Barry Christian, a 54-year-old Republican candidate for the Oklahoma State Senate, was found dead on Thursday, according to the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation. He had been reported missing after last being seen on Tuesday in Sayre, Oklahoma.
Discovery of the Body
The Sayre Police Department filed a missing persons report on Wednesday and sought assistance from the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation the following day. Beckham County deputies located Christian's vehicle around 9:45 a.m. Thursday in the Sandy Sanders Wildlife Management Area, south of Erick, Oklahoma. Video footage from ABC affiliate KOCO News 5 showed a gray 2024 Ram pickup truck crashed in a ditch.
“As OSBI special agents processed the scene, they discovered a body inside the vehicle, who was positively identified as Christian,” the bureau stated in a news release. “It was determined that Christian was an Oklahoma State Senate candidate.”
Ongoing Investigation
The cause and manner of death have not yet been determined. The OSBI confirmed that an investigation is ongoing and urged anyone with information to contact the tip line at 1-800-522-8017 or email tips@osbi.ok.gov.
Christian was one of three candidates in the Republican primary for District 38. He was reported missing after failing to attend a scheduled meeting, authorities told local outlet News 9.
Reactions from Family and Opponent
Joe Buchanan, a fellow candidate in the race, expressed condolences on Facebook: “Carol and I are devastated to hear about Barry Christian’s passing. We are keeping his family and friends in our prayers, and hope our community can come together after this horrible tragedy.”
Christian’s daughter Brooklyn also spoke to News 9, saying, “Please pray for our family and friends. Our world is upside down right now. We are still not sure of everything that happened, so please act with grace and treat my dad’s legacy with dignity.” She thanked first responders and noted that “there will be lots of people devastated” by his death. Christian’s youngest daughter added that her father “wanted nothing more than to provide and to protect his family” and “lived only for his kids.” She continued, “He loved his kids with everything in him.”
