Cold Case Files: Twenty years after remains found in Stephens County no solution has been forthcoming in homicide

On July 2, 2006, skeletal remains were found in a remote field near Bailey Road and Sandhill Road in Bray, Oklahoma, a rural area in Stephens County.

After nearly a decade of uncertainty, DNA testing confirmed on January 20, 2016, that the remains belonged to Rose Marie Bagley, a resident of Lindsay, Oklahoma, who had been reported missing on May 23, 2006.

Bagley was last seen leaving her home in Lindsay, reportedly in the company of a man, with the intent to fill a prescription at a pharmacy in Marlow, approximately 15 miles away.

Witnesses stated she was to be dropped off at a bar in Cox City afterward, but no one at the bar reported seeing her that day. The circumstances surrounding her disappearance raised immediate concerns, as she was known to have mobility issues and relied on prescription medications.

Due to the advanced state of decomposition, the Oklahoma Medical Examiner’s Office could not determine a precise cause of death. However, based on investigative findings, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI) classified Bagley’s death as a homicide.

The isolated location of the remains and the lack of immediate identification complicated early efforts to resolve the case.

Court documents and investigative reports point to Justin Foss, a 28-year-old Marlow resident at the time, as a person of interest. According to a friend’s statement, Foss allegedly confessed to shooting Bagley during an argument and disposing of her body in the rural area where her remains were later found.

While Foss was arrested on unrelated drug charges, no formal charges have been filed against him in connection with Bagley’s death. Authorities continue to consider him a key figure in the investigation, though evidence sufficient for prosecution has not been publicly disclosed.

In 2014, severe drought conditions in Stephens County lowered water levels in a pond near the original discovery site, revealing additional human remains and potential evidence. The OSBI, in collaboration with forensic anthropologists and archaeologists, conducted an extensive excavation of the area.

The operation aimed to recover further skeletal fragments or personal items that could provide clarity on Bagley’s death.

While the dig yielded some material, no publicly released breakthroughs have resolved the case.

The OSBI continues to seek public assistance, emphasizing that even small details could lead to a break in the investigation.

Advances in forensic technology, such as improved DNA analysis and digital reconstruction, may offer future opportunities to reexamine evidence collected from the site.

The case remains active, with the OSBI periodically revisiting evidence and following up on tips. Community members in Stephens County and surrounding areas are urged to come forward with any recollections from May to July 2006, particularly regarding activity near Bailey Road, Sandhill Road, or Cox City.

Anonymous tips are accepted, and the OSBI emphasizes protecting the identity of those providing information. If you have any information about the disappearance or death of Rose Marie Bagley, please contact the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation at cold.case@osbi.ok.gov pr by calling 1-800-522-8017.

Rose Marie Bagley’s case is a stark reminder of the many unresolved homicides in Oklahoma. Her family and investigators continue to seek justice, hoping for answers to bring closure to this nearly two-decade-old mystery.