The bodies of four women began appearing in wooded areas in northwest Oregon in February, though police initially said the cases appeared to be unconnected.
But today, prosecutors dropped a bombshell, saying they are linked and “at least one person of interest” has been identified.
The state medical examiner has not determined the cause or manner of death for any of the women, prosecutors said in a statement.
But, in an about-face from a June 4 Portland Police Bureau statement saying six deaths did not appear to be connected, the Multnomah County District Attorney’s office in Portland announced that four of them are.
“Investigators and prosecutors from multiple law enforcement agencies have been working collaboratively … and they have determined that there are links between four cases: Kristin Smith, Charity Perry, Bridget Webster, and Ashley Real,” prosecutors said.
“Investigators have interviewed multiple people in connection with these cases and have identified at least one person of interest that is linked to all four,” they added.
The Multnomah County District Attorney’s office in Portland said no charges have been filed against anyone but that the community is not currently in any danger.
Local media reported a man is in custody.
The announcement led to online reports of a serial killer, but officials did not use those words in announcing the connection between the deaths.
The women’s bodies were found in Portland and rural areas starting on February 19, with the latest one found on May 7.
One body was found about 72km southwest of Portland, near a creek in Polk County.
The first body discovered was that of Smith, 22, found in a wooded area in a suburb southeast of Portland.
Smith’s disappearance was reported to police in suburban Gresham on December 22, 2022.
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“It’s quite like a piece of you is missing, that’s really the only way you can describe it,” Hailey Smith, Kristin’s sister, told KPTV, a Portland television station, as family members searched for the then-missing woman.
Family members hung up fliers and looked for Smith near homeless shelters and other sites in downtown Portland.
And a private Justice for Kristin Smith Facebook page with over 600 members was created over four months ago.
Perry was 24 when she died.
Her body was found on April 24 near a state park alongside the Columbia River, east of Portland.
Webster’s body was found on April 30 near Mill Creek in rural northwest Polk County.
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Real, 22, was last seen at a fast-food restaurant near Portland on March 27.
She was reported missing on April 4.
Her body was found on May 7 in a forest southeast of Portland.
Investigators from nine law enforcement agencies have been collaborating on the cases.
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