In the early hours of Valentine's Day 2021, Heather Hobbs, a female resident of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was found dead in her bed, the victim of a single gunshot wound to the head. The discovery was made by a concerned friend who went to Hobbs' apartment after she failed to answer her phone calls. Earlier that evening, Hobbs had asked the friend to come over.
The investigation quickly focused on her boyfriend, 31-year-old Tykwan Walker.
Friends and family revealed that the relationship had been troubled, with allegations of past physical abuse. Hobbs had reportedly expressed fear of Walker and had made plans to leave him when her apartment lease expired. In a chilling premonition, she had told a friend in September of the previous year, 'If I die, it was TYKWAN that did it.' Evidence at the scene further implicated Walker. A backpack he left behind contained. 40-caliber ammunition, the same type as the bullet recovered from Hobbs' pillow. Additionally, a security camera in the apartment was found to be missing its memory card. Cell phone data also placed Walker at the scene, showing he had called family members around the time of the murder, who were present when police arrived but declined to cooperate.
Following the murder, Walker fled and remained a fugitive for over a year. Authorities issued a warrant for his arrest in March 2021 on charges of murder and a firearm offense. His whereabouts remained unknown until May 29, 2022, when he was apprehended in Greene County, Arkansas. At the time of his capture, he was reportedly living with a cousin and using the alias 'Rome'. Walker was initially held in Arkansas on charges of first-degree murder and drug possession, awaiting extradition to Allen County, Indiana, to face legal proceedings for the death of Heather Hobbs. The arrest brought a sense of bittersweet relief to Hobbs' family, who had been actively seeking information on his location.
