Cold Case Files: Facts on missing teen wasn't entered into NAMUS system for 18 years after his disappearance
- Dennis McCaslin
- Nov 15
- 1 min read
On April 8, 2000, 13-year-old David Allen Crabtree, a Cherokee Nation member from Locust Grove climbed out his bedroom window after hugging his siblings goodnight. He was last seen wearing a gray shirt and black pants.
David had been acting out BY skipping school, drinking with older teens, and running away briefly days earlier. His mother, Brenda Miller, had him placed in a juvenile facility in Claremore on April 6, but he was discharged after being caught drinking again. He returned home on April 7 and seemed calmer until that night.
When Brenda discovered him missing the next morning, she called Locust Grove police. Due to his recent runaway behavior, authorities treated it as a juvenile issue and did not enter him into national databases.
For 25 years, David has never been seen again.
Despite searches, unconfirmed sightings in Pryor and Tahlequah, and family efforts, no trace was found. The case wasn’t entered into NamUs until 2018, after his brother James discovered the oversight.
The OSBI now classifies it as a suspicious disappearance. Investigators believe David, influenced by older companions, may have met with foul play. No body, no crime scene, no suspects.
Brenda keeps David’s room untouched—trophies, photos, and an age-progressed image of what he’d look like at 38.
If you have information that might help thaw this cold case contact the at OSBI: 1-800-522-8017 /tips@osbi.ok.gov or Locust Grove Police at 918-479-8121.
