things to say about him. but now it was clear oakes attorneys would use whatever evidence they could to paint the dog trainer as a threatening, gun-loving predator, someone michiel oakes would have feared. and here, the real work of the defense began. they focused to a large degree on stover s behavior with his ex-wife. linda opdycke, said browne, was stalked and harassed for years after leaving stover. it wasn t just the incident in which her ex-husband was caught rummaging through her garbage. he made a habit of showing up at her house uninvited, said browne, exposing himself, appearing in her bathroom as she got out of the shower, pointing a rifle at her through a window, leaving handwritten notes, threatening voicemails. the fact that he goes into linda s house with a .45 and puts it on a pillow and threatens to kill himself or her, the fact that he breaks into her house, the fact that he steals her journal, the fact that he steals her garbage, the fact you know, all those things
keith morrison: and in case we didn t get it michiel oakes: the lens i look at the world through is really that of a single dad. i am a nurturer. i m a father. i m a very peaceable person. i just happen to be a single dad who s kind of in a very unfortunate limelight right now. keith morrison: well, yes, charged with first-degree murder. so how did he get to this place? the story began, he said, when someone asked him to contact a frightened woman he did not know. that s how he made that first call to linda opdycke. and she said, i m dealing with a really frightening stalking situation. keith morrison: michiel, remember, was a security expert. he d trained swat teams in close quarters combat. he offered to help. she put in my hands this very thick file, including video recordings, audio recordings, police reports, page after page, threatening voicemails. keith morrison: linda told him she d been stalked for years by her ex-husband. michiel oakes: you get out of the shower
no. prosecutor kaholokula also asked opdycke about her refusal to answer certain questions in the case. 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. and you refused to speak with my office, correct? under legal counsel, yes. keith morrison: and this testimony now in court, suggested the prosecutor, sounded like a woman with an obvious and selfish motive to support michiel oakes claim of self-defense. 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? rosemary kaholokula: you indicated you are 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.
Detailed text transcripts for TV channel - MSNBC - 20181216:08:45:45 archive.org - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from archive.org Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
keith morrison: so there was one defendant in the murder of mark s stover, michael oakes. but he certainly didn t look the part of a hired killer. all five foot six of him, soft spoken understated, articulate, father of four, grandfather of one. john henry browne: yeah, he s not your hollywood casting for a hit man. keith morrison: but cast as defense attorney, seattle s colorful and irrepressible john henry browne. john henry browne: he s a really kind, compassionate, loving guy. keith morrison: but early legal skirmishing seems sometimes to merely add confusion. was it murder? oakes a hired gun? or was it something else altogether? and besides that, how intimate was oakes relationship with mark stover s ex-wife linda? and who was paying for his famous defense attorney? john henry browne: if the opdykes are behind this [interposing voices] john henry browne: if the opdykes are behind this, and you know, they hired me, i ll tell you,