Lewiston double homicide suspect arrested

A person of interest wanted for questioning in a double homicide that occurred Tuesday morning in Lewiston was arrested a few hours later outside of Umatilla, Ore.

Richard Allen Carlin, 73, was detained without incident at about 11:30 a.m., about 150 miles away from Lewiston. There are no other suspects. Carlin is a convicted sex offender who was sentenced to 10 years in prison in July 2003 after threatening a young girl with a knife before molesting her, according to court records.

Lewiston police Lt. Jeff Klone said he didn't know if any weapons were found on Carlin when he was detained. Klone said an attempt to locate was sent to law enforcement across the Northwest, and Carlin reportedly was found at a truck stop outside Umatilla. He is being held in Pendleton, Ore., Klone said.

He said the Nez Perce County Prosecutor's Office has filed charges locally, but the case is sealed and the charges have not yet been served to Carlin. Search warrants were granted for a mobile home at 631 Preston Ave., in the Circle Drive Mobile Home Park, where two dead bodies were found shortly after 5 a.m.. A third person was taken to St. Joseph Regional Medical Center with a stab wound to the back and was listed in serious condition.

Klone said officers initially responded to the hospital after a victim was transported there with a stab wound. He said investigators then learned of the reported homicides.

"Our detectives are working right now to figure out how this all went down and why," Klone said.

Lt. Budd Hurd said the victims are related to Carlin, but no identities have been provided beyond that. Autopsies are scheduled for today.

Three neighbors adjacent to the mobile home park who were interviewed Tuesday said they did not hear or see anything indicating an altercation.

Carlin may choose to fight extradition and remain in Oregon pending an arrest warrant being granted there - though extradition orders in Oregon require the governor's signature, according to Oregon code. He also could waive extradition and be transported to face charges in Nez Perce County 2nd District Court.

Carlin was convicted of sexual abuse of a child younger than 16 in March 2004. Court records show he molested a 12-year-old girl and threatened her with a knife. He served nine years in prison of his 10-year maximum sentence and was discharged in June 2013. Carlin put a pocket knife to the victim's throat and then groped her over her clothes, according to court records. A charge of aggravated assault was later dismissed pursuant to a plea agreement.

Carlin was compliant with the sex offender registry having last checked in and verified his address Nov. 9. According to the online sex offender registry, his last known address was the Evergreen Motel in North Lewiston. Motel property manager Linda Miller said Carlin had rented out an apartment there for the past two years. Miller said she didn't know Carlin well but was aware of his sex offender status. Miller made sure juveniles were not unattended around Carlin or near his apartment.

Miller said she last saw Carlin on Monday when he checked his mail, and she spoke to him briefly.

"It was just a normal conversation," she said. "He checked his mail. We talked for a little bit and then he left."

She said Carlin was a quiet, easy tenant and she had no issues with him nor complaints from neighbors about him.

"He was very easygoing and, I feel like those people on TV, I can't believe he was capable of doing the things he's accused of doing," Miller said.

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Holm may be contacted at tholm@lmtribune.com or at (208) 848-2275. Follow him on Twitter @TomHolm4.