Pennsylvania State police say a Bedford man who was charged with murder over the weekend is accused of shooting his cousin twice before dragging his body to a hole, burying his body under tires and burning his body after dousing him with kerosene.
Derek Louk faces first and third-degree murder, criminal homicide, aggravated assault, abuse of a corpse and other related charges, according to the criminal complaint related to the case.
State police announced the charges Saturday related to the homicide that happened in the Louks Lane area of Cumberland Valley Township April 26.
Troopers say they received an anonymous tip Wednesday about the possible murder of Tyler Matthai.
The tip reportedly states that Louk had struck his cousin Matthai while Matthai was attacking his girlfriend.
Troopers say the tip explained that Matthai had died and they had burned his body.
Investigators say they learned that Matthai and his girlfriend had been staying with her grandmother, but no one had heard from Matthai for several weeks.
Troopers reached out to the grandmother who told them that Matthai hadn’t been staying with her and her granddaughter had moved out in March.
The grandmother agreed to do an interview with investigators which was conducted Friday.
During the interview, troopers say the grandmother received a call from another woman who explained that she was told by Matthai’s girlfriend that Louk had killed Matthai.
When pressed for more information, state police say the woman stated she was told by the girlfriend that Louk had shot Matthai while Matthai was attacking her at Louk’s home.
The woman said she was told by the girlfriend that Louk warned Matthai not to hit her again or he would shoot him, according to the criminal complaint, and when Matthai struck her, Louk shot him.
The woman related that the girlfriend told her Matthai’s body was gone and “there was nothing left of him,” according to investigators.
The woman told troopers that she had spoken to Matthai’s girlfriend on Facebook messenger where she relayed that Louk had shot Matthai in the arm after Matthai refused to stop physically abusing her, according to the complaint.
The girlfriend told the woman that Matthai then began doing drugs, overdosed and died, troopers say.
The girlfriend allegedly said they then disposed of Matthai’s body and belongings and that there was “nothing left of the body.”
Troopers say the girlfriend then asked the woman for bleach so she and Louk could clean the house.
Investigators say they executed a search warrant on Louk’s home and took him into custody.
During an interview with Louk, troopers say he told them that he had known Matthai’s girlfriend for several years and knew them to be in an abusive relationship.
According to state police, Louk explained that Matthai’s girlfriend called him after Matthai had taken her car and left for Baltimore.
Louk reportedly stated that he let the girlfriend stay at his house and, in the early morning hours of April 26, Matthai busted into his home and began physically abusing her, according to the criminal complaint.
That’s when Louk said he grabbed his AR-15 and threatened to shoot Matthai if he didn’t stop, according to the complaint.
Louk said he then shot Matthai in the arm and then again in the back, killing him, troopers say.
Investigators say Louk then told them that he dragged Matthai’s body across his yard, placed his body in a hole in the ground, put tires on top of him, covered him in kerosene and then set his body on fire.
Louk told investigators that he went to bed as the fire burned for six hours and then woke up and buried what remained, according to state police.
Louk is being held in the Bedford County Prison.
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