The true story behind Tyler Barber’s case in The Real Murders on Elm Street season 2 episode 5 explored

On September 1, 2022, Tyler Barber, a 28-year-old barber and father known to be kind, had visited friends at an apartment on Elm Street. The night that began with hanging out would soon turn into a fatal betrayal: the group accused him of snitching to the police, kidnapped him, and drove him to remote woods in Great Bend Township.

There, the attackers bound him to a tree, robbed him of $160, and beat him with fists, sticks, and a baseball bat until he was left for dead, stripped and abandoned on a rural road. His skull and partial remains were found nearly three months later by a hunter, which launched a murder investigation that peeled away layers of paranoia and violence in a small community.

This tale unfolds in Savage Woods, the fifth episode of The Real Murders on Elm Street season 2, which aired on October 29, 2025, on Investigation Discovery.

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The Real Murders on Elm Street season 2: The events leading to the kidnapping of Tyler Barber

The Real Murders on Elm Street, season 2, episode 5(Image via Unsplash/ @ JOHN TOWNER)

Tyler Barber lived a humble life in Great Bend Township as a barber who often cut hair without charge for those in need. He was a loving father to his young child and remained on close terms with a network of friends who were low-level drug users. On September 1, 2022, Barber, who had $160 cash from a recent settlement, stopped by an Elm Street apartment in Susquehanna Depot to visit Blaze Corter, Matthew Baker, John Sullivan, and Daniel Williams.

They shared drugs, but it wasn't long before the tension mounted. Paranoid that the police had an informant within their ranks, they turned on Barber, mistakenly believing him to be an informant, according to WNEP. Corter, considered the group's leader, gave Barber "five seconds to run," but when he stayed, the men forced him into a damaged Hyundai sedan at gunpoint, though no gun was fired.

Blindfolded and bound, Barber was driven about 10 miles to the woods near Rose Hollow Road. Along the way, the suspects discussed killing him, fueled by methamphetamine and fear of arrest. Text messages later showed Tracee-Joe Shimer, waiting outside, warning Sullivan about nearby state troopers, adding to the frantic escape, according to WNEP.

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The brutal assault and aftermath

Tyler Barber was beaten to death (Image via Unsplash/ @ Jaclyn Baxter)

In the secluded woods, the group tied Tyler Barber to a tree with a rope from the car. They destroyed his phone by smashing it and stripping him to his underwear to search for hidden cash.

The beating began with punches and kicks from Sullivan and Williams, escalating when Corter grabbed a metal baseball bat from the vehicle. He struck Tyler Barber repeatedly in the head and body, joined later by Nikalos Petrich, who arrived after the initial kidnapping.

Baker stood by, later admitting in his confession that he felt "remorse" but did not intervene. Throughout, Barber apologized, begging, "I'm sorry," unaware that the attack would prove fatal. The suspects rifled his pockets, taking the $160 and any valuables, then burned his clothes nearby to destroy evidence, according to WNEP.

They cut his restraints and dragged him into the road, assuming he might crawl away or be hit by a car, effectively abandoning him to die from his injuries. Driving back, they discarded the bat at the apartment and split up, with Shimer providing an alibi via texts. Barber's uncle reported him missing on September 13, 2022, after days of no contact, triggering a Pennsylvania State Police search.

His family held on to hope for almost three months, distributing flyers and checking local spots. The episode featured reenactments of the attack's brutality, shot in dim light to convey a sense of isolation, accompanied by the sounds of the forest.

Forensic experts described how decomposition delayed identification, but dental records confirmed that it was indeed Tyler Barber on November 28, 2022, as reported by WNEP.

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Unraveling the case through investigation

Tyler Barber was missing for 3 months (Image via Unsplash/ @ Markus Winkler)

Pennsylvania State Police shifted from a missing person to a homicide probe after the remains' discovery near a hunter's cabin in New Milford Township, about 10 miles from the assault site. Tips from the local drug network pointed to the Elm Street group, but breakthroughs came from Baker's cooperation. Overwhelmed by guilt, he confessed details, including the bat's location at the apartment, leading to its recovery with Tyler Barber's blood.

Cell phone pings placed the Hyundai in the woods that night, and Shimer's warning texts to Sullivan during the drive provided timelines. Burned clothing fragments matched those of Tyler Barber, tying the evidence together. Arrests began on March 22, 2023, with Corter, Baker, Sullivan, Williams, and Shimer in custody; Petrich was apprehended soon after.

All faced charges of criminal homicide, kidnapping, robbery, and aggravated assault and were arraigned before Judge Jodi Cordner, with bail denied due to risks. Trooper Robert Urban described it as a "heinous murder," noting the brutality's rarity even in drug circles.

The investigation spanned months, involving autopsies and witness interviews, and uncovered no real informant role for Tyler Barber, only baseless fear, according to WNEP.

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Paths to justice and lasting echoes

Five suspects pleaded guilty in Tyler Barber's murder (Image via Unsplash/ @ Larry Farr)

Five of the suspects pleaded guilty in Susquehanna County Court on January 10, 2025, and avoided full trials. Sullivan, Petrich, and Williams were charged with third-degree murder; Baker with voluntary manslaughter, kidnapping conspiracy, and related counts; and Corter with conspiracy for third-degree murder. Shimer had earlier pleaded guilty to hindering apprehension.

They were sentenced in February 2025: Petrich and Williams each received 15 to 40 years; Corter, 20 to 40 years; Baker, seven years and 11 months to 32 years; and Shimer, five to 23 months in county jail. Sullivan died in prison before his hearing, as WNEP reported. Barber's family viewed the outcomes as too lenient: "Beat with sticks and baseball bat and tied to a tree. a slap on the wrist."

Tammy Barber remembered him as her sidekick who helped everyone, urging focus on his good nature. The case shook Susquehanna County, prompting talks on drug paranoia and support for victims' kin, according to WNEP.

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Watch The Real Murders on Elm Street, season 2 episode 5, streaming on Investigation Discovery.

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Edited by Somava