Grady County Sheriff Searches for Missing Guns

CHICKASHA, Oklahoma -- A rifle and a shotgun went missing and now Grady County's new sheriff is both worried and angered.

The guns were stolen out of a deputy's home two weeks ago.

What the sheriff can't understand is why the guns were left in the deputy's home.

"This is a big mistake," Grady County Sheriff Art Kell said. "I'm real concerned about it, it came from this department and it shouldn't have happened."

The new sheriff is upset a rifle and a shotgun were stolen from a home on November 22. The home belongs to Deputy Justin Talbert, whose been overseas fighting in Iraq for the past six months.

"How in the world did he have these guns when he's overseas fighting for our country?" Kell said. "Why did the department not take the guns?"

Talbert said he was never asked for the guns.

"They were offered if they wanted the guns back, but they said if they wanted the guns, they knew where to find them," Talbert said.

Kell puts the blame squarely on former Sheriff Kieran McMullen for not having the deputy return the guns and for not having the guns audited.

The reason the guns were never audited is because, according to the State Auditor's Office, they're only required to audit items valued of $500 or more but, the value for the two guns were right around $300, something Sheriff Kell can't understand.

"Three hundred dollars, to me, is too cheap for a Colt AR-15," Kell said. "I don't know where they got it, but for someone to sell this on the street, $1,000."

Now Kell fears the worst.

"We got someone out here running around with guns from the department and if they give it to the wrong person, you know, it could be used against someone or one of us," Kell said.

Former Sheriff McMullen was voted out of office in October, after he pleaded guilty to one count of willful neglect of duty for allowing illegal gambling to take place at the Chickasha Elk's Lodge.

If you have seen or know where the missing guns might be, you're urged to call police.