Advertisement

Serial killer fears after six women found dead around one city

Investigations are underway after six bodies were found within the last six months in Portland, Oregon.

Sophie Coghill
·News Reporter
Updated ·2-min read

Police in the US are investigating the mysterious deaths of six women and whether they are connected to one another, with fresh fears a serial killer may be on the loose.

The bodies of the women were found within 160 kilometres of one another in Portland, Oregon between February and last month, KGW8 reports.

The six women are all pictured, with authorities fearing their deaths could be linked to a serial killer.
Police are investigating whether the deaths of six women in Portland could be at the hands of a serial killer. Source: New York Post
A map of the Portland area points to where each women's body was found in and around Portland, highlighting the close proximity.
The map of the Portland area highlights the close proximity to which the women's bodies were found to one another over six months. Source: KGW8

Five different local law enforcement teams are reportedly investigating the deaths, with several in communication with one another to determine whether a single perpetrator could be responsible.

Victims' bodies all found in rural areas

The most recent body linked to the investigation was discovered in early May and belonged to Ashley Real. The 22-year-old was found dead in a heavily wooded area after she was last seen in March at a fast-food restaurant.

Ashley Real can be seen smiling at the camera with dark hair and brown eyes, wearing a black jumper.
Ashley Real was last spotted at a fast-food restaurant before her body was found in a heavily wooded area southeast of Portland. Source: New York Post

Joanna Sparks also disappeared in March, with her body later found in April. Local police declared her death a homicide after revealing she had died from blunt trauma to the head and neck, however, Ms Sparks is the only woman in the investigation who authorities have revealed the cause of death.

Ms Spark's sister Robyn Sparks shared she will keep a close eye on the investigation after the alarming number of deaths in the region.

Joanna Sparks can be seen smiling at the camera with her brown hair pulled away from her face as she wears hoop earrings.
Joanna Sparks' death was declared a homicide by police after her body was found in a rural area in April. Source: New York Post

"I don't want to ever scare people but the reality is there are women dying at awful numbers," she told KGW8. "We've gotten through the celebration of life... but now it's kind of hitting us more that it's real and we keep seeing on the news all these new girls."

Bridget Webster, Charity Perry, Kristin Smith and an unidentified native American woman are all included in the investigation.

Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.

You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter and download the Yahoo News app from the App Store or Google Play.