HOUSTON – A judge set bond Thursday for a teen accused of killing his mother and putting her body in the trunk of a car.
Tyler Roenz faces several charges in connection with the death and disappearance of his mother, 49-year-old Michelle Roenz.
He did not appear in court Thursday, but his bond was set a $750,000 for the murder charge, $250,000 for a tampering with evidence charge, and $50,000 for an unauthorized use of a vehicle charge.
Roenz’s bond for a previous, unrelated charge of sexual assault was set at $10,000.
John Donnelly, spokesperson for the Harris County District Attorney’s Office, said the teen was given strict bond conditions, including a directive of no-contact with his father. Further, the judge said he is not to go near his father’s residence. Also, if he gets out, he has to be on 24-hour house arrest with an ankle monitor, according to prosecutors.
What happened
On Oct. 13, 2022, Tyler Roenz and his mother Michelle Roenz were both reported missing after family members said they had last seen them around 11:40 a.m. in the 14700 block of Birch Arbor Court, near their home.
Michelle Roenz’s husband told authorities he entered the garage of his home to find what appeared to be a tooth and a trail of blood that led to the master bedroom, where there were at least four apparent human teeth on the carpet. The husband said he also found his wife’s purse and cellphone in the bedroom. The man said he called out for his son and wife, but found that the vehicle was missing and no one was home.
The following day, Nebraska State Patrol said Tyler Roenz sent authorities on a high-speed chase before crashing out and ending the pursuit.
According to court documents, Tyler Roenz only had the authorization to use the vehicle to go back and forth to school and did not have permission to operate the vehicle outside of Harris County. He was charged with unauthorized use of a vehicle on the day of the chase.
The circumstances surrounding Michelle Roenz’s death still remain unknown.
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