MURDERED: Tomicka Peterson

Beautiful souls are taken so frequently all because others can't handle rejection, Tomicka Peterson is just one of many.

Tomicka Peterson had ended her relationship with her boyfriend at the time Gibson Paul. It was Valentine's Day 2011 when she tried to leave Paul, getting out of the apartment as soon as she had ended things, seemingly worried for her safety and rightfully so. Tomicka left accompanied by two of her female friends and one of their 3-year-old daughters, another friend was waiting outside for them.

Tomicka was just getting into the car that was outside when Paul came running out of the apartment building. He asked twice if Tomicka was actually leaving him. After Tomicka refused to respond, Paul pulled out a gun and began firing into the car. One of Tomicka's friends was grazed by a bullet but Tomicka was hit five times. She died at the scene. The driver of the car rushed them to St. Mary's Medical Center in West Palm Beach.

U.S. Marshals were immediately called for help on the case after witnesses told police that paul had made statements "he intended to kill any police officer who tried to arrest him" and "he would not be taken alive".

Paul's phone was traced to the Smoky Mountain area in Tennessee shortly after Tomicka's murder. This forced the Smoky Mountain Fugitive task force to get involved in trying to find Paul, working alongside U.S. Marshals. Together the two began patrolling the motels of the area, finding Paul's blue Ford van still with Florida plates. The van and Paul were found at a West Side Inn. Despite what he had said, Paul was arrested without incident.

In June 2011, a jury found Paul guilty of first-degree murder, aggravated assault, shooting into an occupied vehicle and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Paul was sentenced to life.

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