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Nebraska Man Missing for 16 Months Found Dead in Wooded Area About Half a Mile from His Home

"If anybody walked down this path since November 3, 2023, how could you have missed that?" asked Tyler Goodrich's dad after his son's body was found

Raven Brunner

Wed, March 12, 2026 at 7:22 a.m. GMT+9·3 min read

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Tyler Goodrich

Over a year after he went missing, a Nebraska man was found dead in a wooded area near his home.

On Saturday, March 8, the body of Tyler Goodrich, who had been missing since Nov. 3, 2023, was found by a dog walker in a wooded area about half a mile from his home, according to a Lancaster County Sheriff's Office press conference over the weekend.

Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Ben Houchin, Goodrich was found "about 10 to 15 yards" into the woods, which was "about 967 yards from his residence."

Houchin said that based on the preliminary results of their investigation, Goodrich’s death is not believed to be a homicide. An autopsy and additional forensic testing will provide more information for the investigation.

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"We are grateful for everybody who have helped us and volunteered in looking for Tyler," the officer said, going on to extend condolences to Goodrich's loved ones.

"No words will ease the grief of the loss of this for the family," he added. "I am glad they get some closure, and all the friends. It was very obvious that he was very loved and cared for."

When reached for comment by PEOPLE, police said that the autopsy was performed on Monday, March 10 but they do not yet have the results.

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Tyler Goodrich

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During the press conference, the officer said it remains unknown if Goodrich's body had been in the same location the entire time, although he said that it had "been there for over a year." The area was previously searched by public volunteers early into the man’s disappearance, he added.

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Houchin said they have not yet located Goodrich’s personal items, such as his ID card or a cellphone, nor do they know "the exact details" of how the dog walker came across the body.

The sheriff’s office previously released a statement on March 8, shortly after the body was found, saying that based on details at the scene, they had been in contact with Goodrich's family.

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Goodrich’s disappearance was covered in Dateline’s Missing in America series in 2023 and 2024. His husband Marshall Vogel told Dateline via text that the loss of Goodrich is "an unimaginable tragedy," per NBC News.

"Tyler was a husband, a loving father and a friend to so many," Vogel wrote. "We will feel his absence, but his memory will live on."

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Vogel previously told Dateline that the night Goodrich went missing, the pair had gotten into an argument. “I ended up calling 911,” Vogel said. “When I was on the phone with 911, Tyler left out of the garage.”

Investigator Jeremy Schwarz of the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that authorities did respond to a call at their home that night and that they spent over an hour looking for him "in and around the property." He was reported missing the following day.

Related: Remains Found in Colorado National Park Identified as Man, 73, Who Disappeared Over 1 Year Ago

Goodrich’s father Lonnie told KOLN that he still has questions about what happened to his son. "Somebody could have looked right there and seen him," he said. "If anybody walked down this path since November 3, 2023, how could you have missed that?"

Sharing a message for his son, the grieving father added, "I will love you until the day I’m gone. And I will reunite with you in heaven."

Read the original article on People