Seattle police arrested a suspect Monday who is believed to be connected to the three body parts that were found Saturday in a homeowner's recycling bin after they were identified as those belonging to a local mother who had disappeared just days before after leaving for a date.
The man, who police identified during a news conference as 37-year-old John Robert Charlton, was taken into custody and booked into King County Jail for the murder of 40-year-old Ingrid Lyne.
Lyne was reported missing just after 10 a.m. Saturday, according to police. There were several indicators that something had gone wrong, such as the fact that her ex-husband had dropped by her home in Renton to drop off their children, only to find that she wasn't there. Testimony from her friends added to that mystery after they revealed Lyne went on a date in which she planned to attend Friday's Seattle Mariners game with someone she had met online.
Things took a turn for the worse Saturday afternoon when a homeowner discovered a foot, head and an unidentified body part near 21st Avenue and East Pine Street inside several plastic bags. Investigators determined the remains had been placed in the bin late Friday or early Saturday. A spokesman added that the bin would have been empty since the recyclables were collected on the block Fridays.
Police were able to tentatively identify Lyne as the person whose remains were found in the bin thanks to a photo of her that was given to them at the start of their investigation. Despite that, the King County Medical Examiner's Office is working to officially determine the identity.
It was for this reason that Charlton was named as the likely suspect, as he was the one who was identified as Lyne's date. Court records indicate he has been on the wrong side of the law ever since 1997 when he was convicted for misdemeanor assault and found guilty of possession of marijuana. His most recent offense came in 2009 when he was convicted for misdemeanor battery in Idaho.
The investigation is ongoing and police say they are looking into whether Charlton could be tied to similar crimes.