OAN’s Abril Elfi
3:00 PM – Monday, July 17, 2023
The murders of four women whose bodies were discovered in northwest Oregon between February and May of this year, have been confirmed to be linked and authorities say that there is now at least one person of interest.
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The bodies of Kristin Smith, 22, Ashley Real, 22, Charity Perry, 24, and Bridget Webster, 31, were discovered between February and May within a 100 mile radius in secluded rural areas of Oregon. On Monday, nine Oregon law enforcement agencies announced in a joint statement that they believe the four deaths were connected and that they had identified at least one person of interest linked to the deaths of the victims.
Although the district attorney’s office for Multnomah County would not name the person of interest, those involved with the investigation claim that the person of interest is 38-year-old Jesse Lee Calhoun. The suspected assailant is currently being held at the Snake River Correctional Institution.
Calhoun, who has been a “prolific thief and career criminal,” according to the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office, has a lengthy criminal record that began when he was 18-years-old.
The district attorney made his declaration on Monday, even though six weeks beforehand the Portland Police Bureau maintained that there was no reason to think the incidents were related and that rumors were “not supported by the facts available” at the time.
Mayor of Portland Ted Wheeler and the governor’s office declined to comment, citing the ongoing investigation.
“I am absolutely horrified for the victims, their families, and all those who have experienced these losses,” Brown said.
Detectives are now asking anyone who has more details regarding these female victims to contact the agency or police department working to bring justice to the families affected.
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