‘The Evergreen’: ‘Hush’ - The State of Oregon v. Jesse Lee Johnson

By Jenn Chávez (OPB)
Aug. 26, 2024 1 p.m.
An orange and black background with a partial image of Jesse Lee Johnson's face above the word "Hush."

An orange and black background with a partial image of Jesse Lee Johnson's face above the word "Hush."

Dana Rierson / OPB

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On March 20, 1998, police in Salem, Oregon, discovered the body of 28-year-old Harriet Thompson inside her apartment. Within a week, they arrested Jesse Johnson for murder. Johnson drifted west after a troubled childhood in Arkansas and a stint in prison there. In Salem, he was known around town as a homeless drug user. A random encounter with Thompson the week before she was killed changed Johnson’s life forever.

This week, “The Evergreen” listeners get a special sneak preview of the first episode of OPB’s new podcast “Hush,” which officially drops next week.

Listen to all episodes of “The Evergreen” podcast here.

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