The final suspect wanted in the 2022 death of a woman in Atlanta was arrested in Bartow County while allegedly riding a jet ski intoxicated Saturday, police said.
Steven Oboite, 31, had been on Atlanta’s Most Wanted list for nearly a year after being accused in the disappearance and death of Allahnia Lenoir. He was indicted in December 2022 along with two others who were arrested in the months following Lenoir’s killing, records show.
“The bottom line is he is in custody, and he will have to face the consequences of his actions,” Atlanta police spokesman Maj. Peter Malecki said during a news conference Wednesday.
Lenoir, 24, was reported missing Aug. 1, 2022, and was last seen two days prior at the Peachtree Midtown Apartments at 1660 Peachtree Street. By September, police said they “began to realize that there may be some foul play involved” in her disappearance.
On Allatoona Lake near I-75, Oboite was spotted jet skiing in a no-wake zone around 4:30 p.m. Saturday, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources said. Game wardens stopped him and suspected he was impaired, which kicked off a possible intoxication investigation, agency spokesman Mark McKinnon said.
Oboite is accused of refusing to provide identification, fleeing on the jet ski and then running into a wooded area near Holiday Marina. Game wardens pursued him and were eventually able to take him into custody.
McKinnon said it was discovered that Oboite had several active warrants out of Atlanta. He was booked into the Bartow jail on charges of BUI, obstruction of a law enforcement officer, violation of rules of the road for boat traffic and giving a false identification to law enforcement, before being transferred to the Fulton County Jail.
In the Atlanta case, he faces charges of murder, distribution of a controlled substance, hindering the apprehension of a criminal, concealing the death of another and tampering with evidence.
Few details have been released since Lenoir’s death. It’s believed that after she was killed, her body was disposed of, police have stated. Her body remains missing.
“From Day 1, our objective has been to locate and return Allahnia, and that is more true today than ever before. That is our goal,” Malecki said. “It is our belief that somebody out there knows, somebody knows where she is, and we would plead with that individual to come forward.”
Lenoir’s mother, Jannette Jackson, was described by Malecki as a staple in the investigation. Since her daughter was reported missing, police said Jackson has been Lenoir’s voice and continues asking the community for help in locating her daughter’s body.
During the news conference, Jackson spoke directly to Oboite. She expressed her confidence that her daughter’s killing was not accidental.
“Steven, if there’s anything in you left that’s human, to please just tell me where my daughter is so we can lay her to rest,” she said.
The two other suspects remain in the Fulton jail without bond.
Diante Reynolds was arrested in September 2022 and indicted on charges of murder, distribution of a controlled substance, hindering the apprehension of a criminal, concealing the death of another, tampering with evidence, identity fraud and first-degree forgery.
Nicholas Devon Hendrickson was arrested two months later and indicted on charges of concealing the death of another, tampering with evidence, false statements and hindering the apprehension of a criminal.
“As of right now, we do believe everybody that is responsible for this is in custody,” Malecki stated, adding that “it was all three of them. They all played a role.”
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