Formerly commuted Oregon man charged in connection to death of woman found in Polk County
An Oregon inmate previously commuted from prison and later investigated in connection to the deaths of four women was indicted on three counts of murder Friday.
Jesse Lee Calhoun, 39, is facing three counts of murder for the deaths of Charity Lynn Perry, 24, Bridget Leanne Webster, 31, and Joanna Speaks, 32. All three women were found dead in wooded areas near Portland under suspicious circumstances in 2023.
Webster's body was found in northwest Polk County near Mill Creek last April.
Multnomah County District Attorney's Office announced a grand jury had indicted Calhoun, who is currently incarcerated at the Snake River Correctional Institution.
In 2021, then Gov. Kate Brown commuted Calhoun's prison sentence that he was serving for vehicle theft and burglary. His commutation took place along with 40 other prisoners who helped fight wildfires in 2020. The Associated Press reported the commutation shaved about a year off of Calhoun’s sentence.
Through an investigation involving multiple law enforcement agencies, investigators identified Calhoun as a person of interest in the deaths of four women. Calhoun has not been charged in the death of the fourth woman, 22-year-old Kristin Smith.
Oregon Public Broadcasting reported that last year, prosecutors asked Gov. Tina Kotek to revoke Calhoun’s commutation so he could be returned to prison.
Multnomah County prosecutors presented the case to a grand jury, which returned a true bill of indictment for three counts of second-degree murder and three counts of second-degree abuse of a corpse.
Following the indictment, members of the DA’s Office and the investigation team notified the families of the women of the charges.
"MCDA recognizes the profound effect these women’s deaths have had on their families, friends, and the community," prosecutors said in a statement. "MCDA is committed to ensuring justice for the victims and their families."
Anyone with information about the deaths of any of these victims or information about Calhoun is asked to contact Portland Police Bureau Detective Jeff Pontius at Jeffery.pontius@police.portlandoregon.gov or Detective Stephen Gandy at Stephen.gandy@police.portlandoregon.gov.
For questions, comments and news tips, email reporter Whitney Woodworth at wmwoodworth@statesmanjournal.com call 503-910-6616 or follow on X at @wmwoodworth.
This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Oregon man charged for death of woman found in Polk County, 2 others
