TUKWILA, Wash. — A U.S. Army soldier was charged in connection to the January killing of a cab driver in Tukwila.
The Army announced Tuesday that Joint Base Lewis-McChord soldier Jonathan Lee was charged with murder for the killing of Nick Hokema.
Hokema’s body was found at Southcenter Mall on Jan. 15 after he didn’t return home from an overnight shift. His car was also stolen.
At the time of the homicide, Lee had deserted his post while on trial for child rape charges. Now, he’s in military custody for those charges, serving a 64-year sentence.
Even though the Hokema’s killing did not happen on base, the case is being handled by the military. The same thing happened with the sex crimes Lee was convicted of, which were initially charged in Pierce County.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
