I was doing the quest the drunkard gives you to steal the ale from the bannered mare in Whiterun and I was spotted. I had several followers with me, which as soon as the owner spotted me and unsheathed their weapons was massacred by them, as well as every guard, and somehow, the Jarl.
Now, if I go near it I'm attacked on sight, and even if I die, when I respawn the bounty hasn't lowered. There are still a few companions quests I want to do, and I have loot in Breezehome so I would really hate to have to avoid it.
Also my last save was 5 hours previously so I don't want to reload either.
I've also tried leaving for a while, but that didn't work.
Any clues as to what I could do?
EDIT:
I tried gong back and I was arrested. The Jarl's still dead though.
Best Answer
You never respawn in Skyrim, the game reloads to the last save, so your bounty will naturally not decrease. You should eventually be tracked down by a bounty hunter and get the chance to repay your bounty + 20% for his troubles. It should, but is not guaranteed, to fix the problem. The death of the jarl could be problematic in the long run, however, if he is indeed dead.