Bud Barnum

**Bud Barnum** is a recurring character in the T.V. series, *Joe Pickett* as well as the primary antagonist for Season 2. He is the former Sheriff of Twelve Sleep County, Wyoming.

## Biography

He is the Sheriff in town and investigates crimes that occur in Twelve Sleep. He works alongside Deputy McLanahan.

He's known by some to be a lazy sheriff, according to Vern Dunnegan. Joe distrusts him, thinking he won't do what it takes to really solve the Ote Keeley murder case.

Vern Dunnegan told Barnum he needed to drop out of the sheriff’s race so they can get some new blood in Saddlestring, in other words, put Wacey in charge. After Barnum makes it clear he doesn’t want to cooperate, Vern threatens to release one of his secrets. Vern reveals he knows about Barnum’s daughter over on Wind River Reservation. Barnum insists he isn’t ashamed of his daughter because it is a new world and people understand those things now. Vern elaborates by saying he did the math on how old the mother was when she had his child and it was bad math. Barnum isn’t sure what he would do if he stopped being Sheriff, but Vern doesn’t care.

Later on, Sheriff Barnum sat alone drinking in his police car when Deputy McLanahan walked up. Barnum admits they’re not paid enough to go after criminals like Nate. He invites McLanahan to have a few drinks with him - but McLanahan realizes something is wrong.

In the following season, he was revealed to be a part of the Bull Grove Hunting Party, which consisted of Frank Urman, Randy Pope, Dan Garrett, Wally Conway, Warren Tucker, and Hank Scarlett. He participated with them in hunting, drinking, and hiring Native girls to cook for them, only to roofie them and rape them. When one of the victims, Marissa Left Hand, came forward to make a statement, she soon realized Bud, one of the predators, was the sheriff. To cover up the mess, Bud shot Marissa outside of town, leaving her for dead, and grabbed whatever evidence she had, unaware Marissa had texted Shenandoah the image of the victims statements.

After 3 members of his hunting group were slain, he began facing issues in Twelve Sleep when the Stop the Slaughter! Movement, led by Klamath Moore, appeared at his doorstep. The movement went at a standstill when Barnum killed Klamath in the woods after it was revealed that Klamath knew of Barnum's misdeeds.

Barnum later attempted to kill Shenandoah under the guise of a prisoner transport, but Joe and Marybeth had finally realized that he was behind Marissa's disappearance after accessing a voicemail that Marissa had left to Shenandoah as she was shot. Marybeth confronted Barnum at gunpoint in order to rescue his intended victim. Bud managed to wrestle the gun from her and destroy the phone with the recorded voicemail and before he could finish Marybeth off, Shannon jumped on Bud and attempted to strangle him with her handcuffs but was wounded in the shoulder. As Barnum was regaining his posture to kill them both, Marybeth shot him in the gut. As the sheriffs department secured the area, Barnum was wheeled off to the hospital fighting for his life while Marybeth and Shenandoah were hunted for trying to kill him.

It is unclear if he survived. Should he pull through, he would no longer be the sheriff due to Marissa Left Hand being alive and reunited with her father, knowing her damning testimony would put him and possibly Hank Scarlett away for a long time. After Joe returned with Marissa, her testimony exonerated Marybeth for Barnum's shooting with McLanahan telling Marybeth that she has a clear cut case of self-defense. McLanahan subsequently identified himself to a reporter as *Sheriff* McLanahan rather than Deputy McLanahan.

## Appearances

* Joey, Get Your Gun
* A Conspiracy of Ravens
* Live and Look Like a Million
* The Most Hated Man in Twelve Sleep
* The Killing Fields
* Endangered
* Open Season
* Stop the Slaughter!
* Heads Will Roll
* Ducks and Falcons
* Fair Chase
* A Call For Help
* If This is Goodbye