EXCLUSIVE: Ohio man's Puerto Rico murder leaves close friend reliving the call she never expected
FIRST ON FOX: One of Tyler Wilkin's closest friends told Fox News Digital that the moment she learned he had been found shot dead in Puerto Rico, "the whole room went cold."
Wilkin, 35, was reportedly killed "execution-style," found with a gunshot wound to the back of his head while on a camping trip on Playa La Selva in Luquillo.
Jules Santiago, who lives in Puerto Rico, told Fox News Digital she knew Wilkin for the last two years. He grew up in Ohio, but moved to the island in 2024.
OHIO MAN FOUND SHOT DEAD IN EXECUTION-STYLE KILLING WHILE CAMPING ON PUERTO RICO BEACH: REPORTS
Her heart sank when she got the call.
"When I found out, I went into complete shock. My thoughts were paralyzed. I asked the same question three times just to make sure it was Tyler."
LIKE WHAT YOU'RE READING? CLICK HERE FOR MORE
📩 Send me a story idea: kelsie.cairns@fox.com
📸 Instagram: kelsiecairns_tv
🎥 Facebook: Kelsie Cairns
Investigators discovered Wilkin with a single gunshot wound to the back of the head on July 10, reports say.
LISTEN TO THE NEW 'CRIME & JUSTICE WITH DONNA ROTUNNO' PODCAST
FOLLOW THE FOX TRUE CRIME TEAM ON X
The FBI confirmed to Fox News Digital that the agency is assisting in the investigation. Police in Puerto Rico reportedly have a person of interest in the homicide case, according to local outlet El Nuevo Dia.
"I could never have imagined he would be murdered, that something like that could happen to him. The whole room went cold, the energy turned dark, and I started crying," Santiago said.
SIGN UP TO GET THE LATEST TRUE CRIME NEWS
A fundraiser for an investigation into Wilkin's death has generated tens of thousands as the mystery deepens.
Jules said, "You usually hear about homicides tied to drugs, or people who weren't on the right path. Never someone full of life like Tyler."
