SEATTLE – The parents of John Robert Charlton, the man suspected of murdering a Washington nurse he met online, lived in fear of their own son, according to court records.
Ray and JoAnn Charlton, who once sought a restraining order against him, testified at the time that he was prone to drinking heavily and could fly into violent, abusive outbursts that left them worried for their own safety. They added that he had a habit of picking fights with them, especially when drunk.
Both parents later requested that the restraining order be dismissed.
Charlton is the main suspect in the grisly dismemberment of Ingrid Lyne, a 40-year-old mother of three from Renton, Washington. The last time anyone saw Lyne alive was when she left her home to go on a date with Charlton at the Seattle Mariners' opening home game.
On Saturday, several body parts matching Lyne's description were found in a homeowner's recycling bin. Prosecutors believe Charlton killed Lyne in her home in Renton before driving to Seattle to discard her body parts.
Lyne's 2015 Toyota Highlander was found late Monday night in downtown Seattle.
A lengthy criminal history
Charlton has been charged with crimes in several different states, court documents confirm.
He was convicted of negligent driving in 1998 in Washington, aggravated robbery (a second-degree felony) in Utah in 2006, felony theft in 2009 while in Montana and a battery charge in Idaho in 2009.
Citing his offenses in multiple states, a judge set Charlton's bail at $2 million during a hearing Tuesday afternoon.
He has not yet been officially charged in Lyne's murder.
Story from Tribune Media.
