Sixth suspect in Susquehanna homicide is captured in New York
Mar. 23—The New York State Police captured a 41-year-old man Thursday wanted for criminal homicide in Susquehanna County.
Investigators found Nikalos Petrich shortly after noon in Long Eddy, New York, near the Pennsylvania border, said Pennsylvania State Trooper Robert Urban, a spokesman for Troop R.
Petrich, whose address last fall was listed in Bayville, New Jersey, is wanted for criminal homicide and related counts for the September beating death of Tyler Barber, 28, whose remains were discovered three months later in rural Great Bend Twp.
Petrich is one of six people charged in connection with Barber's death and one of four charged with criminal homicide.
A co-defendant, Matthew Walter Baker, of Jackson Twp., reported to state police Petrich and another man, Blaze Matthew Corter, of Bridgewater Twp., also used a metal baseball bat to beat Barber at the beginning of September.
Baker, 22, and Corter, 30, were arrested on homicide charges Wednesday in Susquehanna County. Also charged with homicide were John Michael Sullivan, of Oakland Twp., and 33-year-old Daniel Steven Williams, of Bridgewater Twp.
A sixth co-defendant, Tracee-Joe Marie Shimer, of Susquehanna Depot, also faced kidnapping charges as a conspirator. Shimer, 39, allegedly texted Sullivan, 29, around the time of the assault about where in the area there were state troopers.
Those arrested Wednesday for homicide are jailed at the Susquehanna County Correctional Facility without bail. Shimer is detained on $250,000. Preliminary hearings are tentatively scheduled April 3.
Some of the defendants believed Barber tipped off the state police on drug activity and confronted him the night he was beaten, investigators said. In fact, Barber never gave the state police information on drug activity, Urban said.
Barber was restrained to a tree with a rope, disrobed to his underwear, beaten and left at the scene near Rose Hollow Road in Great Bend Twp., state police said. Barber's remains were discovered nearly three months later on state game lands near Rose Hollow Road.
A forensic anthropologist managed to identify the remains as Barber and the Susquehanna County coroner's office ruled his death a homicide.
Jailed in New York, Petrich will be returned to Pennsylvania to face charges in the coming days, Urban said.
A woman who reportedly helped hide Petrich is also expected to face a criminal charge, Urban said.
Contact the writer:
570-348-9100, x5187;
@jkohutTT on Twitter.
