Karla Michelle Melson, a 38-year-old Caucasian female, passed away on March 10, 2017, in Corvallis, Oregon. Her death was the result of a shooting that occurred at the Orleans Natural Area off of Highway 34. The man responsible for her death was identified as 31-year-old Derek Brown. After shooting Melson, Brown turned the gun on himself. Melson was pronounced dead at the scene, while Brown was transported to a hospital where he died from his injuries on the following Sunday.
Authorities
investigated the incident as a murder-suicide. Further details revealed that Brown had been arrested in January of that year for allegedly stealing a gun from a local gun store. He had spent a significant portion of the two months leading up to the shooting in the Benton County jail. Court records indicated that he was released on his own recognizance on February 28, 2017, and had failed to appear for a court hearing just one day before the fatal shooting.
Karla Melson was born in Albany and was a graduate of South Albany High School and Linn-Benton Community College. She was a mother to three children whom she loved dearly. Those who knew her described her as charismatic and fiercely loyal to her friends and family, with an infectious laugh and a great sense of humor. Her life was remembered at a memorial service held on March 17, 2017, at Fisher Funeral Home.
