AUTHORITIES looking for husband of slain woman

PRYOR, Okla. (AP) _ Mayes County authorities want to question a Locust Grove man whose hunting buddy was arrested last week in the death of his wife. <br><br>Willis Ray Thompson has not been seen since

Saturday, July 7th 2001, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

PRYOR, Okla. (AP) _ Mayes County authorities want to question a Locust Grove man whose hunting buddy was arrested last week in the death of his wife.

Willis Ray Thompson has not been seen since June 29.

``Right now, he (Thompson) is not a suspect,'' Sheriff Frank Cantey said. ``We just want to talk to him.''

Thompson told authorities that someone knocked him unconscious as he returned home from a hunting trip about 2 a.m. March 4. When he awoke, he found his wife, Cheryl Thompson, in a pool of blood on their bed and his pickup truck missing. Coroners ruled that Mrs. Thompson died from two gunshot wounds to the head.

After the slaying, authorities found the burned shell of Thompson's truck in the Big Hollow area of Fort Gibson Lake.

Last week, law officers arrested Darrell Wayne Barnes, 45, in connection with Mrs. Thompson's death. The Peggs resident is being held in the Mayes County jail without bail on first-degree murder charges.

According to a court affidavit, two witnesses alleged that Thompson offered Barnes $10,000 to ``kill his wife.''

The affidavit also says that Barnes was heard saying ``that someone owed him $10,000, which he needed to collect.''

Before his arrest, Barnes was seen paying cash for clothes, trailers and lots of other things, the affidavit stated.

Barnes has previous assault, drug and weapons charges in Arkansas.