Mother of missing teen urges lawmakers to override veto on amendment to Ida’s Law

A mother who has waited 25 years for answers about her missing son is pleading with Oklahoma lawmakers to override Governor Kevin Stitt’s veto of a bipartisan amendment to Ida’s Law — legislation aimed at helping solve cases of Missing and Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP).

“What is a mother to do? What do we do? We cry and we pray every day, hoping that somebody is going to hear us,” said Brenda Miller, whose son vanished in 2000.

A 25-Year Search for Justice

Miller’s 13-year-old son, David Crabtree, was last seen on the night of April 9, 2000. He snuck out of the house with friends and never returned.

“David said he’d be back tomorrow — that’s what he told her,” Miller recalled.

The disappearance launched a relentless and often lonely search for Miller, who said for years she had little to no support.

“I had nobody to help me. Not one, not nobody. They didn’t help me. I drove around every day. I stopped his friends and asked if they’d seen him,” she said.

The Promise of Ida’s Law

Hope arrived for Miller in 2021, when Ida’s Law was enacted to address the crisis of MMIP cases in Oklahoma. The law established an office within the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI) to focus exclusively on these cases.

This year, House Bill 1137 sought to amend the law to remove a requirement that OSBI rely solely on federal funding for its MMIP work. Instead, the amendment would allow the agency to seek state funding.

Despite passing the Legislature with bipartisan support, the bill was vetoed by Gov. Stitt.

“If I could say anything, please pass this,” Miller urged. “Don’t not help and devastate many, many families.”

Statewide Push to Override Veto

The United Indian Nations of Oklahoma is among those calling for lawmakers to override the governor’s veto before the Friday deadline.

“When we give resources to OSBI — whether it’s for any person — we’re putting more resources into our communities,” said Margo Gray with the organization.

Gray noted that Oklahoma ranks second in the nation for the number of missing and murdered Indigenous people.

Governor's Position

Governor Stitt originally signed Ida’s Law based on OSBI’s use of federal funds. He vetoed the amendment, citing concerns that it would increase the state’s financial burden.

For Miller, whose son has been missing for a quarter-century, she believes state support could make all the difference.

“I’ve had dreams of him calling out to me, ‘Momma, momma, help me,’” she said.

What's Next

Oklahoma legislators have until Friday to override the governor’s veto.