Suvechha Sarkar
At 28, Tyler Scott Barber was taking big steps towards a promising future when his life came to a sudden halt in September 2022. The young man went missing in Susquehanna Depot, Pennsylvania. Two months later, investigators discovered his remains in a remote wooded area. The episode titled ‘Savage Woods’ of Investigation Discovery’s ‘The Real Murders on Elm Street’ dives deeper into its investigation, which uncovered a trail of betrayal. It also features exclusive interviews with the officials who tirelessly worked to catch the killers.
Tyler Barber’s Remains Were Found Two Months After His Disappearance
Tyler Scott Barber was born on October 15, 1993, bringing immense joy to the lives of his mother, Tammy Barber, and father. However, very little is known about his life prior to his adulthood. According to Tammy, Tyler was a really good person who had unfortunately fallen into the “wrong crowd.” Nevertheless, he reportedly found love, which led him to embrace fatherhood with the birth of his child in 2018. Tammy stated that by 2022, Tyler was working hard to turn his life around for his family and his 4-year-old kid. On September 1, 2022, he was in constant contact with the mother of his child. However, the messages she sent to him gradually became unread and eventually undelivered as the night progressed into the early hours of September 2.
According to reports, Tyler was often active on Facebook, but his activities ceased in the late hours of September 1. He even went out of contact with Tammy and his uncle, Danny Labour. When they couldn’t find him for several days, they reported him missing on September 13. Officials learned that he was last seen at an apartment on Elm Street in Susquehanna Depot, Pennsylvania. They reportedly noted that the house was disheveled and found no leads. Despite interviewing multiple people and conducting an intensive search, the authorities were unable to trace Tyler. Soon after, a major tip led them to a wooded area in Great Bend Township near Rose Hollow Road. Although investigators uncovered Tyler’s glasses, a button from his jeans, and a burn pile, they were unable to locate him.
On November 28, 2022, a hunter passing through a nearby trail made a shocking discovery: scattered human remains in the same woods, along with a polo shirt nearby. Officials arrived at the scene promptly after the 911 call and confirmed that the skeletal remains were of a human. Besides the absence of all the bones, they noticed that the skull was missing several teeth. The forensic anthropologist reportedly observed that the remains seemed fresh. Experts also determined that the pattern of fractures in the bones indicated blunt force trauma inflicted post-mortem. Ultimately, they identified the individual as Tyler with dental radiography. However, medical experts were unable to determine the cause or manner of death due to a lack of evidence.
A Friend’s Confession Became the Breakthrough Investigators Needed
When investigators began looking into Tyler’s missing persons report, they reportedly learned that he stopped all communication from the late hours of September 1, 2022. According to reports, when they checked the CCTV footage near the apartment where he was last seen, they discovered a black Hyundai leaving the premises on the night of September 1. It returned and left again after 45 minutes. However, despite questioning several people, they found no prominent leads. A breakthrough arrived when Tyler’s uncle, Danny, informed the authorities about one of Tyler’s friends, Matthew Walter Baker.
Upon questioning, Matthew confessed that on September 1, Tyler was kidnapped and taken to the woods in Great Bend Township, where he was beaten and left by his friends. According to police records, Matthew admitted to being present at the scene during that time and to having beaten Tyler. He reportedly told the officials that he and Tyler’s other friends had burnt all of Tyler’s clothes, but insisted that they didn’t kill him. He even led detectives to the spot, where they found a burn pile, but they didn’t find Tyler. When they discovered Tyler’s remains in November, they began interrogating Matthew again. By December, he confessed that their friends, Blaze Matthew Corter, John Michael Sullivan, Daniel Steven Williams, and Nikalos Petrich, were also involved.
False Presumption Was Alleged to be the Motive Behind the Murder
Investigation reports state that Matthew admitted that Tyler was attacked because the suspects allegedly presumed that Tyler had snitched. Officials learned that Tyler was questioned about drugs on September 1 by authorities, and he was reportedly released since he was innocent. However, when Blaze and the others saw a guy from their apartment getting arrested, they suspected Tyler. Blaze, John, Daniel, and Nikalos were also interrogated, and they admitted to kidnapping Tyler and beating him to instill fear in him. Yet, all of them claimed that they didn’t murder Tyler.
According to reports, Daniel also confessed to using his car to take everyone to the woods. On the contrary, Nikalos claimed that he had later walked down because he allegedly didn’t want to be a part of the crime. During questioning, Daniel alleged that he was forced to use a baseball bat to attack Tyler, alongside Blaze and Nikalos. Detectives next checked the trail camera, which captured him driving the car. When a search warrant was executed on the vehicle, they discovered ropes in it. Forensic experts reportedly found the DNA of Tyler, Blaze, and Daniel on it.
According to court records, Matthew even led officials to Tyler’s hat, and the DNA matched that of Tyler. The checking of their phone records revealed a woman, Tracee Joe Shimer, who had texted John to caution him about state troopers during the time of the assault. Ultimately, Blaze, Daniel, Matthew, and John were arrested on March 22, 2023, and were charged with murder, kidnapping, and conspiracy to commit murder. Around the same time, Tracee was taken into custody and charged with kidnapping and unlawful restraint as a conspirator. Shortly after, Nikalos was also arrested and charged with murder.
While Daniel, Nikalos, Blaze, and Matthew are in State Prisons Today, John Passed Away in Custody
Following her arrest, Tracee avoided trial by pleading guilty in November 2023 to hindering apprehension. She was sentenced right after to 5 to 23 months in the county jail. On January 10, 2025, John, Nikalos, and Daniel all pleaded guilty to third-degree murder. Matthew pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter, conspiracy to commit robbery, conspiracy to commit criminal homicide, unlawful restraint, and aggravated assault. Lastly, Blaze pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit third-degree murder. Unfortunately, before his sentencing in February 2025, John passed away in prison.
In February, Daniel and Nikalos were each sentenced to 15 to 40 years in prison. Blaze received a 20 to 40-year sentence, while Matthew is set to serve between 7 years and 11 months to 32 years. As of writing, Nikalos is serving his sentence at State Correctional Institution (SCI)–Huntingdon in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania. While Blaze is currently incarcerated at SCI Mahanoy in Frackville, Pennsylvania, Matthew is serving his time at SCI Waymart in Waymart, Pennsylvania. Daniel is presently serving his sentence at SCI Benner Township in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania. According to prison records, Tracee is currently out on parole, but appears to be maintaining a low profile today.
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