Irvington native found shot dead in Tennessee was trying to help man, boss says

Kaitlyn Lynch was trying to help the man accused of killing her by letting him live in her basement, her employer told The Enquirer.

Police said Lance Miller shot Lynch on Friday in front of her Westwood, Tennessee home then drove away with her vehicle. Authorities caught up with Miller in Tennessee where they found Lynch dead in the front seat. Miller is being held in a Tennessee jail awaiting extradition back to Ohio.

Lynch, 36, was born in Port Chester and lived in Irvington as a baby, according to her obituary. Following a move to three different states, Lynch returned to Irvington and graduated in 2005 from Ardsley High School.

Lynch was first a legal client of James Hartke and then began working at his law firm doing secretarial and research work around April of this year. Hartke said everyone in the office loved her "bright, bubbly" personality.

He said Lynch was married last fall, then her husband unexpectedly died from a medical condition this spring. She had two daughters, ages 7 and 8, from a previous marriage, Hartke said. She started working for Harkte after her husband's death.

Sherrie Rickman also works at Hartke's law firm and said for Lynch, her daughters were her whole world.

"She was super sweet," Rickman said. "She was a really spunky girl. She was a hugger."

Rickman said she wanted Lynch to work directly with her because she was such a great worker. She said Lynch had come from a law enforcement background and would execute even the simplest of tasks with military precision.

She remembers Lynch being very warm and loving. Rickman said Lynch fit in well at the law firm because she was easy to get along with and fearless when it came to talking to people and putting herself out there.

Hartke said Lynch had told him about Miller and they had met. Miller was apparently a friend of her late husband, he said. They had met before and had talked a few times after her husband died.

"She was willing to help everyone," Hartke said. "He had fallen on hard times and she offered to let him stay in her basement."

Hartke said Miller had arrived in Cincinnati from Oklahoma about six days before Lynch was killed.

Lynch worked on Friday, Hartke said. At the end of the day, Hartke had drinks with people from the office and Lynch was there with Miller.

He said he didn't notice anything troubling, but said others noted that he made them feel uneasy. There was talk that Miller had feelings for Lynch, but that she wasn't interested, Hartke recalled.

Lynch was supposed to work Saturday morning, but by then, she had already been fatally shot.

Hartke said he was told Lynch was on the phone with a friend in front of her home Friday night when Miller came out with a gun and the line went dead.

Lynch's family has set up a GoFundMe campaign to help with funeral expenses, the cost to get her remains to New York and an education fund for her daughters.

“We are in complete disbelief that this has happened to our Kaitlyn," a statement from the family says on the GoFundMe website. "Anyone who knew Kaitlyn knew how much she loved being a mom to her two beautiful daughters and how she was always willing to lend a hand. She was funny, beautiful, determined and she will be deeply missed by all.”

The Tennessee Highway Patrol and multiple county sheriff's offices pursued Miller on Saturday morning before apprehending him. He is currently being held at the Wilson County Detention Center on charges of fleeing and abuse of a corpse.

In Hamilton County, Ohio, he is charged with murder and kidnapping.

Hartriono B. Sastrowardoyo contributed to this story.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Kaitlyn Lynch, originally from Irvington NY, found dead in Tennessee