Bodies of Salem mother, 3-year-old son found in Yamhill County
YAMHILL, Ore. — Detectives say they found the bodies of a Salem mother and her 3-year-old son nearly a month after they were reported missing.
Search crews were called to a remote wooded area of Yamhill County Saturday about ten miles west of the city of Yamhill. They reportedly discovered two bodies after searching for about two hours.
The Oregon State Medical Examiner confirmed the identities of the bodies as Karissa and Billy Fretwell, who were last seen on May 13.
Karissa died of a single gunshot wound to the head, while Billy’s cause and manner of death has yet to be determined.
The boy’s biological father, Michael Wolfe, has previously been accused and charged with their kidnapping and murder.
On the night of May 13, a court document says surveillance video shows Wolfe leaving his workplace, Cascade Steel in McMinnville, in a golf cart during a scheduled night shift then walking into a treeline.
About six hours later, at around 2:30 a.m. the next morning detectives say, “Michael can be seen driving the cart back to his area of work while carrying a white trash type (bag) that contains some unknown items.”
In the court document, investigators say on May 14 cell phone records show Fretwell's phone sent a text near Wolfe's Gaston home.
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They say evidence from cell phone towers "would be consistent with Michael and Karissa's phones being in the same approximate place during this time.”
On May 17, family members reported Fretwell and Billy as missing.
The next day, May 18, detectives say they talked with Wolfe at his home.
“Michael stated his last contact with Karissa was when they had court on April 15," detectives say, "during a child support hearing. ... Michael stated the hearing did not go well."
Investigators say Wolfe told them he was ordered to pay Fretwell $900 a month.