‘I think I killed her,’ court documents detail investigation into Mark Perkins, case of Charlotte Lester
WARWICK, R.I. (WLNE) — The family and friends of Charlotte Lester said they always suspected Mark Perkins had something to do with her disappearance.
Police took Perkins into custody yesterday on a first-degree murder charger after Lester’s remains were found in Exeter, near the Wood River Management Area, following a tip from a hunter.
Mark Perkins appears in court on Wednesday, November 20. (WLNE)
“With the police being there for a month, things were found at the house and then we also found things in our investigation that was just a clear indication,” said Kathy Wilson, a spokeswoman for Lester’s family.
Lester disappeared on May 16, 2022, in the Apponaug section of Warwick. According to court documents obtained by ABC6, her landlord reported her missing after losing contact with her.
The landlord told police that he had last seen Lester at her townhouse on May 16 with her dog, Chloe. He had agreed to watch the dog the following day.
Later that day, the dog was found wandering a street, which was unusual because Lester never went anywhere without Chloe.
Lester’s vehicle was later discovered in the parking lot of Kent County Hospital.
Lester had been in a relationship with Perkins, who spoke with detectives on May 20. Detectives noted that Perkins’ hands appeared swollen, but he told them he hadn’t spoken to Lester since the previous weekend and didn’t know her whereabouts.
Investigators later spoke with a co-worker of Lester’s at Cumberland Farms, who said Perkins had allegedly come into the store on May 17 with bite marks and dried blood on his hands. The co-worker said Perkins allegedly told her he had “the blowout of the century” with Lester the night before and that his house was “a blood bath.”
“I think I killed her,” Perkins allegedly told the co-worker. He described how he had snapped, cut off his ponytail, and repeatedly punched Lester.
The next day, police executed a search warrant at Perkins’ home and found evidence of blood and blood splatter on the walls, ceiling, and bed frame of his bed. They also found a shirt with brown and red stains hanging in the basement.
Perkins had visible injuries, scars, and marks on his body, according to court documents.
He had also allegedly bought a new mattress.
This is a missing person flyer for Charlotte Lester, who was last seen in May 2022. (WLNE)
Police collected blood samples from the residence and a toothbrush belonging to Lester. DNA analysis revealed that Lester’s mother was the biological relative of the contributor of the profile from the toothbrush, while the shirt had a mixture of DNA from at least two sources, including Lester and Perkins.
Surveillance video allegedly showed Lester traveling to Perkins’ residence around the time of her last phone call.
Additional footage appeared to show her vehicle leaving the residence and being parked at the hospital, with Perkins seen walking away a short time later.
Further video allegedly showed Perkins traveling with what appeared to be a mattress in his truck.
Perkins was later arrested for assault months later after allegedly starting his lawnmower while charging at radio host John DePetro, who was streaming a Facebook Live broadcast about Lester’s disappearance outside her Warwick home.
In 2023, Perkins was charged with larceny and assault and battery. Most recently, in 2024, he was charged with DUI, according to court documents.
Perkins was arraigned yesterday and held without bail.
“We are eternally grateful for your continued support in our efforts to seek justice,” the Facebook page for Lester’s family and friends said in a statement after Perkins’ arrest.
The family added that service information for Lester has not yet been decided. The cause of her death has not been released.
“We always believed that something had happened to Charlotte but not having the remains was definitely a key here,” Commander Michael Lima told news outlets yesterday.
Photos of Charlotte Lester shared by her family.
