Murder Charges Pile Up Against Oregon Man as Another Victim is Discovered
An Oregon man has been linked to the murder of five different women. Read on for the disturbing details emerging about this alleged serial killer.
Oregon Man Accused of Murdering Five Women Over Two Years
Murder charges are piling up against an Oregon man accused of killing five women. Officials with Multnomah County have charged Jesse Lee Calhoun with murdering five women between 2022 and 2023. The most recent indictment happened approximately two years after Calhoun was charged with the first murder.
Investigators have signaled that they are not done with their work. Multnomah County District Attorney Nathan Vasquez recently told reporters that "While the ethical rules limit what I can say about the evidence, I can say the scope of this case is massive." Local officials are being more tight-lipped about whether there may be more victims connected to Calhoun. Multnomah County Senior Deputy District Attorney Melissa Marrero simply said that prosecutors are "leaving no stone unturned" when asked if there could be more murder charges.
All of Calhoun's alleged victims were females under the age of 35. All five women were discovered dead at different outdoor locations throughout the northwestern corner of Oregon and across the border in Washington between February and May of 2023. Officials noted that some of the remains were discovered almost 100 miles apart.
The latest charge connects Calhoun to the death of Ashley Real. The 22-year-old was last seen at a Portland fast food restaurant on March 27, 2023. It was a few weeks later that her body was found in a wooded area of Eagle Creek.
Real's family spoke at a news conference on May 26, appearing alongside prosecutors with Multnomah County. Real's sister, Masciell Real, expressed relief in the charges being brought against Calhoun, saying that seeking justice has been "an extremely long, painful and traumatic journey." During the emotional media event, Real's sister said that she would often wake up to the grief consuming her, having to remind herself that her sister would want her to remain strong.
Other Alleged Victims Connected to Calhoun
The 41-year-old suspect has also been charged in connection with the murders of Charity Lynn Perry, 24; Kristin Smith, 22; Joanna Speaks, 32; and Bridget Leann Webster, 31. Calhoun's attorney has confirmed that his client has pleaded not guilty to all of the charges.
In the early stages of the investigation, Portland police officials dismissed worries that the victims were connected. However, law enforcement quickly determined that there was evidence that linked the first four cases together.
Calhoun had been serving time in prison prior to the alleged murders. He was incarcerated in the state system on charges of burglary and unauthorized use of a vehicle. Then-Gov. Kate Brown commuted his sentence after he served with 40 other prisoners helping to fight wildfires. As a result, Calhoun was released from prison in 2021, approximately one year early.
Jose Real told reporters that his daughter had told him that she was choked and assaulted by Calhoun in November 2022. According to prosecutors, this incident happened about one week before Calhoun killed Smith.
Multnomah County Sheriff's Office spokesperson John Plock confirmed that their agency had received a referral report from the Portland Police Bureau in November 2022 about a "cold domestic violence strangulation allegation" involving Real. Calhoun was officially named as the suspect in this allegation.
While Smith was reported missing the month after the allegation by Real, her remains were not found until February 2023. Smith's body was discovered in a wooded area in Portland. Law enforcement officials believe that Real, Perry, and Speaks were all murdered shortly after, in March of 2023.
Speaks was found near an abandoned barn across the state border in Ridgefield, Washington, on April 8, 2023. Investigators believe that her body was moved there after she was killed. The Clark County Medical Examiner in Washington state noted that the 32-year-old woman died of blunt head and neck injuries.
The Multnomah County Sheriff's Office said that Perry was found dead "under suspicious circumstances." Her body was recovered in a culvert near Ainsworth State Park. Investigators said that Perry frequently spent time in the downtown areas of both Portland and nearby Vancouver, Washington.
According to the details of the indictment, Calhoun is also suspected of murdering Webster in April of 2023. Webster was known to spend time in Portland, Oregon City, and Milwaukie.
A sixth female body was recovered in a tent on the same day that Perry was found. This sixth corpse was found in a neighborhood near where Smith's body was recovered. However, Portland law enforcement officials said they did not think foul play was an issue in that case.
As the criminal investigations proceeded, Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek was asked to revoke Calhoun's previous commutation. Oregon Public Broadcasting reported that Calhoun returned to jail on July 7, 2023. The district attorney's office later announced that it has been working with law enforcement and prosecutors throughout Oregon about a person of interest involved in four of the murders.
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