Man charged with abducting, killing beloved Philadelphia bartender Wey Um
Nearly two years after Northeast Philadelphia bartender Wey Um was kidnapped returning home from work, federal prosecutors provided an update — a man was arrested and charged in Um's kidnapping, and authorities said the Summerdale resident is now dead.
Tyheem Tyler, 34, is in custody and has been indicted on multiple charges including conspiracy and aiding and abetting related to Um's fatal abduction.
Um, 48, was a bartender at the Oxford Tavern, at Oxford and Summerdale avenues. Investigators believe he was at first robbed outside the bar before he was later targeted at his home on Godfrey Avenue.
On March 31, 2023, Um had left work and was nearly home when a dark-colored SUV pulled up and men forced him inside the vehicle, police said, citing a witness to the kidnapping.
The indictment alleges Tyler was involved in the initial robbery on March 6 and the kidnapping on March 31, forcing Um into a Ford Explorer and taking him to a location near the Delaware River.
Lately, there had been no updates on the case.
Police said several leads brought them to the river, where they searched and recovered fragments of clothing they were testing to see if they belonged to Um.
It's not clear how those results turned out or if Um's remains were ever recovered.
Tyler, who prosecutors said is a Philadelphia resident, faces a maximum sentence of life in prison or the death penalty if convicted.
Tyler is being represented by a public defender. He entered a not guilty plea in federal court in Philadelphia on Thursday, court records show. He will remain detained pending further court proceedings.
