American’s murder in Paris baffles police

Justin Little was a fun-loving young college student with a sense of adventure. Now his grieving family is left to wonder whether that adventuresome spirit may have led to his bludgeoning death.

Little, 21, from Silverton, Ore., was found slain in a gritty Paris suburb Oct. 9, 18 days after heading to France to get an up-close look at the famous sights he had read about in books. But police in France, as well as the Little family, are baffled as to what Little was doing in downscale Aulnay-sous-Bois, nowhere near the famous Paris tourist attractions of the Louvre or the Eiffel Tower.

The case, profiled on TODAY Friday, leaves a shroud of mystery around Little’s tragic death. His best friend, Kevin Zade, told NBC affiliate KGW in Portland he had heard from Little while he was on his French adventure, and “he sounded like he was having a great time, seeing the sights. He was living his dream.”

Spreading his wings
Justin, the oldest of four Little children, decided to go alone to France to “spread his wings; he wanted to do this himself,” his mother, Tanya Little, told NBC.

Justin’s father, Jim Little, said he tried to talk his son out of making the trip solo. “We tried to dissuade him,” he told Oregon’s Statesman-Journal newspaper. “He was set, he was determined and nothing we could say or do would change his mind.”

Little’s parents suspected something went awry during Little’s trip. He was due back Oct. 5. When he didn’t arrive, they filed a missing person’s report.

Their worst fears were realized when they were notified Oct. 13 that their son’s body had been found four days earlier by a passerby in an expansive park in Aulnay-sous-Bois, part of an area of the suburb known for crime, poverty and unrest among its largely immigrant population.

TODAY Justin Little, 21, was found slain in a park in a poor suburb of Paris. His wallet was missing, but not his passport.

While French police continue to follow leads in the case, they suspect robbery was the motive in the first slaying of an American tourist in France in 13 years. Little’s wallet was not found on his body, but his passport was on his person.

“We don’t know exactly what happened,” a police spokesman told Portland’s The Oregonian newspaper. “He was hit in the head with a cinder block.” Police have not determined how long he had been dead when his body was found, but said Little was killed instantly.

While police continue to wonder what Little might have been doing in a dicey area — a place not served by the subway system, where few tourists ever tread — Little’s parents say they believe their son may have been in the park to investigate historical markers, or was on his way to Charles de Gaulle International Airport to come home (Aulnay-sous-Bois lies halfway between central Paris and the airport).

Town in mourning
Meanwhile, Little’s close-knit community of 9,000 is in mourning.

An enthusiastic outdoorsman, former member of the Boy Scouts and actor in high school plays, Little was “well liked by his friends and teachers,” his former principal, Andy Bellando, told The Oregonian. He was enrolled at Chemeketa Community College in Salem, Ore.

Jim Little told the Statesman-Journal his son headed to France with the best of intentions, to further “his long-standing interest in history — he was a bottomless well of information.” But now the Little family is left to pick up the pieces of what went wrong during his trip.

TODAY Justin Little’s parents believe he was either investigating historical markers or on his way home when he was killed.

“It would’ve been a good thing if it had worked out,” Little told NBC. “He would’ve come back and been a better man for it. So, it’s unfortunate that he was in the wrong place.”

For now, the devout Catholic family’s first priority is getting Little’s body back to Oregon for funeral services. But French authorities are currently retaining the body as they continue their investigation.

More from TODAY What is Meredith Vieira thankful for? | Holiday guide Sad development: The last Kodachrome film lab  Clickable video: Hottest tech gifts of 2009 Star quality? Get your guy on the TODAY show  It's down to the final four on 'Biggest Loser'

MORE FROM PEOPLE

People Section Front

Mom of boy set afire: ‘His courage is incredible’ Sad development: The last Kodachrome film lab Chef Paula Deen hit in face by charity ham   Jill Biden thanks military families   Suleman: ‘Octomom’ name is hilarious   Mumbai survivor Baby Moshe turns 3 Hero pilot Sully enjoys ‘rock star sex’   Husband, wife recall fiery plane crash   Shaniya's dad: ‘She touched a lot of people’   Is a British royal wedding in the works? People Section Front   Add People headlines to your news reader: