Alyssa Lokits Obituary, Death; – A woman was fatally shot while walking along a trail in Nashville, prompting police to apprehend her alleged assailant on Tuesday and charge him with murder. Authorities traced an unconventional series of clues that ultimately led one detective to recognize the suspect as the identical twin of an individual linked to a case from three years prior.
Alyssa Lokits, aged 34, was discovered deceased from a gunshot wound on Monday in a secluded area of the Mill Creek Greenway, a nature trail located in the Antioch neighborhood, according to the Nashville Police Department. The investigation indicated that Lokits was exercising on the trail when a man emerged from between two parked vehicles and began to follow her.
Witnesses reported hearing her cry out, “Help! He’s trying to rape me,” followed by the sound of gunfire, as stated by police. The suspect was reportedly seen near the location where Lokits’ body was found and was later observed returning to his vehicle with visible scratches on his arms and blood on his clothing.
Video footage captured the suspect trailing Lokits and subsequently returning to his car with injuries and bloodied attire. Nashville Police confirmed that this footage was obtained from the dash camera of a local resident whose vehicle was parked in the vicinity. The images provided law enforcement with clear visuals of the suspect and his vehicle, a BMW sedan, while a witness partially recalled the license plate number.
On Tuesday morning, a homicide detective reviewed the footage and identified the suspect, recognizing him as the identical twin brother of an individual involved in a suicide case she had investigated in December 2021, according to police reports. Detectives from the homicide and special investigations division issued an arrest warrant for the suspect, identified as 29-year-old Paul Park, charging him with criminal homicide.
Officers established surveillance at Park’s residence and apprehended him as soon as the warrant was issued. He was stopped while driving just a few miles from the greenway where Lokits was murdered. Park has been booked on the homicide charge and is currently being held in Davidson County.
