“There were no signs of violence or trauma,” Wagner says. “The only injury noted was to the neck, consistent with hanging.” The 35-year-old Goodrich was reported missing in November 2023. His body was discovered on March 8 by a person walking their dog in a wooded area about a half mile from his home. There were several searches by volunteers in the area.
During a Tuesday morning news conference, Lancaster County Sheriff Terry Wagner said Tyler Goodrich died by suicide. Wagner says the autopsy that was conducted on March 10 determined Goodrich’s cause of death was asphyxia due to hanging.
Wagner says their investigation concluded that Goodrich hanged himself shortly after leaving home following a family argument. A home security camera captured Goodrich running along a gravel road.
“So as the crow flies, that’s where his phone was shut off, and that’s the last image on camera.” Wagner says Goodrich was identified through tattoos and later through dental records. He also says days after Tyler’s remains were found a citizen using a metal detector found items belonging to Tyler about 230 feet west of where his body was found. “Investigators noted evidence that animals had moved these belongings.”
Those items included a cellphone and a watch. County Attorney Pat Condon says he will be certifying the cause and manner of Goodrich’s death consistent with the sheriff’s findings. Condon thanked the entire community who worked with local law enforcement to attempt to find Goodrich and bring some closure to the family.
“Losing a loved one to suicide is an extremely painful experience,” Condon says.