Tyler Barber case on The Real Murders on Elm Street season 2 episode 5: A detailed case overview

The Real Murders on Elm Street season 2 returns with episode 5, Savage Woods, and focuses on the killing of 28-year-old Tyler Scott Barber in Susquehanna County, Pennsylvania. The hour traces the search, the discovery of remains in the woods, and the circle of acquaintances who reportedly drew investigators in.

The episode frames the story around a missing-person call in early September 2022 and a later find in remote timberland. Interviews with family and law enforcement set out how a night of messages went quiet, why a tip sent detectives to a burn site, and how a confession reportedly broke the case open.

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A detailed case overview of The Real Murders on Elm Street season 2

Last known location is an Elm Street apartment in Susquehanna Depot (Image via Unsplash)

Episode 5 opens with Barber’s last confirmed contacts on the night of September 1. Messages stopped reaching him by the early hours of 1:00 am on September 2, and relatives later reported him missing. He was last seen at an apartment on Elm Street in Susquehanna Depot.

The search moved from town streets to the woods near Rose Hollow Road after a tip reportedly pointed to a burn pile and personal items. On November 28, 2022, a hunter found skeletal remains and clothing in nearby woods. Dental records confirmed the identity. The cause and manner of death were not set, but fractures reportedly showed blunt force injuries after death.

A hunter discovers bones in the woods, sparking a deeper inquiry (Image via Unsplash)

Detectives then worked back to the apartment group. Phone data, a trail camera image of a car, and items seized from a vehicle, including rope with DNA, shaped the path of the case.

A friend, Matthew Baker, admitted being present, described a beating in the woods, and named others who allegedly helped lure, restrain, and assault Barber. A suspected motive surfaced from interviews and messages: a belief that Barber had “snitched” after a drug-related stop, a claim authorities did not confirm as true.

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Timeline in The Real Murders on Elm Street season 2

Investigators traced a black Hyundai seen coming and going from the Elm Street location on the night Barber vanished. Interviews and records led to the identification of five men already known to the group.

Baker reportedly guided detectives to a burn site and later to Barber’s hat. Forensic testing tied the DNA on the seized rope to Barber and two suspects. It was said that one man arrived with a silver baseball bat. Several admitted to kidnapping and beating to frighten Barber, while claiming they had not intended to kill him.

Arrests followed in March 2023. Those named across filings and the episode include Blaze Matthew Corter, John Michael Sullivan, Daniel Steven Williams, Matthew Walter Baker, and Nikalos Petrich. A sixth person, Tracee Joe Shimer, was charged as a conspirator based on warning texts sent during the assault window.

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Key legal outcomes in The Real Murders on Elm Street season 2

Plea deals arrived in late 2024 and early 2025. Sullivan pleaded to murder charges and later died in custody. In February 2025, Petrich and Williams each received 15 to 40 years, Corter received 20 to 40 years, and Baker received 7 years and 11 months to 32 years.

Shimer earlier pleaded to hindering apprehension and served a county sentence. According to WNEP, those sentences followed admissions that placed the men at the scene and tied them to the abduction and assault.

The episode closes with Barber’s family expressing grief and anger at the outcomes. Their words echo the central theme of Savage Woods, a killing born from a false belief and a group decision that turned fatal.

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Where to watch The Real Murders on Elm Street season 2

The Real Murders on Elm Street Season 2 streams on HBO Max, HBO Max Amazon Channel, Discovery+ Amazon Channel, Philo, Discovery+, YouTube TV, and Investigation Discovery. Episodes are also available to buy on Amazon Video, Apple TV, and Fandango At Home. The series can be streamed for free with ads on Investigation Discovery and Spectrum On Demand.

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