Search for missing Delaware County woman comes up empty

JAY, Okla. — State and local authorities searched a wooded area on Wednesday a stone’s throw away from where a Delaware County woman was last seen 12 years ago.

Misty D. Faulkner of Eucha was last seen around 7:30 p.m. at her grandparent’s house on Jan. 14, 2011. Investigators believe Faulkner had left her job at Tyson’s Foods and went shopping at the Jay Walmart before arriving at her grandparent’s home.

Faulkner had been living with Lloyd and Karen Baty and had just returned from grocery shopping at Walmart around 6 p.m.

The young mother of two, was described by friends and family “as someone who loved her children” and would have never run off.

It was customary for Faulkner to sit in her car talking to friends or family. So when she didn’t immediately come inside the house no one suspected anything was wrong.

After a couple of hours passed, Lloyd Baty went outside and noticed Faulkner’s vehicle still parked at their residence with bags of groceries, her wallet, and her cell phone locked inside.

Today (Wed, 4/5), Teams from the state Medical Examiner’s office, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, the Delaware and Ottawa County Cold Case Unit and the Delaware County Sheriff’s office used ground penetrating radar equipment to survey a 20-square-foot area.

The Cold Case Unit detectives are pursuing both old and new leads in Faulkner’s case. As a result of those leads, three cadaver dogs were brought in, and all three dogs ‘hit’ on the area. That area is located deep within a wooded field near the former Baty homestead.

“The radar showed minor anomalies,” said Sheriff James Beck. “There was nothing to suggest Misty’s body was buried there.”

The cadaver dogs could have picked up a scent related to other human activity, Beck said, referring to the abundance of empty beer cans.

Investigators plan to take a closer look at a pond and surrounding area, he said.

Investigators have interviewed a number of the missing woman’s family members and friends. One former boyfriend along with Faulkner’s estranged husband, Francis Eli Faulkner II, both passed polygraph tests, according to the state’s Attorney General Grand Jury Investigation Unit reports, dated July 1 and July 16, 2014.

Misty’s family members told investigators that her estranged husband left threatening messages on Misty’s voicemail.

Efforts to reach Faulkner by phone and on social media were unsuccessful.

According to grand jury reports, Faulkner, a minister, was accused by Misty’s family of physically abusing her, including slapping her, strangling her, and locking her inside a 5^th Wheel RV trailer.

Francis Faulkner received his ministerial license in March 2010, according to Delaware County records

Misty’s family described the minister who also worked at the Delaware County Sheriff’s office as a jailer from Jan. 6, 2006, to June 13, 2009, as a very jealous man, according to a Dec. 8, 2015 report.

One witness overheard Faulkner telling Misty, “If I can’t have you, no one can,” the report states.

Two text messages, purportedly from Francis to Misty, allegedly said, “She will pay,” and “…will die”. The second text message was sent to Misty one month prior to her disappearing, according to two investigation reports dated Dec. 8 and Dec. 9, 2015.

Faulkner was just 29 years old when she disappeared.