LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) --Â The man charged with arson after his girlfriend was found dead in Jefferson Memorial Forest is no longer in jail.
The 24-year-old woman died in July after hiking with her dogs. Now, a grand jury says there is not enough evidence to indict her boyfriend, who was arrested days after her death.
Timothy Winterholler, 37, was released from jail on Wednesday. Now a hiker who saw him on the trail where Lynnden Bray went missing is concerned.
About two months ago, Bray's dogs and car were found in the forest. Winterholler, Bray's boyfriend, reported she was missing to the police. A day later, she was found dead.
"I didn't know Lynnden," said Genieveve Kersey, who went hiking on the same trail. "But it's still like -- if the roles were reversed and it happened to me, I would want another person to come and help get justice for me."
Winterholler was arrested a few days after Bray's death, but was only charged with arson. Police said he admitted to setting a fire inside Bray's car.
Court records show Winterholler's case was dismissed. Kersey said she wasn't happy to hear the news.
"My heart felt like it just sunk," Kersey said.
A grand jury found there was not enough evidence to indict him. He's now out of jail.
Kersey was also hiking near the Paul Yost trailhead the day Bray went missing. That's when she says a man stopped her and her friend and asked if they could take a dog. They said no and continued on the trail.
"It was very off," Kersey said. "My intuitions kind of just skyrocketed."Â
About 90 minutes later, after they finished the trail, Kersey said they saw the man again. He was still at the trailhead with the dog. She said he asked them if they saw another dog on the hike. Kersey said no, and they left. The following Sunday, she realized the man was Winterholler.
Timothy Winterholler. (Source: Metro Corrections)
"Two-and-a-half years of me doing the trail, I never experienced what I experienced with the interaction with Tim," Kersey said. "Instead of trying to get rid of a dog, why wouldn't you show a picture of what your girlfriend looks like and show it to these two hikers? So, (that way) we can be vigilant and see if we see anything, while we do the trail. Instead, you're trying to get rid of ... Well, what I found out later was her dog."
Kersey says police recently interviewed her about what she saw.
"You have surveillance up until they entered the park," she said. "You have multiple people that are coming to you wanting to get their statements -- what they seen, you know, how they, you know, reacted or talked or you know, vice versa and there's your evidence right there."
Like Bray's mom, Kersey said she's hoping there will be justice for Bray.
Police say Bray's death is still under investigation.
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