Naman Shrestha
In September 2023, 30-year-old Makayla Meave suddenly went missing from her house in Pottawatomie County, Oklahoma. When the news of her disappearance broke out, it sent shockwaves across the entire community. As her remains were found a few miles away from her house, the disappearance case turned into a homicide. CBS’ ’48 Hours: Tracker Dakota Black’ chronicles the investigative efforts of the detectives, who followed every piece of evidence they found and eventually tracked down the perpetrator responsible for the killing.
Makayla Meave’s Remains Were Found in a Ditch Five Days After Her Disappearance
Makayla Fay Meave entered the world on June 15, 1993, as the daughter of Michael Kevin Downs and Barbara Sue (Ezell) Harper. Although she was born in Oklahoma City, in the eponymous county and state, she grew up in Lexington, in Cleveland County, alongside her sisters, Andria Meave and Magan Degraffenried, in a tight-knit household. She graduated from school in 2011, as part of the Bulldog Class. Makayla had a deep passion for music, and she felt the most alive while singing. At some point, her parents split up, and her mother went on to marry Scott Harper. She was a warm-hearted and tenacious individual who sought to guide young minds and make a positive impact. Thus, she followed her desire to become a teacher by taking up a degree in teaching. She held a deep compassion towards animals and was also highly religious.
Makayla cherished her family and friends who shared mutual feelings about having the young woman in their lives. She had gained experience as a teacher’s aide at Lexington High School and went on to establish a stable career in the field. Makayla eventually learnt that she can’t have biological children. Nevertheless, with an open heart, she adopted two kids — a daughter, Adriean Vinson, and a son, Brian Vinson — out of the foster care system. On the personal front, she stumbled upon her classmate from high school, Frank Byers, on Facebook. The two subsequently rekindled their connection and got into a relationship. Frank was already the father of four beautiful girls — Daisy, Lily, Chloe, and Zoe. Makayla embraced his kids as her own, and together, the pair began raising six kids under one roof after their marriage in June 2022.
By 2023, the mother of six had been serving as a Paraeducator at Macomb Public Schools. Additionally, she was a significant contributor to the after-school program. All of a sudden, on September 15, 2023, she went missing. When there was no sign of her until the next day, her husband reported her missing. For the next few days, her family and law enforcement extensively searched for her in the wooded areas near her house. During the search, the detectives found multiple pieces of evidence in and around the house, including two .22-caliber bullet casings, bloodstains, broken glass, bleach, a mop, and ammonia. Five days later, on September 20, her cousin discovered her remains wrapped in a carpet down a narrow ditch near Hamilton and Prospect roads between Etowah and Macomb. The 30-year-old woman reportedly died from two gunshot wounds to the head. Thus, a homicide investigation was launched immediately.
Makayla Meave’s Killer Used Her SIM Card to Create a Fake Alibi
When the detectives interviewed Makayla Meave’s husband, Frank Byers, about the last time he saw her, he claimed that he saw her entering a white Chevy pickup truck with a tall and bearded man, whom she had allegedly met on Facebook and was going on a date with. He told the police that he and Makayla were in an open relationship, alleging that the latter wanted to experiment. According to his account, on the fateful day, September 15, 2023, she allegedly told him that he had no right to inquire about where she went and who she saw before leaving the house. However, Makayla’s family told the authorities that she had recently asked Frank for a divorce.
Upon digging deeper into the marriage between Makayla and Frank, the investigators learned that the latter had allegedly been unfaithful to her about a year after they tied the knot. His alleged adultery also reportedly led to the couple separating for a while. During their separation, Makayla lived in the shed on the property. The detectives also went through Frank’s phone, wherein they found text messages to his wife and another woman with whom he allegedly planned to get into a relationship. They theorized that the husband had killed Makayla in the shed where she stayed for a while on the fateful day before rolling her remains under the carpet and disposing of them in a ditch near the property.
It turned out that Frank had taken out the SIM card from her phone after killing her and placed it inside another phone to create a fake conversation and build an alibi for himself. On top of that, Makayla’s blood was also found on a pair of his boots, enough to arrest him for her murder. Armed with the evidence, the authorities arrested Frank Byers on the night of October 24, 2023, at his brother’s house in El Reno, Oklahoma, for shooting his wife twice in the head and killing her.
Frank Byers Was Sentenced to Life in Prison For the Murder of His Wife
A few days later, Frank Byers was officially charged with first-degree murder, unauthorized removal of a dead body, and desecration of a human corpse in connection with Makayla Meave’s murder. In order to avoid going to trial and getting a lesser sentence, Frank Byers pleaded guilty to his crimes on January 31, 2025. Consequently, the wife killer was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. As of today, the 34-year-old killer is in the custody of the Oklahoma Department of Corrections.
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