Salem restaurant hosts auction for family of murder victims Karissa Fretwell, son Billy

A northeast Salem restaurant is holding an auction Saturday to raise money in memory of Karissa Fretwell and her 3-year-old son, Billy. 

Following the murders of the young West Salem woman and her toddler, friends say they want to bring the community together and help Karissa's family as much as they can. 

"We're trying to give her mom peace of mind and be able to get everything taken care of so she doesn't have that extra stress in her life," said restaurant co-owner and event organizer Kelly Vetter.

Timeline:The disappearance of Karissa, William Fretwell

The public event will start at 2 p.m. at Shooter's Cafe & Saloon — located at 4716 Silverton Road NE  — and will be both a silent auction and a live auction, according to Desirae Lay, Shooter's bartender and a longtime friend of Fretwell.

Organizers have been busy searching for individuals and local businesses to donate products and services for the auction. 

Proceeds will go to a memorial fund for the family of Karissa and Billy to help with funeral and burial costs and to fund a scholarship for a student aspiring to be an English teacher — a dream Fretwell pursued as a Western Oregon University student.  

A GoFundMe page, set up by Fretwell's mother, Nyla Bales, has raised $13,360 out of it's $25,000-goal. The money on the site, as well as proceeds raised at the event, will be routed to the Memorial For Karissa and Billy, an account established by the family through First Federal Bank.

Any money exceeding the goal will be donated to the Oregon Coalition Against Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence, an organization that supports survivors of domestic and sexual violence, as well as stalking.

Memorial:Dozens attend memorial service in McMinnville for murdered mom and son

"It would be a spot that if Karissa would have known that something was to happen, she could've gone," Vetter said. 

Fretwell and her three-year-old's bodies were found June 15 in a wooded area in rural Yamhill County after a month-long search by city, county and state officials. 

Michael Wolfe, of Gaston, has been indicted on two counts of aggravated murder, aggravated murder constituting domestic violence and two counts of first-degree kidnapping in connection to the mother and son. His next hearing is scheduled for 9:30 a.m., Aug. 5. 

"You can see that (their story) touched so many people," Vetter said. "We're trying to make the story happy at the end, and it's almost impossible ... but if we can help one person, that's where we're at."

Friends of Fretwell described her as a person with a big heart and a hardworking mother. 

"She was very passionate," Lay said. "She put herself in other people's shoes. If one of her friends or somebody that she randomly met was in a domestic violence situation or a situation like that, she would do her best to help."

The event will include hot dogs and hamburgers donated by a local food service and the restaurant will have food available for purchase. 

Court:Wolfe in court on charges of kidnapping, murder of Karissa Fretwell and son

How to get involved

Event organizers are still looking for donations for the auction. Those interested can contact Kelly Vetter at 503-378-9131. 

Those interested in donating to Fretwell's family can write a check to The Memorial For Karissa and Billy or can make a donation to the family's GoFundMe page. 

Virginia Barreda is the Breaking News Reporter with the Statesman Journal. She can be contacted at 503-399-6657 or at vbarreda@statesmanjournal.com. Follow her on Twitter at @vbarreda2.