LANCASTER, Pa. — A man has been charged with the murder of Edgardo Bermudez-Melendez, which occurred on March 13 of this year, according to police.
Carlos Omar Rivera-Rivera II, 24, has been charged with criminal homicide, tampering with or fabricating physical evidence, and abuse of a corpse.
Through an investigation conducted by the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) with the assistance of the York County District Attorney's Office, it was determined that Bermudez-Melendez was killed in York City and his body was transported and discarded in a wooded area along Holtwood Road in Lancaster County.
The cause of Bermudez-Melendez's death was gunshot wounds. He was found at the bottom of an embankment after being reported missing for a week.
Rivera-Rivera allegedly attempted to purchase two firearms on March 19, 2022. A Pennsylvania Instant Check System (PICS) request was conducted and came back as undetermined, so neither firearm was sold.
The check came back as undetermined because of a previous incident Rivera-Rivera II had with Georgia police, where he had been listed as fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer.
Rivera-Rivera II then allegedly indicated that he wasn't under indictment for a felony, which is a violation of the law if false information was provided.
According to court reports, bail has been denied for Rivera-Rivera II.
