Despite having a person of interest in the four women’s deaths in Portland, authorities have not yet said when they found this person or how they connected the cases.
Jesse Lee Calhoun was named as the suspect in the killings by news organizations, with Willamette Week being the first to do so citing law enforcement sources. Calhoun is thought to be a “serial killer,” according to Willamette Week.
Since then, questions about when officers linked the investigations into Calhoun’s criminal record and the deaths of Kristin Smith, Charity Perry, Bridget Webster, and Ashley Real have been raised. Charges have not yet been brought in relation to the four death investigations as of yet.
In a statement issued on June 4 by Portland Police, the agency said there was “no reason to believe” the two women’s deaths were connected at the time. PPB added that it was “in contact with law enforcement partners” and was thinking about connections.
Two days later, Clackamas County sheriff’s deputies detained Calhoun for violating his parole. Later, the court overturned the commuted sentence, and Calhoun is now incarcerated in a state prison.
The timing of the publication, according to Dr. Christopher Mercado, a retired lieutenant from the NYPD and adjunct assistant professor at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, raises serious concerns.
“To see no connection and then a couple of days later there is a connection, then it almost looks to the public like, well, did you know and hide the information or are you incompetent and not communicating,” said Mercado. Both of which are bad news for the executives in charge who now have to explain to the public what is going on, who is to blame for these cases, and how these cases are going to be prosecuted.
KGW News confirms the news on its official Twitter account:
Portland police should explain pivot on links between four Oregon women's deaths, expert says https://t.co/1QG4WhZVc1
— KGW News (@KGWNews) July 22, 2023
PPB Says New Information Emerged After Initially Ruling Out Links
It’s plausible, according to Mercado, that fresh information emerged in the first 24-48 hours following the publication of PPB. But it wasn’t until nearly six weeks later, in response to a media inquiry, that PPB acknowledged any linkages between the cases. This was done in a joint press statement with the Multnomah County District Attorney’s office.
“At some point you will have to explain what decisions were made and why,” Mercado said. “So if something did happen in the investigation as far as public reporting that now could be perceived as a misstep, explain that away. Legitimately say, look, we were erring on the side of caution.”
PPB declined to respond to KGW’s inquiries regarding the June 4 release and the reasons for the decision to make that statement at that time, despite the fact that at least nine law enforcement agencies were actively involved in the numerous women’s deaths investigations.
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PPB acknowledged receiving “widespread questions and concerns” regarding death investigations in the area on June 4 and stated that it wanted to address “speculation” in the neighborhood.
“Police departments don’t really want to alarm the public, but they have this awesome responsibility of having to weigh alarmism with public information and awareness,” Mercado said. “A lot of times in these situations, which I understand are frustrating to the public, less information is better for an investigation because it gives [investigators] time and flexibility.”
A PPB representative stated that all media inquiries on the now-connected death investigations are being handled by the Multnomah County District Attorney’s office. This includes inquiries regarding when PPB first became aware of the person of interest in relation to its June 4 announcement.
We’ll update you if this news changes. Visit our website Focushillsboro for the latest news on this issue.
