Desperate friend’s plea over death of American killed execution-style at tourist hotspot hours after chilling last text

A FRIEND of an American who was killed on a beach in Puerto Rico painfully recalled the paralyzing moment she learned about his execution-style murder. Tyler Wilkin‘s magnetic energy and upbeat persona were what drew friends like Julie Santiago to the 35-year-old Ohio native, who in January 2024 relocated to San Juan, the island’s capital. Tyler Wilkin was found dead on a beach shoreline in Puerto Rico days after going camping Credit: Gofundme Julie Santiago, Wilkin’s friend, spoke to The U.S. Sun about her good friend’s heinous murder Credit: Julie Santiago Wilkin’s went camping near Playa La Selva, in Luquillo, Puerto Rico, an area he had camped at in the past Credit: Google A beachgoer discovered Wilkin’s a body about 300 yards from his campsite Credit: Gofundme “He loved the island. He fell in love with the people. He fell in love with nature. He fell in love with the beach, the mountains, like everything around the island,” Santiago told The U.S. Sun about her late friend Wilkin. So when Santiago heard about Wilkin’s gruesome murder on July 10, she froze in shock. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! Two days prior, Wilkin was dropped off by his girlfriend near the remote beach of Playa la Selva, a secluded forest area in the northeast corner of the island in Luquillo, where he set up a campsite. For Wilkin’s friends, it wasn’t uncommon for the adventurous and fearless 35-year-old to pack a backpack and go camping. “He was fearless. He wanted to be in nature. He didn’t care if it was alone or with a group of friends. And nobody could stop him because that’s who he is or he was,” Santiago said. Wilkin would stay in contact with a group of friends and his girlfriend, Iva Mo, whom he routinely texted in the mornings. During his stay, Wilkin began sending unsettling messages about a mysterious man in the area, whom he nicknamed “the howler.” Wilkin told his friends that he could hear someone howling near his tent along with what sounded like fireworks. Most read in The Sun On the night of July 9, the messages became more alarming when Wilkin informed his friends that the unknown individual was back. “He had messaged that same friend and said, ‘The howler is back.’ And then he messaged two hours later, ‘Oh, this guy is getting rowdy lol,'” Mo told CBS affiliate WKRC. Wilkin’s final message to friends was sent shortly before 2am. Hours later, a beachgoer on their morning walk located Wilkin’s body at around 6am about 300 yards from his campsite with a single gunshot wound to the back of the head. Local police believe Wilkin was shot at close range in an execution-style killing. Santiago recalled gasping when she first learned about the details surrounding her friend’s murder. Tyler Wilkin’s girlfriend, Iva Mo, became concerned about her boyfriend’s wellbeing after he failed to send his daily morning message to her Credit: FOX 19 Wilkin relocated to San Juan, Puerto Rico, the island’s capital, in January 2024 from Ohio Credit: Gofundme “I just couldn’t believe it. I gasped. I was like, is this a joke? I couldn’t believe it. I froze,” the Puerto Rican native told The U.S. Sun. “The way he died was not like him running away or anything. “He was facing the ocean probably with his eyes closed, probably kneeling down, at three feet distance to the back of his head. “It was an execution. And they took his wallet, so they robbed him for whatever the money he had. They took his life away. I’m just still shocked.” Nearly a month since Wilkin’s murder, authorities in Puerto Rico have not established any significant leads on a potential suspect or suspects. Joseph Gonzalez Falcon, the superintendent of the police force in Puerto Rico, said on Tuesday that investigators had still not obtained new information. “I’ve mentioned that there is a person of interest in that case,” Falcon said in a press conference. “I’ve been in contact with Tyler’s father and other friends of Tyler. As I’ve said, this, like all investigations, is a priority for us.” Falcon previously said investigators were looking into a person of interest related to Wilkin’s murder; however, he declined to disclose additional details. The FBI is now involved in the investigation. Santiago believes the federal agency’s involvement could help bring Wilkin’s family and friends the closure they’ve been searching for since his body was found on the beach shoreline. “I think it’s important to get that closure. And the only way we get that closure is to understand who did it and why,” Santiago said. “I think it’s up to the media and the community to continue to cover Tyler’s story so that it could lead to an arrest. “I do believe that the media plays a huge part into getting justice and closure for Tyler, and that the more that Tyler is spoken about, the more that the people start understanding what happened. “The more that the people start understanding that this could have happened to any fisherman. “This could have happened to anyone’s son. This could have happened to anyone because he was not in a bad route in his life. “He was not a man to look for conflict. He would not fight anyone. You know, this could have happened to anyone.” Friends and family of Wilkin have started a GoFundMe to raise donations to hire a private investigator.