Roommate, neighbors surprised to hear of Charlton's arrest in gruesome murder case

LAKE STEVENS, Wash. -- One of John Charlton's roommates said Tuesday that he was shocked to hear that the 37-year-old had been arrested as a suspect in the gruesome murder of Ingrid Lyne, a Renton mother of three. He said he believed Charlton was a nice guy.

Neighbors said that police served a search warrant on a gray townhouse Monday in the Eastgate Highlands community in Lake Stevens and removed several boxes and bags filled with evidence. According to court documents, Charlton told police that he had stayed with a former girlfriend in Lake Stevens last Saturday and Sunday nights, after attending a Mariners game with Lyne on Friday night.

Neighbors in Lake Stevens said they had seen Charlton around the area for several weeks but most people said they didn’t know him very well.

“It’s not something you would wake up to every day, like your neighbor’s accused of murder,” said Andrew Schick. “He just seemed like a normal dude. I mean he does yard work; I’ve seen him play with kids, nothing out of the ordinary."

Charlton has a criminal history ranging from Washington, Utah, Montana and Idaho stretching back to 1998. Some of those crimes are violent. including aggravated robbery and battery. Those are the crimes that Seattle investigators will likely be interested in as they trace Charlton’s past.

In 2006, Charlton’s parents filed for an order of protection after Charlton allegedly was abusive and tried picking a fight with them while he was under the influence. But that protection order was later dismissed, at his parents' request.

Seattle Police said investigators are looking to see how, if at all, Charlton could be connected to any other unsolved violent crimes in the region.