WARWICK − The remains of a slain Warwick woman were found in Exeter earlier this week and a local man has been charged with first-degree murder in her death, according to Warwick police.
The medical examiners have linked those remains to Charlotte Lester, Warwick’s police chief, Col. Brad Connor, said late Wednesday morning.
Following that discovery, Mark Perkins was arrested earlier Wednesday morning and charged, Connor said.
Connor, who is not in the state, said he is not aware of the precise location in Exeter where Lester’s remains were found.
Emphasizing that more information should be available later today, Connor said Lester’s remains were removed from the site by state police.
Lester was reported missing in May of 2022.
Perkins’ ties to Lester fueled speculation about his involvement in her disappearance.
During the summer of 2022, Perkins, of 29 Staples Ave., was charged with felony assault, larceny, vandalism and disorderly conduct after an altercation with John DePetro.
Charlotte Lester, seen here in an undated photo provided by family, is a missing Warwick woman.
Charlotte Lester went missing from Warwick 2022
Lester was seen for the last time at about 10 p.m. on Monday, May 16, 2022, according to a Warwick police news release. Lester was seen in Apponaug’s marina area, Wilson says. About two days later, Chloe was found abandoned near Belmont Park, off Elmwood Avenue.
Lester was reported missing to police on Thursday, May 19.
The truck she drove, a Toyota Tacoma, turned up in the parking lot at Kent Hospital the next week. Police search activity in the Arnold’s Neck neighborhood drew attention to a home that Lester had frequented. The house was a place that factored into speculation about the mystery in local media, including social media.
In May of 2023 Warwick police Detective Capt. John McAniff said, “We’re still working on it.”
‘It was a life she chose’
Lester grew up in Massachusetts, attending Miss Hall’s Academy in Pittsfield and Natick High School.
Later, she became a mother and had three children, says Wilson, who steers away from any discussion on the subject, saying the family wants to keep them out of the spotlight.
This is a developing story. More to come.
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Man charged after remains of Charlotte Lester found in Exeter