Oxygen Network Show Filming in Coaldale for Feature on Corey Samuels Murder

A crew with the Oxygen Network show “Buried in the Backyard” is expected in Coaldale next week.

They’re filming for an upcoming feature on the 2014 murder of Corey Samuels.

A producer with the show tells The Canary that a film crew will be recording what’s known as B-roll (images of the area often used as background scenes for narration). No date was given when the feature on the Samuels murder would air.

2014 – Corey Samuels Murder in Coaldale

Samuels was first reported missing in late January 2014. He was a 24-year-old Marine who reportedly suffered from PTSD as a result of his time in the military.

After he went missing, the Coaldale community turned out to look for the missing Samuels.

But it wasn’t until September 2014 that Samuels’ remains were found. A father and his daughter walking together on a mushroom hunt reportedly found Samuels. He was located around East Miner Street in Coaldale. The area — owned by BET Lehigh Real Estate — was difficult to search, which hindered officials looking for Samuels.

Following an investigation that lasted about 3 months, in January 2015 Pennsylvania State Police charged two people — one a minor at the time — in connection with Samuels’ death.

They said Oliver Trizarri, of Reading, and Stanley Kralick, lured Samuels into a fight in a wooded area of Coaldale. That’s when they jumped him.

Samuels suffered numerous injuries which led to his death. Trizarri and Kralick eventually admitted to beating Samuels, breaking his jaw, stabbing him in the head, and then choking him to death. They left Samuels for dead in that wooded area of Coaldale until his body was found months later.

Justice for Corey Samuels

A Schuylkill County jury eventually convicted Kralick on third-degree murder charges. Trizarri previously pleaded guilty to similar charges.

Trizarri got sentenced to 15-30 years in June 2016. Kralick, then 19, was sentenced to 20-40 years in prison in August 2016.

To learn more on the Corey Samuels murder, read The Times-News full coverage (free, without a paywall) by following this link to a search of their archives.

“Buried in the Backyard” on Oxygen Network

Buried in the Backyard has aired 13 episodes on Oxygen Network. The show focuses on true crime stories in which the victim of a murder was found buried in the backyard or in an unsuspecting place.

The show, according to the producer we spoke to on Friday, delves into the process of discovering the body, examining evidence, and eventually making arrests. The show says it’s got cooperation from Samuels’ family as well as Pennsylvania State Police in putting together this episode on the 2014 Coaldale murder.

Oxygen is available on most major cable providers as well as Verizon FiOS and the live TV streaming services Sling TV, PlayStation Vue, AT&T TV, and YouTube TV.

Thanks to Coalspeaker.com for forwarding a voicemail Oxygen left for us with him.

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