The remains of a missing Oregon woman, Kara Taylor, 49, were discovered at a landfill site approximately 70 miles from her home, which was found covered in blood. Taylor had been missing since late July, and her remains were found at the Coffin Butte Landfill in Corvallis after an intensive search by the Oregon City Police.
The search, which lasted three days and involved moving between 4,000 to 7,000 tons of waste, was led by Oregon City Police Capt. David Edwins. The remains found at the site were confirmed to be Taylor’s through DNA testing.
Taylor’s roommate, Jamon Fritsch, 47, was arrested and charged with second-degree murder and first-degree abuse of a corpse. During his arraignment at the Clackamas County Courthouse, it was revealed that Fritsch had confessed to dismembering Taylor’s body and disposing of her remains across several landfill sites to hinder their recovery.
Taylor was last seen alive on July 25 at the home she shared with Fritsch and another friend. Fritsch, who had recently taken Taylor in and promised her family to assist her in recovering from spinal surgery, reported her missing two days later. Taylor’s 22-year-old daughter, who has severe autism and requires constant care, was left in the house.
The Oregon City Police, suspecting foul play in Taylor’s disappearance, launched an investigation. On August 5, they executed a search warrant at Fritsch’s home, where they found evidence suggesting Taylor had been a victim of homicide.
The Clackamas County prosecutor reported that investigators found blood in the bathroom, bathtub, and a bedroom of Fritsch’s home. Prior to reporting Taylor missing, Fritsch had made several trips to a local Home Depot, purchasing items such as zip ties, tarps, a saw blade, a black tote, and contractor bags. The prosecutor also noted that Fritsch had referred to himself as a “danger.”
The motive behind the brutal killing remains unclear. Taylor’s brother, Marcus Sanders, recalled a recent phone conversation with his sister, during which she mentioned she was staying with Fritsch. Sanders expressed gratitude to Fritsch for caring for his sister, to which Fritsch responded, “No problem at all.”
Taylor, a respiratory therapist, had moved in with Fritsch in July following the breakdown of her marriage due to struggles with substance abuse, according to her estranged husband, Dennis Taylor. At the time, she was unemployed and recovering from surgery. Her family described her as a selfless, joyful woman who loved “togetherness.”
Fritsch’s younger brother, Karl Fritsch, suggested that Jamon may suffer from an undiagnosed mental illness, adding that he was not entirely surprised by his brother’s arrest.