The family of Mark Stover, who was killed in 2009, worries the man convicted of murdering him could be released from prison early because of the threat of coronavirus.
“The fact that he could possibly get out after ten years just seems unconscionable,” said Stover's niece, Julia Simmons.
Stover was a dog trainer whose high-profile clients included former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz and Mariners slugger Ichiro Suzuki. A jury in 2010 found Michiel Oakes guilty of murdering Stover.
A judge sentenced Oakes to 26.5 years in prison. He is serving time at Washington State Penitentiary in Walla Walla.
Columbia Legal Services, a nonprofit organization, is suing the State of Washington on behalf of prisoners, seeking the early release of thousands of inmates at risk of getting seriously ill from coronavirus.
The organization argues the state should release inmates with health problems, as well as those over the age of 50.
Oakes is now in his 50s and Stover's family fears the lawsuit could set him free.
Simmons, who lives in Georgia, said her family's old wounds re-opened this week when the Skagit County Prosecuting Attorney's Office called and asked them to write a statement explaining why Oakes should not be released early.
“He doesn't appear to have much of a conscience and it certainly doesn't appear he's had any crisis of conscience in the ten years he's been there,” Simmons said Thursday.
The Skagit County Prosecuting Attorney's Office said it contacted several victims' families to ask for statements in response to Columbia Legal Services' prisoner release lawsuit.
While the state of Washington has already announced the release of 950 inmates to prevent a coronavirus outbreak, it does not have immediate plans to release prisoners like Oakes.
The agency says those released will be those over 60 who are convicted of non-violent or drug crimes and nearing the end of their sentences.
However, Columbia Legal Services wants thousands more released, calling the state's plans "woefully inadequate," and arguing that sending inmates home is the only way to protect them.
Statewide 12 inmates have tested positive for the novel coronavirus. Of those, 11 of them are at Monroe Correctional Complex, where 100 inmates organized a disturbance over the state's coronavirus response.
For Stover's family, just the thought of giving a convicted murderer a break is impossible.
“I really believe people like Michiel Oakes are a danger to the community and should absolutely not be released for any reason,” Simmons said.