Susquehanna County man beaten to death; six charged for role in slaying

Mar. 22—NEW MILFORD TWP. — Police arrested five people and sought a sixth in Susquehanna County for roles in the September slaying of a man they suspected tipped law enforcement off to drug activity.

A hunter found the skull and other remains of Tyler Barber on Nov. 28 in woods near his cabin, nearly three months after the 28-year-old disappeared, according to a state police arrest affidavit.

Of the five detained, four men are charged with criminal homicide for brutally beating Barber, of Susquehanna County, who had been tied to a tree in Great Bend Twp. Those arrested are:

—Blaze Matthew Corter, of 137 Ellsworth Drive, Bridgewater Twp.

—Matthew Walter Baker, of 1081 State Route 1008, Jackson Twp.

—John Michael Sullivan, of 29 Columbus Ave., Oakland Twp.

—Daniel Steven Williams, of 137 Ellsworth Drive, Bridgewater Twp.

In addition to homicide, they are charged with other felonies, including kidnapping, robbery and aggravated assault. Magisterial District Judge Jodi Cordner denied those four men bail following their arraignments Wednesday in her New Milford Twp. courtroom.

A fifth person charged with homicide and related felonies, identified as Nikalos Petrich, 41, remained at large Wednesday. Baker, 22, accused Petrich and Corter of striking a restrained and disrobed Barber with a metal baseball bat, state police said in an affidavit.

"I just wish it didn't happen," Baker said Wednesday as troopers led him from the Susquehanna County state police barracks in handcuffs.

A sixth person charged, Tracee-Joe Marie Shimer, of 292 Jackson Ave., Susquehanna Depot, is detained at the jail in lieu of $250,000 bail on counts of kidnapping and unlawful restraint as a conspirator. In an affidavit, she sent a text message to Sullivan around the time of the assault warning him of where in the area there were state troopers.

Preliminary hearings for those detained Wednesday are tentatively scheduled April 3.

With his hat pulled over his eyes, Sullivan accused "Blaze and Dan" of kidnapping him.

"They kidnapped me and forced me to do (stuff) and now I'm charged with homicide," Sullivan, 39, said while troopers led him to arraignment.

Corter, 30, Williams, 33, and Shimer, 30, remained silent as they were led away. Williams used an arrest warrant to shield his face from news cameras.

Trooper Robert Urban, a state police spokesman for Troop R, which covers Susquehanna County and the Gibson barracks, described the case as a "brutal assault" and a "heinous murder."

"You never get surprised by any type of brutality that's involved in any type of assault or murder case," Urban said. "It's just the world we live in today."

According to affidavits prepared by Cpl. Dan Nilon and Troopers Casey Foster and Robert McGrath, state police began investigating Barber's disappearance Sept. 13, when his uncle reported him missing.

His family last spoke to him Sept. 1. A father of a 4-year-old, Barber's disappearance was unusual.

Investigators learned from Baker that Barber had been at an apartment on Elm Street in Susquehanna Depot late Sept. 1 with Corter, Williams and Sullivan. Baker, who was there as well, recounted how Corter, Williams and Sullivan suspected Barber of being a "snitch."

Corter told Barber he had five seconds to flee, but Barber stood his ground. Corter, who is 6 feet 2 inches tall and 190 pounds, forced the 5 feet 11 inches tall and 160 pound Barber into a damaged Hyundai, state police said.

The five of them — Baker, Barber, Corter, Sullivan and Williams — drove toward Great Bend Twp., where they destroyed Barber's cellphone, blindfolded him and tied him to a tree by Rose Hollow Road, authorities alleged. Corter assured Barber during the trip, "he'd get information out of him whether he likes it or not."

Baker, Corter, Sullivan and Williams each punched Barber, the state police said. They also stripped him to his underwear in a search for his valuables and the burned his clothing. Barber told them they could find his money back at the Elm Street apartment they just came from. Baker and Sullivan stayed with Barber while Corter and Williams went to search for Barber's cash.

State police alleged they robbed him of approximately $160.

When Williams and Corter returned to where Barber was tied up, Petrich had joined them, Baker disclosed to investigators. Petrich carried a baseball bat in his hand.

Petrich and Corter beat Barber with the bat. Barber apologized to them while they attacked, Petrich told troopers.

When they were done, they cut his restraints and left him lying in the road.

Baker told the investigators he did not know what happened to Barber after that, but that was the last he saw or heard from him.

A search warrant at the Elm Street apartment turned up a baseball bat similar to the one Baker described, state police said.

Borys Krawczeniuk, Staff Writer, contributed to this report.

Contact the writer: jkohut@timesshamrock.com, 570-348-9100, x5187; @jkohutTT on Twitter.