Pennsylvania mother sues parents of man who murdered her son and marriage counselor who 'concealed weapon', claiming their meddling left his body hidden in the woods for months, delaying burial

The Pennsylvania Supreme Court will take up a lawsuit from a mother who is suing the parents of the man who murdered her son, along with the couple's marriage counselor.  

Christian Moore-Rouse, 22, was shot in the back of his head by his friend Adam Rosenberg, who is serving life in prison, on December 21, 2019.

Moore-Rouse's mother, T. Lee Rouse, sued Rosenberg's parents in 2021 claiming they had found the murder weapon and gave it to their marriage counselor who turned it into the police and lied about where it came from.

Both the trial court and Pennsylvania Superior Court found that Rouse's claim failed because they never actually touched her son's body, reported local newspaper TribLive.

Rouse appealed the decision to the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania who approved her request on Tuesday.

Christian Moore-Rouse (pictured), 22, was shot in the back of his head by his friend Adam Rosenberg, who is serving life in prison, on December 21, 2019

Moore-Rouse's mother, T. Lee Rouse (pictured), sued Rosenberg's parents in 2021 claiming they had found the murder weapon and gave it to their marriage counselor who turned it into the police and lied about where it came from

Although Moore-Rouse was killed in December 2019, his body was not found until March 3, 2020 near Rosenberg's house in Fox Chapel

Moore-Rouse's mother is suing the parents of her son's killer, Adam Rosenberg (pictured), claiming they found a gun and give it to their marriage counselor which delayed police finding her sons body

The mother is asking the state Supreme Court to decided if Kimberly and Howard Rosenberg and their marriage counselor Martha Lux are liable for damages under a state law called the Interference with Dead Bodies tort.

The tort allows a family member of the deceased to sue for damages from the emotional distress caused by someone who interferes with the proper burial of a body.

Although Moore-Rouse was killed in December 2019, his body was not found until March 3, 2020 near Rosenberg's house in Fox Chapel.

According to police, Rosenberg had invited Moore-Rouse over to his house, then shot his friend in the back of the head, dragged his body down the driveway and hid it off the road.

By the time Moore-Rouse's body was discovered, Rosenberg had been arrested for a second murder, reported KDKA.

Rosenberg shot and killed a man who he is said to have met on a dating app, Jeremy Dentel, 28, inside his home in Baldwin in February 2020.

Rosenberg pleaded guilty but mentally ill in both cases and was sentenced to two concurrent life sentences. At one point, Rosenberg said he was compelled by Satan and wanted to be a serial killer.

During the investigation into Moore-Rouse's case, police learned Rosenberg's parents had found the murder weapon and brought it to Laux.

On January 20, 2020, Laux took the gun to the Allegheny County Police and said she found it in a park while walking her dog.

Rouse's lawsuit claims that these actions delayed the police investigation and the discovery of her son's body.

'Kimberly Rosenberg and Howard Rosenberg took the 9mm Ruger SR9C handgun to their marriage counselor, defendant Laux,' Rouse's lawyer Mark Homyak said in the filing.

'Laux falsely told the police she had found a loaded magazine and the unloaded gun on a trail off of Southridge Drive in North Park while walking her dog.'

According to police, Rosenberg had invited Moore-Rouse over to his house, then shot his friend in the back of the head, dragged his body down the driveway and hid it off the road. Pictured: a road leading up to the Rosenberg house

Rouse's lawsuit claims that the parents and counselors actions delayed the police investigation and the discovery of her son's body

Rosenberg shot and killed a man who he is said to have met on a dating app, Jeremy Dentel (pictured), 28, inside his home in Baldwin in February 2020

Homyak told WPXI, 'The duty of confidentiality ends when there's a crime proposed during the session and the counselor has a duty to tell the client not to commit the crime and certainly not to participate in it.'

The trial court and Superior Court denied Rouse's claims because they said neither the Rosenbergs nor Laux touched her son's body. 

'At most, Rouse's complaint alleges that the Rosenbergs somehow came into possession of the murder weapon and either knew or suspected that Adam was responsible for Christian's disappearance, and that they used their marriage counselor to turn the murder weapon into the police under a false explanation,' the Superior Court said. 

'While these facts might not paint defendants in a positive light, those facts also do not show that they did anything to conceal the location of a murder victim's body or thwart the police from discovering it, let alone even know where it was located.'