JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, WA – Army soldier Jonathan Lee was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole on Wednesday after being convicted of the murder of 34-year-old Nick Hokoma. The proceedings, which took place inside a military courthouse at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, were closed to recording, but attendees were present throughout the day.
The courtroom resonated with a bittersweet sense of relief for Hokoma’s loved ones. “I am glad that he is finally going somewhere where he doesn’t have the opportunity, just because he’s a soldier, to leave base again and hurt another family,” said a family member who requested anonymity. The sentiment reflected the collective grief and frustration of those who knew Hokoma, a beloved taxicab driver from Tumwater.
Hokoma was found dead outside Southcenter Mall in January 2024, a victim of Lee’s violent actions. Investigators revealed that Lee had stolen Hokoma’s cab to evade authorities while already on trial for separate charges of child sex crimes. The shocking sequence of events left Hokoma’s girlfriend, Nicole, questioning how Lee had managed to leave the military base undetected. “It doesn’t make any sense how he managed to take a vehicle off base and nobody stopped him,” she lamented.
In a courtroom admission, Lee claimed that the fatal stabbing resulted from a disagreement over payment. Initially pleading not guilty, Lee later accepted a plea deal, offering an apology to Hokoma’s grieving family. Despite the legal acknowledgment of wrongdoing, family members expressed skepticism about Lee’s prospects for parole, given the severity of his crimes.
The tragic loss of Hokoma has left a void that can never be filled. “This doesn’t bring him back and it doesn’t complete that,” Nicole shared, her voice tinged with enduring sorrow. Nevertheless, the verdict provided a measure of validation for those who have long sought justice.
Lee will serve his sentence at the United States Disciplinary Barracks in Leavenworth, Kansas. While nothing can erase the pain of Hokoma’s death, his family takes solace in knowing that others see Lee for who he is and that justice has, in part, been served.
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Author: John Nightbridge
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