By Paul Daquilante • Staff Writer • 

Wolfe pleads guilty to two murder charges

Rusty Rae/News-Register##Michael Wolfe, right, is joined by one of his two defense attorneys, Patrick Sweeney of Portland, at Friday morning s plea hearing in Yamhill County Circuit Court.
Rusty Rae/News-Register##Michael Wolfe, right, is joined by one of his two defense attorneys, Patrick Sweeney of Portland, at Friday morning's plea hearing in Yamhill County Circuit Court.
Rusty Rae/News-Register##Yamhill County District Attorney Brad Berry said the prosecution was  happy  with the plea agreement that was reached in the Michael Wolfe double-murder case.
Rusty Rae/News-Register##Yamhill County District Attorney Brad Berry said the prosecution was "happy" with the plea agreement that was reached in the Michael Wolfe double-murder case.

Michael Wolfe, who killed 25-year-old Karissa Fretwell and their son, William “Billy” Fretwell II, age 3, in May 2019, pleaded guilty to one count each of aggravated murder and second-degree murder in Yamhill County Circuit Court Friday morning.

Retired Multnomah County Judge Eric Bergstrom took the pleas that removes the possibility of Wolfe being sentenced to death and set sentencing for 9 a.m. Wednesday, July 20.

The aggravated murder charge takes into account Billy’s death while the second-degree murder charge accounts for his mother’s death.

A fine of $375,000 accompanies each guilty plea.

The 55-year-old Wolfe, who has spent more than three years in local custody, will likely spend the rest of his life in prison. Both charges carry mandatory minimum life prison sentences with the possibility of post-prison supervision after 30 years (aggravated murder) and 25 years (second-degree murder).

Second-degree murder will run concurrent to the aggravated murder charge.

Two counts each of first-degree murder, first-degree murder constituting domestic violence and first-degree kidnapping, all part of the grand jury indictment, were dismissed as part of plea negotiations that Bergstrom oversaw.

Karissa Fretwell was shot to death. Billy’s cause of death has never been released. Their bodies were found in a wooded area about 10 miles east of Yamhill about a month after they went missing.

District Attorney Brad Berry, who attended the plea hearing, said nothing has changed regarding the status of Billy’s death. It remains undetermined.

“We’re very happy,” Berry said, regarding the pleas. “This has been three years of waiting. There have been legal hurdles, but we’re pleased for the family.”

Family members listened to the proceeding from a front row seat in the courtroom.

A large contingent of Salem Police Department personnel attended, and Berry said that agency did a “tremendous job” investigating the the case.

He also said it’s a case in which the Yamhill County community has been heavily involved.

Wolfe’s attorney’s, Dianna Gentry and Patrick Sweeney of Portland, said prior the proceeding that they were very open to a plea agreement being reached through a settlement conference.

Berry said settlement conferences are often used to resolve cases short of a trial, which in this case, was scheduled to last six weeks.

He said one of the positive aspects of a settlement conference is that a judge spends time with the victim or victims and family members.

See Tuesday’s print edition of the News-Register for additional details.

 

Comments

oldeee

Unfortunately they walk among us. No telling who they are.

macgreg

Anyone,anytime ,anywhere.

Web Design and Web Development by Buildable