Media helps locate man wanted in connection with Renton murder

A Washington state man wanted in connection with the death
of his 17-year-old ex-girlfriend who was found in a
burning home, was arrested in Oklahoma City on Monday,
after members of the media spotted him and reported his
location to police.

Jarod Lane, 19, was picked up by Oklahoma City police and
Oklahoma state troopers after his abandoned vehicle was
spotted on the shoulder of Interstate 35 about 18 miles
north of Oklahoma City. A television news crew reported
seeing him on the road.

“We drove by him once and then doubled back around to get
a better look at him,” said Reporter Adam Mertz, who
called police and shadowed the suspect until police could
make an arrest. “It appeared that the hat that he was
wearing was the same hat from a Facebook picture of the
murder suspect.”

On Tuesday, Lane was charged with murder first degree and arson first degree in the death of Jessica Scholl. Renton
police Detective Robert Onishi said Lane and Scholl had a
romantic relationship but had recently broken up. She was
a student at Lindbergh High School; he graduated from the
school last year, according to the detective.

Lane was taken into custody by Oklahoma City police on a
temporary felony arrest for homicide, Onishi said.
Detectives from Renton are traveling to Oklahoma City to
interview him.

Police had been seeking Lane since firefighters found the
girl’s body after putting out a couch fire at the home
Friday morning. Lane’s previous last known location was at
a gas station in North Bend on Friday morning.

On Sunday, police in the city of Enid, north of Oklahoma
City, received a report of a possible sighting of Lane,
Onishi said.

On Monday morning, a state trooper patrolling I-35 found
Lane’s abandoned car with a handwritten sign noting that
he had gone to get gas, Randolph said. The trooper ran the
license plates and seized the vehicle as evidence once it
became clear the car was associated with a homicide
suspect, she said.

Betsy Randolph, a spokeswoman for the Oklahoma Highway
Patrol, said she posted the news on the patrol’s Facebook
page to alert the media and drivers not to pick up Lane
along the road. Several hours later, a KFOR-TV reporter in
Oklahoma City called to report that he and his
photographer had spotted the man while on their way out to
cover that story, Randolph said.

“When the reporter saw him, he [Lane] still had the same
ball cap, same clothes,” she said.

Troopers and police officers arrested Lane shortly
afterward.

“It’s absolutely crazy. … We were hoping to keep people
from giving him rides. I’ve never had a media person go
out of their way to report a crime,” Randolph added.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.