Oregon man accused of killing 3 women and dumping their bodies is indicted on fourth murder charge

A man accused of killing three women in the Portland area and dumping their bodies has been indicted on a fourth murder charge, authorities said Tuesday.

PORTLAND, Ore. — A man accused of killing three women in the Portland area and dumping their bodies has been indicted on a fourth murder charge, authorities said Tuesday.

A grand jury has indicted Jesse Lee Calhoun in the November 2022 death of 22-year-old Kristin Smith, Multnomah County District Attorney Nathan Vasquez said during a news conference. The new indictment, which comes roughly 2 1/2 years after Smith’s remains were found, adds one count each of second-degree murder and abuse of a corpse to Calhoun’s case.

Jesse Lee Calhoun at Multnomah County Circuit Court in June 2024, in Portland, Ore.Dave Killen / AP fileCalhoun was indicted last year in the deaths of Charity Perry, 24; Bridget Webster, 31; and Joanna Speaks, 32. He pleaded not guilty to the three counts each of second-degree murder and abuse of a corpse in the initial indictment.

He remains in custody in Multnomah County’s Inverness Jail, and his trial is expected to be held in 2027, authorities said. His defense attorney, Cameron Taylor, declined to comment.

Melissa Smith, Kristin Smith’s mother, said she was “overwhelmed with emotion.”