Woke Oregon City Faces Backlash After ‘Rehabilitation’ of Convicted Killer Goes Too Far – RedState
An Oregon city is facing backlash after the “rehabilitation” of convicted killer Kyle Hedquist went way too far when the Salem City Council voted to reappoint him to its community policing review board.
It’s hard to imagine that no one else was available to serve on the board of directors of the city’s Public Safety and Police Oversight Board than Hedquist, who spent 28 years behind bars, serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole after being convicted in 1994 for what authorities called an “execution-style” murder of Nikki Thrasher, then 19.
BREAKING – In a 5-4 decision, the Salem, Oregon City Council appointed Kyle Hedquist, whose sentence for killing a 19-year-old in 1995 and leaving her in a ditch was commuted to 2022, to the police oversight board and civil commission. pic.twitter.com/KpDUyjfP1K
– Right Angle News Network (@Rightanglenews) December 30, 2025
And the details of Thrasher’s murder are horrific. Hedquist was 17 at the time of the murder.
It read:
Prosecutors said he drove Thrasher to a wooded area, shot her in the back of the head and left her body on a secluded logging road. They described the killing as an “execution-style” killing.
According to prosecutors, Hedquist believed Thrasher discovered he had stolen items from his aunt and killed her to keep her from reporting him. Thrasher had questioned him about the stolen items, which prosecutors said he interpreted as a threat.
In 2022, former Democratic Governor Kate Brown granted Hedquist a pardon. At the time, Brown was rebuffed by law enforcement, including Douglas County Sheriff John Hanlin, according to an Oregon media outlet.
It read:
He said the decision to release Hedquist was shocking and irresponsible and a rejection of justice served on behalf of Nikki Thrasher, her family and friends.
To make matters worse, it was later reported that Nikki’s mother, Holly Thrasher, was never even informed of Hedquist’s release.
Two years later, board members threw police’s pledge to “swear to protect” out the window when he was first appointed to the board.
One media outlet noted that the board’s initial decision “overruled the recommendation of its own board and commission nominating committee which had urged that the seat be left vacant.”
At the recent December meeting for his reappointment, all four board members voted against it, calling the decision morally wrong.
Councilor Shane Matthews was among those who opposed the reappointment, according to the report.
If the execution of a teenager followed by a life sentence does not disqualify someone from police supervision, then no crime ever will. He said positions involving public safety must be held to higher standards and the decision sends a chilling message to victims of violent crime across Oregon.
But Councilwoman Mai Vang argued that “people can change and Hedquist’s experience in the criminal justice system gives her insight into community safety.”
Since then, the renewal of the mandate has reopened old wounds and the community has opposed it.
The Oregon Republican Party released a statement regarding the reappointment.
The absurdity of placing a convicted murderer on a board responsible for public safety and police oversight!
Even though it looks like something @TheBabylonBee it’s actually fodder for @Not_the_Bee! https://t.co/gFIWLsRKAz
– Oregon GOP (@Oregon_GOP) December 28, 2025
The absurdity of placing a convicted murderer on a board responsible for public safety and police oversight! While this sounds like something from @TheBabylonBee, it’s actually fodder for @Not_the_Bee!
“OREGON – Kyle Hedquist murdered a teenage girl execution-style, left her body on a country road and was sentenced to life in prison,” one person wrote on social media. He was released earlier by Democratic Gov. Kate Brown — and now Salem has given him a public safety oversight role.
“The people of Oregon…are you tired of this kind of leadership yet? Are you ready to show up and take down these criminals?” she added.
Another person on Facebook on the GOP page added: “It doesn’t say much for those who change their votes either. They should never have gotten out of prison let alone been appointed to the police advisory board. Leftists are running amok. Pathetic. Salem gets what they vote for. Unbelievable.”
Look, I recognize that people can make mistakes, learn from them, and live productive lives. But this nomination, in my opinion, goes well beyond that. Why can’t Hedquist volunteer with a Scared Straight program? Share what he has learned since the murder and incarceration to prevent others from following the same path? Such a slap in the face to Thrasher’s family and other victims.
Please pray for Nikki Thrasher’s mother and family. They’re the ones who matter here, not Hedquist and those woke city council members who can’t see past their virtue signaling.
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