Family and friends of a 35-year-old Wilmington native killed in Puerto Rico are seeking answers through a private investigator.
Tyler Wilkin was found shot to death on July 10 at Playa La Selva in Luquillo, and no arrests have been announced in the weeks since, our news partners at WCPO reported.
Wilkin died from a gunshot wound to the back of the head.
His loved ones launched a GoFundMe to hire a private investigator, stating they hope an independent search can uncover what happened and identify those responsible.
Wilkin moved to Puerto Rico in 2024 to build a new life.
Before the shooting, he had been camping by himself ahead of a planned meeting with friends several days later.
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According to Trey Reinhart, a close friend of Wilkin, he had sent a message to a friend about another man at the campground who was lingering and acting aggressively.
Reinhart said police informed Wilkin’s friends of the death when they arrived to meet him at the campsite.
Since then, Wilkin’s family and friends say they have received no information from investigators regarding possible suspects or leads.
“If they haven’t said anything to me, I can’t say that there has been anything solved to this point,” Reinhart said.
Reinhart met Wilkin about a decade ago in Lexington, Kentucky.
Though they lived in different states, they remained close over the past four years and visited each other regularly after Wilkin moved to the Caribbean island.
Reinhart described Wilkin as an intelligent and thoughtful person who was always willing to help others.
“He’s the kind of dude that you could call no matter how long it’d been since you’d talked,” Reinhart said. “You’d just pick right back up.”
Reinhart added that Wilkin had a distinct sense of humor and a drive to support those around him.
“He would help people, especially those who would help themselves,” Reinhart said. “He was a really funny guy, too.”
The fundraiser launched by Wilkin’s loved ones is intended to prevent the investigation from going cold.
Reinhart expressed concern that a lack of immediate progress often means a case will never be resolved.
“In any murder, if you don’t find out some stuff soon, there’s a good chance it’ll never get solved,” Reinhart said. “We just want to figure something out for him.”
Wilkin’s funeral was held on July 23.
Friends and family are urging the public to share the fundraiser to increase awareness and generate leads in the case.
“Anybody getting anybody off the street — or in this case, the beach — that’s a bad person,” Reinhart said. “Anything you can do, share the GoFundMe ... just make awareness of it and see if we can get any leads from that.”