Missing Oklahoma State Senate Candidate Found Dead

The Republican candidate for Oklahoma Senate District 38, Barry Christian, 54, was reported missing after he failed to attend a meeting. He was later found dead.

Christian was reported missing after he failed to show up for a meeting on April 29. He was last seen on Tuesday, April 28. On the afternoon of April 30, his pickup truck was discovered crashed in a ravine in the Sandy Sanders Wildlife Management Area.

According to the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigations, Christian’s charcoal gray Dodge Ram truck was found on the side of the road near the town of Erick, which is about 20 minutes away from his home in Sayre.

His body was found inside the vehicle. However, the cause of death is yet to be determined. A campaign statement said, “At this time, the circumstances surrounding Mr. Christian's death remain under investigation. Authorities have not yet released additional details pending notification of all family members and further examination.”

According to authorities, initially, the politician’s body was not removed from the inside of the truck due to the crash and where the vehicle was found. Later, it was brought to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner to determine the cause of his death.

In a statement to KOCO, Christian’s daughter, Brooklyn, said, “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 told the outlet, “We are extremely grateful to everyone who assisted in the search efforts. I know there will be lots of people devastated by his passing.” She added that her father “wanted nothing more than to provide and protect his family. He lived only for his kids. He loved his kid with everything in him.”

Christian’s last public event attendance was the Mangum Rattlesnake Derby for his campaign for the state Senate. The Republican was close to Kid Rock, who also endorsed his campaign and was featured in some of the campaign videos.

According to his LinkedIn profile, Christian worked as a drilling consultant in Oklahoma’s oil and gas industry before entering the world of politics.