Is The United States Army Afraid They Are Going To Be Blamed for Hokema's Murder?
Two days ago, in a Tacoma New Tribune article reported by Craig Sailor, it was announced that US Army Specialist Jonathan Kang Lee is now considered an official suspect, if not THE suspect. For those new to this story, it appears that Lee stole Hokema's cab after murdering him, driving the car to Redmond, Washington, where, two weeks later, he was found hiding out in a house. At the time of the murder, Lee was considered a deserter, having left Fort Lewis on January 14th five days prior to his scheduled trial on the 19th for sexually assaulting two underage children, ages 6 and 7. In a KOMO news release, Nicole Sharkody, Hokema's girlfriend asked why Lee hadn't been held in custody, which is a very good question considering, that after Lee's desertion, he was convicted in absentia and sentenced to 64 years in prison. Given that Lee knew he was facing what is essentially a life sentence, why didn't the US Army hold him in confinement? One must ask if the US Army hadn't mismanaged Lee's case, their mistakes leading to Hokema's death.
Since evidence seems to be reaching this conclusion, I think this could be why Lee's arrest remains shrouded in mystery. Let me remind everyone that the US Army's history when it comes to justice is far from pretty. In 1970, the journalist Robert Sherrill published his examination of military justice, "Military Justice is to Justice As Military Music is to Music", which outlined the sometimes horror story that is military administrated law. This doesn't mean that justice won't prevail in this case. It only might mean that everything might move very slowly, frustrating all interested parties. The US Army is BIG Government. It has its own rules.
In an email, Craig Sailor told me that Lee's abandoned vehicle was found in DuPont, Washington, a town about 15 north of Olympia, Washington. This fact adds further mystery to the question as to how and why Lee ended up in Hokema's cab. It would seem, if Lee entered Hokema's cab in DuPont, that it was a dispatched call, unless of course he had dropped off in DuPont, and Lee hailed his cab.
DuPont to Tukwila is about 36 miles. Redicab rates are a $3.00 drop, then $4.00 per mile along with 75 cents per minute wait time. Minimally that would make the fare to the SouthCenter Mall at about $147.00. What happened once they arrived at SouthCenter? It would seem surprising that Hokema would not have already asked for upfront payment, given the amount owed. Another question is, if Redmond, Washington was Lee's ultimate destination, why did he direct the cab to Tukwila? I hope to see these kinds of questions answered in the upcoming weeks.
One last important point I want to make is to remove the fallacy that driving cab is a simple, straightforward occupation. Nothing is, or could be further from the truth, from functional reality. What cab driving is is an immersion into active culture and society, every passenger entering your cab a living, breathing specimen of the human experience. Whoever that person is, whether sane, insane, wonderful or monster, they will be sitting inches behind you. This is not simple. This is a complex equation. And sometimes it all doesn't add up properly, instead blowing up in your face. That is what taxi is really like. It's not fiction. It's not a movie. It's palpable reality.
Hard to Believe But the City of Seattle Doesn't Care How Much You Made Last Year,
You still have to pay the business license applicable to the previous year. For example, let's say the previous year you made $25,000 but this past year you made $100.00, the City of Seattle will still demand the fee connected to the higher amount. Why? Because this is just how the City of Seattle does it. Doesn't matter whether it is either fair or logical. I found this out by paying the smaller fee request. I suppose this somehow makes me delinquent, suddenly an alienated teenager clad in a black leather jacket leaning against a wall, cigarette hanging from my lips. Is this a good/bad example of how the City of Seattle is run? Yes, it certainly is.
As You Cabbies out there will have noticed,
your insurance rates have gone up dramatically. But you say, I haven't had an accident of a ticket in 20 years. So what is this response, why are rates being raised.? The insurers don't care and they don't have to. No explanation necessary. You either pay or you don't drive your car. That's just the way it is. Isn't it fun owning a cab?
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