It looked like an open and shut back in 2016. Mitchell Hunter Oakes was accused of rigging a homemade explosive device in his estranged wife's car. But this week, a jury found Oakes not guilty.
The-then 41-year-old was quickly developed as a suspect after the device was found in his wife's car the morning of September 9 outside NHC at Cool Springs. She worked as a nurse at the facility, which provided assisted living for seniors.
Oakes was arrested without incident. Just a few days later, ATF agents indicated that they'd used Oakes' cell phone to place him at the scene. In court documents obtained today, agents also say they found bomb-making components at Oakes' home, namely smokeless powder. One of the key pieces of evidence: the device used a wine bottle as part of its construction. Agents say they found many of the same brand of wine bottles at Oakes' residence.
During that detention hearing, Oakes lawyers argued that no physical evidence connected him to the scene nor to the device.
A jury found him not guilty on all counts.
