CINCINNATI — The man accused of killing a Cincinnati woman found dead inside her own vehicle in Tennessee had his bond set at $3 million Wednesday.
Kaitlyn Lynch, 36, was found dead from a gunshot wound on August 19. Police in Cheatham County, Tennessee found 32-year-old Lance Miller, of Abbott, Texas, in the vehicle next to her body after he led police on a chase through several Tennessee counties.
Miller was indicted by a grand jury Thursday on one count of aggravated murder, two counts of murder, two counts of felonious assault, one count of kidnapping and one count of abduction.
If convicted on all charges, Miller could receive a maximum sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Miller was extradited back to Hamilton County from Tennessee on Sept. 12 and appeared in court Wednesday morning.
Lynch's family addressed the judge during his arraignment.
Her brother, John Reuther, called the crime "heinous." He asked the judge to consider Miller's "utter disregard for her life" when considering the highest possible bond.
According to the Hamilton County Prosecutor's Office, Miller himself called Cincinnati police on Aug. 18, just one day before Lynch was found dead. Police were dispatched around 10:52 p.m. that evening to a home in Westwood.
Miller told police his girlfriend — referring to Lynch — refused to get out of her car, but police wouldn't respond to the home for that, Hamilton County Prosecutor Melissa Powers said.
So, Miller instead claimed there was "an issue with the lease on a vehicle registered to his girlfriend."
When police spoke with Lynch, she was sitting in the passenger seat of her car outside her home. According to Powers, Lynch told officers there were no problems, but that she would not leave the car to go inside the home.
"As a result of her conversation, she said she's not going back in the house, there was no reason for police to be there and she was going to remain in the car so he could stay in the house — I believe they may even have asked her if she wanted him to leave her home, because they knew that was her home," Powers said.
Powers said as a result of Lynch's conversation with police, the officers left, since a crime wasn't being committed at that point in time by either Miller or Lynch.
"An hour later, she's on the phone talking to a friend, he walks out, the friend overhears 'oh my god, he's got a gun' and heard a shot fired," Powers said. "Nine shots were fired."
Prosecutors said Miller went into the home and got a gun. He came back outside and opened fire on the car, hitting Lynch at least once, prosecutors said.
After that, police were again called to the home in Westwood, this time by a neighbor.
When they got there that time, the car was gone and in its place were nine .40 caliber shell casings and shattered glass, prosecutors said. On the porch, police found a .40 caliber Smith and Wesson gun, but neither Miller nor Lynch could be found, according to the press release.
Investigators began tracking both Miller and Lynch's cell phones, which revealed they were traveling south on I-75, prosecutors said. On August 19, at around 5:30 a.m., prosecutors said investigators found Lynch's phone along the side of I-75 near Lexington, Ky.
Police then began tracking Lynch's vehicle, which prosecutors said continued south on I-75 before getting onto I-40 in Tennessee. Police in Tennessee spotted the car and tried to perform a traffic stop, but prosecutors said Miller refused, leading police on a chase.
The chase wound through multiple Tennessee counties before Miller hit stop sticks and was arrested.
"So for six hours he drove from Cincinnati down to Knoxville, she was still in the front seat passenger side," Powers said. "When police were finally able to stop him, using stop sticks to stop the vehicle, she was deceased in the car."
In the passenger seat of the car, prosecutors said investigators found Lynch's body, but it's unknown when she died from her injuries.
After Miller's arraignment Wednesday, his lawyer told WCPO there was another side to the story that would come out as the case continued through the court system.
“I think part of the evidence is going to be maybe the gun that was used is one the deceased brought to the confrontation. It was not Lance’s. Lance did not have any intention to do her any harm," Jay Clark said.
Powers said she doesn't have any information right now about who owned the gun, but she's working to get justice for Lynch's family.
Lynch had two young daughters, and family and colleagues who knew her well said her children were the lights of her life.
"She was a very kind and generous person," said downtown attorney Jim Hartke. "She lived for her children."
Hartke said she would sometimes bring the girls around his law office, where she worked.
"That's kind of just who she was," Hartke said. "We just enjoyed the heck out of her around here."
Miller had stayed briefly with Lynch, Hartke said. He said he met Miller and didn't feel any misgivings about him, but others in the office had been put off by him. Hartke had shared some bourbon with Lynch and Miller on Friday evening.
"I don't have anything to say to him, we'll have to let the justice system run its course," he said. "But I certainly hope he gets convicted of kidnapping, abuse of a corpse and murder — and receives the maximum sentence."
John Reuthers, Lynch's brother, said his family — and those young girls — still needed prayers. He said Lynch always put her family first.
