SERIAL SLAYINGS
Jesse Lee Calhoun indicted for three murders after deaths of six women sparked serial killer fears in Portland, Oregon
Calhoun's connection to the deaths of the three other women is under investigation
A GRAND jury has indicted a 39-year-old man for the murders of three women after several deaths sparked fears that a serial killer was on the loose.
Charity Lynn Perry, 24, Bridget Leanne Webster, 31, and JoAnna Speaks, 32, were all found dead under strange circumstances in Portland, Oregon, last year.
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Jesse Lee Calhoun has been charged with three counts of murder in the second degree and three counts of abuse of a corpse in the second degree, said Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt in a statement.
"The Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office (MCDA) recognizes the profound effect these women’s deaths have had on their families, friends, and the community," the statement read.
"MCDA is committed to ensuring justice for the victims and their families."
Calhoun is already being held at the Snake River Correctional Institution and is expected to be transferred to Multnomah County for arraignment.
READ MORE ON THIS CASE
He was scheduled to be released from prison next month after serving a four-year sentence for previous crimes, a burglary and car theft, in 2019.
His sentence was cut short in 2021 when then-Governor Kate Brown commuted his and 40 other prisoners' sentences after they served as volunteer firefighters.
Governor Tina Kotek reversed the decision in July 2023 and Calhoun was later arrested.
LIVES CUT SHORT
Last year at least six women were found dead in and around Portland.
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The women were all younger than 40 and were found on roadsides and secluded areas.
Joanna Speaks, Charity Perry, and Bridget Webster, died within weeks of each other in April, however, police would budge on information regarding the case for months.
Perry's mother, Diana Allen, shared the chilling location where her daughter's remains were found.
Her remains were found on April 24, 2023, after she went missing a month earlier.
Her family initially feared that she had been struggling with substance abuse and schizophrenia after she was recently discharged from the hospital following an overdose.
However, as more bodies were being discovered, Diana grew concerned that her daughter had fallen victim to a possible perpetrator.
"The numbers are concerning, and then when you start adding suspicious circumstances on top of it, you're just trying to figure out what's going on," the mother said.
"I think there's a lot of information I don't have and that detectives have, so I can't say definitively that [there may be a serial killer in the area] but I am concerned there might be."