Court notebook: New search warrant filed in Rebecca Bryan case

An Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation agent has filed a new search warrant in the case of Rebecca Bryan, a Mustang woman accused in the shooting death of her husband, Keith Bryan.

Rebecca Bryan, 52, is charged with first-degree murder in connection with the death of her husband, the Nichols Hills fire chief, on Sept. 20 inside they Mustang home at at 1320 W Rose Hill Drive.

A judge ordered her to face trial on April 4. Bryan is scheduled to appear for arraignment May 22 in El Reno.

Agent Shawn Wright filed the warrant for a .380 Ruger LCP gun box that once belonged to the couple’s son, Kent Bryan.  Officials also requested a fired casing from the pistol, related paperwork and a receipt for the gun.

During a search of the home in September 2011, investigators found another  Ruger .380-caliber gun box underneath what appeared to be Rebecca Bryan’s side of the bed that was empty but had a receipt inside, detailing Keith Bryan’s purchase of the firearm in 2009. Investigators later found the pistol in the utility room.

Rebecca Bryan’s attorney, Gary James, said Keith Bryan also bought his son, Kent Bryan, a .380 Ruger LCP at the same time he purchased the gun for his wife.

According to the search warrant affidavit, Kent Bryan reported that his gun was stolen on April 20, 2011.  He told officers someone had entered his residence at 1053 W Churchhill Way in Mustang through a back door and stole the pistol.

Fingerprints were found on an exterior window of the house and submitted to OSBI agents. A juvenile suspect was then  identified and interviewed about his involvement in the burglary. The boy told officials he did attempt to burglarize the home but denied making entry, claiming that another juvenile stole the gun.

After Bryan’s preliminary hearing on April 4, James said a juvenile accused in the burglary was charged on Feb. 24 and could have a connection to the shooting of Keith Bryan.

Kent Bryan was interviewed on April 4 and told agents the gun box for his pistol and its paperwork was given to his uncle, who later gave the items to James.

“It has been suggested by James that the pistol that was stolen from the Kent Bryan residence was also used to shoot Keith Bryan,” Wright wrote in the affidavit.

Officials now hope to examine the fire casing and determine if the stolen pistol matches the casing recovered from the couple’s Mustang home after Keith Bryan was shot.

Thank you for joining our conversation on NewsOK Now. We encourage your discussion but ask that you stay within the bounds of our commenting and posting policy.