JOINT BAST LEWIS-MCCORD, Wash. – A soldier pleaded guilty to the murder of Nicholas F. Hokema during his court-martial April 23 at the Cascade Court Complex, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.
Pvt. Jonathan K. Lee, 26, a signal intelligence analyst, also pleaded guilty to desertion, resisting arrest, and two specifications of failure to obey a lawful order.
The military judge sentenced him to life in prison with the possibility of parole and a dishonorable discharge.
This sentence is in addition to his previous sentence of 64 years in confinement for felony sexual assault offenses where he also received a dishonorable discharge and forfeiture of all pay and allowances. His prison sentences will be served consecutively.
On Jan. 16, 2024, Lee was expected in court to face charges of felony sexual assault during his court-martial at JBLM. Prior to trial, Lee fled authorities becoming a deserter of the U.S. Army.
Lee was convicted and sentenced, in-absentia, on Jan. 19, 2024, for felony sexual assault offenses against minors. There were two victims in this case and the crimes occurred while he was assigned to JBLM between June 2020 to Feb. 2022.
He was apprehended by the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division with the assistance of local authorities on Jan. 26, 2024, and transferred back to military custody.
While Lee was on the run, Hokema was found deceased in the parking lot of a local mall on Jan. 15, 2024, in Tukwila, Wash.
After a thorough investigation by the Tukwila Police Department and Army CID, the Army Office of Special Trial Counsel charged Lee with the murder of Hokema, resisting arrest, desertion, wrongful use of a controlled substance and failure to obey a lawful order.
“While nothing the court can do will bring Mr. Hokema back, hopefully this sentence will allow for some closure for his friends and family,” said Lt. Col. Sean Fitzgibbon, circuit chief, Sixth Circuit, Army OSTC. “This would not have been possible without the tremendous work from the Tukwila Police Department and the Department of Army Criminal Investigation Division.”
“This sentencing is the result of the tireless work and dedication of multiple agencies to gather and present the evidence supporting the prosecution of Lee for his actions,” said Army CID Western Field Office Special Agent in Charge Michele Starostka.
“A special thanks to the Tukwila Police Department, our local law enforcement partners around Joint Base Lewis-McChord, the JBLM Directorate of Emergency Services, and the Office of Special Trial Counsel. Our commitment to thoroughly investigate serious criminal offenses is unwavering, and we stand with the victims in their pursuit of justice.”
Lee will serve his prison sentence at the United States Disciplinary Barracks, Fort Leavenworth, Kan. He will be eligible for parole no earlier than 2045.
This case was investigated by Army CID’s Western Field Office and the Tukwila Police Department. It was prosecuted by Fitzgibbon and Capt. Bryanna Beauchamp, Office of the Staff Judge Advocate, U.S. Army I Corps, and Capt. Thomas O’Ban, 104th Training Division, U.S. Army Reserve.
The Army Office of Special Trial Counsel is comprised of specially trained military lawyers, legal professionals and support staff responsible for the expert and independent prosecution of murder, sexual assault, domestic violence, child abuse, kidnapping and other serious criminal offenses. Headquartered at Fort Belvoir, Va., OSTC has eight regional headquarters which oversee 28 field offices located across the country to include Europe and Korea. For more information visit https://www.army.mil/ostc.
| Date Taken: | 04.24.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 04.24.2025 16:49 |
| Story ID: | 496134 |
| Location: | JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, WASHINGTON, US |
| Web Views: | 92 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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