Rhode Island police have found the remains of a woman who went missing over two years ago and arrested a man they believe is responsible for her disappearance.
Charlotte Lester, 44, went missing in May 2022. She was last seen on the morning of 16 May 2022 in the city’s marina area.
Warwick Police Department Commander Michael Lima confirmed the development during a news conference on Wednesday.
“We always believed something happened to Charlotte, but not having the remains was definitely a key here,” Lima said.
Officials said they discovered Lester’s remains in Exeter earlier this week but didn’t clarify when that discovery took place or where specifically her remains were recovered. Police were led to the area after getting a tip from a hunter, officials said.
Mark Perkins, 64, was arrested for first-degree murder. He was arraigned on Wednesday and is being held without bail. His home was searched last year in connection with the disappearance. There, police found blood splattered on the walls, ceiling door and bed frame. Police said the two individuals had been “companions” in the past.
After Lester went missing, police found her red pickup truck outside of Kent Hospital. A series of letters addressed to her were discovered in a nearby wooded area. But it took over two years to find her body.
According to The Providence Journal, her family isn’t surprised by the development. Kathy Wilson, a spokesperson for the family, told media outlets on Wednesday: “We were right. It happened exactly the way we thought it did, where we thought it did, by who.”
According to the outlet, Perkins told an acquaintance about what had happened to Lester. A police report obtained by the outlet quoted him saying he and Lester had the “blowout of the century” adding his home was a “blood bath” after the alleged incident. “I think I killed her,” he reportedly told the person. He had snapped and repeatedly punched her, the affidavit stated.
It wasn’t immediately clear if Perkins had an attorney.
