'It's Tyler.' Family believes missing Lincoln man has been found after human remains discovered

LINCOLN, Neb. -- Authorities are investigating the discovery of human remains found on Saturday morning near Highway 77 and West Pioneers Boulevard, close to the home of a missing man, Tyler Goodrich, who has not been seen since November 2023. The remains were located by a person walking their dog, who alerted officials around 9:42 a.m. Chief Deputy Ben Houchin from the Lancaster County Sheriff's Office reported that the body appeared to have been in the area for an extended period.

The remains were found in a wooded area less than 1,000 yards from Goodrich's last known location. Although the investigation is ongoing, authorities have reached out to Goodrich's family with information related to the scene. Houchin mentioned that while they are treating the death as suspicious, it has not yet been classified as a homicide.

While the identity of the remains has not been definitively confirmed, Goodrich's family met with investigators on the same day and expressed their fears. His father, Lonnie Goodrich, believes the remains belong to his son, citing similarities such as tattoos and hair color, saying, "It's Tyler. It's Tyler. It's Tyler."

An autopsy is scheduled for Monday morning to determine the cause of death and confirm the identity of the individual found. The sheriff’s office plans to provide updates during their regular press briefing at 9:30 a.m., which will be accessible live online.

Notably, the area where the remains were found had previously been searched as part of the efforts to locate Tyler Goodrich, as indicated in maps created by Lincoln Parks and Rec. Authorities remain focused on piecing together the circumstances surrounding the remains and are committed to providing further information as the investigation progresses.