Jesse Calhoun indicted on murder charges – KXL

Portland, Ore. –

Jesse Lee Calhoun, 39, has been formally charged with the murders of three women who were found deceased under suspicious circumstances in the past year. A Multnomah County grand jury indicted Calhoun on three counts of second-degree murder and three counts of abuse of a corpse, according to an announcement made by prosecutors on Friday.

The victims have been identified as Charity Lynn Perry, 24, Bridget Leanne Webster, 31, and JoAnna Speaks, 32.

Initial reports by media outlets, had identified Calhoun as a person of interest last July, following the discovery of the women’s bodies in remote areas over a three-month period.

Calhoun was nearing the end of his sentence at the Snake River Correctional Institution, where he was serving time for burglary and car theft dating back to 2019. His sentence was commuted in 2021 by then-Governor Kate Brown, who reduced the sentences of Calhoun and 40 other inmates in recognition of their service as volunteer firefighters. Calhoun was scheduled for release next month.