The Man Who Spoke Dog: The Disappearance of Mark Stover

When renowned dog trainer Mark Stover vanished from his Anacortes, Washington home in October 2009, investigators were confronted with a chilling and baffling mystery. His fiercely loyal Belgian Malinois protection dog, Ding, was found shot three times in the head but miraculously survived. Inside the house, the foyer and hallway were stained with blood that someone had hastily tried to clean with bleach. Mark’s signature white station wagon—affectionately dubbed the "Dogillac"—was discovered abandoned miles away at a nearby casino with his glasses and traces of blood left inside, but Mark himself was nowhere to be found.

As detectives unraveled the celebrity "Dog Whisperer's" life, they quickly exposed a highly contentious history with his ex-wife, Linda Opdycke, the heiress to one of Washington state's wealthiest wine families. Together, the couple had built a million-dollar luxury dog resort on the secluded Kicket Island, but their subsequent split sparked years of fierce bitterness, stalking allegations, and an intense atmosphere of mutual fear. Suspicion immediately shifted toward Michiel Oakes, a security consultant and tactical combat trainer who had recently become Linda’s live-in boyfriend and self-appointed protector.

What followed was a sensational investigation and an extraordinary first-degree murder trial that gripped Skagit County. Even without a body, prosecutors compiled a mountain of circumstantial physical evidence—ranging from blood matches to highly suspicious retail purchases. Meanwhile, Oakes took the stand to weave a dramatic tale of secret meetings, stalker fixations over wedding photos, and a desperate struggle of self-defense where he claimed he was merely a knight saving a princess from a dragon.

Timeline

The Evidence Locker

• The Bleach and Bloodstains: Investigators discovered faint bloodstains in Mark's foyer, hallway, bedroom, and bathroom alongside a powerful odor of bleach—a chemical Mark's employees noted he never used because the fumes were toxic to dogs.

• The "Dogillac" Deception: Mark's station wagon was left at a casino with the window down, keys in the ignition, and his glasses inside. Surveillance showed a driver wearing Mark's signature wide-brimmed hat and heavy coat moving the car to trick employees into thinking Mark was still alive.

• The Summit Park Grange Sighting: Witness testimony placed Michiel's black Suzuki SUV at the Grange Hall less than a mile from Mark's home, where he was seen moving a large object wrapped in plastic out of Mark's station wagon. A single link in the property gate's chain had been cleanly cut with bolt cutters.

• The Walmart Receipt: Hours before the murder, Michiel purchased an anchor chain, three ankle weights, camouflage clothing, a backpack, and shin guards. The anchor chain and weights were never recovered.

• The Lowe's Return: Michiel bought a pair of bolt cutters from Lowe’s on the morning of October 28, used them, and then brazenly returned them to the exact same store for a cash refund later that afternoon.

• The Discarded White Bag: As detectives arrived to question him at Linda's home, Michiel threw a white bag over a 25-foot embankment. It contained a .22-caliber pistol, a bloody napkin, and a section of bloodstained carpet cut directly out of his SUV that matched Mark Stover's DNA.

• The Flawed Kevlar Vest: Michiel claimed Mark shot him first, pointing to a bullet embedded perfectly straight-on in the center of his bulletproof vest. Firearms experts completely debunked this self-defense claim, testifying the bullet was fired from one of Michiel's own guns while the vest was laying completely flat.

Tina & Rich’s Takeaways

"Regardless of the situation, it's hard to let go. And there's always a lot of emotions involved. A lot of time it's anger... There are a lot of ruined lives in this. It's tragic for every single person involved."

— Tina

"It just seems odd that you would dispose of a body after you killed them in self-defense, if it truly was self-defense. I think he went there with the intention of killing him... It makes it sound like all Michiel really cared about is winning, and winning in this case meant taking out his competition."

— Rich

Sources and Further Reading

• Interested in the baking project Tina mentioned at the top of the episode? Check out the Mel's Kitchen Cafe Pull-Apart Bundt Bread Recipe.

• Watch the original investigative broadcast via the 48 Hours Episode on YouTube.

• Stream the comprehensive network coverage via Dateline Full Episode: The Man Who Talked to Dogs.

• Review the official legal history via the Washington Courts Appeals Document.

• Read about the local investigative updates via GoSkagit: Stover's Ex-Father-in-Law Linked to Murder Suspect Oakes.

• Delve into the initial media breaking news through The Seattle Times: Ex-Wife's Boyfriend Charged in Dog Trainer's Slaying.

• Examine the defense perspective directly on the Free Oakes Advocacy Website.

• Read the recent true crime retrospective via People Magazine: Mark Stover Podcast Feature.

What do you think?

This case leaves us with so many questions, and we want to hear your theories!

1. Do you believe any part of Michiel Oakes' self-defense narrative, or do you think he executed a pre-planned hit?

2. Why do you think Michiel purchased shin guards right before heading to Mark's property? Was it protection against the woods, an escape plan, or fear of a trained protection dog?

3. This was a highly unusual murder trial because Mark's body was never found. If you were sitting on that jury, would the circumstantial physical evidence be enough for you to convict someone of first-degree murder, or would the missing body leave you with reasonable doubt?

4. Why does Walmart seem to show up as a final stop in so many of our true crime cases?

Let us know what you think! You can send us your thoughts directly through our Contact Page. If you want your voice heard on a future episode, head over to our Voice Message Page and record your theory (or your best true crime joke!).

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