Man Charged With Abusing Corpse After Landfill Discovery

Police in Oregon found human remains at a landfill site during their search for missing woman Kara Taylor following the arrest of her friend last month.

Oregon City Police (OCP) stated in a Facebook post on Wednesday that the remains were discovered at a landfill located between Eugene and Portland during a search for the 49-year-old. Officers had been searching the Coffin Bute Landfill in Corvallis since Friday as part of a homicide investigation.

"After having searched for several days, investigators discovered human remains at the site, presumed to be Kara Taylor," the Facebook update said. "The remains were transported to the Clackamas County Medical Examiner's Office for further examination and positive identification."

Newsweek reached out to the OCP via Facebook for comment.

Taylor was first reported missing on July 27 by her friend Jamon Peter Fritch. Her disappearance was soon determined to be suspicious and detectives initiated an investigation. The Oregonian reported on Wednesday that Fritch and Taylor met when they were both in a respiratory therapy program in Renton.

There were 204 recorded homicides in the state of Oregon in 2021, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Those deaths translated to a homicide death rate of 4.9 per every 100,000 people in Oregon.

Currently, there are 524 active missing persons cases in Oregon and 752 that are said to be resolved, according to the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System. Across the country, there are 23,553 open missing persons cases and 35,319 classed as "resolved."

Taylor was last seen at her home in Oregon City on July 25. Police said Fritsch also lived at the residence. Police, along with the FBI, executed a search warrant at the property as well as other locations where police obtained evidence Taylor had died "by homicidal violence."

Fritsch was arrested and formally indicted in connection with Taylor's death and was charged with murder and abuse of a corpse. Shortly after his arrest, Fritsch reportedly confessed to a Clackamas County deputy district attorney that he had killed and dismembered Taylor.

He is being held without bail at the Clackamas County Jail.

Dennis Taylor, Kara's husband, thanked police in a statement obtained by the outlet: "These people have all be by our sides from the first moment. We are so very grateful for their unwavering commitment."

Police are still continuing their investigation into Taylor's death and the circumstances surrounding it.