The investigation surrounding Jesse Calhoun has taken another significant turn, with prosecutors now linking the Oregon man to a sixth woman who disappeared nearly four years ago.
On September 16, a Multnomah County grand jury indicted Calhoun on a first-degree manslaughter charge in connection with Elizabeth “Libby” Gibson, a 32-year-old Portland woman whose remains have never been located.
The new indictment adds another case to an investigation that has already involved five other women and has drawn attention across Oregon and southwest Washington.
Authorities have not described Gibson’s remains or released a specific explanation of how she was allegedly harmed. Instead, prosecutors say the evidence gathered during the broader investigation has now provided enough information to formally accuse Calhoun in connection with her case.
The Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office said prosecutors believe Gibson was killed on or around November 18, 2022.
Her disappearance was not formally reported until March 2023.
Now, nearly four years after she was last known to be alive, her name has become part of the criminal case against Calhoun.
A sixth indictment
The latest indictment is different from the five murder cases already pending against Calhoun.
For Gibson’s case, prosecutors charged him with first-degree manslaughter, alleging that he unlawfully and recklessly caused her death under circumstances showing extreme indifference to human life.
Authorities have not publicly explained why the evidence in Gibson’s case resulted in a manslaughter charge rather than one of the second-degree murder charges filed in the other five cases.
That distinction is important.
An indictment is an accusation, not a finding of guilt. Calhoun remains entitled to the presumption of innocence unless prosecutors prove the charges in court.
The District Attorney’s Office has also confirmed that Gibson’s remains have not been recovered.
Who was Elizabeth “Libby” Gibson?
As investigators announced the new indictment, Gibson’s family shared a statement describing her as kind, creative and playful.
They said she welcomed people with love and acceptance and expressed gratitude to investigators who continued working on her case.
Friends have also begun speaking publicly about Gibson, remembering her as someone who was struggling at times but remained important to the people around her.
One longtime friend told KATU that Gibson had experienced homelessness and had previously reached out because she wanted help getting off the streets.
Those accounts provide a different picture of Gibson from the one contained in a criminal case.
She was not simply a name added to an investigation. She was a daughter, sister, friend and a woman whose family has spent years waiting for answers.
Why this case matters to the larger investigation
Calhoun was already facing five second-degree murder charges involving five women:
Ashley Real, 22
Kristin Smith, 22
Charity Lynn Perry, 24
Bridget Leann Webster, 31
Joanna Speaks, 32
Prosecutors say those cases involve incidents occurring during 2022 and 2023.
Calhoun was first charged in connection with three of the women in 2024. Another murder charge followed in 2025 involving Kristin Smith, and prosecutors added the charge involving Ashley Real in May 2026.
The Gibson indictment now brings the number of women prosecutors have formally linked to Calhoun to six.
Authorities have described the investigation as extensive and continuing.
Senior Deputy District Attorney Melissa Marrero said investigators had been able to make progress because people continued coming forward with information, including details that might initially have appeared insignificant.
That point could become increasingly important as investigators continue examining whether additional information can help clarify the circumstances surrounding Gibson and the other women.
Gibson may have been the earliest case
There is another important detail in the latest development.
Although Gibson is the sixth woman prosecutors have publicly linked to Calhoun, authorities believe her case may actually have occurred before the other five.
Prosecutors say Gibson disappeared in November 2022 and believe Calhoun caused her death around November 18 of that year.
The other cases prosecutors have brought against Calhoun involve women whose remains were located at various points in 2023.
That means the Gibson case could represent an earlier point in the timeline investigators are constructing around Calhoun.
However, authorities have not publicly provided enough information to explain exactly how Gibson and Calhoun were connected or what evidence led investigators to the November 2022 date.
Those details may become clearer as the new case moves through court.
Five previous cases are still pending
Before the Gibson indictment, Calhoun had already pleaded not guilty to five second-degree murder charges.
Those cases involve women whose remains were discovered in different locations around northwest Oregon and southwest Washington.
The investigation initially attracted attention after several women were found in wooded or rural areas in the region during 2023.
Calhoun was identified as a person of interest after investigators said they found connections between several of the cases.
He has remained in custody since June 2024.
According to previous reporting, prosecutors are seeking to handle the cases together, although the exact schedule and courtroom process remain subject to the legal proceedings.
The case has also raised questions about Calhoun’s past
Calhoun’s history has received renewed attention as the investigation has expanded.
He had previously been incarcerated following criminal convictions involving assault and other offenses.
In 2020, while serving his sentence, he participated in an Oregon prison firefighting program during the state’s wildfire season.
His sentence was later shortened, allowing him to leave prison earlier than originally expected.
After investigators began examining the series of cases involving women in Oregon and Washington, Calhoun was returned to custody.
These earlier events are part of his background, but they do not by themselves establish responsibility for the current allegations.
The current criminal cases must be determined through evidence presented in court.
What investigators are still looking for
The Gibson investigation has one major complication that sets it apart from the other cases:
Her remains have not been recovered.
That means investigators are continuing to work with whatever evidence they have been able to obtain from other sources.
The District Attorney’s Office is asking anyone who may have information about Gibson’s disappearance or the circumstances surrounding her case to contact Portland police.
Officials have also emphasized that even information that may seem small or unrelated could potentially help investigators understand the larger timeline.
That request suggests the investigation is not being treated as finished simply because an indictment has now been issued.
What happens next?
Calhoun is scheduled to be arraigned on the new indictment on September 21, 2026, at 1:30 p.m. in Multnomah County.
The hearing will mark the next formal step in the Gibson case.
At the same time, the five earlier murder cases remain pending.
For prosecutors, the latest indictment represents another stage in an investigation that has continued for years.
For Gibson’s family, it provides something they have been waiting for since she disappeared: a formal criminal allegation connected to a case that had remained unresolved for a long time.
But the new charge does not answer every question.
Where are Gibson’s remains?
What exactly happened to her in November 2022?
What evidence led investigators to connect Calhoun to her case?
And will the evidence eventually be enough to establish the allegations in court?
Those questions remain open.
For now, prosecutors have formally added Elizabeth “Libby” Gibson to the list of six women whose cases they say are connected to Calhoun.
Her family is now waiting for the next stage of the legal process, while investigators continue looking for information that could help complete the picture of what happened to her.
The Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office has stressed that indictments are accusations and not convictions, and Calhoun remains presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.