A Nebraska man named Tyler Goodrich had been missing for over a year after leaving his home following an argument with his husband. He was not seen again until a person walking their dog discovered his body in a wooded area near Highway 77 and West Pioneers Boulevard on March 8. The location was approximately 10 to 15 yards into the woods and less than 1,000 yards from Goodrich’s home.
During the weekend, the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office held a press conference, which they also live-streamed on Facebook. According to Chief Deputy Ben Houchin, he did not believe that Tyler Goodrich’s death was due to homicide. However, the authorities still plan to perform an autopsy and forensic testing to gather more information.
Houchin stated that they couldn’t know for sure whether the remains of the Nebraska man had been in the same location the whole time. He also added that the area had been previously searched by public volunteers right after the man went missing, yet nobody discovered the body during that period. They also have not found Goodrich’s personal belongings, such as his ID and phone.
In an interview with KOLN, Tyler’s father, Lonnie, said that he was very shaken when he heard the news. “You had that moment, and it was a mixed moment,” Lonnie told KOLN. “A moment of, ‘We have him, thank God.’ But then the reality of, ‘We have him. Oh my God.'”
A Suspicious Death
Although the authorities finally found the body of the missing Nebraska man, there are still many questions. Why did Goodrich disappear? What happened to him? How did his body end up so close to his home yet nobody found him? Others who heard the news also had their suspicions. “How strange!” one Redditor remarked. “Not only was the body only 1000 ft from Tyler’s home, apparently that area had already been marked off as searched.”
Some questioned what it exactly meant that someone found the body in a tree. Was it up in a tree? Or was it even folded or stuffed into the hollow of the tree? “I have a pretty good source that told me his body was found hanging in a tree as an apparent suicide,” another Redditor stated. “He climbed very high up the tree to do this, which is why his body was never seen because it was so high up in the tree.”
Nevertheless, everybody agreed that it was a tragic situation. The Nebraska man shouldn’t have died so soon, and his family and loved ones would no doubt feel his loss.