Time Will Tell | Trained to Kill | Forensic Files

This is Perigen Lake. Just over these trees over here is where the Uptike residence is.
[Music] In June 2010, Chief Deputy Dave Rodriguez took me out on patrol in an Okonogan County Sheriff's Fastboat on a
lake just a few miles from Linda Updikeke's home outside Winthrop, Washington. Rodriguez had helped Linda Updike train
a new attack dog and later was one of the deputies who arrested Michael Oaks. Months had passed since Mark Stove was
murdered and still his body had not been found. Scadget County Sheriff's Office asked us to check any probable locations
where the body may be dumped in water since we're so close to her home. Um, this was on the list to check.
Michael Oaks had spent time near these waters and Rodriguez wanted to check if he might have sunk Mark's body here. So,
how does this work? Well, I don't know if you can see, but the lake is too big for two or three or four or even six
divers to adequate adequately search. That's why they turn to sonar to scour the lake bed. And we grid search across
the lake and then when we find something of interest on the sonar screen, then we
put divers down on it. And that diver will be you. Yes, today is me. Then Deputy Rodriguez slowed the boat
down toward a spot where he had detected some kind of an image. He put on the divers suit.
Are you ready? Ready. And jumped into the water. He swam below the boat, but no luck.
It's been quite a while since um Mr. Stover's been missing. So that makes it more difficult. Decomposition. Correct.
The search for Mark Stove had stretched across the state of Washington. The one person who could end that search decided
to be Koi. Are you willing to tell authorities where you placed Mark Stove's body?
Certainly, all that I know about the whereabouts of Mark Stove, I will be more than happy to share with
authorities in the course of our trial. This is going to be a dramatic week. It has been a dramatic year. I'm Peter
Vans. From 48 hours, it's trained to kill the dog trainer, the ays, and the bodyguard.
Episode 6. Time will tell. [Music] Michael Oaks has been accused of a murder of Mark Stove. What do you say?
Prove it. That's John Henry Brown. He was Michael Oak's lead defense attorney. We spoke in
2010. So my defense is prove it. First, they have to prove there's a murder, right? Brown is a brilliant showman
known for making arguments in court that could fit into the final scene of a prime time legal drama. We've got blood,
right? We've got shell casings, correct? Got a dog that was shot, correct? But we
don't have a body. Correct. And what does that add up to for you? Uh, a case of circumstantial evidence.
When it comes to representing accused killers, Brown has been around the block. He titled his memoir The Devil's
Defender to highlight a career spent arguing on behalf of defendants he considered evil. His client list
included one of the most notorious serial killers in American history, Ted Bundy, who said he had murdered 30
people. Bundy once told me that he knew he was evil. Now, most sociopaths don't say that. Now, I don't see any of that
in Michael at all. Brown argued instead that Mark Stove represented the evil in this case, not his client.
I think somebody asked Michael recently whether he thought Michael thought uh Mark Stover was evil and Michael said no
not not all parts of him which I thought was a very gracious thing for Michael to
say under the circumstances but I think there were parts of Mark Stove that were
very evil. you know, when you start people treating people as objects and when which is what Stover did and
particularly with Linda, um then I think that crosses over. In court, they plan to make the case that Michael shot Mark
in self-defense. The trial started in September 2010, less than a year after Mark Stove was
killed. It did have an interesting cast of characters. Um, everybody appeared at
first blush to be very, very good citizens. That's Judge Mike Rickert. The case became very
sensationalized, uh, much to my chagrin. Um, that makes things more difficult for
us as we're trying to ensure that both sides get a fair shake and that justice is actually done. Judge Rickard said
this turned out to be one of the stranger cases he had presided over. The trial actually lasted four weeks. The
investigation lasted for the year prior to that. And the twists and the turns in
the plot and the details of this case um just kept changing. Witnesses included detectives. Some of Mark's former
employees and Michael's second wife, Jennifer Thompson, who told jurors that Michael said, "If police saw what was in
the back of my car, I'd go to prison for life. But it was Michael himself who played
the leading role in this trial when he took the stand. Mr. Brown, you got a new witness for us? Yes, Mr. Oaks. Mr. Oaks,
come on up. His defense attorney, John Henry Brown, wanted Michael to explain why he had to
defend himself. He came around the corner with a gun in one hand and he pointed the gun at me and the
look on his face, he didn't say anything. Okay. How close is to you? I'm inside the washroom. He's right at
the doorway and he's just inside the hallway. 3 ft maybe. Okay. What happens then?
I can't remember if he I lunged and he shot. We tangled and I got shot. Remember,
Detective Dan Louver said it was highly improbable that Michael could shoot Mark
in self-defense immediately after being shot himself, even if he was wearing a bulletproof vest. So, Brown asked
Michael to reenact the shooting to show that it was possible. [Music] Would you mind taking off your coat?
I'm not sure how it works. So, why don't you put this on the way you had it on? Right. Brown asked Michael to put on a
Kevlar vest like the one he wore on October 28th, 2009. Brown's co-consel, Corbin Vz, stood in
as Mark Stove. Mr. Valdis is larger than Mr. Stover, as far as I know. He's taller. Volz held up his left hand and
stuck out his pointer finger to act like he was aiming a gun at Michael. So Mr. Vol is holding the gun out. He's fired
at you. Mhm. What do you do? Michael lunged at Valz, grabbed his left arm, and tackled him to the ground.
I don't think we were expecting that. The aggressive move startled the courtroom into a big laugh. Are you all
right? I'm fine. My finger wasn't loaded. Michael took off the vest and then walked back to the
witness stand. Can I take this off? That was amazingly fast. Mr. Oak, is that the way you did
that? That's how it was trained. Can I take this off? Yes, please take that off.
I asked prosecutor Rich Hyurrick why a bullet hole in Michael Oaks's vest wasn't convincing to authorities.
He explained the location of the bullet was suspicious. It appeared to have gone in very close
to exactly straight exactly in the middle uh of the bulletproof vest. And uh which suggests what to you? Well,
what it suggested to us is that it was uh it was done either before or after uh the event
um as somewhat of an alibi. Back on the stand, Michael eventually came to the dramatic moment everyone was waiting
for. He was finally going to disclose where he put Mark's body. [Music] you somehow get Mr. Stober's um body
into the station wagon. That's what I did then. I picked him up, which was very difficult, and carried him out to
the back of the station wagon, and laid him there, and I had that kitchen towel that I had
grabbed, and I threw that in with him. Oh, before I when I picked him up and the gun fell
down on the floor, I just put it in his vest pocket. Michael then testified he later drove to that Graange Hall parking
lot nearby where he struggled to transfer Mark's body. I tried to move him to my car, but it was too heavy.
And so I used the plastic that was in the back of the rig. His rig. Yes. in the back of the station wagon and slid
it underneath of him and was able to then slide him across to my car. After meeting with his ex-wife, Jennifer
Thompson in Everett, Washington, he drove back to Anacortis to move Mark's now empty station wagon and it was still
just sitting there and I was blown away. I thought for sure it would have been like some big crime scene investigation.
Michael said he then drove the station wagon about 2 miles to the nearby Swenomish Casino parking lot. Michael
then walked back to his own car where Mark's body was covered up in the back. You leave it there. Yep. Michael told
the courtroom he then decided to dispose of the body because he didn't think investigators would believe his story.
And walking away from Mr. Stover's car. I see some kind of a boat in the water just near there. Michael said he then
drove down to a dock at the far end of that casino's vast parking lot. And I got my car as close to that as possible
and muscled him out and dropped him in the water. According to Michael, he then dropped
Mark's body into the Swenomish Channel, which flows into the Padilla Bay near Anacortis. Was the gun with him? His
gun? His gun? His gun was in his pocket still of his vest. After you did that, what did you do? Um,
I threw some other stuff like the plastic in the water. Um, and I smelled blood. I'm pretty sensitive to the smell
of blood. I smelled blood and I couldn't see. It was dark and so I started throwing things out of the car into the
water um that were in the back. I had some stuff of the plastic and a piece of carpet from his car and then uh some
other items that were you know were there. He then headed to Linda's home in Winthrop. I arrived there.
I don't remember now. It was dark. Um, I'd had to stop to throw up a couple times. I don't know. I'm not sure. Okay.
Um, we see your tape of when you get to Linda's. So, that' be accurate, right? Yes. When you got to Linda's, did you
tell her anything about what had happened? I just said I had a really bad day. What time was that? It was late. It was
late. I think it I don't remember now. I was exhausted. But when the prosecution
cross-examined Michael, they zeroed in on some inconsistencies in his story. Here's Scadget County Prosecutor Rich
Hyrick. You indicated that you when you were at the Summit Park range body was too heavy to move from car to
car, so you had to slide it. Is that right? Yeah. Okay. On two other occasions, you were able to
just pick the body up and walk it down. And I think you described a dilapidated dock and toss it in the water. Yes. And
on another occasion, you were able to just pick it up and toss it into the back of Mr. uh Stover's car. Uh pick up
and toss, I think, would be your words. But yes, I was able to pick him up. Why was it too heavy at the Summit Park
range? Because it's a station wagon. I couldn't stand up. You have to lean over to lift something, and I can't do that.
Detectives searched the waters behind the casino with a submersible camera and found nothing. While court was in
recess, I asked Michael if he was telling the truth. Police have searched that area. They have not found a gun.
They have found no skele no skeletal remains. Is that really where you dropped the
body? Absolutely. Yes. No matter where he may have disposed the body, I pressed him more. What do you
say to those who suspect that you disposed of the body because you wanted to dispose of the evidence? That if
people could see Mark Stove's body, maybe there's a bullet hole in the back of the head. Maybe they would have seen
that he was shot in the back, not in the front. Maybe you were trying to cover up a
murder. Well, I understand that feeling. I I really do. And I wish I hope that the body is recovered uh because it will
exactly corroborate my story 100%. After he was cross-examined, Michael watched the woman he loved, the ays, the
person at the center of Mark Stove's rage, Linda Updike, raise her hand. [Music]
Please state your name for the record and spell your last name. Linda Opdike spelled OP D and David Y C.
Did you choose to violate your attorney's advice and speak to the prosecutor and testify in this trial?
Yes, I did. Why did you change your mind? because I felt this was an important part of the story that I could tell um
about a dangerous stalking situation and if there's any information that I could
offer up, I wanted to do so. But Linda wasn't there just to defend Michael. She told me she also wanted to defend
herself and her father. It's heart-wrenching enough to be dealing with what us as a family are
dealing with with Michael, let alone seeing my family attacked. Um, is just another level of I feel victimization
and randomly going after anybody with no reason for anything. And to do a smear campaign,
here's Scadget County Prosecutor Rosemary Cahol questioning Linda. You continue to have romantic feelings,
intimate feelings toward Mr. Oaks and vice versa. Yes. And in fact, I think that you said that in our interview last
week is that you loved him. Correct. I don't know recall if I said that or not, but I do. Yes.
When Mr. Oaks was arrested, you did what you could to find him a lawyer. Correct.
Yes. She asked about what help Linda provided Michael after his arrest. And you made some phone calls, took some
notes, tried to figure out who the best lawyer for him would be. Correct. Yes. In addition to that, you figured out um
if what his bail amount was. No, I had nothing to do with that. Michael somehow managed to pay $250,000
for him to get out on bail. Linda insisted she didn't cover that cost. Michael's defense attorney, John Henry
Brown, told me the Updikes weren't paying his fee either. Is Linda Updike paying for Michael Oak's
defense? No. God, I wish she was. Boy, I really wish she was. No, there's no money going through a third party to
Oak's family and back to you guys. No, I'm going to lose my shirt on this case, actually, just like many of my other
cases. Back at trial, the prosecution showed no sympathy in its cross-examination of Linda.
Now, it's correct, isn't it, that throughout the investigation of this case, you've been concerned about your
own potential legal liability in this case? Yes. The prosecutor even suggested Linda's
support for Michael may have been an attempt to protect herself. You don't have to worry about Mr. Stober now, do
you? It appears to be that case. And in that sense, the defendant helped you out.
Correct. No. Isn't it true that if this is a case of self-defense, it gets you off the hook,
too? What do you mean by that? You indicated you were concerned about your own potential liability in this case. If a
jury were to find that this was self-defense, you wouldn't have any more liability either, would you? I have no
liability in this case. The prosecution also argued that Linda had no evidence Mark continued to stalk
her after his arrest. You made a report on December 5th, 2008. Do you recall that?
Yes. And you indicated that time that you believed that you saw Mr. Stover's vehicle in the area. Do you recall that?
Yes, I do. Cahol pointed out that Linda was never able to identify Mark in this incident or several others she reported
in 2008 and 2009. Nobody was able to respond in time. So the answer would be no. That is
correct. Prosecutors also called Mark Stover's fiance, Terresa Vox Michael, to testify.
Their engagement was used as evidence Mark was moving on. I talked to Teresa in 2010. In the weeks before he died,
was he a happy man? Oh, he was. He was like a kid. He was joking with me all the time and he was
always fun, you know, when we were on the phone. But Teresa claimed there was still a
dark presence in his life, his ex-wife, Linda. She said that Mark described Linda as a vengeful ex who wouldn't
leave him alone and often took him to court. He was he just was very troubled about the way things had gone. And in
what did he believe the endgame was with her? I don't know that he thought there
was a goal. He just couldn't believe that things wouldn't stop. The legal battles, the accusations, he
knew his life was in danger. But Michael's attorneys alleged just the opposite. They argued Mark threatened
and stalked Michael and that he only killed Mark to defend himself and his family. They insisted Mark and Michael
met multiple times. The defense even claimed to have a witness who said Mark mentioned seeing Michael and Linda at a
Costco months before the shooting, but the judge ruled there was no way to verify the witness's story.
Soon, Michael would learn his fate. [Music] After more than 50 witnesses and more
than 700 exhibits, the jury began to deliberate. They took 4 days before they reached a verdict. I'll rise, please.
Linda sat next to Michael's mom and tried to comfort Michael's daughters as they all waited.
Mark Stove's niece, Julia Simmons, was there to represent his family. Who did this jury believe?
We, the jury, find the defendant, Michael Glenn Oaks, guilty of the crime of murder in the first degree,
premeditated murder as charged. [Music] Michael was found guilty of firstdegree murder. He turned and hugged his
daughters. At his sentencing, his mother, Corey Oaks, pleaded with the judge to have mercy, that her son never
wanted to hurt Mark. He wanted to reason with him. I believe that with all my heart, and I think it's
grieving him. I know it is. He would never want to take a life. He is not a murderer. And none of us would want that
for Mark. Mark's family felt differently. His sister, Victoria Simmons, asked the
judge to give Michael the maximum sentence. Why was he murdered? Where is my brother? When will I be able to lay
him to rest in a dignified manner? Years from now, Michael Oaks will be released.
He will have paid his debt to society. I will still be serving the life sentence
that Michael Oaks gave me. Judge Mike Rickert sentenced Michael to the maximum amount of time in prison, 26
and a half years. The absurdity of the actions that you took on that day are beyond belief. And I've got to tell you,
there's large parts of your story I just flat do not believe and never will. There was finally an ending to this
emotional saga gone horribly wrong. But there will always be lingering questions
about what really happened on October 28th, 2009. But the pieces don't fit very well in this case after 4 weeks.
And to a certain degree, I almost have more questions now than I had when we picked the jury.
This case of Mark Stove has been defined by an infinite loop of suspicion between
three people. Linda said she feared Mark. Mark said he feared Linda. And Michael said he too eventually feared
Mark. Each person claimed the other was threatening their life until that morning in October proved that one of
them was right. With no more new information surrounding the crime, law enforcement closed the
case in 2012. Linda's father, Wally Updike, died in 2018 at age 81 at his home in Whitefish,
Montana. The Chateau San Michelle Winery, the largest in Washington, remains open
today and thriving. The Updike sold Kick Island, too. It's now a park that belongs to the Swenomish
tribe. It's open to the public for hiking, but there are no dogs allowed. After Michael went to prison, his
daughter, April Oak, said each of her siblings went to stay at a different home. April lived with Linda until she
was 17 and said Linda has remained a big part of the family's lives. Linda last sat for an interview in 2011.
It's incomprehensible to me that that's a verdict that would have come back. Michael's first instinct was to turn to
all of you. Yes. And to hold his family. [Music] Yes. Um he uh definitely loves his children and
loves me and I know that's his biggest concern is for all of us and our biggest concern is him. So, we're all um
supporting each other and just sticking by one another. Michael appealed his case to no avail.
He is incarcerated at the Washington State Penitentiary in Walaw Wala. In a call from prison in April 2025,
Michael said he expects to get out in 2035 when he is 67 years old. He blamed one of his appellet attorneys
failing to file an appeal on time for his inability to keep challenging his sentence in court. Today, there is a
website free oaks.com that advocates for Michael's freedom. His family sent us documents from
Michael's appeal. In 2017, the Oaks family hired an oceanographer to study where Mark's body may have ended up in
the water and believed that the police missed a spot where the current could have moved Mark. Detective Dan Loua said
the police searched the channel multiple times and even used underwater cameras.
We asked Michael about his current relationship with Linda Updike. He said he wanted to respect her privacy.
After Mark's death, Teresa, the woman who had hoped to marry Mark, took his dog Ding, into her home. Ding had
miraculously survived being shot. And when she came to be with me, she slept on my bed. She went to work with
me. She was with I took her everywhere with me. And in petting her, I found a a tumor about this big. Well, it grew and
grew and she was in tremendous pain. Um, so I had to have her put down. And was that was that tough cuz Ding was
a a link to Mark. Oh, she was my my last link to him. Teresa told me that Ding was buried with a custom headstone. She
hopes a day will come when they can give Mark the proper burial. he deserves. I would love to see him buried with a ring
on his finger. Mark's sister, Victoria Simmons, said she will never rest until her brother's
remains are found. I need to find him, and I just can't let that go. Being a woman of faith, I know
that everything done in secret will eventually be shouted from the housetops. You cannot plead the fifth in
heaven and the truth will come out eventually. A celebrity dog trainer, an ays and her
bodyguard. Three lives ruined by a triangle of jealousy, fear, and rage. [Music]
[Music] from 48 hours. This is Train to Kill the Dog Trainer, the Aerys, and the
Bodyguard, produced by Sony Music Entertainment. I'm your host, Peter Vans. Judy Tiger is the executive producer of
48 Hours. Original reporting by 48 Hours producers Ryan Smith and Liza Finley. Jaimeie Benson is the senior producer
for Paramount Audio and Mora Waltz is the senior story editor. Recording assistance from Alan Pang and
Regginald Bazil. Special thanks to Paramont podcast vice president Megan Marcus.
It is written and produced by Alex Schuman. Stephanie Serrano is our editor. Our executive producer is Sherah
Morris. Our associate producer is Zoe Kulkin. Theme and original music composed by
Hansdale Shei. Cedric Wilson is our sound designer and mixed the episodes. We also use music from APM and Epidemic
Sounds. Fendle Fulton is our factchecker. Our production manager is Tamika Balance
Kolassni. I'm Peter Vans. If you're enjoying the show, be sure to rate and review. It
helps more people find it and hear our reporting. Follow and listen to Train to Kill and
other 48 hours podcasts on the free Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcasts.
Thanks for listening. [Music]

Mark Stover’s body was still missing when the trial over his death began. Michiel Oakes said the body would prove his innocence, and that he would reveal everything when he took the stand.

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Brief Summary

Michael Oaks is convicted of murdering Mark Stove amid a complex love triangle and conflicting testimonies.

Key points

The Dramatic Search. Chief Deputy Rodriguez takes the narrator on a patrol to search for Mark Stove's body.
Michael Oaks Takes the Stand. Michael Oaks testifies in his own defense, revealing shocking details about the night of the murder.
Verdict Delivered. After four days of deliberation, the jury finds Michael Oaks guilty of first-degree murder.
Emotional Sentencing. Michael's mother pleads for mercy during sentencing, while Mark's family demands justice.
Lingering Questions. The case closes with unresolved questions about the events leading to Mark Stove's death.
A Heartfelt Goodbye. Teresa shares the pain of losing Ding, a link to Mark, after discovering a tumor.

Episode highlights

Episode quotes

This is going to be a dramatic week.

2:43WatchJun 20, 2025

Tension

75/ 100High tension

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