“I pray another parent doesn’t have to go through this. I want this to stop with me.â€
Floyd Moore made this statement Friday after burying his 4-year-old son Christopher Barnard, who allegedly died as a result of child abuse earlier in the week.
Moore knows the man accused of killing his son.
Steve Wayne Lockler Jr. was arrested Monday and jailed on first-degree murder charges stemming from statements to police in which he allegedly admitted to hitting and spanking the boy prior to his death at Claremore Regional Hospital.
Lockler and Moore attended school together.
“I was told after the punches to the stomach, my son said his stomach was hurting. Then he (Lockler) spanked him and about 45 minutes later, from what I was told, (Christopher) quit breathing,†Moore said. “So soiling your pants deserves your life to be taken now? (Lockler) helped us accuse him of murder. I can’t imagine what was going on in my son’s mind when this happened.â€
Moore said, at one time, he spoke to Lockler telling him to “get healthy so we can take Christopher fishing or something.†Lockler is reportedly diabetic and had been having some health complications.
Moore said he is not angry with the Department of Human Services or the police, but would like the system to be changed to provide more protection for abused children.
On Friday, Moore and other members of the child’s family were escorted to the cemetery by members of Bikers Against Child Abuse and later traveled to the DHS office on Brady Street.
“We stopped to pray at the flagpole at DHS that God would provide them with the funding and the help the need to protect children,†Moore said.
At DHS, Moore said, “We asked God to intervene so the kids would be helped. But we were asked to leave by the Claremore Police. That shows me they don’t want the help.
“I will stay here, in my hometown, and raise awareness of child abuse. Then I will move on and raise awareness in other towns. Something needs to be done. My motto is ‘get them out alive before death walks by their side’.†Moore said.
The last time Moore said he spent significant time with his son was 10 days prior to his death. Moore had been incarcerated for various crimes between 2000 to 2007, including domestic assault and battery and probation violations. He said that in the time he did spend with Christopher, he did not see any unexplained bruising.
“I don’t blame DHS, but they could have stopped it,†he said. “They need more funding to help these children. Today has told me there’s a problem, and we need to get these kids’ voices heard. Through my son’s death, I’ve dedicated my life to raising child-abuse awareness.
“I had him all week and I dropped him off at his mom’s at 6:45 on Friday night,†Moore said. “One week and three days later, he died.â€
“I don’t understand it, but in God’s time — not my time — I will understand it.
“I miss him and love him dearly.â€
“People on this earth couldn’t save him, so God swooped in and saved his life. God needed his help to get these children’s voices heard. People are closing their eyes and ears to it, and it needs to be changed,†Moore said.
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