Oklahoma investigators have closed the book on the death of State Senate candidate Barry Christian, announcing Thursday that there is no evidence of foul play. Christian’s truck was discovered April 30 in the Sandy Sanders Wildlife Management Area south of Erick, with his body inside, after Sayre Police asked the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation to help locate him. The OSBI handled the case as a homicide during the investigation, a standard step to either find or rule out foul play.
District Attorney Angela Marsee said the evidence establishes that Christian died of a single gunshot wound, and that the physical evidence and condition of the scene are inconsistent with another person being responsible. The finding follows an initial medical examiner ruling of suicide that Christian’s family disputed, which kept public attention on the case well after the first announcement.
Marsee also said the investigation will be reopened if credible, legally admissible new evidence emerges showing someone else caused Christian’s death. That leaves the official conclusion firm but not ironclad, and families in similar situations often say that’s exactly the standard they want. For residents of Erick and Beckham County, the answer brings closure for some and lingering questions for others.
What do you think: should a case like this stay closed, or should investigators keep the door open indefinitely? Let us know in the comments.
