Oregon city reverses vote, removes convicted murderer from police review board after backlash

After weeks of mounting backlash and public outrage, the Salem City Council voted to remove Kyle Hedquist — a man convicted of murdering a teenager — from boards advising the Oregon city’s police and fire departments, undoing a controversial reappointment approved just weeks earlier.

The council voted 6 to 2 during a special meeting to revoke Hedquist’s appointments to the Community Police Review Board and the Civil Service Commission, according to the Salem Statesman Journal.

The decision overturned a narrow 5 to 4 vote on Dec. 8 that reappointed Hedquist to multiple public safety-related boards despite a recommendation from the Boards and Commissions Appointments Committee to leave the police review board position vacant.

Hedquist was convicted in 1995 of murdering 19-year-old Nikki Thrasher. He later said he feared Thrasher would report him to police for hiding stolen property at her home. Hedquist served nearly 28 years in prison before then-Gov. Kate Brown commuted his sentence, citing rehabilitation and good behavior.

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Since his release, Hedquist became a policy associate for the Oregon Justice Resource Center and advocated for criminal justice reform at the Oregon Legislature. He told the Statesman Journal he joined Salem’s advisory boards to continue serving his community.

His role on the police review board came under renewed scrutiny after city staff acknowledged background checks had not been conducted on board and commission members — meaning the council was not explicitly informed of Hedquist’s criminal history or given clear standards for how such history should factor into appointment decisions.

Meeting records show council members were not provided guidance on which types of criminal convictions could disqualify applicants, how much time must pass following a conviction, or whether additional vetting was required for sensitive public safety oversight roles.

The controversy escalated after the Dec. 8 vote, prompting outrage from the Salem Police Employees Union and Salem Professional Fire Fighters Local 314. The unions accused city leaders of creating a "credibility crisis" by appointing and reappointing a convicted murderer to boards advising police and fire leadership and launched a public pressure campaign urging residents to contact councilors.

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During the Jan. 7 meeting, emotions ran high as hundreds of written testimonies were submitted and residents addressed the council during public comment. Councilor Deanna Gwyn said she never would have supported Hedquist’s appointment had she known about his murder conviction. She held up a photo of Thrasher and read a note from the victim’s high school best friend.

Hedquist addressed the council through tears, describing the lasting weight of his crime and his efforts at rehabilitation.

"For 11,364 days, I have carried the weight of the worst decision of my life," he said. "The death of Nikki Thrasher is the gravity that pulls at everything I do."

His wife told councilors their family had received death threats after the controversy went national. Other speakers both condemned and defended Hedquist, highlighting deep divisions within the community over rehabilitation, accountability and public safety.

Councilor Vanessa Nordyke, who is running for mayor against Mayor Julie Hoy, initially voted to reappoint Hedquist in December but later called for the council to revisit the decision after hearing from police and fire unions and members of the public. She later acknowledged she was wrong, telling the Statesman Journal she wished she had heard public testimony before the Dec. 8 vote.

The Jan. 7 meeting also resulted in sweeping changes to the city’s rules governing boards and commissions.

Under the newly adopted standards, applicants to the Community Police Review Board and the Civil Service Commission must now complete criminal background checks. Anyone convicted of a violent felony is automatically disqualified from serving on those boards.

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The council also voted to reserve at least one seat on the Community Police Review Board for someone with personal experience as a victim of a felony crime, a move supporters said would help ensure victim perspectives are represented in police oversight.

In addition, the council expanded background check requirements to all city boards and commissions, mandating that members undergo the same vetting process required of other city volunteers and employees.

As part of the action taken that night, the council formally withdrew Hedquist’s reappointment, leaving open positions on both the Community Police Review Board and the Civil Service Commission.

Hoy, who voted against Hedquist’s reappointment in December and supported revoking it in January, said in a Facebook post that her position throughout the controversy was rooted in governance and public trust rather than politics.

"Wednesday night’s meeting reflected the level of concern many in our community feel about this issue," Hoy wrote. "My vote was based on process, governance, and public trust, not ideology or personalities."

Hoy said the committee tasked with reviewing the appointment considered the information available at the time and made a recommendation to the full council, adding that respecting that process is essential to maintaining public confidence and supporting city staff.

"We serve in a political environment, but city council does its best work when decisions are grounded in good governance, not politics," she wrote.

Councilor Brad Brown criticized the death threats received by councilors and a website created to target those who voted in favor of the appointment, calling the episode a low point for civic discourse.

"I thought we were better than this," Brown said.