POCOLA, Okla. — According to the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI), a suspect in a Pocola murder investigation from 2023 has been arrested.
In 2023, OSBI and the U.S. Marshal Service (USMS) began searching for Tyriq Eastling in connection to the alleged murder of a man in Pocola on Feb. 21, 2023.
OSBI stated that on the afternoon of Feb. 21, they responded to a reported shooting call near Butler and Clark avenues, where they discovered Barry Richardson, who they pronounced dead on the scene with apparent gunshot wounds.
According to police, two suspects, Tavin Chambers, and Rashawd Chambers, were apprehended and charged with murder in connection to the alleged Pocola killing in February 2023. Police were still searching for the third suspect.
A warrant for murder was later issued, and the USMS offered a $5,000 reward for information leading to the location or arrest of Eastling.
Eastling, 23, was arrested in Michigan City, Indiana on July 24, 2024, and is being held without bond.
A memorial for the murder of Barry Richardson sat at the corner of Clark and Butler for over a year, all while the manhunt for Eastling continued.
Heidi Richardson met with 5NEWS at the Woodlawn Memorial Park where Barry’s grave is located, just across the state line from where he died.
"He was just a guy trying to find himself, find what he was meant to do, and what he was going to accomplish in life," Heidi said.
Heidi said Barry was at his uncle's and waiting outside for his grandma to pick him up for work. According to the affidavit, Barry got into an argument when his cousin Tavin drove up with the rifle across his lap.
Investigators said Tavin went home and then returned with his father Rashawd and Eastling. Heidi said that's when Barry was shot from behind as "he had turned around to go back inside."
As she gazed upon her son's grave, Heidi now knows that her son's suspected killer is in custody after marshals arrested Eastling in Indiana.
"It's been a long, a long journey, and I kind of didn't think it was going to happen," she said. "And so I was very thankful for the marshals and detectives for being diligent and still dedicated to getting him detained."
However, Hunter McKee with the OSBI said the investigation is far from over.
"Even though this suspect was arrested and found it's still going to be a process for us looking into everything else," McKee said. "We're extremely happy as of right now that we were able to find justice in order to find this suspect and find that justice for the victim's family and other people who knew him during this entire process."
Heidi said she's ready for their day in court and will continue to remember Barry.
"His passion was music, and he was actually in a good spot to go advance in that. And so I still have his music and stuff to listen to," she said.
"I'm, of course, heartbroken still, you know, but God's plan is perfect and and everything will happen as it should, I guess," Heidi said.
Eastling's next court date is scheduled for noon on Aug. 8.
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