Jesse Lee Calhoun

Jesse Lee Calhoun is a person of interest in the deaths of four women whose remains were found in and around Portland, Oregon between February and May of 2023. The women were identified as Kristin Smith (22), Charity Lynn Perry (24), Bridget Leann Webster (31), and Ashley Real (22).

Calhoun, 38, has not been charged in connection with the deaths, but he is considered a person of interest in the investigation. He was returned to prison earlier this month after Multnomah County Senior Deputy District Attorney Todd Jackson asked current Governor Tina Kotek to revoke his commutation, stating that Calhoun had been “involved in criminal activity currently under investigation.”

Calhoun had been serving time in prison on stolen vehicle and burglary charges, but his sentence was commuted by then-Governor Kate Brown in 2021, along with 40 other prisoners. They had helped fight wildfires, and Brown determined that Calhoun and the other prisoners did not present an unacceptable public safety risk. If his sentence had not been commuted, Calhoun would likely have been released in the summer of 2022, months before the women went missing.

The causes of death for the four women remain unknown, and the state medical examiner has not determined the cause or manner of death for any of them. The families of the victims have expressed frustration with the lack of information being released by authorities. Diana Allen, the mother of Charity Lynn Perry, said she knows her daughter died in April, but has not been given an exact date, and authorities have not told her how her daughter died.

Calhoun’s past criminal history and his connection to the women whose remains were found have raised suspicions about his possible involvement in their deaths. The Multnomah County District Attorney’s office, which is taking the lead in the investigation, has interviewed multiple people and has stated that they do not believe there is any active danger to the public. However, with the investigation ongoing, it remains to be seen what new information may come to light regarding Calhoun’s potential involvement in these cases.