NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — After the brutal killing of a smart, bright light in our community, Alyssa Lokits' accused killer apparently carried on like nothing happened.
We heard from a woman walking on the greenway on Monday who says a man, who she now knows was Paul Park, asked her about the police presence.
This case is really hard to cover, but perspectives like this tell us more about the suspect's state of mind.
"As I was walking, a person in a dark gray car... he rolled his window down and leaned out and said hey — kind of with a smile — do you know what happened?" said Shannon Howard. "I said I think someone may have hurt themselves. Maybe fallen. I'm not sure. And he said 'Oh, that's a lot of police.' I said yeah, I'm just going to go home, and I put my headphones on."
This encounter was the end of Howard's afternoon walk. She had just stumbled on the chaotic scene near the Mill Creek Greenway. She didn't have a lot of details, except that a woman was lying on the ground.
Shannon didn't think much of the short conversation until the next day when she saw a clip of the person police arrested in Lokits' death.
Knowing what she knows now, Howard thinks this encounter says something about Park's character.
"At first, I was just sick to my stomach... I'm just so mad... He didn't have to do this to her..." Howard said.
Shannon is grateful he is in police custody.
"There is not another woman who is going to be harmed by the monster.. that cowardly monster," she said.
We know none of this is easy to process.
If you feel compelled to do something, you can participate in a walk in memory of Alyssa. The walk will be Monday, October 21. The walk is at 5 p.m. and starts at the greenway trailhead at Pettus Road.
If you want to donate in her name, her family asks that you give to The Mary Parrish Center.
Do you have more information about this case? Email Hannah.McDonald@NewsChannel5.com to share your perspective.
Fostering Hope provides Christmas for kids in foster care. I'm delighted to see Fostering Hope expand this year to expand their reach to now include kids in Foster care in metro AND foster kids in East TN hard hit by Helene.
-Bree Smith
