A Pennsylvania man was arrested on Monday and accused of the violent murder of his next-door neighbor while dressed as the villain from “Scream.”
Zak Russel Moyer, 30, was charged with criminal homicide after authorities accused him of attacking his neighbor, Edward Whitehead Jr., 59, with a chainsaw, and then stabbing him in the head with a knife, according to a probable cause affidavit obtained by HuffPost.
According to the affidavit, state authorities say the suspect was wearing a black costume “consistent with the ‘Scream’ movie character.”
Investigators noted that Whitehead suffered from bleeding injuries to his right arm and head which were consistent with self-defense wounds. He was taken to a local hospital where he died from his injuries.
Investigators determined the suspect was inside his house after conducting interviews with residents in the area and reviewing video footage that allegedly showed the costumed man leaving Whitehead’s house from the rear and entering the house next door.
State troopers established a perimeter around Moyer’s home while the suspect communicated with authorities through writings in a notebook. One note from the suspect to police allegedly said, “Ed murdered women and kids Eddie JR murdered women and kids last summer.”
Moyer eventually surrendered to authorities without incident.
Moyer’s sister told detectives that her brother “wanted to kill Ed the neighbor, approximately one week ago,” according to the affidavit.
In his police interview, Moyer allegedly confessed to being the man in the costume and that he went to his neighbor’s home to scare him, the affidavit states.
Authorities said Moyer admitted to intentionally killing Whitehead because he believed the family were murderers, according to the affidavit.
Moyer allegedly admitted to stabbing the victim in the head with a knife before returning home to watch a movie until police arrived. He allegedly told detectives he was hiding the chainsaw in the attic and placed the knife in a desk drawer.
Investigators who searched Moyer’s home say they found a black knife with dried blood, a costume and a battery-powered chainsaw.
Court records reviewed by HuffPost show that Moyer is set to appear in court for a preliminary hearing on April 3.