Bodies of missing Oregon mother and son, 3, found in remote area

YAMHILL COUNTY, Ore. (KCPQ) -- The bodies of a missing Salem mother and her son were found in a remote area of Oregon, said the Yamhill County Sheriff's Office.

Karissa Fretwell, 25, and her 3-year-old son, William “Billy” Fretwell were reported missing last month. Family members said they had not seen or heard from them since May 13.

The sheriff's office said ongoing efforts by detectives on Saturday led searchers to a remote area of Yamhill County, about 10 miles west of the city of Yamhill.

Crews searched the heavily wooded and remote area for about two hours before finding two bodies.

The sheriff's office says the bodies were recovered with the assistance of the Oregon State Crime Lab and were sent to the Oregon State Medical Examiner for autopsy.

On Sunday, the bodies were positively identified as Karissa and Billy Fretwell.

Karissa's cause of death was determined to be from a single gunshot to the head, and the manner of death was determined to be homicide.

The cause and manner of death of Billy is yet to be determined, pending additional testing.

Last month, 52-year-old Michael John Wolfe was charged with two counts of aggravated murder and two counts of kidnapping in connection with Karissa and Billy Fretwell's disappearance. Court documents state Wolfe is Billy's biological father.

The sheriff's office says the investigation is continuing and anyone with information about the case is asked to contact the Salem Police Department or leave information on the tip line at 503-588-6050.