Alyssa Lokits case: Man accused of savagely murdering woman on Nashville trail makes first court appearance

Paul Park, the antheral accused of ambushing a full alien arsenic she exercised connected a fashionable Nashville, Tennessee, way and shooting her to death, was owed to marque his archetypal tribunal quality connected Thursday.

Park, 29, of Brentwood, was arrested little than 24 hours aft Vanderbilt postgraduate Alyssa Lokits, 34, was recovered dormant connected the Mill Creek Greenway trail.

The Metropolitan Nashville Police Department has not revealed a motive successful the sidesplitting that has near adjacent residents terrified. 

Park was charged with transgression homicide successful transportation to Lokits' death.

ARREST MADE LESS THAN 24 HOURS AFTER NASHVILLE WOMAN WAS SHOT TO DEATH WHILE WALKING ON POPULAR TRAIL

Nashville constabulary announced a fishy was arrested little than 24 hours aft the execution of Alyssa Lokits. (Metropolitan Nashville Police/Vanderbilt University)

According to Williamson County tribunal records obtained by Fox News Digital, Park had a criminal background with 2 anterior offenses. 

In 2017, Park was sentenced to probation arsenic portion of judicial diversion aft a home battle arrest.

Then successful 2018, Park was sentenced to 10 days successful jailhouse and supervised probation for violating his archetypal probation condemnation pursuing his apprehension for possession of drugs, with intent to manufacture, present oregon sell. One of the 3 cause charges was yet dismissed arsenic portion of a plea woody and Park pleaded blameworthy to the different 2 cause charges.

Lokits' household released a connection to section presumption WSMV 4, describing her arsenic "a unit to beryllium reckoned with."

"Dr. Alyssa Lokits, Ph.D. was a unit to beryllium reckoned with — driven, successful, smart, and immensely talented. Her fearless tone and unwavering emotion inspired each who had the privilege to cognize her. She was a person to everyone, ever offering her generosity, joy, and airy to those astir her," the household said successful a statement.

"Her boundless enactment for her ample household and galore loved ones was evident successful each facet of her life. She ever showed up for those she cared about, bringing spot and emotion with her wherever she went. The nonaccomplishment of specified a vibrant, compassionate, and singular pistillate is devastating, and she volition beryllium profoundly missed by her family, friends, and each those whose lives she touched," the connection continued.

The household is requesting privateness arsenic they woody with and navigate their "unimaginable grief."

"We are profoundly disturbed by the heinous acts of battle and execution against our beloved daughter, sister, cousin, aunt, niece, and friend," the household said.

UTAH MOM SHOT MISSING NATIONAL GUARD HUSBAND IN HIS SLEEP, SUGGESTED LOVER ‘TAKE IT TO THE GRAVE’: POLICE

Paul Park was booked into the Davidson County jail. He is presently being held without enslaved connected a transgression homicide charge. (The Metropolitan Nashville Police Department )

The assemblage is besides rallying astir Lokits' decease and calling connected instrumentality enforcement and the metropolis to instrumentality much information measures.

Councilman John Rutherford said the country needs much gates, much lighting and accrued patrols. He added that determination is simply a request for licence sheet readers (LPRs), which would request to beryllium approved by the mayor, who has withheld funding, according to Fox 17.

During a property league connected Tuesday, Nashville Police Chief John Drake echoed Rutherford and acknowledged the request for LPRs. 

"LPRs would person made a difference. LPRs marque america safer," Drake said. 

Drake added that Park and Lokits did not cognize each different and that this was a random onslaught successful which helium tried to sexually battle her earlier fatally shooting her.

FORMER VEGAS DEMOCRAT POLITICIAN CONVICTED OF KILLING REPORTER IS SENTENCED TO AT LEAST 28 YEARS

Metropolitan Nashville Police announced that they made an apprehension successful transportation to the fatal shooting of a pistillate retired connected a locomotion successful Nashville, Tenn., connected Monday evening. (Metropolitan Nashville Police Department)

Paula Parker, a subordinate of the church Lokits attended, said she was shocked erstwhile she heard the quality of Lokits' murder.

"Alyssa was portion of the religion we attended. We haven't seen her successful a fewer years, but we watched Alyssa turn from a kid to a teenager. She was a godly, kind, loving, fun, confident, and intelligent young pistillate with dreams of becoming a neuroscientist successful bid to assistance others," Parker wrote successful a station connected Facebook. "I'm thankful the constabulary arrested her killer. Please commune for the Lokits family."

One of Lokits' neighbors, Guy Gilchrist, told Fox 17 that helium was "absolutely devastated and shocked" to perceive astir her murder. He added that she worked from location and was ever helpful.

"She was conscionable incredibly benignant to maine and the neighbors adored her," Gilchrist said.

According to Vanderbilt University, Lokits graduated from the schoolhouse successful 2017. She worked successful the Hamm Lab arsenic a postgraduate pupil successful neuroscience.

Investigators determined that Lokits was retired exercising successful the country of the greenway way connected Monday evening erstwhile Park stepped retired from betwixt 2 parked cars and began pursuing her astatine a "brisk pace." 

Some witnesses claimed to person heard a pistillate screaming, "Help! He’s trying to rape me," followed by gunfire.

Witnesses besides told constabulary that they saw a man, perchance Asian, connected apical of Lokits earlier shots were fired.

Police said Lotkits and Park past walked retired of presumption of the park's surveillance camera. However, video captured Park returning to his grey car with "scratches connected his arms and humor connected his clothing."

2ND SUSPECT ARRESTED IN DEADLY HOME INVASION AFTER PHONY UTILITY WORKERS TARGET UPSCALE NEIGHBORHOOD

A antheral has been arrested successful transportation to the fatal shooting of a pistillate who was killed portion walking Monday connected a fashionable Nashville, Tenn., walking trail. (X/@MNPDNashville)

Park past fled the parking country successful a dark-colored four-door sedan towards Old Hickory Boulevard, according to police.

Later successful the evening, a large interruption successful the lawsuit happened erstwhile a witnesser who was section to the country provided constabulary with much video footage recorded connected his car's dashcam that was parked astatine the greenway trailhead.

Police said the dashcam recorded wide images of Park arsenic good arsenic his car, portion different witnesser was capable to supply a information of Park's licence sheet number.

Police said different major interruption successful the lawsuit happened erstwhile MNPD Homicide Detective Shannon Forsyth reviewed the photograph of the fishy taken from the witness's dashcam and recognized the fishy arsenic being the identical duplicate member of a termination lawsuit that she had worked connected successful December 2021.

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Detectives acceptable up surveillance astatine Park’s Brentwood home, followed him aft helium near and stopped him successful Davidson County aft the homicide apprehension warrant was issued.

"We sincerely admit the swift and diligent efforts of the Nashville Metro Police Department, investigators, and witnesses/bystanders successful their assistance to Alyssa and their apprehension of the idiosyncratic responsible. For a sedate transgression determination should beryllium sedate consequences, and we volition proceed to enactment the authorities successful seeking justness for Alyssa to the fullest grade of the law. We would besides similar to convey the assemblage for their enactment and compassion during this incredibly hard time," the Lotkits household said.