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FACT CHECK: Were 19 Female Bodies Discovered Near The Springwater Corridor In Portland, Oregon?

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An image shared on Facebook claims 19 female bodies, possibly the victims of a serial killer, were discovered in Portland, Oregon.

Facebook/Screenshot

Verdict: False

There is no truth to the rumor about 19 female bodies being found near the Springwater Corridor in Portland, according to the Portland Police Bureau.

Fact Check:

The viral image shows what appears to be a screen grab of a social media post that shows a series of block texts, along with red text that reads, “ATTENTION FEMALES This is happening in SE Portland.”

The image alleges that 19 female bodies have been found near the Springwater Corridor, a popular pedestrian trail in the greater Portland area, and that “a lot of the bodies matched missing persons.” Text in the image also suggests that the information is being withheld from the public because Oregon Gov. Kate Brown “doesn’t want to freak people out” and that a serial killer may be responsible for the deaths.

The discovery of multiple bodies, possibly the victims of a serial killer, would likely result in media coverage. However, the Daily Caller News Foundation didn’t find any media reports about 10 bodies being found near Southeast Flavel Street or nine being found by Southeast Sellwood Boulevard.

The verified Portland Police Twitter account also addressed such claims in a Jan. 4 tweet.

PPB is aware of viral posts on social media regarding an alleged serial killer and a number of bodies being found near the Springwater Corridor. There is no truth to these rumors. Please do not share posts such as these that are designed to ignite fear in the community.

— Portland Police (@PortlandPolice) January 4, 2021

“PPB is aware of viral posts on social media regarding an alleged serial killer and a number of bodies being found near the Springwater Corridor,” the tweet says. “There is no truth to these rumors. Please do not share such posts as these that are designated to ignite fear in the community.”

When asked about the Facebook image’s claims, Portland Police Bureau Public Information Officer Derek Carmon confirmed to the DCNF via email: “There is no truth to this.”

The Portland Police Bureau similarly refuted the rumor in comments to Fox News and Portland-based CBS affiliate KOIN 6 News. Carmon told KOIN 6 News that such incidents have not been reported to or investigated by local law enforcement agencies, nor have they been confirmed by any.

“Certainly, if the Portland Police Bureau were called to such an incident, we would let the public know and I’m sure many other partners would be involved in such a thing,” Carmon said, according to KOIN 6 News.

The Portland Police Bureau said it does not “know who is responsible for that post,” Carmon told Fox News in a statement.