After enduring over a year of uncertainty and tireless searching, San Bernardino County's most mystifying criminal case has at last come to a resolution. The long-missing Tyna Castillo, a 43-year-old resident of Needles, was found deceased, her disappearance culminating in a murder investigation that led to the arrest of a local man.
The disappearance of Castillo, first reported in early February 2024 when she failed to respond to messages, had left the community on edge. Despite initial efforts by local deputies and subsequent attempts by cold case homicide detectives to piece together the circumstances of her fate, cooperation from witnesses was initially scarce, law enforcement sources shared. Deducing what happened seemed at first to be an immeasurable task. The trail to uncover the truth was left cold by the sands of time and a lack of leads.
However, under an intensive inquiry by the Cold Case Homicide Team, an area along the Colorado River was searched extensively, assisted by volunteers, search and rescue teams, and HRD canines, until human remains were uncovered on March 5, 2025. They were later identified positively as Castillo's. Information from the San Bernardino County Sheriff-Coroner Department confirmed that Jared Winer, a 44-year-old Needles resident, was responsible for her death by gunshot.
It was not until May 6, 2025, however, that Winer was apprehended. Initially arrested in Bullhead City on separate charges, he is now awaiting extradition to face the music for his alleged role in Castillo's death. The San Bernardino County Sheriff-Coroner Department has urged those with knowledge of the case to come forward, ensuring that tipsters can indeed remain anonymous when reaching out to We-Tip, as detailed in a Tuesday announcement.
