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Michael Wolfe pleaded guilty on Friday to murder charges related to the 2019 deaths of Karissa Fretwell and her 3-year-old son, William Fretwell, according to court documents.

Wolfe, 55, changed his plea from not guilty to aggravated murder and second-degree murder nine days before his trial, which was scheduled for June 26, Yamhill District Attorney Brad Berry said.

The trial has been canceled and the verdict is set for July 20.

Charges

Both charges carry life imprisonment, but as part of Wolfe’s plea deal, he will not face the death penalty, Berry said. The charges of aggravated homicide and second degree murder offer the possibility of parole after 30 and 25 years, respectively.

Karissa Fretwell murder case: Michael Wolfe pleads guilty to murder and aggravated murder https://t.co/aXN0MSnNcx via @salem_statesman

— Raccoboros (@Raccoboros) June 17, 2022

The bodies of Karissa and William Fretwell were found in a remote wooded area in Yamhill County in June 2019. Karissa Fretwell died of a single gunshot wound to the head, according to an autopsy performed by the state coroner.

After family members found Karissa Fretwell’s house in Yamhill unlocked in May that year, they reported them missing. Police arrested Wolfe nearly two weeks later.

Court documents show that in March 2019 Wolfe, a Cascade Steel worker, was ordered to pay more than $900 a month in child support.