Alyssa Lokits Obituary, Death – A woman was tragically shot and killed while walking on a nature trail in Nashville, Tennessee, and police have arrested a suspect in connection with the murder. The investigation took an unexpected turn when a detective recognized the suspect as the identical twin of someone involved in an unrelated case from three years earlier.
The victim, 34-year-old Alyssa Lokits, was found dead on Monday from a gunshot wound along the Mill Creek Greenway, a trail in the Antioch area. According to the Nashville Police Department, Lokits had been exercising on the trail when a man emerged from between two parked cars and began to follow her. Witnesses reported hearing her scream, “Help! He’s trying to rape me,” moments before gunshots were heard.
The suspect was seen near where Lokits’ body was discovered. Shortly after the shooting, he was observed returning to his car with visible cuts on his arms and blood on his clothing, police said. Investigators were able to gather key evidence, including video footage from a local resident’s dash camera. The footage showed the suspect trailing Lokits and later returning to his vehicle, a BMW sedan. A witness also managed to partially recall the suspect’s license plate number, which helped the police in their investigation.
As detectives reviewed the video footage the following morning, one of them recognized the suspect from a previous case. The detective had handled a suicide case in December 2021 involving the suspect’s identical twin brother. This key recognition led authorities to identify the suspect as 29-year-old Paul Park.
With this identification, detectives from the homicide and special investigations divisions swiftly obtained an arrest warrant for Park, charging him with criminal homicide. Officers set up surveillance at Park’s residence and arrested him while he was driving, just a few miles from where the shooting occurred.
Paul Park was booked into the Davidson County jail on a homicide charge. He remains in custody and is scheduled for his first court appearance on Thursday.
Alyssa Lokits, who lived near the greenway, worked in IT and cybersecurity, according to CBS affiliate WTVF. She was shot once in the head and was rushed to Vanderbilt University Medical Center, where she was later pronounced dead. The shocking murder has left the local community reeling as they mourn the loss of Lokits, a young professional with a bright future.
This case has drawn attention not only because of the tragic circumstances but also due to the unusual twist involving the suspect’s connection to a prior case. The investigation continues as authorities work to piece together more details about what led to the deadly encounter.