Woman turns heartbreak into hope after husband was shot, killed

By Meghan Mosley

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    PONCA CITY, Oklahoma (KOCO) — The wife of a man shot and killed in Ponca City hopes to turn her heartbreak into hope.

KOCO 5 sat down with the victim’s widow and discussed how she hopes his death will change and save lives.

“Completely in shock. Complete devastation. My best friend is gone forever,” said Chelsea Barton, the wife of Andrew Barton.

Chelsea is mourning the loss of her husband of 13 years. Andrew was shot to death last Thursday in Ponca City.

“I don’t know exactly why this happened. I don’t know if we’ll ever know why this happened. I know if the drugs weren’t so bad in this area, it wouldn’t have happened,” Chelsea said.

While we don’t know why the murder happened, his wife hoped to spread a broader message for anyone struggling with addiction.

“It was all just too much, and he just gave in to it, you know, and he didn’t know how to fight it. He wanted out of that life so bad,” Chelsea said.

She said her husband was an addict and hopes his death can touch the life of someone who may be struggling.

“Reach out to people. Reach out to anybody you know has been through it, and they can help you along the way. They might not be able to physically do it for you, but they can tell you how they did it,” Chelsea said.

Chelsea is also in recovery, and she said she knows just how hard it can be to turn your life around.

“Just love them. I mean, you have to keep yourself safe. I know, because I had to keep myself safe from it, but just let them know they are loved. From that distance, you can be safe,” Chelsea said.

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