Nashville woman killed on hiking trail after screaming 'help, he's trying to rape me!'

A Tennessee world jogging successful a Nashville parkland feared she was astir to beryllium raped earlier her attacker changeable her dormant and fled from the scene.

Witnesses heard Alyssa Lokits, 34, shriek 'Help! He's trying to rape me,' earlier she was recovered with a fatal gunshot coiled to the caput successful Mill Creek Greenway astatine astir 5.30pm connected Monday.

Paul Park, 29, was arrested hours aboriginal extracurricular his location successful adjacent Brentwood aft a neighbor's dashcam Calibri filmed the suspected slayer fleeing from the country with 'scratches connected his arms and humor connected his clothing'.

A homicide detective recognized Park from the footage having worked connected an probe into his duplicate brother's termination successful December 2021.

Police said Lokits was chartless to her killer, and her heartbroken household called connected him to beryllium punished 'to the fullest grade of the law'.

'Dr Alyssa Lokits, Ph.D. was a unit to beryllium reckoned with—driven, successful, smart, and immensely talented,' they said successful a statement.

'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.'

She was jogging on the way which is fashionable with some runners and hikers erstwhile her attacker abruptly emerged from 2 parked cars parallel to the path, Metro Nashville Police said.

The IT idiosyncratic had graduated from Vanderbilt University successful 2017 and lived adjacent to the country of her murder.

'She had this unthinkable grin that could airy up a room, and it was ever genuine, reflecting the positivity that seemed to radiate from her,' her person Aaron Bryson said.

'She ever had vibrant vigor and was authentic.'

Park appeared to smirk for the cameras arsenic helium was booked into the Davidson County jailhouse successful cuffs connected Tuesday. 

'Her boundless enactment for her ample household and galore loved ones was evident successful each facet of her life,' Lokits' household wrote.

'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.

'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.'

Nashville Police Chief John Drake said Park was arrested the pursuing day as helium was driving connected Autumn Crossing Way not acold from his Brentwood home.

'I anticipation this gives Nashville immoderate bid of mind, and immoderate comfortableness that this idiosyncratic can't harm anyone else,' helium told a property conference.

Park is presently being held without enslaved connected a transgression homicide charge.