John Charlton: Man Who Dismembered Washington Mother Says He ‘Blacked Out’


A man accused of dismembering a Renton, Washington, mother of three children claims he was so drunk when he was with her on a date that he blacked out and can’t remember what happened.

USA Today reports that John Charlton, 37, allegedly murdered Ingrid Lyne, 40, then dismembered her body and stuffed the parts into several recycling bins in the Seattle area. Friends told authorities that Lyne attended a Mariners baseball game last Friday with a man she met online. She was supposed to be home the next day when her ex-husband dropped of their three children. Lyne’s former husband alerted her mother when she wasn’t home the next day when he went to dropped off their kids, and authorities were called shortly after.

At around 4 p.m. on Saturday, a Seattle man discovered body parts stuffed into plastic bags in a recycle bin close to the 1600 block of 21st Avenue and Pine. The man asked another person to verify that he was indeed looking at human remains and then called 911. After Seattle police verified the parts were human remains, they learned that a woman from Renton was missing and immediately went to her home to investigate.

Seattle police stayed at Lyne’s home for several hours. They found a large pruning knife, bone fragments, and skin fragments in her bathroom. After learning Charlton went on a date with her the previous night, they took him into questioning and eventually arrested him. The body parts were verified to be Lyne’s.

According to court documents, Charlton told authorities he was so drunk that “he could not recall how he and Lyne returned to her residence.” He also said that he couldn’t remember for sure, but thought he had sex with her and that she was acting strange. He also claimed he was unsure when he left Lyne’s home and couldn’t recall how he left, but assumed Lyne drove him home. Yet, instead of going home, he said he “slept on the sidewalk” in Seattle.

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Although Charlton denied having any injuries when questioned, police detected cuts on his lips and chin, and an abrasion on his forehead.

Court records show that Charlton has a long history of run-ins with the law and criminal charges. Seattle Assistant Police Chief Robert Merner stated that they know about his criminal history, but they are still investigating his past.

“We know he had some criminal history, and what is being run down now is if he has any, like, type[s] [of] crimes of this nature.”

Part of his criminal past includes a restraining order against him filed by his own parents, Ray and JoAnn Charlton, in 2006. The temporary protective order was granted after Charlton’s parents said their son would get drunk and go on violent rampages, which made them fear for their safety. They later dismissed the petition.

Charlton was also arrested in 2006 for felony aggravated robbery in Utah, followed by a 2009 arrest for a felony theft charge in Montana. Police think there are other issues in his past, including a history of more violence.

Despite his past criminal record, some people said they liked Charlton and considered him a friendly person. A childhood friend called and said he was a nice guy with a gift for charming people. Charlton’s neighbors said they didn’t really know him well and only saw his truck passing when he was leaving his home.

John Charlton remains in the Seattle jail on a $2 million bail pending the investigation of second-degree murder.

[Photo by the Montana Department of Corrections]

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