Suspected serial killer indicted on 4th murder charge: DA
Share this @internewscast.com

Context: Multnomah County District Attorney Nathan Vasquez addresses the media during a press conference on August 5 (KGW). Inset images depict (left) Jesse Lee Calhoun (Oregon Department of Corrections) and (right) Kristin Smith (Portland Police Bureau).

An Oregon man who was charged last year with murdering three women and dumping their bodies is now charged with the killing of a fourth woman.

Jesse Lee Calhoun, 40, pleaded not guilty to the murders of 24-year-old Charity Lynn Perry, 31-year-old Bridget Leanne Webster, and 32-year-old Joanna Speaks in June 2024 and has been in custody at Multnomah County”s Inverness Jail ever since. On Tuesday, Multnomah County District Attorney Nathan Vasquez announced at a press conference that Calhoun was indicted for a fourth murder in connection to the homicide of 22-year-old Kristin Smith.

Smith was reported missing in December 2022 and her remains were found in February 2023.

At the time of Calhoun’s May 2024 indictment, prosecutors mentioned that Smith’s homicide was being investigated in connection to the charges since she had gone missing during the same time frame as Perry, Webster, and Speaks. The death of a fifth woman, 22-year-old Ashley Real, was also being investigated in connection to Calhoun’s charges. Calhoun is not currently charged with anything in connection to Ashley Real’s death.

During Tuesday’s press conference, Vasquez stated that Calhoun was being charged with Smith’s murder, which he said allegedly took place on or around Nov. 22, 2022. He declined to provide any details about the evidence that led to the indictment on second-degree murder and second-degree abuse of a corpse, but he noted that it was a “very important and visible step” in the case towards justice for the alleged victims.

Prosecutor Melissa Moreno also called the reindictment a “significant milestone in this case.” She added, “I want to be clear: We have a very long road ahead.” Moreno stated that a trial is expected to begin in 2027.

As Law&Crime previously reported, the bodies of five women were found in different locations in Oregon and Washington state over a three-month period in 2023. The three women named in Calhoun’s May 2024 indictment were all found in April 2023; Smith was found in February 2023 and Real was found in May 2023. All five were found dead “under suspicious circumstances,” according to prosecutors.

Authorities believed that at least one of the alleged victims was killed in a different location before being dumped. While causes of death have not been released for most of the women, the Clark County Medical Examiner’s Office cited Speaks’ cause of death as blunt head and neck injuries.

At the time he was indicted last year, Calhoun was already in jail after being arrested in June 2023 on unrelated parole warrants. Law&Crime reported that Calhoun had been granted clemency by former Oregon Gov. Kate Brown after he volunteered as a firefighter during the 2020 wildfires that engulfed the state. Calhoun had been serving time for burglary and theft charges and was released from prison in 2021.

Calhoun is now charged with four counts of second-degree murder and four counts of abuse of a corpse.

Share this @internewscast.com
You May Also Like

Tragic Incident: Man’s Chilling Warning Before Allegedly Shooting Ex-Fiancée

Tomeka Kamwani (Lakiecha Brooks via NJ.com). In a tragic incident in New…

Elderly Woman Viciously Attacked While Walking Dog: Shocking Random Stabbing in Local Neighborhood

Inset: Kersten Francilus. Background: Deputies with the Martin County Sheriff”s Office in…

Tragedy Strikes: Expectant Mother Loses Partner in High-Speed Collision with Fleeing Suspect

Inset: Marc Anthony Trejo Saldivar and Jennifer Loera-Zarco (GoFundMe). Background: Cops in…

Repeat Offender Strikes Again: Shocking University Avenue Assault Highlights Rising Safety Concerns

Staff Report GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Authorities have detained Deontre Davone Washington, aged…

Tragic Loss: 8-Year-Old Girl Fatally Struck by Speeding Driver While Biking to Friend’s Sleepover

Inset, left to right: Nyomi Summers (Family photo/WSOC) and Khaliyal Burney (Mecklenburg…

DOJ Reveals Chilling Plot: Suspect Allegedly Planned to Assassinate Trump with .308 Rifle After Proving Fearlessness to Father

Left: Donald Trump speaks at the annual Road to Majority conference in…

Man Brandishes Knife at Whataburger Manager During Termination, Claims Past Murder: Police Report

Inset: Robert Perry (Bexar County Sheriff”s Office). Background: The Whataburger where Perry…

Lawsuit Claims Dental Student Passed Away in ICU Without In-Person Doctor, Relying on Remote Telehealth Assessment

Inset: Conor Hylton (Westhaven Funeral Home). Background: Bridgeport Hospital Milford Campus in…

Shocking Lawsuit Unveils Nurse’s Alleged History of Infant Abuse: Disturbing Details Emerge

Inset: Cindy Desser (Bensalem Police Department). Background: Desser allegedly slamming a special…

Gainesville Incident: Local Man Bites Officer Following Rollover Crash Arrest

Staff report GAINESVILLE, Fla. – In a dramatic series of events last…

Shocking Child Abuse Uncovered: Teacher’s Discovery After Terrifying Ordeal of Abuse and Neglect

Candice McClure (Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office). A Georgia woman faces a lengthy…

Teen Allegedly Confesses to Girlfriend About Dismembering Murder Victim, Collects Blood Samples: Police Report

Left inset: Lucas Jones (Brevard County Sheriff’s Office). Right inset: Colie Daniel…