Jesse Lee Calhoun: The Portland Area Serial Killer
Overview
Between late 2022 and the spring of 2023, a series of grim discoveries in and around Portland, Oregon, sparked fears of a serial killer preying on young women. The bodies of six women were found discarded in wooded areas, culverts, and even an abandoned barn across a 100-mile radius, creating widespread anxiety. For months, law enforcement agencies were tight-lipped, at one point denying the cases were connected. However, a multi-agency investigation eventually focused on one man: Jesse Lee Calhoun. A career criminal with a history of violence, Calhoun was out of prison on a commuted sentence when the killings began. He has since been indicted in connection with the deaths of all six women, charged with five counts of murder and one of manslaughter. As the case moves toward a trial expected in 2027, the community and the victims' families await justice for the lives tragically cut short.
Early Life and Criminal History
Jesse Lee Calhoun was born on March 19, 1985, and grew up in Troutdale, a city east of Portland. He dropped out of high school, and his adult criminal record began at age 18 with a felony assault conviction in 2003. Over the next two decades, Calhoun amassed a lengthy rap sheet that demonstrated an escalation in violence. His convictions included theft, drug possession, harassment, and burglary. The Multnomah County Sheriff's Office once labeled him a "prolific thief and a career criminal."
His history included significant violence toward women. In 2007, he was arrested for assaulting and strangling a girlfriend, later pleading guilty to misdemeanor assault. In a separate incident a year later, he was accused of dragging the same woman across a parking lot.
In 2019, Calhoun was sentenced to 50 months in prison for a string of charges that included burglary, car theft, assaulting a public safety officer, and attempting to choke a police K-9 during his arrest. He was incarcerated at the Columbia River Correctional Institution. However, his prison term was cut short. In 2021, then-Governor Kate Brown commuted the sentences of 41 inmates, including Calhoun, who had assisted in fighting Oregon's devastating 2020 wildfires. Despite a review process, Calhoun was granted release and walked free on July 22, 2021, about a year earlier than his scheduled release date. Prosecutors now allege that just over a year later, he began a killing spree.
The Murders
Between November 2022 and April 2023, prosecutors allege Jesse Calhoun killed six women. The victims, ranging in age from 22 to 32, were often vulnerable, with some experiencing homelessness. Their bodies were later found scattered in remote locations across northwestern Oregon and southwestern Washington.
The first victim, Kristin Smith, 22, was reported missing on December 22, 2022. Her remains were not found until February 19, 2023, in a wooded area in Southeast Portland. An indictment alleges Calhoun killed her on or around November 20, 2022.
Elizabeth "Libby" Gibson, 32, was last seen in 2022 and was reported missing the following year. Prosecutors believe Calhoun killed her around November 18, 2022. Her body has never been found.
The discoveries continued in the spring of 2023. On April 24, the body of 24-year-old Charity Lynn Perry was found in a culvert near Ainsworth State Park in eastern Multnomah County. An indictment alleges she was killed more than six weeks earlier, on March 8, 2023.
Less than a week later, on April 30, the remains of 31-year-old Bridget Leanne Webster were found in Polk County. Prosecutors allege she was killed just four days prior, on April 26, 2023.
The body of 32-year-old Joanna Speaks was discovered on April 8, 2023, inside an abandoned barn in Ridgefield, Washington. An autopsy revealed she died from blunt force trauma to the head. Investigators believe she was killed in Portland around March 18 and her body was moved to the barn.
Ashley Real, 22, was last seen on March 27, 2023. Her body was found on May 7 by a man fishing in a pond in a remote, wooded area of Clackamas County. Tragically, Real had reported to police in November 2022 that Calhoun had choked her, leaving marks on her neck. The case was reportedly transferred between jurisdictions and was not prosecuted before she was killed.
The Victims
The six women linked to Jesse Calhoun were daughters, sisters, and mothers whose futures were stolen.
- Elizabeth 'Libby' Gibson, 32 — Believed to have been killed around November 18, 2022, her body has not been recovered. Her family described her as "kind, creative, and silly," someone who "welcomed everyone with love and acceptance."
- Kristin Smith, 22 — Her body was found on February 19, 2023, after she was reported missing two months earlier. Her mother, Melissa Smith, searched tirelessly for her and has since become a vocal advocate for justice for all the victims.
- Charity Lynn Perry, 24 — Found on April 24, 2023, near a state park. Her mother, Diana Allen, has attended nearly every court hearing, seeking accountability and answers in her daughter's death.
- Joanna Speaks, 32 — A mother of two, her body was discovered in an abandoned barn in Washington on April 8, 2023. Her mother described the year after her death as "hell" while waiting for answers from investigators.
- Ashley Real, 22 — Found in a pond on May 7, 2023, after being missing for over a month. Months before her death, she had bravely reported to police that Calhoun had assaulted and choked her.
- Bridget Leanne Webster, 31 — Her remains were discovered in Polk County on April 30, 2023. She was a mother of two young children.
Investigation and Capture
As the bodies of young women began turning up in the Portland area in early 2023, public fear grew, fueled by online speculation about a potential serial killer. Initially, in June 2023, the Portland Police Bureau issued a statement saying it had "no reason to believe" the cases were connected. This announcement was met with skepticism from the victims' families and the public.
Behind the scenes, however, a multi-jurisdictional task force was forming, and investigators were beginning to see links between the deaths. By July 2023, the tone of law enforcement shifted dramatically. The Multnomah County District Attorney's Office announced that at least four of the deaths were indeed linked and that they had identified a "person of interest." Though not officially named at the time, sources within law enforcement confirmed that person was Jesse Lee Calhoun.
Calhoun was already on law enforcement's radar. On June 6, 2023, officers from multiple agencies, including the U.S. Marshals Service, moved to arrest him on an unrelated parole violation. When they located him at a park in Milwaukie, the 6-foot-4, 266-pound Calhoun attempted to escape by jumping into the Willamette River and swimming away. Officers pursued him and pulled him from the water, taking him into custody.
Following his arrest, Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt sent a letter to Governor Tina Kotek on July 3, 2023, requesting that Calhoun's early commutation be revoked, citing his involvement in "criminal activity currently under investigation." Governor Kotek promptly signed the order, and Calhoun was sent back to prison to serve the remainder of his 2019 sentence. This move kept him in custody while investigators meticulously built their case against him for the murders.
Trial and Sentence
After a complex and lengthy investigation, a Multnomah County grand jury began handing down indictments against Jesse Calhoun. On May 16, 2024, he was formally charged with three counts of second-degree murder and three counts of abuse of a corpse for the deaths of Charity Perry, Bridget Webster, and Joanna Speaks. He pleaded not guilty.
The indictments continued to mount as the investigation progressed. In August 2025, Calhoun was charged with the murder of Kristin Smith. In May 2026, he was indicted for the murder of Ashley Real. Finally, in September 2026, he was charged in connection with the death of Elizabeth "Libby" Gibson. Because her body has not been found, the charge in her case is first-degree manslaughter, alleging he acted "recklessly under circumstances manifesting extreme indifference to the value of human life."
Calhoun has pleaded not guilty to all charges. Prosecutors have stated their intention to consolidate the cases and try him for all six deaths in a single trial. The sheer volume of evidence and the complexity of the case, which spans multiple jurisdictions, have led to a protracted pre-trial process. A trial date that had been tentatively set for 2027 was canceled to accommodate the additional charges, and a new date has not yet been finalized. Calhoun remains in custody at the Multnomah County Detention Center while he awaits trial.
Aftermath and Legacy
The case of Jesse Calhoun has left a deep scar on the Portland community and highlighted several systemic issues. The most prominent controversy surrounds the early release of a career criminal with a history of violence. Governor Kate Brown's 2021 decision to commute Calhoun's sentence as a reward for fighting wildfires came under intense scrutiny and criticism after he was linked to the murders. The decision sparked a debate about the criteria for clemency and the effectiveness of post-prison supervision.
Furthermore, the case of Ashley Real, who reported Calhoun for assault months before she was killed, raised painful questions about the system's ability to protect victims of domestic violence and intervene before violence escalates to murder.
For the families of the six victims, the aftermath is a daily struggle with grief and a long wait for justice. They have become a constant presence at court hearings, their quiet dignity a powerful reminder of the human cost of these crimes. They have formed a bond through shared tragedy, supporting one another while advocating for their loved ones and raising awareness about violence against women. The case serves as a tragic testament to the vulnerability of women in their community and the devastating consequences when the justice system fails to stop a predator.
