Mitchell Oakes Wanted for Placing Bomb Outside Tennessee Nursing Home

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation placed Mitchell Oakes on its Top 10 Most Wanted List for allegedly planting a bomb in a vehicle outside a Franklin, Tenn. nursing home on Saturday.

Franklin Police responded to a call at 7:15 a.m. on Sept. 10, 2016 at the NHC Place, Cool Springs assisted living facility after an employee reported a suspicious device in her car. Officers immediately relocated about 60 of the 220 patients at the facility to areas of the building away from the device. Franklin Fire Department, Williamson County’s EMS, Emergency Management, and Sheriff’s Office all responded to assist. Bomb Specialists from the Tennessee Highway Patrol, ATF, and FBI responded and detonated the explosive device, which left a large crater. The bomb components have been sent to the Atlanta lab of the ATF to be analyzed.

“The device was sophisticated and would have caused extreme injury or death if it had detonated as intended,” said the Franklin Police Department.

That same day, police identified Oakes as a suspect, calling him a “strong person of interest” in the case. They said a connection existed between Oakes and the woman whose car he placed the bomb, but did not disclose why he may have done so.

Oakes is now wanted by Franklin Police for Attempted First Degree Murder. The ATF has obtained Federal warrants for Oakes, for Unlawful Possession of an Explosive Device, and Being a Convicted Felon in Possession of a Weapon. On Sunday, the TBI added Oaks to its Top 10 Most Wanted List.

Authorities advise anyone who sees Mitchell Oakes to call 911. Franklin Police and the ATF are offering a reward of up to $7,500 for information leading police to his whereabouts.

Mitchell Hunter Oakes

41-year-old Mitchell Hunter Oakes is 6’3″ tall, weighs 240 pounds and has brown hair and brown eyes. He may be driving a white sedan. Oaks has ties to Franklin, Crossville, Pikeville and Cookeville areas of Tennessee.

Police say Oakes is a convicted felon with a violent history and extensive knowledge of bomb making and weapons. He is considered armed and dangerous and is currently wanted on unrelated felony charges out of Virginia.

According to the Crossville Chronicle, Oaks was sentenced to four years in prison in 2007 after striking a plea deal to testify against a co-defendant while on trial for the execution murder of Donnie Elbert Stone.

All persons are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.