The decision to reinstate a convicted murderer to a city’s police review board has ignited a wave of outrage within the community. Kyle Hedquist, who was found guilty of murdering 19-year-old Nikki Thrasher, has returned to a position of public responsibility, sparking intense debate and concern.

Hedquist, now 47, was initially sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole for his role in Thrasher’s death in 1994. The horrific crime took place in Oregon when Hedquist led the young woman down a secluded road and fatally shot her in the back of the head. This act was intended to silence her from exposing his involvement in a series of burglaries.

In 2022, Hedquist was released from prison after serving 27 years of his sentence. His release was facilitated by the then-governor of Oregon, Kate Brown, who justified the decision by highlighting that Hedquist was only 17 when he committed the crime, arguing against a life sentence for a juvenile offender.

Despite the gravity of his past actions, the Salem City Council voted on December 8 to return Hedquist to the police review board, with the decision narrowly passing by a five-to-four vote. This controversial move has fueled public outcry, as many question the appropriateness of allowing someone with such a history to hold a position of accountability and trust within the community.

Now, the Salem City Council has reappointed Hedquist in a five-to-four vote on December 8, despite his 27-year sentence for the execution-style killing.

The Board reviews police conduct complaints and makes policy recommendations to the enforcement.

The 47-year-old was also appointed to the Citizens Advisory Traffic Commission and the Civil Service Commission, an advisory board that oversees traffic and fair employment issues, according to KATU2.

Kyle Hedquist, 47, is facing scrutiny after he was reappointed to Salem’s police oversight board

Ward 6 City Councilor Mai Vang, left, said she believes Hedquist deserves a second chance and will override the recommendation to leave the seat vacant

Nikki Thrasher, she was born in Oregon in March 1975 and died in 1994

Board members also train with police and participate in ride-alongs to understand how officers operate. 

Backlash has erupted in the blue-state city, with rising concerns voiced by the Salem Police Employee’s Union and other council members. 

‘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,’ the association’s president Scotty Nowning told KATU2.

Nowning emphasized that the concerns stem from fixing the city’s oversight structure and are not necessarily about Hedquist. 

‘If you move him off there, if you don’t change your guardrails or what the requirements are to be on there, you could just put someone else on there with you know equal criminal history or worse,’ he told the outlet.

Salem Professional Fire Fighters Local 314 even created a website to slam the decision. 

‘As police and fire professionals in the Salem community, we are asking Salem residents to stand with us,’ the site read in part.

‘Tell [the council] to reconsider this decision and fix the mess that they created.’

Other committee members opposed Hedquist’s reappointment, but Councilor Mai Vang approved it.

Past governor Kate  Brown granted clemency to dozens of people, including Hedquist 

Hedquist killed Nikki Thrasher when he was 17 in 1994. He led the teenager down a remote logging road, then shot her in the back of the head because he feared she might tell police about burglaries he committed

Vang said the 47-year-old ‘brings a perspective that most of us don’t have’ and can bring a unique angle to the community. 

Vang defended Hedquist’s prior year of service, saying he has fulfilled his duties without issue and offers a perspective not represented elsewhere on the 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,’ her Facebook post read.

Vang also said the city can waive the rule about the police ride-along requirement since he is ineligible because of his murder felony.

Emphasizing that she ‘believes people can change,’ Vang said, ‘Kyle’s recent work shows he’s genuine about turning his life around and using his experience to help others. 

‘And honestly? If any of us needed a second chance, we’d want the same consideration.’

Hedquist attended the meeting with his wife Kate Strathdee, according to the Statesman Journal, and expressed his gratitude for the council’s decision.

‘I felt like the things that some of the councilors said were just as important or more important than reappointing me,’ he is reported to have said. 

The Salem city council hosts a meeting in Loucks Auditorium at the Salem Public Library

‘It does point to who’s on these boards. How are people getting vetted … and are they balanced? I think that was a good conversation for them to have.’

Supporters also commended Hedquist for his work and involvement with the Oregon Justice Resource Center, where he works as a policy advocate. 

The organization highlighted his rehabilitation and told Fox News Digital that Hedquist is ‘driven to help improve Salem and contribute any way he can to his city.’ 

Past governor Brown infuriated Thrasher’s mother, as well as local police and prosecutors, when she freed Hedquist in 2022. The Democrat was also accused of undermining public safety.

Holly Thrasher, who wasn’t even aware of Hedquist’s clemency, told KOIN 6 at the time: ‘He took the life of my daughter in cold blood. It was a cold-blooded murder. He planned it.

‘I am upset. I wasn’t even told.’

She also said she was never asked her opinion on his release, despite Brown’s statement about ‘always’ reaching out to families so that the ‘victim can have a voice.’

Local law enforcement officers called the early release decision at the time ‘shocking and irresponsible.’

According to an obituary from the Statesman Journal, December 2, 1994, ‘Hedquist was a former Explorer Scout who once dreamed of becoming a police officer.’