A Warwick man has been charged with first-de- gree murder following a two-and-a-half-year inves- tigation into the whereabouts of a missing person.

Warwick police officers arrested Mark Perkins, 64, of 29 Staples Ave., and charged him with the crime on Wednesday morning.

The missing person, Charlotte Lester, was last seen on May 16, 2022 in Apponaug.

The Warwick Police Department report states that new information regarding the case had been brought to their attention on Sunday. According to WPRI, Lester’s remains were located in Exeter earlier this week.

Perkins was arraigned in District Court, Warwick, at 2 p.m. Wednesday.

The WPD commended Lester ’s family and friends, as well as the state Attorney General’s Office and Warwick’s Detective Division for “their continued hard work, dedication and cooperation throughout this entire investigative process.”

The investigation is still active; as such, police did not release more details.

Anyone with information on the matter is encour- aged to contact 401-468-4200 and ask for Detective Parmenter.