Prosecutors charged Jesse Lee Calhoun with first-degree manslaughter in the death of Elizabeth “Libby” Gibson, 32, the Multnomah County District Attorney’s office announced Sept. 16. Gibson is the sixth woman he has been charged in connection with. Her body has not been found.
The indictment alleges Gibson was killed “on or about November 18, 2022,” according to the district attorney’s office. Arraignment is set for Sept. 21, 2026, at 1:30 p.m. in Portland, Oregon. Calhoun has pleaded not guilty to all charges brought against him to date.
What Prosecutors and the Family Said
Multnomah County District Attorney Nathan Vasquez said in his office’s release: “We will not stop. We will do everything in our power to hold him accountable and see that justice is done for each and every one of these victims. We remain committed to these families for as long as it takes.”
Senior Deputy District Attorney Melissa Marrero pointed to the tips that have moved the investigation forward.”The scope of this investigation is enormous. But all information is useful. And to the extent that individuals have been willing to come forward in the past and provide information to us, no matter how small, that information has led us to where we are here today,” Marrero said.
Gibson’s siblings said in a family statement released by the district attorney’s office: “Our family is grateful that a definitive step toward justice is finally being taken for our sister, Libby. Libby was kind, creative, and silly. She welcomed everyone with love and acceptance. Her future was tragically taken from her way too soon. We are deeply appreciative of the tireless work and dedication of the law enforcement officers and the District Attorney’s Office whose efforts have helped bring us to this point. At this time, our family respectfully asks for privacy as we process this heartbreaking development and continue to honor Libby’s memory.”
Calhoun’s attorney, Cameron Taylor, has declined to comment on previous indictments, and no defense statement on the new charge has been issued.
Why This Charge Is Manslaughter and Not Murder
The five earlier cases brought murder counts. This one brings first-degree manslaughter, a lesser charge. Bracken McKay, a former Washington County chief deputy district attorney who spent 15 years in that county’s major crime unit and is not involved in the case, told KATU that the difference may reflect where the evidence stands rather than a settled view of the case.
“Manslaughter could very well be a placeholder in this case,” McKay said.
McKay said second-degree murder requires proving a defendant “intentionally caused the death of another human being,” and that cases without a recovered body make intent harder to establish. Gibson’s body has not been found, which sets her case apart from the earlier ones.
The chronology shows a case built in stages. A grand jury returned a true bill on May 16, 2024, charging three counts of second-degree murder and three counts of second-degree abuse of a corpse in the deaths of Charity Lynn Perry, 24, Bridget Leann Webster, 31, and Joanna Speaks, 32. That indictment was announced under then-District Attorney Mike Schmidt. In August 2025 prosecutors charged him in the death of Kristin Smith, 22. In May 2026 prosecutorscharged him in the death of Ashley Real, 22. The sixth charge came this week.
The alleged date in Gibson’s case runs against that order. Prosecutors allege she was killed on or about Nov. 18, 2022, which would make hers the earliest death in the sequence even though the charge came last. Kristin Smith is believed to have been killed in November 2022 as well, and her body was found Feb. 19, 2023.
Where the Case Stands
As of June 2026, Calhoun faced five counts of second-degree murder and four counts of abuse of a corpse and was held at the Multnomah County Detention Center. A trial had been expected in 2027. KOIN reported the trial remains set for 2027 and that the new charge could delay it, leaving the schedule unsettled.
Families of the women have spoken at earlier court dates. At the June 2026 arraignment, Jose Real, Ashley Real’s father, said: “I never thought or imagined that my family would experience something like this…” Her sister, Masciell Real, said: “My sister isn’t here anymore and he’s allowed to be behind bars, maybe with still a life. But my sister doesn’t have a life anymore.”
Melissa Smith, Kristin Smith’s mother, addressed Calhoun directly at an earlier hearing. “Tell us why. Why our girls? How? Just tell us. Be a man. You did the crime. Own it,” she said.
How Calhoun Became a Suspect
Calhoun was released early in 2021 under an Oregon clemency program for prisoners who volunteered to fight the 2020 Labor Day wildfires. Gov. Kate Brown granted the commutation. Gov. Tina Kotek revoked the clemency in 2023 after police began investigating him.
Police arrested him June 6, 2023, on warrants unrelated to the deaths and returned him to prison. Investigators had named him a person of interest after the remains of several women were found within roughly a 100-mile radius of Portland between February and May 2023.
Portland police have asked anyone with information to contact homicidetips@police.portlandoregon.gov.
