PORTLAND, Ore. — The Portland Police Bureau has now taken over an investigation involving a woman who was found dead in rural Clark County earlier this year. Investigators believe that Joanna Speaks, 32, was killed in Portland before being moved to that location.
Authorities said previously that Speaks' body was found near an abandoned barn along South 5th Street in Ridgefield on April 8. Investigators quickly concluded that her death was a homicide, and said they suspected that she'd been killed elsewhere. She died of blunt head and neck injuries, according to the Clark County Medical Examiner's Office.
In a statement issued Monday, PPB said that the Speaks case has been transferred to their jurisdiction from Clark County.
"Based on information developed in that investigation, there is reason to believe that the homicide happened in Portland," the agency said. "No arrests have been made."
Portland police would not provide any further details on new developments in the case.
Joanna's sister, Robyn Speaks, provided a statement on behalf of her family in response to the PPB announcement:
"In light of today's press release from the Portland Police Bureau regarding them taking over the case to find JoAnna's killer, our family would like to express how hopeful we are that PPB will bring us answers and a conviction! PPB now handling the case will open up many more opportunities for witness testimony and evidence tracking within the jurisdiction of the (probable) original crime scene.
"We would also like to extend our immense gratitude to the detectives with the Clark County Sheriff's Department for all of the hard work they have put into finding the monster that did this to our Jo. The detectives worked tirelessly to make sure there wasn't a single piece of evidence overlooked.
"Finally, while JoAnna's death was a shock to us all, we can't thank the public enough for the outpouring of love and the unbelievable amount of tips and help from so many! We are so much closer to getting justice for JoAnna, a beloved mother, a daughter, a sister, an auntie, and a friend to so very many!
Family members previously told KGW that Speaks was a mother of three who had battled addiction on and off for years. They'd last heard from her in March.
In June, PPB put out a statement attempting to dispel speculation that the deaths of six Portland-area women were connected, including that of Speaks. But authorities acknowledged a short time later that the statement had been premature and at least four of those deaths were believed connected, linked to a person of interest identified by Willamette Week as Jesse Lee Calhoun, 38.
Calhoun has not been charged in connection with any of the deaths, but he was taken into custody in June — his earlier prison sentence commutation revoked. He remains incarcerated at the Snake River Correctional Institution in eastern Oregon.
Police have yet to identify any suspect or person of interest in Joanna Speaks' death, and investigators have not publicly linked her to Calhoun or the other women. But Speaks' family members have wondered about the circumstantial similarities between the cases, and they've joined family members of the other women in calling for answers.
"This can't be for nothing,” said Ariel Hanby, Speaks stepsister, during a September fundraiser. "They couldn't have died for nothing."
The Polk County Sheriff's Office confirmed to KGW in a Nov. 13 email that the case of Bridget Webster, one of the four women linked to Calhoun, was transferred to PPB "several weeks ago." Webster's body was found in Polk County on April 30.
As of Nov. 13, the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office said that it remained the lead agency investigating the death of Ashley Real, another of the four women linked to Calhoun. Real's body was found in Clackamas County on May 7.
The Multnomah County Sheriff's Office remains the lead agency investigating the death of Charity Perry, found dead in Ainsworth State Park on April 24.
The death of Kristin Smith has been a PPB case since the beginning, after her body was found in the Pleasant Valley neighborhood on Feb. 19.
Speaks' case remains an active homicide investigation, and PPB said it is asking for information from the public. Anyone with information on the case is asked to contact Detective Jeff Pontius at Jeffery.Pontius@police.portlandoregon.gov, 503-823-0433, or Detective Steve Gandy at Stephen.Gandy@police.portlandoregon.gov, 503-823-0449, and reference case number 23-804445.