Court records have identified the victim of a homicide in Bedford County.

Tyler John Matthai, 26, was allegedly killed by his cousin, Derek Edward Ashley Louk, 28, last month, although police only found out about the incident last week.

According to the affidavit of probable cause, state police at Bedford received a tip about a possible homicide on May 11.

The tip stated that Louk struck Matthai while he was attacking a woman, police reported, noting the tip also stated Matthai died as a result and “they had burned his body.”

The incident allegedly occurred April 26 at Louk’s residence along Louk Lane, Cumberland Valley Township, Bedford County, police reported.

During the investigation, police probed social media accounts, talked with Bedford County Children and Youth Services and family members. Police reported that no one had any contact with Matthai for several weeks.

During an interview with police on May 13, a family member said the woman told her Louk had shot and killed Matthai while he was in the process of attacking the woman. The woman said Louk warned Matthai not to hit her again or he would shoot him, and when he hit her, Louk shot him. The woman told her family member that Matthai’s body was gone and there is nothing left of him.

Also during the investigation, police were told the woman was staying at Louk’s residence and through Messenger on May 1, had informed a family member that Matthai had her car but she had gotten it back.

When the family member asked the woman how she got the car back, she was told that Matthai was gone, she was safe and not in danger.

The woman allegedly said Matthai had been doing drugs and was high when he became physical with her and Louk told him to stop. When he failed to stop, Louk shot Matthai in the upper left arm.

The woman stopped the bleeding, and Matthai began doing more drugs, at which point he overdosed and died. The family member said the woman told her they disposed of Matthai’s body and belongings in an unknown manner, but there was “nothing left of the body.”

The woman also said the shooting happened inside Louk’s residence and a few days later, bleach was used to clean the area.

Based on the information gathered during the investigation, police secured a search warrant for Louk’s residence late Friday night and members of the state police Major Case Team arrived at Louk’s home at 12:30 a.m. Saturday. Louk was taken into custody and transported to the Bedford state police barracks where he was read his Miranda Rights and agreed to speak to officers.

Louk told police that he and the woman had been friends for years and that Matthai and the woman had an abusive relationship.

On what he thought was April 26, Louk told police Matthai broke into his house and took the woman from his living room and threw her in the backseat of a car. Louk told police he grabbed an AR-15 rifle and went outside, pointing the rifle at Matthai. He fired a single shot and struck Matthai in the right arm and when Matthai leaned into the car, Louk said he fired a second shot, striking Matthai in the back, killing him.

Louk said he pulled Matthai’s body across the yard and put it in a hole in the ground, put tires on top, poured kerosene on the tires and lit them on fire. He then went to sleep, stating the fire burned for about six hours. Louk told police he shoveled dirt on top of the hole.

Louk was arraigned Saturday morning by Magisterial District Judge Kevin R. Diehl on charges of criminal homicide, murder of the first degree, murder of the third degree, felony aggravated assault-attempts to cause or causes bodily injury with a deadly weapon, misdemeanor simple assault, recklessly endangering another person, tampering with/fabricating physical evidence and abuse of a corpse.

Louk’s preliminary hearing is scheduled for May 25 in Bedford County Central Court.

The woman’s case is inactive, though court records indicate she is to be charged with misdemeanor tampering with/fabricating physical evidence.

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