A Pennsylvania man is behind bars after he allegedly gunned down his microbiologist girlfriend — whose lifeless body was found face down on a blood-stained sidewalk outside her house, according to police.
Michael Dutkiewicz, 26, was slapped with first-degree murder and other charges for fatally shooting Alyssa Rose Wiest, 25, in the torso multiple times during a violent rampage that started inside her West Conshohocken home around 12:25 a.m. Sunday, according to the Montgomery District Attorney’s Office.
The couple had been dating for two years, cops said.
“Alyssa was our beloved shining star — radiant, vibrant, and full of light,” her obituary said.
“Her presence lit up every room she entered, and her absence leaves a deep ache in the hearts of all who knew and loved her. Thought Alyssa’s time on Earth was far too brief, her legacy of love, light, and laughter will live on in the hearts of all who knew her.”
Prosecutors said there was a trail of blood inside her home that led to the sidewalk where she was found.
Wiest’s front door was also found ajar — suggesting a chase ensued — with police recovering five bullet casings from the grisly scene.
The University of Delaware graduate, who worked as a microbiologist at GSK, a biopharmaceutical company, was pronounced dead at Lankenau Hospital.
“Her kindness knew no bounds, her laughter was contagious, and gentle soul had a way of making everyone feel seen, hear, and cherished,” according to her obituary.
“She was a rare combination of brilliance, creativity, and compassion — a beautiful soul with so much promise and love to give.”
Neighbors allegedly told police that Dutkiewicz was standing by his silver Ford F-150 truck shortly after bullets rang out and then quickly fled the scene — with license plate readers capturing his vehicle traveling through the area almost immediately after Wiest was shot dead, prosecutors said.
Police issued a warrant for the alleged killer, who turned himself in 12 hours after the vicious slaying.
Dutkiewicz was also charged with third-degree murder and possessing an instrument of crime.
He is being held at Montgomery County Correctional Facility.
He is due back in court on May 27.
