CHARLOTTE, N.C. — More than seven months after a Charlotte man died following a fiery crash on I-485, police say the suspect accused of killing him is already in prison on unrelated charges.
In February 2022, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department shared that 36-year-old Jamil Rout died despite lifesaving efforts from first responders on the north I-485 interloop near Mount Holly Road. Officers said they responded to a personal injury call for service near Marita Drive and the interloop and found Rout's car had veered off the roadway and was on fire. Investigators determined the original incident happened along Marita Drive.
In an update on Sept. 16, CMPD shared they had served 33-year-old Warren Capel with a warrant, charging him with Rout's murder. Capel was served at the Piedmont Correctional Institution in Salisbury.
A review of Capel's record from the North Carolina Department of Public Safety (NCDPS) by WCNC Charlotte shows he was convicted of 2nd-degree murder in Richmond County in 2007, along with robbery with a dangerous weapon. He was released in 2017 after serving about 10 years in prison and granted parole, which was set to end in February 2022.
His record also shows a conviction for possessing a Schedule I drug with intent to sell in a penal institution out of Wake County in 2018, which saw his post-release parole revoked in July 2022 and originally would have seen him released again in January 2023.
NCDPS records show Capel has racked up 41 infractions in total during his time in prison, including committing sexual acts, possessing substances, possessing an unauthorized electronic device, disobeying orders, and assaulting another person with a weapon.
Capel was first admitted to the Granville Correctional Institution in Butner but was moved to Piedmont Correctional on Aug. 8, 2022. As of writing, NCDPS records show his projected release date as Jan. 1, 2023.
Note: WCNC instituted a new policy in March 2021 regarding the broadcast or posting of mugshots.
WCNC will only air or post a mugshot if the person has been formally charged with a crime and in a few other cases. The exceptions include: If it appears the person could be a danger to themselves or others or if they are wanted by authorities; to differentiate between people with a common name; if the photos could encourage more victims to come forward. The news-editorial leadership may also decide to use a mugshot based on the severity of the crime(s) committed and/or the level of public interest in the crime and ensuing criminal proceedings.
WCNC Charlotte is choosing to show Capel's mugshot because of the severity of the charge he faces along with the passage of time since Rout's death.