BEDFORD COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA: A 30-year-old man has pleaded guilty to fatally shooting his cousin last year and then burning his body with the help of the victim’s estranged girlfriend.

Derek Louk entered the plea in Bedford County Court to one count of third-degree murder and abuse of a corpse in the death of Tyler Matthai in April 2022, Pennsylvania Attorney General Michelle Henry confirmed in a news release on Thursday, August 17.

Prosecutors stated that Louk will serve 15 to 30 years in prison under the terms of his plea agreement. He is scheduled to be sentenced on September 22.

Courtney S Boden, Matthai's ex-girlfriend, received a sentence of two and a half to twelve years in prison after pleading guilty to helping burn his body and covering up the murder.

A second man, Jordon Robertson, also pleaded guilty to helping Louk and is awaiting sentencing, prosecutors said, according to Law&Crime.

“The defendant not only pulled the trigger, he then conspired to conceal his horrific crimes by destroying the evidence — the victim’s body,” Henry said, adding, “With this plea, he is accepting responsibility for such senseless acts of violence and disregard for human life.”

Tyler Matthai's murder

Louk fatally shot Matthai after he burst into his home, dragged Boden from the living room, and threw her in her Pontiac’s back seat.

He then retrieved an AR-15 rifle from inside his house, went back outside, and fired a single shot at Matthai, who was standing next to the Pontiac sedan’s driver’s side door, court documents stated.

After being shot in his right arm, Matthai leaned into the car and Louk shot another bullet, striking him in the back. The suspect then checked his cousin’s neck pulse several times to confirm that he has died.

Louk dragged his cousin’s body across his yard and placed it in a hole in the ground, the affidavit said. He allegedly placed some tires on top of the body and poured kerosene on the pile before lighting it on fire.

Why did Derek Louk kill Tyler Matthai?

Louk told investigators that Matthai’s body burned for six hours while he went to sleep in the living room. The next morning, he shoveled the soil where he had burnt Matthai's body.

According to court documents, a relative informed police that Boden said Matthai had been doing drugs and was high that night. They added that the victim was attacking Boden when Louk told him to stop before firing a shot.

Louk said he and Boden had been friends since he moved to Bedford County seven years earlier. Matthai and Boden had an abusive relationship, according to the document.