Funeral held for three Pennsylvania detectives ambushed in Red Lion

RED LION, Pa. Hundreds of police officers were expected to attend a closed funeral Thursday for three Northern York County Regional Police detectives killed last week by a man who had been inside the home of a woman he was accused of stalking. The service at Living Word Community Church in Red Lion was scheduled to begin at noon, with a motorcade to escort the bodies from a local funeral home. The event was not open to the public, but the church planned to stream the service online for colleagues and families.

Autopsy results released this week indicated all three officers died of multiple gunshot wounds. York County District Attorney Tim Barker said the stalking suspect, 24-year-old Matthew James Ruth, fired on the officers as they opened the door to the woman’s home, leading to the shootings that killed the three veterans of the force and wounded two others. Barker said Ruth, who died during the exchange of gunfire, appeared to have planned an ambush of the woman he had been accused of stalking. The service and the autopsy records come as the community mourns the loss of officers who were described as devoted to their families and to the local community.

Becker, 39, of Spring Grove, was a sergeant of detectives who had been with the Northern Regional force for 16 years. He was remembered as a devoted family man and a former multisport standout in high school. His obituary recounts a 2010 rescue when he climbed to the second story of a burning building to reach children escaping through a window. Becker is survived by a wife and two children. A public funeral for Becker is scheduled for Sunday at Spring Grove Area High School in Spring Grove.

Baker, 53, of Dover, was a U.S. Army veteran who spent three years with the Philadelphia Police Department before joining Northern Regional in 2004, first as a patrol officer and then in computer forensics. He had been a detective for 15 years. An Eagle Scout and an adult Scouting leader, Baker is survived by a wife and four children; a fifth child predeceased him.

Emenheiser, 43, of York, was a York College criminal justice graduate who served in the U.S. Secret Service before joining Northern Regional. He made 104 DUI arrests in 2010 and was named Officer of the Year among other professional honors over two decades with the department. In 2005, Emenheiser broke a window in a burning mobile home in Thomasville and carried a man to safety. His interests included fitness, home renovations and coaching youth soccer. He is survived by a wife and two children.

The three officers were remembered by colleagues and authorities as veterans who demonstrated courage and commitment to public safety. The investigation into Ruth’s motive continues, and prosecutors indicated he had a history of stalking the woman involved in the incident that preceded the ambush. Authorities have not publicly released additional details about the events inside the home beyond what has been described in autopsy and court records. The community awaits the scheduled public service for Becker, and the broader reflection on the dangers faced by law enforcement in the line of duty.