M.E. determines cause of death for missing woman found in Pottawatomie Co.

POTTAWATOMIE COUNTY, Okla. (KFOR) - The Office of The Chief Medical Examiner has determined the cause of death for a missing woman found in Pottawatomie County in September.

On Sept. 20, 2023, 30-year-old Makayla Meave’s body was found wrapped in a carpet in a drainage ditch about 2,000 feet from her home in rural Pottawatomie County. She had been reported missing just days earlier.

Shortly after she was found, her husband, Frank Byers was arrested. Court records reveal Byers’ work boots “had a blood like substance on them” that investigators now say came back as a positive DNA match to Meave's. 

Detectives also found a Walmart receipt for a mop, ammonia and bleach on Byers’ property the day Meave was reported missing. After reading through text messages, court records show investigators believe Byers committed the crime so he could “establish a relationship” with another woman. 

According to the M.E., Meave suffered two gunshot wounds to the skull, which has been determined as her probable cause of death.

A complete M.E. report will be released at a later date.