Police say fired worker killed ex-boss with hatchet and fled

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee authorities were on the lookout Monday for a man they say killed his former boss with a hatchet. Nashville police tweeted that 36-year-old Domenic Micheli will be charged with murder.

They say he used a hatchet Monday morning to kill the man who fired him about 14 months ago, 46-year-old Joel Paavola, outside The Balance Training center, at a shopping center in the Belle Meade community. 

News outlets report police spokesman Don Aaron said Micheli came to the business armed with a hatchet and another weapon, either a second hatchet or a large knife.

“Micheli brutally, savagely attacked Paavola at the front of the business,” Aaron said. 

He said Micheli fled the area after the attack. Paavola was taken to Vanderbilt University Medical center, where he was pronounced dead.

In photos posted on the agency’s Twitter account, Micheli appears to be a white man with a dark beard and glasses, driving an older model Toyota Yaris.

Paavola, who managed the business, was remembered as a fitness guru who gave speeches about healthy lifestyle choices.

Nashville restaurateur Randy Rayburn told The Tennessean that he worked out with Paavola for a few years at another gym and was heartbroken about his death.

“I went through boot camp twice with Joel,” Rayburn said. “Joel was one of the most enthusiastic and well-rounded people I’ve ever known in my life. He was just a wonderful father and human being.”