Republican Oklahoma state Senate candidate Barry Christian was found dead Thursday, the State Bureau of Investigation confirmed in a social media news release. He was last seen Tuesday in Sayre, Oklahoma.
The cause and manner of death have yet to be determined.
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The Sayre Police Department received an initial missing persons report Wednesday and contacted the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation the following day to request assistance.
Beckham County deputies discovered Christian’s vehicle around 9:45 a.m. Thursday in the Sandy Sanders Wildlife Management Area south of Erick, Oklahoma. Video from ABC affiliate KOCO News 5 shows the 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 wrote Thursday in the news release. “It was determined that Christian was an Oklahoma State Senate candidate.”
Christian, 54, was among three candidates running in the Republican primary for District 38. He was reported missing Wednesday after failing to appear at a scheduled meeting, authorities told local outlet News 9.
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Joe Buchanan, one of his opponents in the race, wrote Thursday 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.”
The State Bureau of Investigation noted in its statement that an investigation is ongoing.
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“Please pray for our family and friends,” said Christian’s daughter Brooklyn, per News 9. “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 went on to thank first responders and said that “there will be lots of people devastated” by his death. Christian’s youngest daughter reportedly added that her father wanted “nothing more than to provide and to protect his family” and “lived only for his kids.”
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She continued, “He loved his kids with everything in him.”
The bureau asked Thursday for anyone with additional information to contact the tip line at 1-800-522-8017 or email tips@osbi.ok.gov.
