The most recent episode of Dateline: Unforgettable, titled “The Man Who Talked To Dogs,” highlighted the life of Mark Stover and his incredible story.
Where is the man who murdered him, Michael Oakes?
In 2009, well-known dog trainer Mark Stover was found dead from a gunshot wound, and the circumstances surrounding his death were shrouded in a great deal of secrecy. There are many reasons for this, one of which being the fact that his body has not been located up until this point.
The narrative was covered on the second season of NBC’s Dateline: Unforgettable, and it appears that a shattered love story between Mark Stover and Linda Opdycke is at the heart of the mystery. Stover’s tragic death was the result of a number of factors, including a troubled divorce, an unsuccessful marriage, and threats of violence.
Where Is Michael Oakes Now, a Dateline Question Mark Stover’s Killer Still In Jail
Michael Oakes entered a guilty plea to the charge of first-degree murder in connection with the death of Mark Stover, a well-known dog trainer.
The investigation began in 2009, when the authorities discovered that Mark Stover’s dog had been shot, as evidenced by a bloody wound on its face. They were unsuccessful in their search for Stover’s body but discovered. Bullets and firearms with a calibre of 22 mm were found in Michael Oakes’ possession.
Oakes testified during the trial that he was the one responsible for the murder, which took place. The 42-year-old man claimed to the jury that he acted in self-defense, claiming that Stover was the one who shot him first.
He claims that he was wearing a Kevlar vest at the time of the shooting, which is why he did not die from the gunshot. In addition to this, he believed that Stover was also donning the vest, but it turned out that this assumption was incorrect.
Because his story contained so many inconsistencies, the judge and the jury did not believe him. Therefore, they came to the conclusion that he was guilty. He was sentenced to serve 26.5 years in jail for his crime.
Michael Oakes is currently serving his time at the Washington State Penitentiary at Walla Walla, which is located in the state of Washington. But it has been said in a number of stories that he may be released ahead of schedule.
The Murder of Mark Stover Was Orchestrated by Michael Oakes and Linda Opdycke
Both the judge and the jury were of the opinion that the death of Mark Stover was the result of a premeditated murder.
People have formed the opinion that it was Stover’s ex-wife, Linda Opdycke, who was involved in it over the course of the years. Linda, the daughter of a successful businessman who amassed many millions of dollars, and Mark went through a contentious divorce. The first woman voiced her dissatisfaction with the fact that she was subjected to physical violence by her husband.
Mark continued to harass his ex-wife even after they were divorced. Additionally, a restraining order that lasts for one year was issued against him. However, his family insisted that he had moved on with his life.
Mark entered into a committed relationship with a different woman toward the end of his life. He would frequently assert that his ex-wife was planning to kill him and that he was in constant fear for his life, which was confirmed to be the case in 2009.
Michael Oakes was put on trial for the murder, and he was found guilty, but Linda was not. However, a large number of individuals believe that she was the mastermind behind the murder when Linda and Michael were seeing one other.
Was the Body of Mark Stover Ever Discovered?
The fact that Stover’s body was never located presents another another puzzling aspect of the investigation. Oakes remained silent regarding the whereabouts of Stover’s body even after he was found guilty. People began to believe that they had carried out some heinous act with his remains as a result of this.
In spite of the fact that a few sources claim that Mark’s body has been located, this is not the case. According to Dateline, the body has not been located, and there is no concrete evidence to suggest what took place to Mark Stover.
It is highly likely that Michael Oakes was the one who murdered him. However, there are a lot of aspects of this case that don’t make sense to me at all.
