Jayme Thomas

Johnny Rourn: Charged in murder of Des Moines teen Jayme Thomas

A Washington's Most Wanted viewer is credited with helping to lead police to murder suspect Johnny Rourn.

King County prosecutors filed murder and assault charges Monday against Rourn, accusing him of fatally shooting a woman and wounding a man Nov. 5 in Des Moines.

Authorities said Rourn, 29, of Des Moines, shot and killed 19-year-old Jayme Thomas of Des Moines. Thomas was sitting in the back seat of a parked car; the gunfire also wounded 24-year-old Scott Kennedy, who was a friend of Thomas.

Prosecutors said Rourn opened fire on a crowd of people after leaving a party and hit Thomas three times. Kennedy talked about his injury in an exclusive interview with "Washington's Most Wanted."

Rourn was arrested Dec. 7, after a tip from a WMW viewer, and is jailed on $1 million bail. He will be arraigned on December 22 at the Regional Justice Center in Kent.

In court documents, detectives said Rourn admitted he was the shooter, but that he had been drinking and didn't know Thomas was in the car. They said he was "apologetic and kept repeaing he wished he could trade places with Thomas."

However, prosecutors said he changed the rims on his car after the shooting and got rid of his clothes, making it seem as if he was attempting to conceal items that could identify him.

Murderer: