Account
Jan 03, 2018
May 29, 2024
David
Crabtree
37
13
65 inches
125 lbs
American Indian / Alaska Native
Male
In the quiet town of Locust Grove, Oklahoma, the evening of April 9, 2000, marked the beginning of a long and painful mystery for the family of David Allen Crabtree. At just 13 years old, David, a young male of Cherokee descent, vanished from his home, leaving behind a family desperate for answers. That night, David told his siblings he was going to bed and said "I love you" before disappearing from his bedroom. It is believed he crawled out of his bedroom window between 7:00 and 8:00 p.m. to meet three other boys who were waiting for him outside. His sister recalled seeing the boys and that they had asked her to join them, but she declined. David told her he would "see her tomorrow" before he left, but he was never seen or heard from again. He was last seen wearing a grey shirt and black pants. In the weeks leading up to his disappearance, David, who was described by his family as a fun-loving boy who enjoyed sports, had begun to rebel. Just days before he went missing, on April 5, he had run away from home and was found by police in a nearby town, intoxicated. In an effort to help him, his parents took him to a juvenile center, but he was sent home shortly after for drinking again. Despite this recent history of running away, his previous disappearances had been brief, and he would always return home or be found with friends within a few days. His mother noted that he was never argumentative and would always come home when she found him. Initially, law enforcement classified David as a runaway, which his family feels delayed a critical investigation into his disappearance. It wasn't until 2017 that his case was officially reclassified from a runaway to a missing person. Over the years, the search for David has continued, led by the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Bureau of Indian Affairs. There have been unconfirmed sightings of him in the Oklahoma towns of Pryor, Tahlequah, and Kenwood after he vanished. David is described as a Native American male with dark brown hair and brown eyes. He had a scar on his eyebrow, believed to be the right one, and another scar on the top of his head in the center. At the time of his disappearance, he was 5'5" tall and weighed 125 pounds, and may have had a mustache. The circumstances surrounding David's disappearance remain unclear, and investigators have not publicly stated whether they believe he is alive or deceased. His family continues to hold out hope for answers, pleading for anyone with even the smallest piece of information to come forward. The case of David Crabtree is a somber reminder of the enduring pain and uncertainty that families of the missing face, and the critical importance of treating every missing child case with urgency and care from the very beginning.
Apr 09, 2000
Locust Grove
Oklahoma
Mayes County
74352
No
883
Locust Grove Police Department
Locust Grove
Oklahoma
Mayes County
74352
Bryan Hurry
Chief of police
109 East Ross Street, Oklahoma
9184795253
Local
Law Enforcement
2018-0008
2000-04-13
Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation - Northeast Investigative Regional Office
na
Brown
Brown
Brown
06/16/2026
