JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. — The military confirmed Army law enforcement is investigating the January homicide of a cab driver who was killed in the parking lot of Southcenter Mall.
The case is linked to a Joint Base Lewis-McChord soldier who deserted his post while on trial for child rape charges during that time.
It's been more than a month since Nicole Sharkody lost the love of her life. Her boyfriend, Nick Hokema, was on the clock as a RediCab driver when he was found dead on January 15.
"I wouldn't wish this on anybody. It's been really hard without him here. He impacted my life so much I didn't realize how he did in so many ways until he was gone," Sharkody said.
While Nicole is coping with losing Hokema she is starting to get answers. Nicole met with military prosecutors who said the soldier is being investigated. Tukwila police confirmed on March 1 that Specialist Jonathan Lee is a suspect in the murder.
"I'm furious, sad, angry. I'm so angry," Sharkody said.
The army said Lee was last seen on base January 14 before deserting his post.
The day after he went missing, Hokema was found dead.
The Army found Lee on January 26 and he was taken into custody.
In a statement, the U.S. Army said, "Spc Lee is currently in military custody serving confinement for sexual assault offenses he was found guilty of at a court-martial on January 19, 2024. Army law enforcement is working with the Tukwila Police Department regarding the murder of Mr. Hokema. As a matter of policy, the Army does not comment on ongoing investigations."
Lee was sentenced to 64 years in confinement while he was AWOL for child sex crimes.
"I'm still so angry with the failure of the U.S. Army to contain someone who was clearly dangerous," Sharkody said.
Jack Nevin, a retired Pierce County Superior Court judge and military judge said, in this case, Lee was deemed to not be a harm to the community, and that's why he wasn't in custody.
"The military does not have a bail system. As a result of that, there has to be criteria satisfied that the person is a potential harm to others, and or a danger to the community," Nevin said.
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 he was convicted of, which were originally charged in Pierce County.
Nevin said in that instance county prosecutor's typically meet with the military to decide who will take over the case. It is something Judge Nevin is seeing more of.
"For the last, I want to say 10 to 15 years, the fact that they are military is sufficient for a court martial to take jurisdiction," Nevin said.
"In terms of jurisdiction, if a person is in military status, which he is, even if he's been deserted, and he commits a crime, and he can be tried in a court martial, because he is considered a separate sovereign," Nevin said.
How the military prosecutes cases is new, too. In December 2023, Nevin points to a mandate passed by Congress changing how charging decisions are made. Now, a special military prosecutor is assigned to a case with more independence on whether to file charges similar to prosecutors in state court.
"There are special prosecutors, which for sexual offenses, as well as other serious violent offenses makes the decision exclusively of whether there's a basis to charge the case or not," Nevin said.
Meanwhile, Nicole is holding onto every memory of Nick Hokema and not giving up on justice.
"I can't stress it enough when I say always appreciate the ones you love and don't ever fail to remind them of that," Sharkody said.
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