A Maine man who allegedly wiped out his girlfriend inside a hit-and-run incident in a Juneteenth nature retreat was arrested through the U.S. Marshals in Mexico now.
Raymond Lester, 35, was taken into federal child custody late Monday evening in Cancun, Mexico, the U.S. Marshals Service announced. Lester, who’s billed with murder in the girlfriend Nicole Mokeme’s vehicular killing, had evaded government bodies for any month just before his arrest.
During the time of Mokeme’s dying, she and Lester were attending a nature retreat for Black youth which she’d helped organize in the Schoodic Educational Center in Acadia National Forest.
Mokeme, 35, was last seen alive close to the fire bowl area in the Schoodic Educational Center in Acadia National Forest at roughly 11:30 p.m. on June 18, based on charging documents acquired by Archiweekend.com. Her body was discovered the next morning on the walking path close to the retreat.
An autopsy revealed Mokeme died from blunt pressure injuries coupled with been fatally struck having a vehicle, based on the Maine Condition Police. Her dying was subsequently ruled a homicide.
Witnesses in the retreat described an evident and lingering tension between Lester and Mokeme, who have been discussing a bunkhouse together for that weekend. At some point, Lester told one witness that Mokeme “doesn’t much like me anymore” making “shooting” gestures at several people with his fingers, situation documents allege.
Shortly before Mokeme’s dying, Lester was observed by multiple witnesses consuming vodka and driving “fast and dangerously” with the campground inside a black BMW X3. One witness described him to be visibly intoxicated with “slow, slurred speech.”
Another remembered Lester was “hammered,” “pissed off,” and stated he acted “appallingly” while dining around the evening of June 18.
Sooner or later between night time on June 18 and also the early hrs of June 19, government bodies suspect Lester mowed lower Mokeme in the BMW after which fled the retreat site.
After executing searching warrant around the shared bunkhouse the pair was remaining at, investigators found Lester had left out numerous personal possessions — including clothing, toiletry products as well as court papers. Surveillance cameras taken Lester’s BMW traveling through Massachusetts, Georgia and Texas following the killing, per the case’s affidavit.
Lester was billed with Mokeme’s murder on June 21. A federal warrant was later issued for his arrest for illegal flight to prevent prosecution.
Just before his arrest, officials cautioned the general public to look for Lester’s black BMW, warning the automobile might have front-finish or undercarriage damage. It’s unknown if government bodies have retrieved the Sports utility vehicle.
Since his apprehension, Lester continues to be extradited from Mexico to Illinois and will also be used in Maine later on, officials stated.
No court date information was immediately readily available for Lester. It’s unclear if he’s retained an attorney.
“Nicole Mokeme’s family anxiously waited greater than a month to listen to that news and detectives were excited to create that telephone call,” Shannon Moss, the general public information officer for that Maine Department of Public Safety told Archiweekend.com inside a statement. “The next thing is getting Lester home to Maine to manage prosecution.”
Lester and Mokeme have been dating in excess of 3 years, based on the Portland Press Herald. Lester has four prior convictions for domestic violence assault involving separate victims, based on the outlet.
Mokeme was the founder and creative director of Rise and Shine Youth Retreat, a Maine rejuvenation center for that enrichment of Black youth. Her organization programmed nature retreats along with other occasions for Black youth and adults. She’d organized the Acadia National Forest retreat “celebrate Juneteenth, liberation and Black excellence,” based on an Instagram publish submitted through the group.
Mokeme was referred to as an “enthusiastic and electrifying lady of Universal Love,” based on her company website’s biography.
“Nicole supported unity and community,” Mokeme’s obituary also mentioned. “Her goal ended up being to lift and empower all.”
Mokeme finished Southern Maine College. The 35-year-old seemed to be mom of the youthful girl.
Her killing marked the very first homicide in Acadia Park in 35 years, based on the Bangor Daily News.
