Kyle Hedquist committed the cold-blooded execution of a teenager in 1994. He had a history of violence and other crimes, although he was only 17 years old at the time. His career as a criminal should have ended there, but it probably hasn’t, thanks to the far-left leadership of Salem, Oregon. Then-Gov. Brown released him two years ago. Adding an unforgivable insult to grave injury, the Salem officials just put him on the police review board.

Kyle Hedquist was convicted in 1994 of killing 19-year-old Nikki Thrasher when he was 17 years of age. He served 28 years of a life sentence without the possibility of parole.  Then-Gov. Kate Brown (D) granted him clemency in 2022 despite the sentence and terrible circumstances. She never even notified the family because she is a coward.

Hedquist drove Thrasher to a wooded area, shot her in the back of the head, and left her body on a remote logging road. They described the killing as an “execution-style” murder.

According to prosecutors, Hedquist believed Nikki Thrasher had discovered he had stolen items from his aunt. He killed her to prevent her from reporting him. Thrasher had asked him about the stolen items, which prosecutors said he interpreted as a threat.

He’s not a candidate for release:

“Hedquist is not an appropriate candidate for executive clemency, and Hedquist’s arguments for clemency are not unfamiliar to this office,” Douglas County District Attorney Richard Wesenberg wrote to Gov. Brown, arguing against Hedquist’s release.

“Specifically, Hedquist characterized the murder as a single act of misbehavior … evidence demonstrated that Hedquist had prior assaultive behavior, prior armed robbery of multiple victims, prior burglary and thefts, and plans for future criminal activity.

“This office has concerns that clemency for Mr. Hedquist will erode faith in the justice system. Specifically, clemency for Hedquist will demonstrate that a life sentence without the possibility of parole does not really mean a true ‘life sentence.’”

Douglas County Sheriff John Hanlin said in a statement Tuesday that he is “absolutely opposed” to Oregon Gov. Kate Brown granting clemency to a Douglas County man convicted of the 1994 murder of Nikki Thrasher.

Someone who cared wrote this on one of the sites marking her burial:

Nikki Ranee Thrasher was buried in Willamette National Cemetery because her father, Bruce Douglas Thrasher, was a Marine in the Vietnam War. She had three brothers.

She was shot in the head because a senior at her high school thought she knew about a home burglary that he had committed. He shot her to keep her quiet. 

The high school senior, Kyle Hedquist, was an Explorer Scout and an aspiring police officer. In 1995, he was convicted of Nikki’s murder and was sentenced to a life sentence without parole. In April of 2022, Oregon Governor Kate Brown granted him clemency.

Marion County District Attorney Paige Clarkson and Marion County Sheriff Joe Kast also wrote letters objecting.

Douglas County Sheriff John Hanlin said in a statement Tuesday that he is “absolutely opposed” to Oregon Gov. Kate Brown granting clemency to a Douglas County man convicted of the 1994 murder of Nikki Thrasher.

Kyle Blayne Hedquist, 45, was sentenced to life in prison for the murder after admitting to authorities he had killed Thrasher and dumped her body along a remote logging road in the Melrose area out of fear she “might” alert authorities to several burglaries he had been involved in.

She probably begged for her life, terrified, promising to keep his secret. Then, he shot her in the head, and he planned it.

Now He Will Oversee the Police, The Ultimate Insanity

Two years after his release, the Salem City Council appointed Hedquist to the city’s Community Police Review Board. The Board oversees police conduct and public safety matters. The council recently reappointed him to the position, prompting renewed backlash.

Some city officials have defended the decision, citing Hedquist’s rehabilitation and community involvement since his release.

Others strongly disagree. Marion County District Attorney Paige Clarkson criticized the appointment, calling it inappropriate for a public safety role.

“While I acknowledge there are appropriate ways for those who have completed their sentences and demonstrated rehabilitation to give back to our community, this is not one of them,” Clarkson said. “Our police and fire professionals have a right to expect better from city leadership.”

It’s insane.

The family wasn’t even told he was being released: