Pastor Surprised Fire Chief's Wife Accused Of His Murder

Jennifer Pierce, News 9

MUSTANG, Oklahoma – The pastor who will lead murdered Nichols Hills Fire Chief Keith Bryan's memorial service Saturday morning said he counseled the Bryans through a rocky period of their marriage.

The Bryans filed for divorce about a year and a half ago. The couple turned to their pastor, Jim McNabb, for guidance. They never went through with the divorce, so everyone thought—including their pastor—they were working through their problems.

"Keith's words to me about six weeks ago: ‘We're doing better than we've ever done, Pastor,'" McNabb said.

He said like all married couples Keith and Becky Bryan had their problems.

"It was some issues they were having that they had hit a bump in the road, but that has happened to hundreds of couples in this church," he said.

One day before he was slated to say his final goodbyes to Chief Bryan, a longtime church member, McNabb wondered how to accept the reality of the chief's wife being accused of murdering her husband.

He said the Becky Bryan booked into the Canadian County jail was not the woman he has known for 30 years.

"I know she wouldn't be capable of hurting anybody. I've known her for 30 years, and I know their relationship," McNabb said.

He said his thoughts turned toward the Bryan's two sons who have not only lost a father and beloved member of the community, but a mother as well.

McNabb said he was surrounded by memories of Chief Bryan and wants the people who fill the pews at Bryan's memorial service to celebrate his life.

"We don't want to remember the tragedy, we want to remember the life that he lived, that he gave us and the influence he had on so many of our lives."

McNabb said he expected approximately 1,500 people to attend the memorial service.

He also said that despite Friday's arrest of Bryan's wife, he supports Becky and her sons.