Authorities in Oregon say they have identified a person of interest in an investigation into a string of murders of in the greater Portland Metro area.
The bodies of six women have been found in roadsides and woods in a 100-mile area of the city between February and May this year, prompting fears of a possible serial killer.
On Monday, the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office announced it had connected four of the victims to a sole person of interest, according to KPTV.
The person’s identity has not been released by authorities, and they are not currently facing criminal charges in connection with the murders, the sheriff’s office said.
The four victims were identified as Kristin Smith, 32, Charity Lynn Perry, 24, Bridget Webster, 31 and Ashley Real, 22.
Police also found the bodies of two other victims; Joanna Speaks, 32, a mother of three who was found dead in 8 April, and an unidentified woman found on 24 April.
The discoveries of the six victims in a five-month span in Portland set off frenzied speculation that a predator was stalking vulnerable women in the area.
At least three of the victims were known to frequent the same areas of downtown Portland in the months before their deaths, sources told Oregon Live in June.
On 4 June, the Portland Police Bureau issued a statement saying it had “no reason to believe these six cases are connected.”
A breakthrough in the case came after interviews with “multiple people” connected to the four victims, the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office said..
Nine law enforcement agencies had worked together to link the murders to a sole person of interest.
Kristin Smith
Smith was reported missing on 22 December 2022, and her body was found on 19 February in a wooded area in the Pleasant Valley Neighborhood, police said at the time.
Kristin Smith is one of four Portland women whose deaths have been linked to a sole person of interest— (Portland Police Bureau)
On a fundraising page, her mother Melissa Smith said she had put out thousands of flyers and undertaken extensive searches over several months.
After her daughter’s body was discovered, Ms Smith pleaded for anyone with information to come forward.
“I’ve been devoted to searching and finding my daughter every single day through it all. I’m willing to do whatever it takes to keep fighting to solve my daughters murder and put this piece of garbage away in jail for life,” she wrote.
Ms Smith said that she was certain her daughter had been murdered, although police hadn’t confirmed that to her.
Charity Lynn Perry
The body of Charity Lynn Perry of Longview, Washington, was found on 24 April near Ainsworth State Park, the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office said in a release at the time.
Charity Lynn Perry, 24, was found dead on 24 April in Portland— (Multnomah County Sheriff's Office)
No details were given about how she died, but the sheriff’s office said it appeared suspicious.
Perry had been known to frequent the Southwest Washington Street and Southwest Fourth Avenue in downtown Portland, the sheriff’s office said.
Perry’s mother Diana Allen told KPIC she had been suffering from mental health issues, and that the family wanted her to be remembered for her kindness and positivity.
“She always had a smile that could light up the world,” Ms Allen told KPIC.
Bridget Webster
Milwaukee woman Bridget Leann (Ramsey) Webster was found dead on 30 April on Harmony Road near Mill Creek in northwest Polk County, authorities said.
The remains of Bridget Webster, 31, were found on 31 April— (Polk County Sheriff’s Office)
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office provided few details about the circumstances of her death, only revealing it was suspicious.
The sheriff’s office said Webster frequented the same areas of downtown Portland as the other victims.
Ashley Real
On 7 May, Clackamas County Sheriff’s deputies found the body of 22-year-old Ashley Real in a wooded area near Eagle Creek, about 23 miles southeast of Portland.
Ashley Real was last seen alive at a fast food restaurant— (Portland Police Bureau)
Her remains were spotted by a fisherman, and the death was being treated as suspicious, authorities said.
She was last seen alive at a fast food restaurant on Southeast Division Street on 27 March, according to a missing person report.
Real was described as a Hispanic female, 4’11” tall, weighing 85 pounds, with black hair, brown eyes, and a piercing in her nose.
