Portland, Oregon – Authorities in Oregon have revealed that the deaths of four women found in wooded areas are linked, leading to fears of a possible serial killer on the loose. The bodies were discovered within a 100-mile range over a period of three months, and police have identified “at least one person of interest” in connection with the cases.
The district attorney’s office announced that the deaths of Kristin Smith, Charity Perry, Bridget Webster, and Ashley Real are connected, although they stopped short of using the term “serial killer” when addressing the public about the case. Investigators and prosecutors from multiple law enforcement agencies have been working collaboratively to determine these connections.
No cause or manner of death has been determined for any of the women, according to the state medical examiner. Despite identifying a person of interest linked to all four cases, no charges have been filed, and the community is assured that there is currently no immediate danger.
The women’s bodies were discovered in Portland and rural areas of Oregon between February and May. The first body, that of Kristin Smith, 22, was found in a wooded area in a suburb southeast of Portland. Her family had reported her disappearance to police in suburban Gresham in December of the previous year. The other women, all under 40 and most with connections to the Portland area, were found in secluded areas within the 100-mile range over the next three months.
The latest body, that of Ashley Real, 22, was found in a forest southeast of Portland. The mother of Charity Perry, 24, who had schizophrenia and did not drive, expressed her belief that her daughter did not reach the area where her body was found on her own.
While authorities have not explicitly labeled the case as the work of a serial killer, the connection between the deaths has sparked concern and speculation in the Pacific northwest. Further details on the ongoing investigation and any developments in the case are yet to be revealed.