Oregon Man Charged in Sixth Portland-Area Woman’s Death
An Oregon man already accused of killing five Portland-area women was indicted Wednesday on a new charge in the death of a sixth, prosecutors announced, expanding a sprawling case that has drawn intense scrutiny over how local authorities initially handled the investigation.
Jesse Lee Calhoun, 41, was charged by a Multnomah County grand jury with first-degree manslaughter in the death of Elizabeth “Libby” Gibson, a 32-year-old Portland woman who was last seen in 2022 and reported missing the following year. According to the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office, prosecutors believe Calhoun killed Gibson on or about November 18, 2022 — making her death the earliest among those he is alleged to have caused. Her body has never been found.
The indictment marks the sixth case filed against Calhoun, who has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
A Case That Grew Over Three Years
According to NBC News, Calhoun has already been charged with five counts of second-degree murder and four counts of abuse of a corpse in the deaths of Ashley Real, 22; Kristin Smith, 22; Charity Lynn Perry, 24; Bridget Leann Webster, 31; and Joanna Speaks, 32. The remains of those five women were found in outdoor locations across northwestern Oregon between February and May 2023, some nearly 100 miles apart.
The charges have been filed incrementally as investigators continued their work. Prosecutors brought charges in the deaths of Perry, Speaks and Webster in 2024; Smith in August 2025; Real in May 2026; and now Gibson. A previously scheduled trial date of September 2027 was canceled, and officials said the new indictment could further affect the timeline.
Prosecutors have said they intend to try Calhoun for all the deaths in a single trial rather than in separate proceedings.
Prosecutors Announce the Indictment
At a news conference on September 16, District Attorney Nathan Vasquez emphasized the human toll behind the growing list of charges.
“Today, it marks a very solemn and sad day but I am here to announce that the grand jury has returned a sixth indictment against Mr. Jesse Calhoun,” Vasquez said. “I really want to take a moment and recognize that behind every one of these counts is a young woman, someone’s daughter, someone’s sister, someone’s friend. The loss of life here is immense.”
Vasquez added: “We will not stop. We will do everything in our power to hold him accountable and see that justice is done for each and every one of these victims. We remain committed to these families for as long as it takes.”
Senior Deputy District Attorney Melissa Marrero, who is handling the case, said investigators had been aware of Gibson early on but needed time to establish a provable link.
“Libby Gibson is somebody who we became aware of very early on in the investigation,” Marrero said. “Her link to Mr. Calhoun, and our ability to prove what happened to her and why it happened to her came at a much later time.”
She added that the scope of the investigation has been “enormous,” and that even small pieces of information from the public have helped move the case forward. Prosecutors have asked anyone with information about Gibson’s disappearance, death or the location of her remains to contact the Portland Police Bureau.
Family Mourns, Seeks Justice
Gibson’s siblings released a statement through the district attorney’s office describing their sister and welcoming the charge.
“Our family is grateful that a definitive step toward justice is finally being taken for our sister, Libby,” they said. “Libby was kind, creative, and silly. She welcomed everyone with love and acceptance. Her future was tragically taken from her way too soon.”
The family said they were “deeply appreciative of the tireless work and dedication of the law enforcement officers and the District Attorney’s Office” and asked for privacy “as we process this heartbreaking development and continue to honor Libby’s memory.”
Questions Remain — and a Commutation Undone
Authorities have not disclosed how police connected Calhoun to Gibson or how the two knew each other, citing the ongoing investigation. The indictment itself has not been released, and the cause of Gibson’s death is unknown because her body has not been found. Prosecutors said they still believe they have enough evidence to prove the case in court.
As OPB reported, Calhoun’s criminal history includes a 2019 conviction on charges of assaulting a police officer, attempting to strangle a police dog and burglary, for which he received a four-year sentence. He was released about a year early, in 2021, after his sentence was commuted for helping fight Oregon wildfires in 2020 under a prison firefighting program. Gov. Tina Kotek revoked the commutation in 2023 after authorities began investigating him in the women’s deaths.
The Guardian noted that the case has raised broader questions about the police response. When reports of the deaths first emerged, Portland police initially dismissed concerns that the cases were connected in June 2023, before officials reversed course a month later and said they had determined there were links between four of the cases. The discovery of the five women’s bodies in early 2023 had sparked fears that a serial killer was at large in Portland.
What’s Next
Calhoun is scheduled to be arraigned on the new indictment on Monday, September 21, at 1:30 p.m. in Multnomah County Circuit Court.
Asked whether investigators believe there could be additional victims, Vasquez said authorities currently have no information pointing to other cases — but he stressed the investigation remains open.
“At this time, we do not have information that leads us to believe there are additional victims,” he said. “However, I want to be clear: this investigation has always been very open to new information and to following down every possible lead, and we will continue to do that throughout the life of this case and probably even years beyond.”
Investigators are still seeking the location of Gibson’s remains and ask anyone with information to contact Portland police. Prosecutors cautioned that indictments are accusations, not convictions, and that Calhoun is presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law.