Man charged with murder in deaths of 3 Oregon women found in different locations days apart
A 39-year-old man, Jesse Lee Calhoun, was indicted by a grand jury on Thursday for the murders of three Oregon women whose bodies were discovered in 2023, according to the Multnomah County District Attorney.
Calhoun faces three counts of second-degree murder and three counts of second-degree abuse of a corpse in connection with the deaths of Charity Lynn Perry, 24, Bridget Leanne Webster, 31, and Joanna Speaks, 32.
The bodies of the three women were found under suspicious circumstances on different days in April 2023. Perry and Webster were discovered in Portland, while Speaks was found in neighboring Washington, the district attorney’s office reported. The cause of death for each woman has not been disclosed, and details on how investigators connected Calhoun to the deaths remain unclear.
“I want to acknowledge the families of these women,” Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt stated during a Friday news conference. “This community holds you in our hearts and is here to support you.”
Calhoun, who was already in custody on an unrelated charge, is expected to be transferred to Multnomah County for arraignment, although a date has not yet been set. Efforts are being made to identify and contact an attorney for Calhoun.
In 2023, authorities suggested that the deaths of Perry and Webster might be linked to the deaths of two other Oregon women, Kristin Smith and Ashley Real. Senior Deputy District Attorney Melissa Marrero confirmed on Friday that the investigations into their deaths are ongoing.
“Just because not all of these girls have their charges brought up yet—for the other families—does not mean that we are not still standing beside them,” a member of Perry’s family emphasized during the news conference. “We’re still together, the whole way, all the way.”
Smith’s mother also spoke, expressing hope for justice for her daughter and Real. “We just keep going. We keep waiting, we keep praying and stay hopeful … that we soon can get justice for them as well,” she said.
Perry’s body was found on April 24, 2023, near a highway just northeast of Portland, with her last known whereabouts being downtown Portland in early March, according to the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office.
Webster’s body was discovered on April 30 near Mill Creek, about 50 miles southwest of Portland. The Polk County Sheriff’s Office labeled her death as suspicious and sought information from anyone familiar with her or her activities. Webster was last known to frequent the Portland metro area, including Oregon City and Milwaukie.
Speaks’ body was found on April 8 in Ridgefield, Washington. Based on the investigation, the Portland Police Bureau indicated there was reason to believe her homicide occurred in Portland.
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