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A controversial vote to keep a convicted Oregon killer on a city police oversight board is now under pressure to unravel after police and fire unions revealed that two Salem city councilors are working to reverse their support for the appointment.
The president of the Salem Police Employees Union said public safety unions are pushing to overturn the Salem City Council’s narrow vote to reappoint Kyle Hedquist, a convicted murderer, to the city’s Community Police Review Board.
Union President Scotty Nowning told Fox News Digital that Councilors Vanessa Nordyke and Linda Nishioka, who initially voted in favor of the appointment, have since met with police and fire unions as the council reconsiders Hedquist’s appointment; the council scheduled a special meeting for Wednesday, Jan. 7, to discuss the matter, the Statesman Journal reported.
In a letter sent to the council following the vote, Nowning called the decision “astonishing,” warned it has already damaged public trust, and said the union is formally invoking impact bargaining, arguing the appointment affects officers’ working conditions, safety and confidence in police oversight.
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Nowning rejected characterizations of the decision as offering a “second chance,” noting Hedquist was convicted of aggravated murder, armed robbery and kidnapping, all Measure 11 crimes, which he said are “not youthful indiscretions” but violent offenses incompatible with police oversight.
One of the councilors now backing a reversal has publicly acknowledged key information was missing when the original decision was made. In a Facebook post, Nordyke said city staff failed to conduct a background check before Hedquist was first appointed to the Community Police Review Board in 2024 and that she did not know his full criminal record at the time.
Nordyke, who is also running for mayor, said she voted to reappoint Hedquist, believing the board lacked disciplinary authority, that he had already served without issue and that he had support from legislators and others who cited his rehabilitation and testimony before the Oregon legislature.
After hearing concerns from police and fire unions, Nordyke said she realized she should have sought broader input before the vote and has instructed city staff to draft a motion to reconsider and remove Hedquist from public safety boards when the council reconvenes. She also called for improved vetting standards moving forward and defended her long record of supporting police and fire departments through pay increases, staffing expansions and union contracts.
The man at the center of the controversy has also spoken out. Hedquist told KOIN 6 News that he believes he can contribute positively to Salem despite his violent past.
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Hedquist shot and killed 19-year-old Nikki Thrasher in southern Oregon in 1994 and later admitted to the crime. After serving nearly 30 years in prison, former Oregon Gov. Kate Brown commuted his life sentence in 2022, leading to his release.
“I have spent the last well over 30 years now trying to evaluate how did I get there,” Hedquist told KOIN. “I think about it every day, and it’s tough.”
Hedquist has said he applied to serve on the volunteer police oversight board in an effort to make the city safer and told KOIN he has participated in ride-alongs, attended police briefings and interacted with officers without incident. He has also been appointed to the city’s Civil Service Commission, which oversees fire department matters.
Opposition to Hedquist’s release and appointment to public safety roles has come from law enforcement leaders for years — well before the Salem City Council’s recent decision.
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In 2022, Douglas County Sheriff John Hanlin sharply criticized Brown’s decision to grant Hedquist executive clemency, calling the killing of Thrasher a “calculated, cold-blooded, execution-style” murder.
“I am absolutely opposed to the Governor granting executive clemency to Kyle Hedquist,” Hanlin wrote at the time, saying Hedquist admitted he killed Thrasher to prevent her from going to police. Hanlin called the clemency decision “shocking and irresponsible” and said Brown ignored opposition from multiple law enforcement leaders, including Marion County District Attorney Paige Clarkson, Douglas County District Attorney Richard Wesenberg and Marion County Sheriff Joe Kast.
Those concerns resurfaced during the Salem council’s debate, with critics arguing Hedquist should not serve in roles tied to police accountability.
Salem City Councilor Shane Matthews, who voted against Hedquist’s reappointment, echoed that view in a previous statement to Fox News Digital, warning the move undermines public safety and the credibility of the police review board.
“Selecting a man convicted of the premeditated murder of a foster girl to a board that oversees sworn police officers doesn’t serve the interest of public safety,” Matthews said. While he said he supports second chances in general, Matthews argued oversight roles demand higher standards, adding the appointment risks retraumatizing victims and their families.
Clarkson has also said Hedquist’s past crimes make him inappropriate for police oversight and stressed the need to draw a clear boundary out of respect for victims and their families.
As the future of Hedquist’s appointments hangs in the balance, he told KOIN he understands the council could remove him. “They most certainly can take me off of every panel if they so choose,” Hedquist said.
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Fox News Digital reached out to Hedquist, Nishioka, Nordyke and the Marion County District Attorney’s Office for comment.
Stepheny Price covers crime, including missing persons, homicides and migrant crime. Send story tips to [email protected].
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