A quiet stretch of sand in Luquillo, Puerto Rico, has become the center of a chilling homicide investigation after a Cincinnati man was found shot to death while camping alone earlier this month.
Authorities and relatives identified the victim as 35-year-old Tyler Wilkin, who had been camping at the isolated Playa La Selva when a passerby discovered his body at dawn on July 10. Friends say Wilkin had moved to San Juan in early 2024 and had been living on the island for about two years, turning what was supposed to be a Caribbean chapter of his life into a crime story his family never imagined.
Investigators See Signs Of Execution-Style Killing
The Cuerpo de Investigaciones Criminales (CIC) in Fajardo reported that Wilkin’s body showed a head wound compatible with a gunshot. Investigators treated both the campsite and the shoreline as separate scenes, a sign they are looking at the case as a targeted killing rather than a tragic accident.
CIC leadership told El Nuevo Día they plan to seek a court order to access Wilkin’s cellphone, hoping messages and contacts might shed light on who he met with and why he ended up dead on a beach that locals know is beautiful, but remote.
Friends And Girlfriend Push For Answers
Wilkin’s girlfriend, Iva Mo, told friends she had driven him to the campsite on July 8. She later received photos he sent from Playa La Selva and messages describing someone “howling” near the camp in the early hours, a detail that now feels ominous instead of quirky.
Shocked friends quickly launched a fundraiser to hire a private investigator and had raised more than $23,000, according to WKRC. The station also reported that relatives contacted Ohio state Sen. Shane Wilkin, who in turn asked the Ohio Attorney General’s office to check on the status of the investigation in Puerto Rico.
Remote Spot, Dead Cameras And Foggy Witness Accounts
Investigators told El Nuevo Día that security cameras maintained by the Department of Natural and Environmental Resources were not recording because their batteries had died. That left detectives without what could have been crucial video from the area surrounding the campsite.
Nearby campers offered inconsistent descriptions of a vehicle seen in the vicinity, adding to the confusion. Primera Hora reported that the initial call to the Luquillo district police station came at about 6:15 a.m. on July 10, when a walker first believed they had found a possible drowning victim.
Those gaps in the timeline, the darkness before dawn, dead cameras and clashing witness accounts have left investigators without a clear working theory, according to local outlets.
Police Still Have No Suspects, Ask Public For Tips
The homicide division in Fajardo continues to interview campers who were in the area and to process physical evidence collected from the beach and the camp. So far, authorities have not announced any arrests or identified a suspect.
Luquillo police have urged anyone with information to call the confidential tips line at 787-343-2020, according to TeleOnce.
Grief Back Home As Family Plans Farewell
Wilkin’s obituary notes that he moved to San Juan in January 2024 and that friends and family plan to gather for a celebration of life in Hillsboro later this month at Turner & Son Funeral Home. The notice, which lists surviving relatives and service details, was published by The Highland County Press.
Friends say they plan to keep the pressure on investigators and will use the fundraiser to cover private investigative work if needed. They continue to push officials in Puerto Rico and the United States for updates on the case. “He deserved better,” one friend told WKRC, as the investigation into Wilkin’s killing at Playa La Selva remains very much active.
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