Suspect in custody 16 years after Derry Township homicide

DERRY TOWNSHIP, Pa. — A Westmoreland County cold case has finally been solved after 16 years, according to State Police.

On Wednesday, Troopers arrested Charles Ream, 53, of Latrobe.

They believe he killed Samantha Lang inside her family’s Derry Township home in 2007.

On March 27, 2007, Pennsylvania State Police found Lang in the living room lying in a pool of blood.

Her death was ruled a homicide after an autopsy revealed she died from extensive blunt force trauma to the head with multiple lacerations to the scalp, multiple fractures of the calvarium and basilar skull and extensive contusions and lacerations with hemorrhage of the cerebral hemispheres, according to the criminal complaint.

The complaint also details a large wound to Lang’s neck that went through the trachea, esophagus, thyroid gland, right carotid artery and right jugular vein.

She also had trauma to one of her fingers.

The criminal complaint said Ream was interviewed by police the day after Lang’s body was found.

Channel 11 was there to question Ream as Troopers took him to the Westmoreland County Jail.

Ream had nothing to say.

Court documents said Ream was a heroin user at the time of the homicide and that Lang was his dealer.

On March 16, 2007, at around 9:30 p.m., Ream waited for Lang in her driveway. He followed her into the back door of her house and bought three bags of heroin, court documents said.

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Ten minutes after Ream and Lang went into the house, Lang picked up a call from a woman. That same woman called Lang again 15 minutes later, but she didn’t answer. She had multiple other missed calls that night.

Court documents said police interviewed a male informant who came forward last year. The informant said he asked Ream if he killed Lang, to which Ream replied, “If I tell you, you can’t tell anyone.”

Ream reportedly told the informant that he planned to get drugs from Lang by bending or breaking her fingers.

The informant told police that he thought Ream said he tried to cover his face, but Lang recognized him so he had to “take care of her.”

The informant then told police that Ream said he hit Lang in the head and she fell on the floor. He thought she was dead, but when he realized she was still alive, he stabbed her.

Ream reportedly told the informant he was only able to get a small amount of drugs and/or money after the homicide.

According to the criminal complaint, a female informant told police in May 2023 that she overheard a conversation between Ream and two other males about the homicide. Ream reportedly made comments to the effect of “I did it, I made a mistake” and “I have a daughter now, I don’t want to get in trouble for something I was involved in from the past.”

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Ream also reportedly brought up who discovered Lang’s body, Lang’s injuries and that the homicide happened over drugs.

Another female informant told police that she was at a residence that housed the murder weapon shortly after Lang’s death, the complaint said. After being at that house, she, a known male and Ream went to Ream’s residence where they were talking about the homicide.

Ream reportedly said that he was involved in Lang’s death, court documents said. He also said he went into her house to rob her of drugs and money and that he got angry when they opened the safe and it was empty.

Ream told the people involved in this conversation that he didn’t want either of them to say anything to anyone. The female informant told police that Ream threatened them if they ever told, court documents said.

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Ream is charged with criminal homicide, burglary, robbery with intent to inflict serious bodily injury and theft by unlawful taking.

Westmoreland County District Attorney Nicole W. Ziccarelli made the following statement regarding Ream’s arrest:

“This was a collaborative effort among our dedicated Assistant District Attorneys and investigators from Pennsylvania State Police who never gave up on this case and I commend them for their diligence. I cannot imagine the pain, anguish and grief the Lang family has suffered after all of this time. After 16 years, the perseverance and commitment shown to this investigation led to this arrest today and we hope it begins to bring justice and some relief to Samantha Lang’s family.”

Ream was denied bail and will be held at the Westmoreland County Jail until a preliminary hearing on August 9.

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