Tyler Rich Shaken After Discovering Dead Body During New Year’s Eve Run

Tyler Rich is understandably shaken up after discovering a dead body while running in a Massachusetts State Park on New Year’s Eve. 

The country singer took to social media to reveal details about the incident and share his gratitude for first responders and members of the armed forces who encounter similar situations on a daily basis. 

Rich explained that he embarked on what would have been “about a four-mile run” at Chicopee Memorial State Park on Thursday (Dec. 31). While in a heavily wooded area, Rich saw what he thought was a “young homeless man” sleeping. After feeling the need to help the individual, Rich turned around to check on him. 

“I realize he isn’t breathing, and as I get around to the from of him, all I see is a lifeless face cover in blood. Everywhere. Looked like maybe shot, or blunt force. At this moment, I freak out and sprint up the steep hill to try and find anyone with a phone to call police,” Rich recalled in a lengthy social media post. 

Not the way I planned on closing out 2020. This will be an image & moment I’ll never forget. I need to shoutout first responders & our military that look death in the eye every day, and are able to continue to live their everyday lives. https://t.co/3sRM2LN2Ux @MassAppealWWLP pic.twitter.com/NEfiKJuCFS

— Tyler Rich (@TylerRichMusic) January 1, 2021

He said that he then stumbled upon a couple walking on the main path and used their phone to call authorities. After they arrived, Rich gave his statement to law enforcement officers and the FBI. 

“After some time, the officers found a gun in one of his hands under his body. Which means it potentially could have been a suicide…Not that there is any type of thing that could help me cope with finding him like this. But, for sure knowing he wasn’t there discarded by someone else, and that he was there where he wanted to be, will at least put me a little more at ease,” he wrote. 

Rich went on to share how the situation is weighing on him and how he still can’t shake the image of the body. 

“I’m doing what I can to process this, the image, the reality. It’s been a rough 24 hours,” he admitted. “Something I’ll never unsee or forget the couple minutes when it was just him and I down at the water as I figured out what the hell was going on and what I was going to do. Dead silent middle of a state park. Just running water and him and I. He looked like a young, normal kid. Someone with a family probably wondering where he was.”

According to WWLP, authorities are still investigating the man’s death. His identity remains unknown. 

“Whoever you are and were, RIP friend,” Rich wrote in the closing line of his post. 

Tyler Rich and his wife Sabina Gadecki were in Massachusetts visiting family for the holidays.