Tyler Wilkin, 35, originally from Ohio, was found shot in the back of the head in an execution-style killing while camping on Playa La Selva in Luquillo, Puerto Rico. Wilkin had moved to Puerto Rico in 2024 with his girlfriend and was on a camping trip with friends at the time of the incident.

Wilkin reportedly sent text messages to friends expressing concern about eerie "howling" noises and sounds resembling "fireworks" outside his tent. A former sheriff's investigator and private investigator, Jamie Copenhaver, noted that Luquillo has a significant amount of unsolved violent crime and suggested the possibility that Wilkin was intentionally lured away from his campsite.

The FBI's San Juan Field Office is providing technical assistance to the Puerto Rico Police Department, but the case remains an ongoing local investigation. Wilkin's family has started a fundraiser to raise $30,000 to hire a private investigator to pursue the case further. A statement from the fundraiser emphasized that the funds will cover all expenses related to the investigation, underscoring that "Tyler deserved a full life, and he deserves for every possible avenue to be explored."

Copenhaver urged the FBI to take an active interest in the case to ensure justice is served, highlighting the overwhelming caseload faced by local police.

Sources