Murdered Oregon woman’s sister says cops avoiding serial killer theory
Oregon officials have identified Jesse Lee Calhoun of Portland, as a person of interest in the mystery deaths of four women that police say are linked, law enforcement sources told The Associated Press.
The 38-year-old has not been officially named as a person of interest or charged with any crimes related to the investigation.
He is currently in prison on unrelated charges, after being arrested on 6 June for a parole violation.
Court records show that Calhoun has an extensive criminal history including 2003 and 2008 convictions for assault. He was also sentenced to four years in 2019 for burglary.
He was released early in July 2021 after being granted a “conditional commutation” by then-Oregon Governor Kate Brown, due to his service as an inmate firefighter during the wildfires.
On Monday, nine different police departments released a joint statement saying the deaths of Kristin Smith, 22; Charity Lynn Perry, 24; Bridget Leann (Ramsay) Webster, 31; and Ashely Real, 22, are linked.
All four women were found either near or on the sides of roads between February and May in the wider Portland area sparking fears of a serial killer. Their cause of death has not been determined.
