A Pennsylvania man was arrested this week after allegedly killing his neighbor with a knife and chainsaw while wearing a costume resembling the “Ghostface” killer from the “Scream” movie franchise.
Zak Russel Moyer, 30, was taken into custody and reportedly admitted he went to 59-year-old Edward Whitehead Jr.’s home “for the purpose of scaring him,” according to court records filed by the Pennsylvania State Police. He was armed with a knife and a small, battery-powered chainsaw and wearing a mask and black cloak, similar to that worn by the movie character, LehighValleyLive.com reported.
According to the court records, Moyer also admitted stabbing Whitehead in the the head with his Reapr fixed-blade knife.
Lehighton Borough police were called to the scene just after 3:30 p.m. on Monday before state troopers arrived under the direction of Carbon County District Attorney Michael Greek.
Troopers found that Whitehead “was struck with a chainsaw and a knife in the head by a mail who was observed on surveillance video footage” leaving the rear of his home. The documents described the suspect as male and “wearinga. mask and a black costume-like garment, consistent with the ‘Scream’ movie character.”
Whitehead suffered a cut to his right arm and hands, consistent with defensive wounds, and cuts to his head, including one above his right eyebrow and a large wound on the right side of his head. He was pronounced dead at St. Luke’s Hospital-Carbon Campus in Franklin Township.
Investigators quickly learned that the suspect was in a house directly next door to Whitehead, as area schools went into lockdown.
The suspect communicated with troopers outside his home via a notebook and made claims about Whitehead being involved in various crimes. But Trooper Anthony Petroski III said that those claims are “not something we are looking into.”
Troopers eventually took Moyer into custody, and he admitted killing Whitehead, then heading home to watch a movie until police arrived. He hid the chainsaw and the knife, which were recovered when investigators executed a search warrant, along with the movie costume.
Court records say that Moyer’s sister told them that her brother said about a week ago “he wanted to kill Ed the neighbor.”
Moyer was taken to court and arraigning on one count of homicide and remanded to Carbon County prison without bail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for April 3.
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[Featured image: Zak Russel Moyer/police handout]
