Oregon officials are facing furious backlash after it was revealed that a man who once executed a teenage girl was quietly reappointed to a police oversight board — a decision critics say defies common sense, disrespects crime victims, and undermines public trust in law enforcement accountability. The convicted murderer was appointed to the Police Review Board to review complaints made against law enforcement officers and make policy recommendations. Kyle Hedquist, the 47-year-old killer was also appointed to the Citizens Advisory Traffic Commission and the Civil Service Commission
The Salem City Council voted 5–4 earlier this month to reappoint Kyle Hedquist to the boards. He served nearly 30 years behind bars in Oregon for the 1995 execution-style killing of 19-year-old Nikki Thrasher, to the city’s Community Police Review Board. The board is tasked with reviewing complaints against police officers and advising on law enforcement practices — a role many now say should never be filled by someone with Hedquist’s violent past.
OREGON — The Salem City Council just appointed a convicted murderer to a public safety oversight role.
He was released early after clemency from Kate Brown — despite objections from prosecutors.
This is where we are now. pic.twitter.com/WzJIaODXJy
— Taren Feist (@tarenfeist) December 27, 2025
Kyle Hedquist was convicted after prosecutors said he shot Nikki Thrasher in the back of the head to silence her after she discovered property he had stolen. He was just 18 at the time of the murder. The killing shocked Oregon residents, and Hedquist received a life sentence with the possibility of parole, along with additional time for kidnapping and robbery.
Despite that history, Kyle Hedquist was released from an Oregon prison in 2022 after his sentence was commuted as part of a broader clemency push in the state. Since then, the Oregon murderer has been allowed not only to reenter society, but to participate in civic life — a line many believe was crossed when Salem City Council leaders placed him on a police oversight board.
Salem City Council member Mai Vang said the convicted killer :brings a perspective that most of us don’t have’ and can bring a unique angle to the community.” Vang all applauded his past experience serving on the Oregon police review board. “As someone who’s been through the criminal justice system, he understands community safety from a different angle. He’s one voice among nine — he’s not running the show, but his experience matters.”
The Salem’s own Boards and Commissions Appointments Committee had recommended against reappointing Kyle Hedquist after learning of his criminal record. That warning was ignored. The fallout was immediate and intense.
“To think that we’re providing education on how we do what we do to someone with that criminal history just doesn’t seem too smart,” Salem Police Employees Union President Scotty Nowning said about the Oregon murderer being appointed to the police review board, according to a Daily Mail report.
Community members flooded Salem City offices with complaints, while Oregon police unions accused the council of prioritizing ideology over public safety and basic decency. Critics argue the move sends a chilling message: that redemption now comes with authority over those sworn to protect the public.
𝗦𝗔𝗟𝗘𝗠, 𝗢𝗥𝗘𝗚𝗢𝗡 𝗔𝗣𝗣𝗢𝗜𝗡𝗧𝗦 𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗩𝗜𝗖𝗧𝗘𝗗 𝗠*𝗥𝗗*𝗘𝗥 𝗧𝗢 𝗣𝗢𝗟𝗜𝗖𝗘 𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗜𝗘𝗪 𝗕𝗢𝗔𝗥𝗗
The Salem City Council just crossed a line most people didn’t think was possible.
They appointed 𝗞𝘆𝗹𝗲 𝗛𝗲𝗱𝗾𝘂𝗶𝘀𝘁 — a convicted m*rd*rer — to… pic.twitter.com/Pm0mWW6B78
— M.A. Rothman (@MichaelARothman) December 30, 2025
One Salem City council member who initially voted in favor has since reversed course under mounting pressure. Councilor Vanessa Nordyke admitted the decision was a mistake and said she would seek to revisit the appointment. “He should be removed from the public safety boards,” she said, acknowledging she had not fully grasped the implications of the vote at the time.
For many, the Oregon murderer’s police review board appointment controversy goes beyond politics or policy and cuts to a deeper moral question. While rehabilitation is a core principle of the justice system, opponents argue that not every role is appropriate for every person — especially roles connected to public safety and law enforcement oversight.
“This isn’t about denying someone a second chance,” Nowning said. “This is about putting guardrails in place. If you don’t, what’s to stop someone with an even worse history from being put on one of these boards?”
Oregon victims’ advocates say the decision also reopens wounds for families who lost loved ones to violent crime. For them, seeing a convicted killer elevated to a position of civic authority feels like a betrayal — one that erases the gravity of the crime committed.
As Salem City Council officials scramble to contain the backlash and prepare for a possible revote, the episode has ignited a debate in Oregon about justice, redemption, and where society must draw firm lines.
