Tyler Wilkin, a 35-year-old American originally from Ohio and resident in Puerto Rico since 2024, was found dead on July 10 in an area near Playa La Selva, in the northeast of the island, while camping alone.
According to information released by local authorities and media, a walker found the body around 6:00 in the morning during a walk along the beach.
Puerto Rican police indicated that Wilkin had a single gunshot wound to the back of the head. Investigators believe that he was attacked at close range, in a homicide with execution characteristics.
So far no arrests have been announced in connection with the case.
His last messages mentioned a man nicknamed “the howler.”
Wilkin had arrived at the site on July 8, when his girlfriend, Iva Mo, dropped him off at the site where he planned to camp for several days.
While he remained at the scene, he began sending messages to friends in which he reported the presence of an individual whom he identified as “the howler.”
According to those messages, the man lit fireworks near the camp and made wolf-like howls at night.
“The person known as ‘the Howler’ returned,” Wilkin wrote to one of his friends on the night of the homicide.
Hours later he sent the last message on record.
“At around two in the morning he wrote something like: ‘This guy is getting unruly, hahaha.’ That was the last message we received from him,” Iva Mo said.
The absence of a usual message set off alarms
Wilkin's girlfriend explained that she received a greeting from him every morning around 6:00 a.m., a routine that was interrupted the day he was found dead.
“He always texted me, ‘Good morning, love.’ That message never came and I knew something was wrong,” she said.
The body was located among mangroves near Playa La Selva a few hours later.
Although authorities continue to investigate the homicide, they have not yet reported possible suspects or a confirmed motive.
Iva Mo believes that the crime could have occurred during an attempted robbery, although he clarified that this hypothesis has not been confirmed by investigators.
“That your entire future disappeared in a second because of a wallet or for any other reason is something very difficult to accept,” he said.
In the absence of public progress, family and friends began a fundraising campaign to hire a private investigator.
"We lost Tyler too soon. We are determined to do everything we can to uncover the truth and ensure he receives the justice he deserves," states the description of the initiative.
A man who had decided to start a new life
Wilkin was originally from Wilmington, Ohio, and had moved to Puerto Rico in January 2024.
His family remembered him as an adventurous person who enjoyed nature and life by the sea.
"He lived with enthusiasm and was never afraid to accept the unexpected. His laugh was contagious, his smile sincere and he shared his happiness with everyone around him," his family indicated in the obituary.
The authorities are keeping the investigation open to clarify the murder and determine who was responsible for the death of the 35-year-old young man.
