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Oregon man charged with murder in suspicious deaths of 3 women in 'complex' case: DA

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Oregon man charged with murder in suspicious deaths of 3 women in 'complex' case: DA


An Oregon man has been charged in the murders of three women who were found dead under “suspicious circumstances” last year, officials announced Friday.

Authorities have identified one suspect in the deaths of the three women – Charity Lynn Perry, 24, Bridget Leanne Webster, 31, and Joanna Speaks, 32 – the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office said Friday.

Bridget Leanne Webster, Charity Lynn Perry, and Joanna Speaks.

Multnomah County DA/Clark County Sheriff’s Office

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Jesse Lee Calhoun, 39, has been charged with three counts of second-degree murder and three counts of second-degree abuse of a corpse in connection with the women’s deaths, the district attorney’s office said, after a grand jury returned the six-count indictment on Thursday.

At a press briefing Friday, Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt called the case “complex,” and said it required a “significant investigation” involving multiple law enforcement agencies.

“There’s still more work to be done, investigations are ongoing,” Schmidt said.

Calhoun has been in custody at Snake River Correctional Institution since July 2023 for unrelated charges and was scheduled to be released next month, online Oregon Department of Corrections records show. He is expected to be transferred to the custody of Multnomah County authorities for arraignment, prosecutors said. It is unclear if Calhoun has an attorney who can speak on his behalf.

Multnomah County authorities, citing the ongoing investigation, released few details about the case, including what alleged evidence led them to the suspect and how the women died.

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Speaks’ body was found at an abandoned property in Ridgefield, Washington, on April 8, 2023, authorities said. Police in Portland, Oregon, said in November 2023 that the homicide was believed to have happened in Portland.

The Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office said in July 2023 that they were investigating whether the deaths of four women – including Perry and Webster – who were found dead throughout Oregon were related. The announcement came weeks after Portland police spoke out against online speculation regarding a possible serial killer in the Pacific Northwest.

PHOTO: This undated photo provided by the Oregon Department of Corrections show Jesse Lee Calhoun, who has been under investigation in the deaths of four women whose bodies were found scattered across northwest Oregon last year.

This undated photo provided by the Oregon Department of Corrections show Jesse Lee Calhoun, who has been under investigation in the deaths of four women whose bodies were found scattered across northwest Oregon last year.

Oregon Department of Corrections via AP

Perry’s body was found in a culvert near Ainsworth State Park in east Multnomah County on April 24, 2023, the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office said. The Polk County Sheriff’s Office in Oregon said Webster’s body was found six days later, on April 30, 2023.

Perry’s mother, Diana Allen, told reporters Friday that it’s been “very, very frustrating” for the families of the victims not to have answers amid the ongoing investigation, but that she has had respect for the district attorney office’s process.

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“Even though they wouldn’t give me the answers, I knew they had answers,” she said.

The deaths of two other women – Kristin Smith and Ashley Real, both 22 – initially believed to have been linked, remain under investigation, the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office said Friday.

The body of Smith, who was reported missing in December 2022, was found on Feb. 19, 2023, in a wooded area in Portland, police said. Real’s body was found in a wooded area in Clackamas County in Oregon in May 2023, a month after she was reported missing to Portland police, authorities said.

“We keep waiting, we keep praying and stay hopeful,” Melissa Smith, Kristin Smith’s mother, said during Friday’s press briefing. “We stay hopeful that we soon can get justice for them as well.”



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Oregon elections official says system is safe, accurate, slams Trump

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Oregon elections official says system is safe, accurate, slams Trump


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Oregon’s secretary of state and attorney general said on Election Day the state’s election system remains secure and accurate.

Secretary of State Tobias Read said Oregon’s landmark vote-by-mail system remains the gold standard for election security and accessibility despite cuts to federal funding and operational changes that have affected support for elections.

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“Your voice matters, your vote matters,” Read said. “I want to reassure you that Oregon’s elections are secure, Oregon’s elections are accurate, Oregon’s elections are fair and you should feel confident that our system is the gold standard for elections.”

He pointed to steps the state takes to keep elections safe, accurate and secure like tracking ballots with a unique barcode system and verifying signatures. The state’s ballot-counting machines are never connected to the internet and undergo public testing before and after elections, Read added.

Read criticized President Donald Trump and the federal administration’s actions that he said have weakened election security infrastructure. He specifically highlighted cuts to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, which Read has repeatedly expressed concerns about.

He said Oregon has worked to offset losses by forming partnerships with the Oregon Titan Fusion Center, the Oregon Military Department and county election officials to strengthen cybersecurity protections and emergency preparedness.

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And Read said the state is working to add more drop boxes in the future (there are currently 321 across the state) in response to delays in mail processing.

Rayfield also spoke, saying Oregonians should remain confident in the state’s election integrity despite misinformation surrounding election administration.

“The amount of misinformation that is being spewed across our country within this state is at an all-time high,” Rayfield said. “We have attacks on the integrity and the administration of our elections from elected officials going all the way up to the President of the United States.”

Rayfield said his Department of Justice is “pushing back” and has filed multiple legal challenges in the past year to stop “unconstitutional actions” by Trump. On May 19, a panel of Ninth Circuit judges in Pasadena, California heard oral arguments in one case related to the administration’s efforts to collect voter roll information from Oregon and California.

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Voters have until 8 p.m. May 19 to return their ballot. Election officials encouraged Oregonians to use drop boxes to return their ballots on time.

Dianne Lugo covers the Oregon Legislature and equity issues. Reach her at dlugo@statesmanjournal.comon X @DianneLugo or Bluesky @diannelugo.bsky.social





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Oregon Lottery Powerball, Pick 4 results for May 18

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The Oregon Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at May 18, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Powerball numbers from May 18 drawing

04-13-34-61-65, Powerball: 12, Power Play: 2

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

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Winning Pick 4 numbers from May 18 drawing

1PM: 5-2-3-7

4PM: 9-9-5-4

7PM: 1-1-6-6

10PM: 6-1-5-2

Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.

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Winning Win for Life numbers from May 18 drawing

26-50-61-74

Check Win for Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Megabucks numbers from May 18 drawing

07-08-11-31-32-41

Check Megabucks payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

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When are the Oregon Lottery drawings held?

  • Powerball: 7:59 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
  • Mega Millions: 7:59 p.m. on Tuesday and Friday.
  • Pick 4: 1 p.m., 4 p.m., 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. daily.
  • Win for Life: 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
  • Megabucks: 7:29 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by an Oregon editor. You can send feedback using this form.



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Marion County sheriff releases sex offender information under Oregon public safety law

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Marion County sheriff releases sex offender information under Oregon public safety law


Marion County officials are alerting the public about a registered sex offender living in Keizer, saying the notification is intended to support public awareness and safety.

The Marion County Sheriff’s Office said it is releasing the information pursuant to ORS 163A.215, which authorizes Community Corrections to inform the public when the release of such information will enhance public safety and protection.

The sheriff’s office said Julian Ivan Herrera has been convicted of a sex offense requiring registration with the Oregon State Police and, based on his criminal history, has been classified at a level indicating a potential to re-offend.

Herrera’s listed residence is 699 Lost Ln N in Keizer. He is described as a 41-year-old Black man who is 5-foot-4 and weighs 125 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes. His SID number is 18104153, and his date of birth is Nov. 1,1984.

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According to the sheriff’s office, Herrera is on supervised probation for the crimes of harassment and sex abuse in the third degree. His prior convictions include contributing to the sexual delinquency of a minor, attempted assault IV, and public indecency.

The sheriff’s office said Herrera was granted supervision on March 23, 2026, and his supervision is set to expire March 22,2031.

Victims of Herrera include a minor female known to him and an adult male known to him, according to the sheriff’s office.

Special conditions listed by the sheriff’s office include no contact with minors, not frequenting places where minors congregate, and no alcohol or other intoxicating substances.



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