An Oregon man charged with killing five women has been indicted in the death of a sixth woman, prosecutors announced Wednesday, Sept. 16.
A grand jury indicted Jesse Lee Calhoun, 41, on one count of first-degree manslaughter in the death of Elizabeth "Libby" Gibson, a 32-year-old Portland, Oregon, woman who disappeared in 2022, according to the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office. Prosecutors accused Calhoun of unlawfully and recklessly causing Gibson's death "under circumstances manifesting extreme indifference to the value of human life."
The indictment marks the sixth case filed against Calhoun, who has been charged in the deaths of five other women who were found dead in various locations in and around northwestern Oregon from February
to May 2023. He has pleaded not guilty to five counts of second-degree murder and four counts of second-degree abuse of a corpse.
Gibson's body has not been found, but prosecutors said evidence supporting the new charge emerged during continued investigative work following the earlier indictments. During a news conference on Sept. 16, authorities declined to discuss details of the evidence because the case remains pending.
"Today, it marks a very solemn and sad day but I am here to announce that the grand jury has returned a sixth indictment against Mr. Jesse Calhoun," Multnomah County District Attorney Nathan Vasquez said at the news conference. "I really want to take a moment and recognize that behind every one of these counts is a young woman, someone's daughter, someone's sister, someone's friend. The loss of life here is immense."
A previously scheduled trial date was canceled after Calhoun was indicted in the fifth case, and prosecutors said the latest indictment could further affect the timeline for trial proceedings. Calhoun is expected to be arraigned on Monday, Sept. 21, on the new charge involving Gibson's death, according to Senior Deputy District Attorney Melissa Marrero.
Elizabeth 'Libby' Gibson remembered as 'kind, creative, and silly'
Gibson disappeared in 2022 and was reported missing in March 2023, according to Marrero. Prosecutors believe she was killed on Nov. 18, 2022.
"Libby Gibson is somebody who we became aware of very early on in the investigation," Marrero said at the news conference. "Her link to Mr. Calhoun, and our ability to prove what happened to her and why it happened to her came at a much later time."
Marrero said prosecutors believe they have enough evidence to prove the case in court despite Gibson's body never being found. Prosecutors have asked anyone with information about Gibson's disappearance, death or the location of her remains to contact the Portland Police Bureau.
Authorities have been in communication with Gibson's family, who Marrero said were devastated by the investigative findings. Reading a statement from Gibson's siblings, Marrero said the family described Gibson as "kind, creative, and silly" and said she "welcomed everyone with love and acceptance."
"Our family is grateful that a definitive step toward justice is finally being taken for our sister, Libby," the statement said. "Her future was tragically taken from her way too soon."
"At this time, our family respectfully asks for privacy as we process this heartbreaking development and continue to honor Libby’s memory," the statement continued.
Who are the other victims Jesse Calhoun is accused of killing?
Calhoun previously was charged in the deaths of Charity Lynn Perry, 24; Kristin Smith, 22; Joanna Speaks, 32; Bridget Leann Webster, 31; and Ashley Real, 22. Authorities have said the women's remains were discovered in outdoor locations across northwestern Oregon, some were found nearly 100 miles apart.
Calhoun was first charged in 2024 in the deaths of Perry, Speaks and Webster. Prosecutors added charges in Smith's death in 2025 and in Real's death earlier this year.
The investigation has drawn widespread attention and intense scrutiny. As reports emerged about the women's deaths, Portland police initially dismissed concerns that the cases were connected in June 2023. Officials appeared to reverse course a month later, saying law enforcement had determined there were links between four of the cases.
When asked whether investigators believe there could be additional victims, Vasquez said during the Sept. 16 news conference that authorities currently do not have information pointing to other cases but will continue pursuing leads.
"At this time, we do not have information that leads us to believe there are additional victims," he said. "However, I want to be clear: this investigation has always been very open to new information and to following down every possible lead, and we will continue to do that throughout the life of this case and probably even years beyond."
Contributing: N'dea Yancey-Bragg
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Oregon man accused of killing 5 women indicted in sixth death
