Slatington man dismembered roommate, left body parts in 3 places, DA says

LEHIGH COUNTY, Pa. — A Slatington man was arrested and charged with homicide after police found parts of a dismembered body in multiple places this week, authorities announced Friday.

Joshua D. Moser, 33, faces charges of homicide, abuse of a corpse and tampering with evidence in connection with the death of 37-year-old David Hittinger, Lehigh County District Attorney Gavin Holihan said.

An ongoing investigation shows Hittinger recently moved in with Moser at a home on West Franklin Street, where Hittinger was last seen about 7 p.m. Saturday, Holihan said.

Timeline

A friend reported Hittinger missing Monday — which was his birthday — after they didn’t hear from him for a few days; they were planning to meet up to celebrate, according to Holihan.

Authorities searched the West Franklin Street home Tuesday and found blood, hair and skin in the basement and a bathtub, Holihan said.

Police again searched the home Wednesday and found a saw, box cutter, bloody clothes and other evidence, charging documents state.

Moser was arrested the same day in Monroe County for a parole violation, authorities said.

Investigators later that evening found parts of Hittinger’s body in Slatington’s Fairview Cemetery; more body parts were discovered Thursday along the D&L Trail in the borough and in a pond at a small Washington Township quarry, Holihan said.

Moser is being held without bail in Monroe County. He is due to be arraigned in Lehigh County on May 26.

Moser on Wednesday told Pennsylvania State Police in Stroudsburg that he choked Hittinger and struck him in the head with a hammer before dismembering him in the basement of the home they shared, according to charging documents.

Those documents indicate Moser told police where he disposed of body parts.

Holihan on Friday credited a large team of agencies for helping with the investigation that spanned several days, including the Pennsylvania State Police, Lehigh County Coroner’s Office, the Whitehall Township Fire Department’s dive team, and prosecutors in Lehigh, Monroe and Carbon counties.

He also thanked Slatington residents “for their patience and their consideration” as investigators searched several locations throughout the week.

“We understand that it caused a lot of distress and concern with residents,” he said.

Residents should expect to see investigators continuing to search for evidence in coming days, Holihan said.