Trial Begins Monday Against Wife Of Murdered Nichols Hills Fire Chief

The murder trial begins Monday for a woman who is charged with the shooting death of her husband, late Nichols Hills Fire Chief Keith Bryan.

Sunday, May 5th 2013, 1:53 pm

By: News 9

Trial Begins Monday Against Wife Of Murdered Nichols Hills Fire Chief

The murder trial begins Monday for a woman who is charged with the shooting death of her husband, late Nichols Hills Fire Chief Keith Bryan.

The slain chief was found dead September 20, 2011, in the Mustang home he shared with his wife, 54-year-old Rebecca "Becky" Louise Bryan. She was arrested a week after the shooting at an Oklahoma City area hotel, and charged with first-degree murder. She pleaded not guilty.

According to authorities, Becky Bryan made a 911 call to police claiming an intruder had slipped into their Mustang home through an unlocked garage door, walked into the living room, and shot her husband in the head while he sat on the couch.

However, investigators said they found crucial evidence inside the Bryan home that called Becky's story into question.

Agents from the Oklahoma Bureau of Investigation and Mustang police detectives found a Ruger LCP .380 caliber handgun in a clothes dryer at the couple's home. They said they also found a shell casing and a bullet lodged in the center cushion of the couch where Keith Bryan was sitting when he was shot.

OSBI agents said the gun matched bullets found in a box of ammunition hidden between the mattress and box springs in the couple's bedroom. The gun's serial number matched the serial number found on the box in the bedroom.

In a search warrant returned on October 17, 2011, investigators said Becky Bryan called her ex-lover and said she still loves him. She said she would be inheriting a significant amount of money and wanted to buy a house near the ex-lover. Court documents show Becky Bryan said it all in a voicemail three hours before Chief Keith Bryan was shot.

Two weeks after the murder, the OSBI reports investigators retrieved several items from the Bryan home, including two cell phones, passports, and receipts for burial plot information.

The search warrant indicates the ex-lover ended the affair in January 2010. The same month, Becky Bryan filed for divorce. Court records show that Becky never acted on the divorce. The investigators did not indicate whether Keith Bryan knew about the affair.

Criminologists are also discussing possibility of Becky Bryan's murder acquittal, after investigators admitted a mistake may have been made while collecting evidence.

Some fingerprints and photographs of evidence found at the murder scene were never collected. An investigator's testimony revealed the oversight. Some are wondering if possible mishandling of the case could lead to an acquittal.

The murder trial is set to begin Monday morning. News 9 reporter Lisa Monahan will be following this story, and will give live updates throughout the day. Stay with News 9 and News9.com for the latest updates.