About The Author R. Scott Crabtree

Scott and his family moved to Omaha in the mid-60s in an attempt by his mom to ensure them a better life. Scott graduated from high school in 1975 and, instead of following the same path to college that many of his friends had elected, Scott decided he wanted more time to mature and decide what he wanted to do with his life, while also earning the G.I. Bill, which would also help pay for college. Scott chose to enlist in the United States Marine Corps (Marines) for three years.

With the Marines behind him, Scott went to college with the idea of obtaining an accounting degree, as he had determined during his time in the Marines, he would most likely always be able to find stable, well-paying employment in the field. However, while in college, he discovered a passion for economics and computer programming, which he included in his studies and business administration. During his Senior spring, Scott met with a recruiter from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and decided then and there that it was the most desired path.

After passing the FBI’s accounting and personality tests and a rigorous background investigation, Scott was selected to attend the New Agents Training later that fall. Some of the reasons Scott was hired so quickly, when the usual wait could be many years, if at all, were that he had an accounting degree, which the FBI coveted, and because his time in the Marines gave him veterans’ preference points, which raised his score to one closer to the top of the pool for hire.

Due to the varied nature of Scott’s multiple assignments within the FBI, including two tours in the New York Office, the FBI’s largest, and one tour in the one-person Salina, Kansas, Resident Agency (RA), and many other offices and FBI Headquarters, Scott developed a very unique understanding of the FBI and its investigative responsibilities. A couple of Scott’s more meaningful investigative efforts stemmed from his assignments in the Midland, Texas, RA and Salina.

Very early in his career, Scott was responsible for one of the FBI’s most successful Bank failure Cases involving 13 failed banks in West Texas.   During his time in Salina, Scott conducted a series of non-stop investigative actions in the four days after the Oklahoma City bombing, which allowed for the identification of Tim McVeigh and Terry Nichols, the latter of whom was found in Scott’s hometown of Herington, where Scott conducted an exhaustive interview with him. Both successes resulted in Scott being interviewed for documentaries, the last being the Netflix April 2025 series Oklahoma City Bombing: American Terror.