MOUNT VERNON, Wash., Oct. 22 (UPI) -- A jury in Washington state Friday convicted a man of first-degree premeditated murder in the slaying of T. Mark Stover, dog trainer to the stars.
It took a Skagit County Superior Court jury about 3 1/2 days of deliberations before it found Michiel Oakes, 42, guilty of killing Stover, who had worked with the pets of such notables as Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder, Starbucks Chief Executive Officer Howard Schultz and Seattle Mariners outfielder Ichiro Suzuki.
Oakes's 14- and 17-year-old daughters screamed and cried upon hearing the verdict, The Seattle Times reported.
Oakes faces 20-26 years in prison when he is sentenced. No sentencing date has been set.
Authorities said Oakes shot the 57-year-old Stover to death Oct. 28, 2009, during a meeting at Stover's Anacortes-area home. Oakes claimed Stover had pointed the gun at him and it went off as they wrestled for control of the weapon.
