Oregon Accused Serial Killer Jesse Calhoun Pleads Not Guilty to Fifth Murder Charge

Jesse Calhoun, an Oregon man accused of being a serial killer, entered a not guilty plea on Wednesday to a fifth murder charge in a Portland court.

The new charge is for the second-degree murder of Ashley Real, 22, who had previously accused Calhoun of choking her. Her body was discovered in May 2023 in Clackamas County, Oregon. Real's body was found within the same 100-mile radius as the other alleged victims: Kristin Smith, Charity Perry, Bridget Webster, and Joanna Speaks. Speaks was found in an abandoned barn in Washington state, while the other victims were discovered in Oregon.

Prosecutors announced their intention to seek a joint trial for all five murders next year, rather than conducting separate proceedings. Calhoun, 41, faces five counts of second-degree murder and four counts of abuse of a corpse. He did not speak during the arraignment. Calhoun was initially arrested in June 2023 on unrelated parole violations and was later indicted in May 2024 for the deaths of three women.

Members of Real's family attended the hearing. Her sister, Masciell Real, expressed relief that Calhoun is incarcerated, stating, "I think being in that courtroom today and being able to see him, and know that he is behind bars now, it takes the weight off my shoulders knowing that he isn’t around and free to cause any harm to any other women out there." The victim's father had previously reported Calhoun to the police in November 2022 after his daughter showed up with marks on her throat, claiming Calhoun had choked her.

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I think being in that courtroom today and being able to see him, and know that he is behind bars now, it takes the weight off my shoulders knowing that he isn’t around and free to cause any harm to any other women out there.