BY RACHEL DOVE
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN

LOUISA — A case of a landowner fatally shooting a Tomahawk man who trespassed on his family’s property last year is formally closed after a grand jury failed to indict.

The grand jury in Lawrence County met Thursday and heard the case against Tyler Brown, who shot and killed 45-year-old Jerry Lee Maynard of Tomahawk in the Peach Orchard community Aug. 16, 2022.

Commonwealth Attorney Tony Skeans announced the case was closed following the grand jury meeting.

“All the evidence that the sheriff’s department and prosecuting attorney had was presented to the grand jury, and they failed to return a true bill against Tyler Brown,” Skeans said. “This case is now closed. There were no other witnesses to the shooting besides Brown, and no further testimony will be presented.”

According to police reports, the shooting occurred after Brown found Maynard on his uncle’s property without permission. A few hours before the confrontation, the property owner’s mother reported a burglary to the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Department and Maynard was believed to have been involved.

Green Ramey, a Lawrence County resident, was seen on video surveillance with Maynard on the Brown family property before the shooting, but Ramey was not present when the shooting occurred.

Ramey was arrested the following day and charged with burglary.

When questioned, Ramey claimed he and Maynard were attempting to retrieve items belonging to them but mistakenly went to the wrong location and had separated, going in two different directions. That’s when his friend encountered Brown.

Both Maynard and Brown were said to have been armed at the time of the altercation.