Murder in Luquillo: CIC awaits order to search American camper's mobile phone
Tyler Wilkin, 35, from Ohio, was found shot dead on 10 July at La Selva beach. The Fajardo CIC is awaiting judicial authorisation to access his phone.
CIC awaits judicial order to access murdered camper's phone in Luquillo
The Criminal Investigation Corps (CIC) of Fajardo is awaiting a judicial order to search the phone of Tyler Wilkin, the 35-year-old American citizen found shot dead on 10 July at La Selva beach in the Northeast Ecological Corridor in Luquillo. This was reported by elnuevodia.com, which spoke directly with Captain Edwin Collazo González, director of the Fajardo CIC.
Wilkin, a native of Ohio and described as a presumed investor, had been residing in the San Juan area for approximately two years. He had arrived alone to camp at the beach on the Wednesday before; his friends were planning to join him on Friday, the same day he was found dead.
A passer-by walking along the shore early in the morning spotted the body and contacted authorities under the impression that it was a drowning. Upon arrival, officers detected a wound to the head consistent with a gunshot impact.
"We know that what happened was that he was killed with a firearm," said Collazo González.
The body was found at some distance from the tent where Wilkin had set up his camp and left his belongings, so investigators processed both locations as separate crime scenes.
Witnesses without matching accounts and cameras without batteries
The investigation faces several obstacles. None of the campers in the surrounding areas reported hearing gunshots, and descriptions of a vehicle observed in the area do not match each other: some witnesses mentioned a van, others pointed to an automobile.
Adding to this is the absence of security footage. The cameras installed by the Department of Natural and Environmental Resources (DRNA) at the site were not operational due to lack of battery.
"It is a case that is complicated for us by the location, by the darkness," acknowledged the captain.
Night-time messages about strange noises
In an interview with Telenoticias (Telemundo), Iva Mo, who identified herself as Wilkin's partner, revealed that he had sent messages to his friends in the early morning hours on the day of the incident in which he indicated hearing someone imitating animal sounds. Among the texts shown during the broadcast were phrases such as "The howler came back" and "That guy is really rowdy".
Collazo González told elnuevodia.com that that information was new to him. "At least, for me, that would be new. I need to ask whether within the interview conducted with the woman that comes up," he said.
Social media and calls, next steps
Access to Wilkin's phone is considered key by investigators. The contents of the device could reveal the motive for the crime, identify who he communicated with before his death, and point towards possible suspects.
"We are verifying what may have happened that night, if there is any connection on that phone that could tell us if there is a motive or if there is any possible suspicion of someone," said Collazo González.
Officers plan to examine social media, calls and messages stored on the device. "We are going to try to see if there is anything on the social media, something that could lead us to what happened there, what the motive was," added the CIC director.
Police continue conducting interviews with witnesses and other investigative procedures while awaiting judicial authorisation to access the phone.
Source: Google News PR — Crime