Attempted Rape Charge Added Against Man Accused Of Killing Teenage Cousin

A 20-year-old Bristol Township man already accused of killing his 14-year-old cousin in late March has now been charged with attempted rape.

The new charge was added against Colin Haag Wednesday before District Judge Frank Peranteau Sr. It was added on top of charges of homicide, aggravated assault, burglary, kidnapping, unlawful restraints, theft, and related offenses, according to a court docket. All the charges were waived to Doylestown for trial.

The Bucks County Courier Times reported that prosecutors alleged Wednesday that Haag was motivated to brutally murder Autumn Bartle in the home they lived with their family after he attempted to rape her on Friday, March 30.

Haag could face the death penalty but prosecutors will have until late next month to file a motion citing aggravating circumstances. Deputy District Attorney Jennifer Schorn said no decision on whether prosecutors would pursue the death penalty has been made.

According to authorities, Haag stabbed Autumn at least 80 times and shot her in the head with her father’s handgun when no one else was home.

Bartle’s mother arrived to the home at 431 Sycamore Avenue and found her daughter shot and stabbed. Emergency responders rushed to the scene and took the critically injured 14-year-old girl to St. Christopher’s Hospital in Philadelphia. She survived the weekend before succumbing to her injuries.

In court papers, police noted the scene was bloody and there were signs of a struggle in the home’s bathroom.

Bloody handprints found outside the bathroom window made it “apparent that Autumn Bartle, with bloodied hands, had attempted to climb out of the window and escape, but was unsuccessful,” police said.

Two bloody handprints inside the bathroom made authorities allege that “someone had grabbed the window sash and closed and locked it.”

“It appeared that Autumn Bartle had been confined to the bathroom area when she was brutally stabbed numerous times,” investigators wrote.

After the violent attack on his cousin, Haag left the home and disappeared before Bartle’s badly injured body was found. Hours later, he was noticed by a Bensalem officer patrolling on State Road. The officer approached Haag and he shot himself in the throat, according to authorities.

The bullet, police said, entered by his throat and stopped by his ear, leaving non-life-threatening damage.

After Bensalem officers determined Haag had shot himself and took the 20-year-old into custody, they found Bartle father’s .380 pistol in his pant pocket and recovered another missing handgun in his backpack, police said.

Officers also reportedly found a black backpack with a spiral-bound notebook with handwriting in it. The last page had the following message: “this is the last of Slim that’s all you get it’s the end 4 me.” A bloody palm print was also on the page and later confirmed through DNA testing to belong to Bartle.

Haag lived in the basement of the home where Bartle and her parents resided with an older relative. He had posted videos on YouTube of him rapping in the past.

Haag remains at the Bucks County Correctional Facility without bail.