Cold Case feature on TIFS in May seemingly solved with the arrest of two men last week

Authorities have announced a major development in a 2012 missing persons case with the arrest of two individuals accused in the death of Barbara Durant.

Durant was first reported missing in September 2012 to Deputy Tommy Lyons of the Pittsburg County Sheriff's Office. An extensive investigation was launched by Deputies Lyons, Wesley Robertson, and Randy Hass, working alongside agents from the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation’s Southeast Regional Office.

The case remained unsolved for over a decade despite numerous interviews and search warrants.

A breakthrough came in February, when two hunters checking their traps along a creek near Hartshorne in Latimer County discovered a blue tarp in shallow water. Underneath the tarp was a human skull. The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation and the Oklahoma Medical Examiner’s Office were called to the scene. The remains were later identified as those of Durant.

Following the discovery, Pittsburg County Investigator Michael Glasco, Cold Case Investigator George Scott, and OSBI Agent Christian Goode reexamined the case.

After conducting additional interviews, Pittsburg County District Attorney Chuck Sullivan filed charges of first-degree murder against two suspects: Mary Brochu and B.J. Thomason.

Brochu was arrested in Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana, on October 30, 2024, and extradited to Pittsburg County. At the time, Thomason was serving a sentence with the Oklahoma Department of Corrections on unrelated charges.

He has since completed that sentence and is now being held at the Pittsburg County Criminal Justice Center, awaiting trial.

Law enforcement officials praised the perseverance and collaborative efforts of investigators and agents who remained dedicated to the case for more than a decade.

“We remain committed to following every lead to bring justice to victims and closure to their families,” the Sheriff’s Office stated.