An Ohio man’s camping excursion ended in murder in Puerto Rico after reports say he was shot and killed execution style.
Tyler Wilkin, 35, who was living in Puerto Rico after moving from Ohio in 2024, was found dead with a single gunshot wound to the back of his head earlier this month.
Friends and family say he was camping at Playa La Selva, a remote beach near Luquillo, before he was killed, according to WKRC.
Local Puerto Rican media outlet, TeleOnce, reported that a body was found in the mangroves on the beach on July 10.
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A woman who said she was Wilkin’s girlfriend, Iva Mo, told FOX 19 Cincinnati that Wilkin had been texting friends from the campsite about hearing eerie howling outside his tent and what sounded like fireworks.
The following night, he texted another unsettling message, saying “the howler is back,” Mo said.
About two hours after that, he texted that the person was “getting rowdy lol.”
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Wilkin’s loved ones have organized a fundraiser to help pay for the hire of a private investigator in the case.
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The fundraiser page said in a recent post, “We are determined to leave no stone unturned in the pursuit of the truth, and these additional funds will help us cover any and all expenses that may arise during the private investigation. Tyler deserved a full life, and he deserves for every possible avenue to be explored.”
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An obituary for Wilkin says he was born in Wilmington, Ohio and is survived by his parents and four siblings.
“He enjoyed life by the beach playing tennis, hiking, rock climbing, and activities to spend quality time with friends. Yet no matter where life took him, he was never too far from home. He made frequent trips back to be present with those he loved most,” the obituary said.
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A Facebook user named Trigger Ray, who said he was Wilkin’s friend, created a post linking to the fundraiser that said in part, “Tyler was an awesome guy and a great friend, incredibly intelligent with more opportunities ahead of him than most folks I’ve ever met.”
Fox News Digital has reached out to Policía de Puerto Rico for more information on the case.
