The former mentor of a teen accused of using the Centennial Trail as his personal hunting ground is speaking out.

17-year-old Avondre Graham was arrested Thursday for allegedly assaulting a 47-year-old woman. She was beaten in the face and robbed of her cell phone just south of Mission Park along the Spokane River.

Major Crimes Detectives think given his physical description, Graham is also a viable suspect in the death of Sharlotte McGill.

She was stabbed in May as she walked her dog along the Spokane River near Mission and Napa.

Carmen Jett has spent years rehabilitating horses and in the process has helped work with hundreds of young lives, like Graham.

"I'd just bring the kids out and I'd let them work and some of them have never seen a horse and been around a horse," Jett said.

Jett worked with Graham for almost two years. "He was a good kid, scared of a lot of things, real timid," she said.

Jett said she provided a strict but loving environment for the 17-year-old, whom they called "Dre."

"He was hilarious but scared of everything. If you booed Dre, he would run, he wasn't a fighter at all," Jett said.

Jett says Graham lacked self confidence. She admits he'd get mouthy but says he was never physically violent with her.

"I don't know anything about the attacks it had to have happened from behind because how would a kid who wouldn't get in a confrontation head-on because he wouldn't break his jaw again," Jett added.

Ties were cut between the two last winter after Graham threatened to kill her.

"He got on my Facebook with a few choice words and said he was going to kill me you know but it's a kid talking you don't pay attention to that kind of thing," Jett said.

Months laters, Jett says even after what's happened between them, she's shocked the timid teen she mentored could spend the rest of his life in jail.

Graham has his first appearance in court on Monday.

His bond is set at $250,000, an unusually high amount for an assault and robbery charge.

Graham is being housed in Juvenile Detention but could move to the Spokane County Jail after his first court appearance