Charged with a fourth count of murder, an Oregon resident stands accused of taking the lives of four women and discarding their remains.
Jesse Lee Calhoun, a Portland-area man, has been formally charged with the murders of four women: Charity Perry (24), Bridget Webster (31), Joanna Speaks (32), and Kristin Smith (22). He faces multiple counts of second-degree murder and abuse of a corpse in connection with these cases.
Calhoun was initially indicted last year on charges related to the deaths of Perry, Webster, and Speaks, and pleaded not guilty to those charges. Most recently, a Multnomah County grand jury indicted him for the murder of Kristin Smith, whose body was found in November 2022 in a wooded area of Portland.
The additional indictment came roughly two and a half years after Smith's death, adding one count each of second-degree murder and abuse of a corpse to Calhoun's case. The victim of the fourth murder charge is Kristin Smith, whose mother, Melissa Smith, expressed feelings of overwhelming emotion upon hearing the news.
Calhoun's trial is expected to be held in 2027. He is currently held at the Inverness Jail in Multnomah County, awaiting trial. Calhoun pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Calhoun's early release from state prison in 2021 was due to his participation in a prison firefighting program. However, his early release was revoked in 2023 by Gov. Tina Kotek when police began investigating him in connection with the women's deaths. Calhoun was returned to state prison to finish serving a four-year term for assaulting a police officer, trying to strangle a police dog, burglary, and other charges.
The deaths of Perry, Webster, Speaks, and Smith occurred over several months starting in early 2023. Another woman's death during the same time period is still being investigated. Calhoun's defense attorney, Cameron Taylor, declined to comment.
The families of the victims have expressed relief at the progress toward justice, though the accused continues to plead not guilty. Calhoun is currently in custody in Multnomah County's Inverness Jail.
In the Portland area, Jesse Lee Calhoun is under trial for four murders, allegedly involving Charity Perry, Bridget Webster, Joanna Speaks, and Kristin Smith, which occurred between early 2023 and November 2022. The broader involvement of these cases extends to general news, politics, and crime-and-justice sectors, as the trial looms in 2027, with Calhoun remaining in the Inverness Jail.
