Texas teenager strangled his mother, hid the body in the trunk and drove to Nebraska

A Texas teenager who strangled his mother and drove to Nebraska with her body in the trunk of his family car has agreed to a plea deal, authorities say.

Tyler Roenz, who was 17 at the time of the killing, pleaded guilty to murder in connection with the 2022 death of his 49-year-old mother, Michelle Roenz, Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg announced in a news release issued June 28.

Tyler, now 19, was subsequently sentenced to 40 years in prison and, according to Ogg, must serve at least half of his sentence before he can be released on parole.

On Oct. 13, 2022, Tyler killed his mother while the two were at home, authorities said. He then hid her body in the trunk of the family’s black Mazda and drove north. A relative who arrived at the house after Tyler left called local authorities, suspecting foul play and believing the mother and son were missing.

Court documents previously obtained by ABC-13 said the family member was Tyler’s father, who became concerned when he arrived at the Humble, Texas, home and found blood and a human tooth in the garage. His father then followed a trail of blood into the master bedroom, where he allegedly found four more human teeth in a pool of blood, the station reported, citing the documents.

Authorities reported Tyler and Michelle missing and subsequently found charges on Michelle’s credit card from Oklahoma and Kansas, ABC-13 reports.

According to the press release, authorities were able to track Tyler down using license plate readers as he drove through Oklahoma and Kansas. A day after the murder, he was arrested in Nebraska by a patrol officer who spotted the car.

Want to stay up to date with the latest crime reports? Sign up for PEOPLEThe free True Crime newsletter offers breaking crime news, current court reports and details of exciting unsolved cases.

Michelle’s body was then found in the trunk of the car, authorities said. A medical examiner in Nebraska determined she died of blunt force trauma to the head and strangulation, the release said.

Authorities did not disclose a motive for the murder.

According to her obituary, Michelle enjoyed caring for animals, photography, and completing several half marathons. Her obituary states that she was married to her husband for 23 years and had a daughter with him in addition to her son Tyler.

Tyler also pleaded guilty to tampering with evidence and received a 20-year prison sentence, the release said. The sentences will be served concurrently and two other felony charges were dropped as part of the agreement.

“This is a terrible tragedy for this family,” Ogg said in the press release. “It was important that this defendant took responsibility for his actions, and now he will spend decades in prison for his actions.”