I think we had two last year also. The Newberg one and the Willamina one. Belander went to Washington so that one doesn't count.
I wonder if Belander's attorney will get him off by convincing the judge or a jury that there is insuffecient evidence that he killed the victim in Washington state rather than kill him in Yamhill County before hauling him up there? Once he is acquitted, the prohibition on double jeapordy would preclude trying him again in Oregon. Perhaps it should be tried as a Federal case?
I have the destinct impression that Yamhill County had more murders in 2018 but I can not recall specific cases beyond the two that you mentioned. Since Megan Cordie's death has been adjudicated as an accident rather than a homicide, we should not count her. We also should not count the two feet, presumably from the same woman, that were found floating in the Yamhill river last summer because we do not know who the feet belong to much less if they are dead (extremely likely) or even murdered (likely).
I wonder if these two, women's feet found floating in the Yamhill river last summer inspired MW to dump the bodies of Karissa and William Fretwell near Tanner creek with the expectation that individual portions would be washed into the creek then downstream to the river?
The report that Karissa died from a gun shot wound to the head, almost certainly at close range or even contact range, suggests a possible attempt to make it difficult to recognize her remains as human. The skull is the portion of a human skelton that is most easily recognized as human by an average person. A shotgun is far more devastating than a handgun or even most rifles. A 12 gauge shotgun fires a projectile or projectiles that have about 8 times the mass of a bullet from an AR-15 and have ten times the wounding capacity. A 12 gauge shotgun can literally cause a skull to explode, especially if the muzzle is inserted in the mouth. All propagsnda aside, an AR-15 can not do this. Shooting the hands and feet from intermediate range with buckshot can shatter and seperate the bones, making them unrecognizable as human.
This theory might explain why MW did not bury his victims. A complete skeleton found in a grave is more easily recognized as human than scatterred remains. It is also easier to prove that a death is homicide by examining a complete skelton. Just burying the victim is incriminating.
Question, was William Fretwell also murdered with a gun shot wound to the head? I do not believe this information has been released.
Keep in mind that the fact that MW chose to use a gun to murder Karissa and may be Wiliam should not be dismissed as just normal. FBI homicide data reveals that 80% of young children (11 and under) who are murdered are not killed with guns. The proportion killed with guns is even lower for very young children like William. Most domestic homicides are committed with guns, often in a fit of rage. However; rapists who kill their victims seldom use guns. The fact that MW abducted Karissa and Wiliam before killing them causes me to believe that his mindset was more like that of a rapist than just a domestic abuser. This would be particularly true if MW did not murder his victims soon after abducting them.
It is fortunate that Yamhill County LE were diligent enough to locate Karissa and William before they had become unrecognizable as human and their skeltons were scattered.
In case anyone is wondering, I am intentionally citing the FBI data on homicides to bring it to the attention of Yamhill County LE. I know that they are watching this page. YamCo LE are exceptionally dilligent (better than a 90% clearance rate for murder compared to the national average of barely 60%. Police in Chicago solve barely 10% of murders). However; I am actually on a first name basis with the FBI climatologists who collate crime statistics.