JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Wash. — This week, the U.S. Army announced charges against JBLM soldier Private Jonathan Lee in connection to the death of Nick Hokema.
It's been nearly five months since Nicole Sharkody lost the love of her life, her boyfriend Nick Hokema.
"The hardest part is at night when I everyone goes to bed and I go to bed and it's just me," Sharkody said. The wheels of justice are starting to turn after the army announced charges in connection to Hokema's murder.
"It's been so slow and agonizing just waiting for stuff to come back from evidence and the whole process of making sure everything is air tight when it comes to getting this guy," Sharkody said.
Hokema was on the clock as a cab driver when he was found murdered in Tukwila, in the parking lot of SouthCenter Mall on Jan. 15. His cab was also stolen.
The army said Private Lee was last seen on base the day before, on Jan. 14 and deserted his post while on trial for child sex crimes. He was convicted at a court-martial on Jan. 19, 2024, while he was still missing.
The Army found Lee on Jan. 26 and he was taken into custody and is serving 64 years for felony sex assault offenses.
Sharkody is furious Lee was able to leave base.
"I've been getting angrier again. I've been trying to put it in constructive ways but I just don't like this, I hate it. This doesn't feel like my life anymore," Sharkody said.
The military does not have a bail system, and a retired military judge told KING 5 in this case, Lee was deemed to not be a harm to the community and not placed in custody.
"I don't think whoever ultimately let this happen should be in charge of anything, anyone ever again. There's no do-overs in something like this," Sharkody said.
Even though Hokema's murder did not happen on base, the case is being handled by the military. The Army said Private Lee is facing seven charges and released this statement regarding legal proceedings for Lee.
"The general nature of the charges is the premeditated murder of Nicholas F. Hokema, robbery, resisting arrest, desertion, wrongful use of a controlled substance and two counts of failure to obey a lawful order in violation of Articles 118, 85, 87a, 112a, and 92 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice. The charges are merely allegations and Lee is presumed innocent until proven guilty."
"Ideally I'd like the death penalty for this because I'd like to be there, but if it has to be life without parole that's what id accept," Sharkody said.
It's not only justice Sharkody is after, but systematic change so this doesn't happen to anyone else.
"I love Nick so much, I still do, it hasn't changed at all," Sharkody said.
The next step in Lee's case is for a neutral officer to be assigned to conduct a preliminary hearing.