A Republican candidate for the Oklahoma state Senate has been found dead days after he disappeared in the state's far west, authorities say. The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation says 54-year-old Barry Christian was discovered Thursday morning in his truck at the entrance to the Sandy Sanders Wildlife Management Area, not far from the Texas line, the Oklahoman reports. Authorities had been looking for Christian after he failed to show up for a scheduled meeting on Tuesday.
Agents found the vehicle around 9:45am and located a body inside, which was later confirmed to be Christian, according to the OSBI. His remains have been sent to the state medical examiner to determine the cause and manner of death. Christian, of Sayre, worked as a drilling consultant and spent decades in Oklahoma's oil and gas sector. He had recently entered the race for the GOP nomination in a state Senate district stretching across far western and southwestern Oklahoma. He was one of three Republicans who filed to run in District 38 last month.
"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," his daughter, Brooklyn, said in a statement to KOCO. "We are extremely grateful to everyone who assisted in the search efforts, and all of the media outlets that shared his information. I know there will be lots of people devastated by his passing."
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