing Steigerwald throw a container of methamphetamine — described as having a “pink cap” — into the couch where the victim had been sitting. Police later recovered this item during a search.
During questioning, Steigerwald allegedly admitted to investigators that prior to calling 911, he “smoked molly” and “rinsed his hands in the kitchen sink.”
Forensic evidence detailed in the complaint further implicates Steigerwald. Corporal Ross Munsee used a forensic detection tool called “Blue Star” reagent to detect blood residue, locating suspected blood on the kitchen sink, on a bottle of Dawn dish soap, and on the bathroom sink.
The investigation also established a timeline of the victim’s final hours.
A second witness (Witness #2) told police they were physically present at the apartment around 11:00 p.m. on November 4 and saw Roman alive on the couch.
Investigators interviewed a neighbor on November 6 who reported hearing “partying” and music from the apartment on the night of November 4. The neighbor noted the noise stopped abruptly around midnight, becoming “very quiet.”
Another witness (Witness #4) told police she was on a FaceTime call with Steigerwald at approximately 11:00 p.m. on November 4. She allegedly saw Steigerwald display a long gun and a fixed-blade knife before leaving the room, after which she heard arguing between Steigerwald and the victim, according to the complaint.
Data from the victim’s phone showed she sent a text to a co-worker at 11:39 p.m. A reply sent at 12:20 a.m. was not delivered, indicating the phone was powered off. Police found the phone at the scene, manually powered down but still holding a battery charge.
An autopsy conducted by Dr. Todd Luckasevic in Erie determined the victim suffered multiple sharp force injuries to the neck, face, chest, arm, and hand. The official cause of death was ruled as sharp force injuries to the neck.
In the days following the discovery of Roman’s body, Steigerwald was arrested and charged with manufacture, delivery, or possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance. That charge, according to a complaint filed by Detective Roger Wright, stemmed from a separate incident involving another woman who was at the apartment the night before the body was found. Clarion County District Attorney Drew Welsh said that the charge was dismissed as authorities proceeded with the homicide case.
Wright alleged Steigerwald provided the woman with a line of purported methamphetamine, which she ingested. The woman was not identified as the deceased.
Steigerwald was denied bail and remains lodged in the Clarion County Jail.
