48 Hours · Podcast summary
Tracker Dakota Black On The Hunt
Lieutenant Dakota Black, a tracker and detective with the Pottawatomie County Sheriff's Office, recounts her most heart-wrenching case: the murder of Michaela Mayave.
Listen on the show ↗Key takeaways
- 🔮Michaela's mother, Barbara, had a premonition that Michaela was in a "tinhorn" (drainage pipe), which was later confirmed.02:00
- 💔Michaela was found in a drainage pipe, wrapped in carpet, with a sock on her foot and her shirt pulled over her face.03:14
- 🕵️♀️Lieutenant Dakota Black, a tracker and detective, specializes in finding missing persons, whether alive or deceased.05:55
- 📞Michaela Mayave's husband, Frank Byers, reported her missing after she didn't return home from a date with a bald man in a white truck.07:30
- 🤨Frank Byers' behavior, including his lack of concern and conflicting stories, immediately raised suspicions among investigators.19:29
- 📱Frank Byers' social media activity and communication with other women revealed his infidelity and deceit.26:22
Chapters
- 3:51Introduction to Lieutenant Dakota Black
- 5:35The Disappearance of Michaela Mayave
- 8:42The Search Begins
- 25:26Lieutenant Black Takes the Case
- 32:09The Investigation Intensifies
- 42:24The Case Against Frank Byers
- 51:26Justice for Michaela
The digest
Lieutenant Dakota Black, a tracker and detective with the Pottawatomie County Sheriff's Office in Shawnee, Oklahoma, shares the harrowing details of her most heart-wrenching case: the murder of Michaela Mayave. Black, whose specialty is finding the missing, whether alive or dead, found herself deeply connected to this investigation.
The Disappearance of Michaela Mayave
On Friday, September 15th, 2023, Michaela Mayave's day began as usual with a 7 AM phone call from her best friend and younger sister, Andrea. The next morning, Saturday the 16th, the phone rang again at 7 AM, but it wasn't Michaela. It was Michaela's husband, Frank Byers, who was hysterical, crying, and screaming. Andrea could barely understand what he was saying, but the message was clear: Michaela didn't come home last night. Frank eventually told Andrea that Michaela went on a date the Friday night before with a bald man in a white truck. They left, and she never came home.
At the time, Michaela and Frank were headed for divorce but were still living on the same 10-acre property in Macomb, Oklahoma, in separate homes. Andrea initially wasn't worried, thinking Michaela was single and just having fun. However, her mood shifted when her many calls to Michaela went to voicemail. By noon, Andrea was worried, and by 1 PM, she was really worried. Michaela's mother, Barbara Harper, was also anxious. Michaela was supposed to help out at the family restaurant that afternoon but didn't show and hadn't called, which was unheard of for Michaela. Barbara realized that something serious had happened. Frank also reported Michaela missing to the Pottawatomie County Sheriff's Office that afternoon. He stated that Michaela left at 5:30 PM and the last time anyone heard from her was at 8 PM. He identified her as Michaela Byers.
Keep reading in The Digest
The full 18-minute article, 5 more sections, and every new episode from 48 Hours and the creators you follow.
- The Search Begins
- Lieutenant Black Takes the Case
- The Investigation Intensifies
- The Case Against Frank Byers
- Justice for Michaela
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