Police Believe Missing Duncan Man Could Be A Victim Of Foul Play

Police have learned Maxwell Barnes was last seen with his girlfriend, Barbara Wood, who is being held in the Stephens County Jail. Wood was arrested in July and Barnes was nowhere to be found. But police did find a bloody checkbook in Wood's car. And investigators have just learned that blood is not her blood.

Duncan police first made contact with Barbara Wood in July at Stripes convince store.

The store clerk believed Wood was intoxicated.

When police arrived, Wood gave them a fake name and cleared the system. But when police returned, Wood took off, sending them on a high speed chase for nearly 30 miles with speeds up to 100 miles per hour.

Her car eventually stalled and she was arrested. And that's when everything unfolded.

Police found Wood was wanted in connection with a 2012 murder in Alabama and she fled the state with her boyfriend, 74-year-old Maxwell Barnes, who has relatives in Duncan.

Family told detectives Barnes and Wood were last seen together, which wasn't the case when Wood was arrested.

"We were hoping he was even hitchhiking from Alabama to Oklahoma and hopefully he would show up but with the time frame and other evidence, we do believe foul play was involved," said detective John Byers.

That evidence included a bloody checkbook found in Wood's car at the time of arrest. Police tested the blood and found it was not Wood's. So police said they now believe Barnes may not be found alive.

Police will collect DNA from Barnes' two sons in Alabama in hopes to connect the blood on that checkbook with a man who hasn't been seen or heard from since July.

Detectives also said there are three persons of interest in Barnes' disappearance, including Wood, who will be held in Stephens County to face two felony charges unrelated to Barnes' disappearance.