Sayre, OK — Nearly two months after Oklahoma Senate candidate Barry Christian was found dead in a remote area near Erick, the investigation remains in the hands of the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation with no public determination released regarding the cause or manner of death.
During a recent appearance on 96.5 KECO, Beckham County Sheriff Derek Manning said he has not received any new information regarding the case and is awaiting the outcome of the OSBI investigation.
"I hadn't heard any more about that, about a cause of death or anything like that," Manning said.
Christian, a Republican candidate for Oklahoma Senate District 38, was reported missing in late April after failing to appear for a scheduled campaign-related meeting. A search involving local authorities ultimately led investigators to a remote section of the Sandy Sanders Wildlife Management Area south of Sayre, where Christian's vehicle and body were discovered.
According to previous statements from Manning, Beckham County deputies assisted the Sayre Police Department after the missing persons report was filed. Investigators focused on the Highway 30 corridor and the rugged wildlife management area commonly known as "the breaks." A deputy eventually located Christian's vehicle after receiving information from a hunter in the area.
Once the scene was secured, the investigation was turned over to the OSBI.
"Our job was to secure the area and support OSBI," Manning said in an earlier interview. "From there, we follow their direction."
Manning explained this week that when the OSBI assumes control of a case, local agencies often receive limited information while investigators continue their work.
"They don't give us a whole lot of insight into what's going on in that case unless we're assisting them some way with the investigation," he said.
The sheriff noted that local agencies frequently learn investigative conclusions at roughly the same time the public does through OSBI news releases.
Investigators have not publicly announced a cause of death, nor have they released details explaining why Christian was in the wildlife area prior to his death. OSBI officials previously stated that the circumstances surrounding the death remained under investigation and that the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner would determine the cause and manner of death.
Manning said investigations of this nature can vary greatly in length.
"Sometimes they move quickly. Sometimes they move slow," Manning said, noting that cases can be delayed while investigators work through evidence and unanswered questions.
As of this week, no additional information has been released by the OSBI, and the investigation remains ongoing.
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