A man accused of the murder of several women, Jesse Calhoun, faced arraignment for a fifth murder charge in Portland. His defense attorney entered a not-guilty plea on his behalf. Calhoun, who remained silent during the hearing, was indicted on a second-degree murder charge for the death of Ashley Real, 22, in 2023.
Calhoun faces five counts of second-degree murder and four counts of abuse of a corpse. The victims were found over several months in early 2023, leading to fears of a potential serial killer targeting young women in the area. He has been previously charged with the murders of Kristin Smith, 22; Charity Perry, 24; Bridget Webster, 31; and Joanna Speaks, 32. The bodies were discovered within a 100-mile radius in northwestern Oregon and southwestern Washington, including wooded areas.
Real’s father, Jose Real, previously told the Associated Press that he had called police in November 2022 after his daughter showed up at his Portland home crying. She had marks on her throat, he said, and told him she had been choked by Calhoun.
Real was found in May 2023 by a fisherman near a pond southeast of Portland. Calhoun was taken into custody in June 2023 on unrelated parole warrants. He was later indicted in 2024 and 2025 for the deaths of the other women. His initial indictment came right before he was to be released from prison, where he was serving a term for assaulting a police officer, strangling a police dog, and other charges. He was released in 2021 for his role in fighting wildfires through a prison program. His commutation was later revoked in 2023 amidst the ongoing investigations.
No trial date has been set, and Calhoun remains in the Multnomah County Detention Center. His defense attorneys declined to comment on the case.
Relatives of the victims, including Real’s family, attended the court proceedings. Speaking through a Spanish interpreter, Jose Real expressed gratitude that someone had been named responsible for his daughter’s death, though he never expected such an experience. Ashley Real’s sister, Masciell Real, conveyed her anguish, lamenting her sister’s loss of life and dignity.
Diana Allen, the mother of Charity Perry, expressed her mixed emotions at being present in the courtroom with Calhoun for the first time. She emphasized the importance of standing for other families while grappling with her own grief.