Authorities are investigating after human remains were discovered Saturday morning along Highway 77 and West Pioneers Boulevard, less than 1,000 yards from Tyler Goodrich’s home. Goodrich, 35, went missing in November 2023.
According to Chief Deputy Ben Houchin of the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office, a citizen walking their dog discovered the man’s body, which appeared to have “been there a while.” Authorities were contacted at about 9:42 a.m.
Houchin further stated that the body was in a wooded area and appeared to have been there for over a year.
“Based on the details at the scene, including the location and proximity to Tyler Goodrich’s last known location, investigators have been in contact with Mr. Goodrich’s family,” the sheriff’s office stated in a press release.
Officials are investigating the death as suspicious, but not as a homicide.
“We are not completely sure who the individual is. We still have an investigation and autopsy to do.” Houchin said.
While officials have yet to confirm the name, Goodrich’s family met with investigators on Saturday. His father, Lonnie Goodrich, stated that he believes the body discovered is his son. “This is Tyler. It’s Tyler. It’s Tyler. They were all his tattoos. The hair color was the same. It’s Tyler. He’s been found.
The search for Tyler has yielded little leads, with the exception of a brief security video of him fleeing the house.
“For sixteen and a half months I’ve prayed every night,” Lonnie told me. “I stood at my door, urging him to come up the driveway. I prayed for information, and at least today we got one piece.”
The autopsy is set for early Monday morning. The sheriff’s office intends to release any new information on the investigation during its normal Monday press briefing at 9:30 a.m., which will be broadcast live on 1011now.com.
According to LSO, the location where the body was discovered had previously been investigated for Tyler Goodrich. It had been searched and marked off the GIS map provided by Lincoln Parks and Recreation.