Sometimes, the most chilling stories begin with something ordinary.
A short drive to a corner store.
A familiar road.
A friendly handshake.

In the small Florida town of Milton, twenty-one-year-old Tyler Howell lived the kind of life that, from the outside, seemed simple.
He worked with his family in construction.
He loved music, holidays, and making people laugh.
He was known for his energy — what his mother called “rambunctious” — and for a grin that could turn trouble into charm.

On the night of October 21st, 2018, Tyler told his mom he was heading out with his cousin for a few minutes.
They were just going to the Local Yokel gas station to buy cigarettes.
Nothing unusual.
Nothing dangerous.
A short drive down John Hamm Road — the same road where he lived.

Before he left, his mom, Angela Mantlo, said the same words she always did:
“Okay, son. I love you. Lock the door when you come back.”
He smiled and said, “I’ll be in in a minute.”
That was the last time she saw him alive.

What happened next would haunt this quiet community — and baffle investigators for years to come.

At the gas station, Tyler and his cousin crossed paths with three men sitting in a silver Kia Optima.
Surveillance footage shows them shaking hands, greeting each other like friends.
There’s no sign of tension, no hint of danger — just casual conversation and a few friendly gestures.
But minutes after that handshake, everything changed.

The Kia followed Tyler and his cousin home.
When they pulled into the driveway, one of the men approached, gun in hand, and forced Tyler’s cousin out of her car.
She ran for help.
The two cars — the blue Chevrolet Cruze and the silver Kia — sped away into the night.
Moments later, gunfire echoed down John Hamm Road.

When deputies arrived, they found Tyler lying near the ditch.
He had been shot multiple times.
The men who took him were gone.

What followed was a case filled with twists and frustration — cars stolen and abandoned, suspects who vanished, and a family left pleading for answers.
One man, Keyairis Hawkins, was soon identified as the prime suspect.
But despite what investigators call “a tremendous amount of circumstantial evidence,” there was never enough to bring the case to trial.

Five years later, the questions remain.
Who were the three men in the Kia?
Why did a friendly handshake end in violence?
And how does a family keep faith when justice never comes?

This is the story of a mother’s unbroken hope, a detective’s relentless pursuit, and a community haunted by silence.