48 Hours: Tracker Dakota Black

Episode Date: November 17, 2025
Host/Reporter: Peter Van Sant (CBS News)
Case: The disappearance and murder of Michaela Miyabe (Byers), investigation led by Detective Dakota Black.

Main Theme

This episode of 48 Hours follows Detective Dakota Black as she tracks the disappearance and murder of Michaela Miyabe, a beloved teacher and foster mother in rural Oklahoma. Through in-depth interviews, emotional family accounts, and meticulous detective work, the podcast exposes the complexities of the investigation, the grief of a shattered family, and the relentless push for justice in the face of chilling domestic violence.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Disappearance of Michaela Miyabe

• Scene Setting: The rural, serene beauty of Oklahoma masks "lots of dark secrets"—missing persons cases and unsolved homicides. (Detective Dakota Black, 00:31-01:53)
• Initial Alarm: Michaela doesn’t return home after a date; her husband, Frank Byers, calls her family in distress.
  • “He’s hysterical, crying, screaming, can barely understand what he’s saying. And he says Michaela didn’t come home last night.” (Andrea Meavi, 07:05)
• Family Mobilization: Andrea (Michaela’s sister) and loved ones begin independent searches, “out there for days,” (03:02), convinced something serious has happened.

2. Suspicion and Early Investigation

• Frank’s Story Unravels:
  • Frank claims Michaela left with a “bald man in a white truck” (Narrator, 07:05-09:19).
  • His lack of emotion and inconsistent story raises immediate doubts among deputies and family.
• Deputy’s Observations:
  • Frank provides info on Facebook messages allegedly from Michaela after her disappearance (09:06).
  • Frank shows reluctance to allow entry to Michaela’s living quarters; a shed-home is found locked (09:47).
  • Discovery of spent .22 caliber shells in Michaela’s space, with Frank providing dubious explanations (11:26).

3. Escalation: From Missing Person to Homicide

• Lead Detective Involved: Lt. Dakota Black is called in, her specialty is finding missing people, alive or dead.
  • “I was not going to stop until this case was solved.” (Detective Dakota Black, 03:54)
• Community Search: Local law enforcement and the community, mobilized through flyers and social media, search the freezing woods, but Frank is notably absent from these efforts (17:11, 17:20).

4. Profile of Michaela Miyabe

• A Life of Compassion:
  • Fostered and adopted children; worked as a teacher’s aide; deeply beloved by family, friends, and students (15:06).
  • “She always felt responsible... to help little innocent kids that needed adult help.” (Andrea Meavi, 16:29)

5. Mounting Suspicion on Frank Byers

• Frank’s Behavior: Lacked emotion, never participated in searches; focused more on appearances than substance (17:11-17:31).
• Family’s Certainty:
  • “We strongly suspected Frank.” (Frank Byers, 17:47)

6. Discovery of Michaela’s Body

• Premonitions and Search:
  • Michaela’s mother, Barbara, has a premonition: “I heard Mikayla tell me, mama, I’m in a tin horn.” (19:01)
• Grim Find:
  • Five days after disappearance, Michaela’s body is found in a drainage pipe, wrapped in carpet. “She had one sock on her foot that had teddy bears on it. And her shirt was actually pulled up over her face to cover it.” (Detective Dakota Black, 22:33)

7. Uncovering Frank’s Deceit and Past Abuse

• Open Marriage Claim Discredited:
  • “There was absolutely no possible way that Michaela would have ever done that.” (Detective Dakota Black, 25:25)
  • Investigation reveals Frank was the one cheating, with dozens of dating profiles and infidelity (26:02).
• Patterns of Abuse:
  • Interviews unveil similar manipulative and abusive behavior toward a previous girlfriend, Crystal Cantrell, who recounts a night Frank attempted to choke her (31:29-32:31).

8. Key Evidence and Forensic Breakthroughs

• Physical Evidence:
  • Security footage shows Frank buying bleach, ammonia, and a mop—the classic tools for “crime scene cleanup.” (Detective Dakota Black, 33:32-33:56)
  • The carpet used to wrap Michaela was traced back to Frank and his dogs.
• Technology and Alibis:
  • Frank staged Facebook messages using Michaela’s old phone, switching SIM cards to mimic her digital presence (36:00-37:00).
• Forensics:
  • "The substance on Frank's boots was blood. Michaela’s blood." (38:22)

9. Arrest and Justice

• Final Evidence and Arrest:
  • With physical evidence (blood on boots), police move in and arrest Frank Byers after 38 days (39:36-40:02).
  • “He thought he was smarter than everyone. But he was outsmarted, right?” “Yes. I think he was surprised.” (40:11-40:14)
• Legal Outcome:
  • Frank is charged with first-degree murder; later pleads guilty to avoid the death penalty, given life without parole (41:13-41:40).
  • Family expresses disappointment: “He got to choose what he got for punishment, too. And that’s not okay.” (Barbara, 41:40)

10. Lingering Questions and Advocacy

• Possible Accomplice?
  • Michaela’s mother is convinced Frank had help, though police note people in distress are capable of extraordinary acts (42:03-42:39).
• Michaela’s Legacy:
  • Family launches “McKayla’s Prison Purple Butterfly Foundation” to fight domestic violence (43:39).
  • “That was her goal. Her mission in life was when you see someone in need, help them.” (Andrea Meavi, 43:46)
  • Family, especially sister Andrea, shares memories and grief: “Even though she was the little sister, I still lay in bed and talk to her like she’s still right there…” (44:10)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Nature of Investigation:

  • “Sometimes it’s hard to not take cases personal. They tug at your heartstrings.”
    — Detective Dakota Black (02:15)

• Family’s Despair:

  • “I just knew that she was gone.”
    — Andrea Meavi (03:30)

• On Frank's Behavior:

  • “He never participated in a single search. He never volunteered to go out with any of the search parties.”
    — Detective Dakota Black (17:11)
  • “The lack of any human emotion. I mean, he did not seem scared. He just wanted to know what we knew.”
    — Frank Byers, family member/investigator (17:31)

• Detective’s Determination:

  • “I was not going to go home. I was not going to stop until this case was solved.”
    — Detective Dakota Black (03:54, repeated emphasis)
  • “It was tough mentally. I was drained… But I was not going to go home until this case was solved.”
    — Detective Dakota Black (30:12)

• On the Moment of Loss:

  • “My mom started to chase the van. I just followed it down the road just as fast as I could… my baby is in that van.”
    — Andrea Meavi (24:14)

• Familial Love and Grief:

  • “I sure miss her smile, her laugh. All that laugh was something else. She was my best friend.”
    — Andrea Meavi (44:01)

Important Timestamps

• 00:31-01:53: Dakota Black introduces the gravity of missing persons cases in Oklahoma.
• 07:05: Frank Byers calls Andrea to report Michaela missing.
• 09:47-11:26: Deputy arrives, interacts with Frank, and investigates Michaela's living quarters.
• 17:11: Discussion of Frank's refusal to search for his wife.
• 19:01: Michaela’s mother describes her premonition about her daughter's location.
• 22:33: Discovery and condition of Michaela's body.
• 25:25: Detective Black debunks the “open marriage” narrative.
• 33:32-33:56: Bleach, ammonia, and mop purchased by Frank—interpreted as crime scene cleanup.
• 36:00-37:00: Discovery that Frank was using Michaela's old phone to send messages as her.
• 38:22: Positive match of Michaela’s blood on Frank’s boots.
• 39:36-40:02: SWAT team arrests Frank Byers.
• 41:13: Frank pleads guilty, receives life sentence.
• 43:39: Family channels grief into advocacy, founding a domestic violence prevention organization.

Conclusion

This episode of 48 Hours expertly weaves together the personal and procedural—the heartbreak of Michaela's family, the unflagging dedication of law enforcement, and a stark exploration of domestic violence's often-hidden terror. Through Detective Dakota Black's eyes and Michaela’s family’s voices, listeners are brought into the core of a harrowing investigation, the ache of loss, and the fight for justice and change.

If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233.