A mother of six from Oklahoma was found dead and wrapped in an old carpet and wedged into a ditch, just days after she had gone on a date with an unidentified man, according to authorities. Makayla Meave-Byers, a 30-year-old teacher's assistant, was reported missing on September 15 after she was seen entering a Chevrolet pickup truck.
The truck was being driven by a tall, balding man, sporting a dark beard and sunglasses, according to a Facebook post by the Pottawatomie County Sheriff's Office. A search was on for Meave-Byers, a mother of six, who was married but in an open relationship.
Desperate Search Ends in Tragic Find
Meave-Byers willingly left her home in Macomb with the man, seemingly having agreed to go on a date with him, Pottawatomie County Undersheriff Travis Dinwiddie told People magazine.
When she did not return from her outing, law enforcement officials launched a search involving the use of drones and K-9 dogs to locate her.
The woman's family also undertook their own desperate search efforts to find her, highlighting the urgency and concern for her wellbeing.
On a Wednesday, a cousin of Meave-Byers made the grim discovery of her body in a culvert approximately 4 feet deep, adjacent to a creek passing under a road just a few miles from her residence.
Dinwiddie revealed that the 30-year-old victim was wrapped in pieces of waterlogged "old carpet."
On Friday, the medical examiner's office officially confirmed the identity of the body found in the culvert as Makayla Meave-Byers.
Despite the absence of evident physical injuries on the woman's body and pending an official determination of the cause of death, Dinwiddie unequivocally expressed that foul play was "absolutely" suspected in this tragic case.
Investigation On
Meave-Byers, in addition to being a mother of six, also worked as a kindergarten teacher's aide at Macomb Public Schools. Alongside her role as an educator, she devoted herself to raising four stepdaughters and two adopted children.
"She's a great mother," Andria Meave, Meave-Byers' older sister, told the station KFOR before the woman was found dead. "It's all she cares about."
Meave-Byers' husband, Frank Byers, made a heartfelt plea for help in locating his missing wife through a Facebook post. He expressed the immense significance she held in his life, describing her as the cornerstone of their family, a sentiment underlining his deep love and appreciation for her as a great mother.
As of now, the unidentified 6-foot-tall man last seen with Meave-Byers remains a mystery, with investigators yet to determine his identity. Moreover, there are currently no identified suspects in the case.
