Current:Home > reviewsOregon Officials Confirm Deaths of 4 Women Found in 3-Month Period Are Linked -EquityZone
Oregon Officials Confirm Deaths of 4 Women Found in 3-Month Period Are Linked
View
Date:2025-04-13 12:52:45
Oregon officials have made a breakthrough in the deaths of four women earlier this year.
Authorities now believe that the suspicious killings of Kristin Smith, 22; Charity Perry, 24; Bridget Webster, 31; and Ashley Real, 22 are linked, the Multnomah County District Attorney's Office said in a news release.
And while authorities said in the news release they have identified "at least one person of interest" in connection the deaths, they did not name the individual. They further noted, "Based on the available information to investigators, there is not believed to be any active danger to the community at this time."
No charges have been filed at this time, authorities added, declining to share further details related to the four cases citing the ongoing investigation.
The news comes five months after the Portland Police Bureau found Smith's body—the first of the four to be discovered—on Feb. 19 in southeast Portland. Portland police said that Smith, who had been reported as missing since Dec. 22, was found in a wooded area around the city's Pleasant Valley neighborhood.
The Multnomah County Sheriff's Office found Perry's body on April 24 around the Ainsworth State Park in east Multnomah County, located northeast of Portland. Her body was found in a culvert near the Historic Columbia River Highway, with police describing the case as a "suspicious death," in a news release at the time.
Just six days later, the Polk County Sheriff's Office found Webster's body on a road in northwest Polk County. County officials, who called the matter a "suspicious death" in a Facebook post, said she frequented the Portland metro area.
Real—who had been missing since April 4—was found by the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office on May 7 in a "heavily wooded area" near Eagle Creek, an area southeast of Portland. Authorities added in a release that her manner of death had been "determined to be suspicious in nature."
The cause of death for each of the four women has not yet been revealed by the Oregon State Medical Examiner, the Multnomah County District Attorney's Office noted in their release.
However, their families have rallied together to seek answers.
"What happened?" Smith's mother Melissa told local outlet KPTV in May. "I know she didn't just suddenly die out there, somebody did something…She deserves justice."
E! News reached out to Melissa for further comment but hasn't heard back.
For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News AppveryGood! (4917)
Related
- Tarte Shape Tape Concealer Sells Once Every 4 Seconds: Get 50% Off Before It's Gone
- Attack on Turkish-backed opposition fighters in Syria kills 13 of the militants, activists say
- Browns star Nick Chubb expected to miss rest of NFL season with 'very significant' knee injury
- Hermoso criticizes Spanish soccer federation and accuses it of threatening World Cup-winning players
- Retirement planning: 3 crucial moves everyone should make before 2025
- A Chinese #MeToo journalist and an activist spent 2 years in detention. Their trial starts this week
- Vatican considers child sexual abuse allegations against a former Australian bishop
- Prince William sees oyster reef restoration project on NYC visit for environmental summit
- Charges tied to China weigh on GM in Q4, but profit and revenue top expectations
- Man gets 20 years in prison for killing retired St. Louis police officer during carjacking attempt
Ranking
- Selena Gomez engaged to Benny Blanco after 1 year together: 'Forever begins now'
- Not all types of cholesterol are bad. Here's the one you need to lower.
- UAW threatens to expand strike to more auto plants by end of week
- Sponsor an ocean? Tiny island nation of Niue has a novel plan to protect its slice of the Pacific
- Person accused of accosting Rep. Nancy Mace at Capitol pleads not guilty to assault charge
- Everyone sweats to at least some degree. Here's when you should worry.
- Azerbaijan announces an ‘anti-terrorist operation’ targeting Armenian military positions
- Delivery driver bitten by venomous rattlesnake
Recommendation
Are Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp down? Meta says most issues resolved after outages
Tampa Bay Rays set to announce new stadium in St. Petersburg, which will open in 2028 season
Researchers unearth buried secrets of Spanish warship that sank in 1810, killing hundreds
Man who brought Molotov cocktails to protest at Seattle police union building sentenced to prison
Senate begins final push to expand Social Security benefits for millions of people
'The Other Black Girl' explores identity and unease
Baylor settles years-long federal lawsuit in sexual assault scandal that rocked Baptist school
Why Alabama's Nick Saban named Jalen Milroe starting quarterback ahead of Mississippi game