Zak Russel Moyer (Carbon County Jail) and police were at his home (WFMZ screenshots)
A 30-year-old man in Pennsylvania is accused of murdering murdering his next-door neighbor earlier this week by dressing up as the killer from the “Scream” movie franchise and using a knife and chainsaw to attack the victim's head in the middle of the day. knife and causing chainsaw injuries to the head.
Zak Russel Moyer was arrested on Monday and charged with criminal homicide in the killing of 59-year-old Edward Whitehead Jr., according to court records reviewed by Law&Crime.
The Pennsylvania State Police said that troopers responded to a report of an assault at around 3:34 p.m. on Monday at a residence in the 200 block of Carbon Street. Officers from Lehighton Borough Police Department had been dispatched to the scene where the victim was being attacked with a knife and a chainsaw.
When troopers arrived, they found the victim, Whitehead, had sustained knife and chainsaw wounds to his head.
Whitehead was taken to St. Luke’s Hospital – Cabon Campus for treatment but he died from his injuries shortly after arriving. Police said he had a large puncture wound to the right side of his head and defensive wounds on his hands, among other injuries.
At the request of the Carbon County District Attorney’s Office, detectives with the State Police Troop N Major Case Team took over the investigation.
According to a probable cause affidavit from Lehigh Valley Live, troopers obtained security camera footage and found that Whitehead had been attacked by a man in a 'Scream' movie character costume. obtained by Troopers reportedly said Whitehead had been attacked by a man “wearing a mask and a black costume-like garment consistent with the ‘Scream’ movie character,” as shown in the surveillance video.
Moyer was identified as the alleged attacker, and troopers traced him back to his home next to Whitehead’s.
Moyer communicated with authorities outside his home by writing messages in a notebook he held up to his window, claiming that Whitehead had committed several crimes.
According to footage from an Allentown, Pennsylvania, news station WFMZ, while troopers were outside of Moyer’s home, he held up a sign alleging that Whitehead had committed crimes.
Investigators said there is no evidence that Whitehead had committed any crimes. provided to After brief negotiations, Moyer was taken into custody without incident.
He allegedly admitted that he had dressed up as the 'Scream' character and went to Whitehead’s home with a knife and chainsaw initially to scare him, but later confessed that he intended to kill his neighbor. Moyer also admitted to hiding the knife and chainsaw at home after the killing, then watching a movie as he waited for the police to arrive.
Moyer’s sister informed the police that a week before the assault, her brother expressed his desire to harm the neighbor, as stated by Lehigh Valley Live.
Moyer is in custody at the Carbon County Jail without bail and is set to have his preliminary hearing on April 3.
Zak Russel Moyer is alleged to have worn a 'Scream' outfit and carried out a deadly assault on his neighbor using a knife and chainsaw in Pennsylvania.
Moyer is currently being held in the Carbon County Jail without bond and is currently scheduled to appear in court for his preliminary hearing on April 3.