Relatives of two of the four women found dead in Oregon earlier this year said Tuesday they hope justice is served after authorities identified a person of interest in the murders.
The name of the person linked to the deaths has not been released by the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Officebut relatives said the development was the first positive news they had heard in months.
The bodies of Kristin Smith, 22; Charity Perry, 24; Bridget Webster, 31; and Ashely Real, 22, were discovered in and around Portland, Oregon, between February and May, raising fears among some residents that a serial killer was among them.
“This is the first step, so we have to go ahead and follow the process,” said Smith’s mother, Melissa Smith, whose daughter was found dead on February 19 in southeast Portland. “I’m trying not to get too excited. It would definitely be nice to get the justice that my daughter and these three other girls deserve.»
No charges have been filed in the cases, and the four deaths remain under investigation by the state medical examiner’s office.
«Officially, we have not named a person of interest,» Liz Merah, a spokeswoman for the district attorney’s office, said in an email Tuesday. «Investigators have interviewed multiple individuals in connection with these cases and have identified at least one person of interest who is linked to the four deceased.»
They did not explain how the four deaths were connected to the person of interest, and at least one relative said it was too early to believe the suspected killer had been found.
«Hopefully there will be an outcome (to this) and then everyone can take a deep breath and move on with their lives,» said Webster’s adoptive grandfather, Tom, who did not want his full name used for privacy reasons. «I’m going to wait and see what happens.»
Perry was discovered in a culvert on the historic Columbia River Highway in eastern Multnomah County on April 24.
Webster was found six days later on a country road in nearby Polk County, while Real was found in a wooded area in another nearby county, Clackamas, on May 7.
KGW, NBC affiliate in Portland and other media outlets first reported that two more women were found dead in the region during the same period, but officials did not mention them when confirming that the four women may be linked.
Family members of one of those women, JoAnna Speaks, said in a statement Tuesday that they were trying to gather more information about why hers was not among the four deaths linked to the person of interest.
«However, we are extremely grateful to be one step closer to getting answers for the families of Kristin, Charity, Bridget and Ashley – hopefully soon JoAnna too,» the statement said. «Please allow us time to understand all of this new information and work towards further clarification. We have no further comment at this time.»
The Multnomah County District Attorney’s office said it did not believe there was any danger to the community.
The Portland Police Bureau said last month that authorities had found no evidence linking the deaths and that widely circulated social media posts and news reports suggesting otherwise caused fear and anxiety.
Nine law enforcement agencies in northwestern Oregon collaborated to determine that the four cases were linked, authorities said.