On May 25, 2018, Kristyn Richerson had her bags packed. She was ready for Rocklahoma — a music festival in Pryor, Oklahoma — where she planned to finally see her favorite band, Halestorm, perform live. She had told her friends she was going to stop by and pick up her sleeping bag and tent before heading out. She never arrived.
Kristyn was 51 years old, a Native American woman living in Muskogee, Oklahoma. Her friends called her “Krash” — a nickname she’d earned for her love of drumming. By all accounts, she was the kind of person who would give you the shirt off her back. She kept close ties with the people she loved, and her disappearance was immediately out of character.
When her sister finally reported her missing on July 6 — nearly six weeks after she was last seen — what investigators found raised far more questions than it answered.
The Last Known Day
Kristyn was last seen at her home on the 1300 block of Houston Street in Muskogee. According to one of her roommates, Carl Bryce, she had gone with him to Rocklahoma as planned, and then left with an unknown woman. But cell tower data told a different story: Kristyn’s phone never left Muskogee. She almost certainly never made it to Pryor.
Meanwhile, her friends were already sounding the alarm. When Kristyn didn’t show up at Rocklahoma, her close friend Melissa Fair knew something was wrong. “She wanted to go see Lzzy Hale, that’s her girl. I knew she wouldn’t miss it. When she didn’t show up, I knew something was wrong.”
Suspicious Behavior, and a Stunning Tip
When police began investigating, what they found at Kristyn’s home was alarming. Officers noticed a pile of freshly disturbed dirt in the northwest corner of the backyard and detected an odor associated with decomposition. They dug up the spot — and found only animal bones.
But the behavior of her roommates told its own story. Carl Bryce had allegedly used Kristyn’s Oklahoma Access Card to make purchases after her disappearance. Both Bryce and her other roommate, Cody Ray Campbell, had been selling and giving away her belongings in the weeks before she was even reported missing.
On July 21, 2018, police returned to the Houston Street residence. A standoff ensued with Bryce before he was taken into custody. Both men were held as material witnesses in a presumed murder. Then came a tip that changed everything: an anonymous source told investigators that Campbell had confessed to Bryce that he had stabbed Kristyn to death.
The same day as the search, first-degree murder charges were filed — against a “John Doe” suspect. No arrest was made. No name was publicly attached to those charges.
A Case That Has Stalled
In the years since, investigators have continued to search. A property was searched in November 2019. Crews searched the Fort Gibson Dam area. Every few years, the Muskogee Police Department has issued renewed appeals for information.
Cody Ray Campbell was sentenced to five years in prison on a stolen vehicle charge connected to the case. Charges against Carl Bryce on a related stolen vehicle charge remained pending. The murder charge against “John Doe” has never been resolved. No one has been held accountable for what investigators and Kristyn’s family believe was her death.
By 2023, Muskogee investigator Stephen Brown was still speaking publicly about the case. “We believe that she is unfortunately probably deceased, and we believe that there are people that have information out there and we just need people to come forward.”
Kristyn’s sister Robin Brown has never stopped looking for answers. “I just want some answers. I would just like to see somebody prosecuted.”
Her friends and family organized under the name Krash’s Army — a testament to the woman they knew, and to their refusal to let her be forgotten.
Why This Case Matters
Kristyn Richerson is a Native American woman whose disappearance, presumed death, and suspected murder have gone unresolved for over seven years. Her case reflects a broader, devastating pattern: Indigenous women and girls experience disproportionately high rates of violence in the United States, and those cases are too often underprosecuted, under-investigated, and undercovered by mainstream media.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs maintains Kristyn’s case in its Missing and Murdered database. The crisis her case represents is one that communities, advocates, and families across Indian Country have been fighting to bring into the national conversation for decades.
Until someone comes forward, Krash’s Army is still waiting.
If You Have Information
If you have any information about the disappearance or death of Kristyn Richerson, please contact:
Muskogee Police Department: 918-683-8000
You can remain anonymous.
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Resources:
Official Case Databases
Bureau of Indian Affairs, Missing and Murdered Unit. (n.d.). Kristyn Richerson [Missing and murdered case file]. U.S. Department of the Interior. Kristyn Richerson | Indian Affairs
Cold Case Databases
The Charley Project. (2020, May 26). Kristyn Sue Richerson. Kristyn Sue Richerson – The Charley Project
News Coverage
Muskogee Phoenix. (2018, July 21). Multiple agencies investigate missing woman case. Multiple agencies investigate missing woman case | News | muskogeephoenix.com
Muskogee Phoenix. (2018, July 24). Charges filed in ongoing search for missing woman. Charges filed in ongoing search for missing woman | News | muskogeephoenix.com
Muskogee Phoenix. (2020, May 24). Search continues for woman missing two years. Search continues for woman missing two years | News | muskogeephoenix.com
Muskogee Now. (2018, July 23). Muskogee men jailed as witnesses in murder charge, released, but stolen truck found. https://muskogeenow.com/muskogee-men-jailed-as-witnesses-in-murder-charge-released-but-stolen-truck-found
News on 6. (2018, August 23). Family and friends of missing Muskogee woman looking for answers. Family And Friends Of Missing Muskogee Woman Looking For Answers – NewsOn6.com
KJRH (2 News Oklahoma). (2018, August 30). Search continues for missing Muskogee woman. Search continues for missing Muskogee woman
KJRH (2 News Oklahoma). (2018, September 16). Crews search Ft. Gibson Dam for missing woman. Loved ones search for missing Muskogee woman
KJRH (2 News Oklahoma). (2023, November 10). Oklahoma’s cold case files: Kristyn Richerson. Oklahoma’s Cold Case Files: Kristyn Richerson
Barker, A. (2025, July 10). What happened to Kristyn Richerson? Medium. What Happened to Kristyn Richerson? | by Amanda Barker | Medium
Broader MMIP Context
Bureau of Indian Affairs. (n.d.). Missing and murdered Indigenous people crisis. U.S. Department of the Interior. Missing and Murdered Indigenous People Crisis | Indian Affairs
Bureau of Indian Affairs. (n.d.). Missing and murdered cases. U.S. Department of the Interior. Missing and Murdered Cases | Indian Affairs
KOSU Public Radio. (2025, February 21). Bureau of Indian Affairs announces new Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples initiative. Bureau of Indian Affairs announces new Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples initiative | KOSU
Tip Line
Muskogee Police Department — 918-683-8000