Former Oregon Governor Kate Brown pardoned 130 people and commuted the sentences of another 912 under the pretense of fighting Covid-19.
Among these were Jesse Lee Calhoun. Brown signed a clemency order demanding his early release in 2021. Police say he is a career criminal.
Now, Calhoun is a person of interest in the murder of four women in Portland. This number could rise to six. So far, he has been arrested for lesser charges, including unauthorized use of a vehicle, burglary, and assaulting a police officer.
Portland experienced its highest homicide rate in the city’s history in 2022, even though the city tightened the rules in 2019 and is more strict about what it counts as an official homicide. With the discovery of six new female murder victims, Portland is now on track to set another all-time homicide rate record in 2023.
