Suspect in dismemberment of Wash. mom charged with murder

SEATTLE -- The man accused of murdering and dismembering a Seattle mother of three was charged with first-degree murder on Wednesday, according to police. 

John Charlton, 37, was charged with Murder in the First Degree in the death of Ingrid Lyne. Charlton was also charged with Theft of a Motor Vehicle for taking Lyne's car, which was found in downtown Seattle Monday night.

If convicted, Charlton could face at least 21 to 28 years in prison, say prosecutors.

“The tragic murder of Ingrid Lyne has left a family and community in a spiral of grief and anguish,” said King County Prosecuting Attorney Dan Satterberg.  “We may never understand why she was killed, but the police and prosecutors working on this case have done a tremendous job of piecing together a solid case against the person we believe to be responsible for her death.”

According to charging documents, prosecutors say Charlton had "premeditated intent to cause the death" of Ingrid Lyne.

Charlton told authorities he was "so intoxicated" he could not remember what happened after he and Lyne went on a date last week, according to court documents. Lyne's dismembered body was found in a Seattle recycling bin over the weekend.

King County prosecutors say Charlton killed Lyne in her Renton, Wash., home and then drove her body to Seattle in the victim's vehicle.

According to court documents, police found a 15-inch pruning saw in the bathroom of Lyne's home, along with blood and skin fragments.

Friends of Lyne said she had planned to go on a date to a Mariners baseball game Friday night with someone she met online. Police were alerted after she wasn't home the next day when her ex-husband dropped off their children.  Her ex-husband alerted the victim's mother, who entered the home and found the victim's purse, phone, and computers.  The victim's mother found Charlton's phone number in her daughter's cell phone records.

According to court documents, Charlton, 37, acknowledged to police he knew Lyne and that they had been dating for about a month. He said he and Lyne returned to her home after attending the Mariners game Friday night. Charlton claimed he had been "so intoxicated" that "he could not recall how he and Lyne returned to her residence." He also said "he believed they had sex, and said Lyne was acting 'weird,' but could not or would not provide any further details."

He added that he was "unsure" how he left Lyne's residence, claiming that he assumed she must have driven him back to Seattle, where, he claimed, he "slept on the sidewalk."

During the police interview, Charlton denied having any injuries, but detectives observed abrasions on his forehead, an injury to his lip and chin. He also had scratches on his chest and left hand.

Seattle police found Lyne's SUV in downtown Seattle on Monday after taking Charlton into custody.

Court records show the parents of Charlton once sought a restraining order against him, saying they feared for their safety because of their son's drunken outbursts. The records show that his parents filed for the temporary protection order in 2006.

Ray and JoAnn Charlton said their son tried to provoke a fight with them when he was drunk and abusive. The petition was later dismissed at the parents' request.

Charlton was convicted of a 2009 felony theft in Montana, negligent driving in Washington state in 1998, and a second-degree felony for aggravated robbery in Utah in 2006.

Charlton remains in jail with bail set at $2 million.He is expected to return to court on April 27 for arraignment