Oregon city council reappoints convicted murderer to police oversight board

On Dec. 8, the council voted 5–4 to reappoint Kyle Hedquist, 47, to Salem’s Community Police Review Board (CPRB). This volunteer body reviews complaints of police misconduct and makes recommendations to the police chief. In the same vote, councilors also appointed Hedquist to the Citizens Advisory Traffic Commission and the Civil Service Commission.

Hedquist served nearly three decades in prison for the 1995 murder of 19-year-old Nikki Thrasher, a killing prosecutors described as execution-style. At the time, Hedquist admitted to murdering Thrasher "to eliminate a witness in hope of preventing his own capture." He was convicted of aggravated murder and originally sentenced to life without the possibility of parole. He was also sentenced on charges of robbery in the first degree and three counts of kidnapping in the second degree for robbing a local Pizza Hut at gunpoint. In 2022, former Oregon Gov. Kate Brown commuted his sentence, leading to his release. Hedquist has since worked in criminal justice policy and advocacy, focusing on rehabilitation and prison reform.

According to KATU, just days before the council vote, Salem’s Boards and Commissions Appointments Committee voted on Dec. 3 not to reappoint Hedquist, citing Salem’s standards that allow criminal history to be considered in board appointments. Mayor Julie Hoy and Councilors Shane Matthews and Deanna Gwyn argued that overriding those standards could set a troubling precedent, and Councilor Paul Tigan also opposed the reappointment. Matthews, who made the initial motion against returning Hedquist to the board, warned the council should not bypass established vetting procedures, particularly for a role tied to public trust.

Despite the committee’s recommendation, Councilor Mai Vang introduced an amendment to reappoint him, stating that she had requested the appointments be pulled from the consent agenda because she had concerns about the process used to exclude him. Vang defended Hedquist’s prior year of service on the CPRB, saying he performed his duties without issue and contributed a perspective not otherwise represented on the board.

“Kyle brings a perspective that most of us don’t have,” Vang wrote on her official Facebook page, framing his lived experience with the criminal justice system as valuable in discussions of safety and accountability. She also noted that CPRB members are typically required to participate in police ride-alongs twice a year, but that the city manager can waive the rule, and that Hedquist is already ineligible due to his felony conviction.

Union leaders, however, argue that the ride-along and training components raise precisely the kind of risk Salem should avoid. “To think that we’re providing education on, kind of, how we do what we do to someone with that criminal history, it just doesn’t seem too smart,” said Salem Police Employees Union President Scotty Nowning, adding that the role’s close interaction with law enforcement heightened concerns among members.

Following the vote, the Salem Police Employees Union and Salem Professional Fire Fighters Local 314 condemned the decision and launched a campaign urging residents to contact councilors. The unions created a website called Safety for Salem, calling on the five councilors who voted in favor to “clean up this mess” and remove Hedquist from public safety-related boards.

Criticism also intensified after city officials acknowledged that background checks were not consistently conducted for board appointments in the past. That revelation raised fresh scrutiny over how Hedquist’s criminal history was evaluated, and whether the city’s internal process adequately flagged the seriousness of his record.

In a Facebook post on Tuesday, Councilor Vanessa Nordyke, also a 2026 mayoral candidate, publicly reversed her stance after hearing feedback from residents and union leaders. “The police and firefighter unions each raised legitimate concerns that I hadn’t fully considered,” Nordyke wrote. “He should be removed from the public safety boards.”

Nordyke said city staff told her Hedquist had convictions for aggravated murder and burglary from 1995, and that she initially voted yes because she believed he demonstrated rehabilitation and had been constructive since his release. She cited his college education, lack of new criminal history, and prior CPRB service, including a ride-along completed without incident, as factors that influenced her original decision.

Nowning disputes claims that councilors lacked awareness of Hedquist’s past, saying the criminal history had surfaced before the Dec. 8 vote and was reviewed by the appointments committee.

Councilor Nishioka has announced plans to introduce a separate motion creating clearer guidelines for how criminal history should factor into CPRB appointments. If the council chooses to revisit Hedquist’s reappointment, the issue is expected to come back for a vote at the Jan. 12 council meeting.