New OSBI Interim Director Unanimously Approved

By Adrianna Iwasinski, NEWS 9

OKLAHOMA CITY – The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation commissioners appointed Harvey Pratt as interim director in their closed door meeting Tuesday.

Pratt is a longtime OSBI employee who is currently a special investigator with the agency. He is known for his work as a forensic artist. Pratt was the courtroom artist during the Terry Nichols case.

Pratt received unanimous approval by the commission.

"OSBI is a great organization and there's a lot of history behind us and I'm part of that history and I'd like to continue with that," said Pratt.

Pratt started his law enforcement career as a Midwest City Police Officer in 1965 after serving a tour in Vietnam in the Marine Corps. In 1972, Pratt became an OSBI agent working narcotics.

He has worked on countless well known cases including the sirloin stockade murders, the girls scout murders, and both the BTK killer and Green River killer cases.

The interim director will fill in for outgoing OSBI director A. DeWade Langley, who is leaving the agency to head up the University of Central Oklahoma's new School of Criminal Justice. His last day at the agency will be next Monday, August 2. Langley has been with the OSBI for 33 years and has been the director for the past 15 years.

Langley leaves an agency that has been criticized of late for its handling of certain cases. But Pratt said he plans to address that during his time at the helm.

"We're going to address those things and I want to assure the public that OSBI is still the champion, we still work for the people and we're going to do our best. That's part of my job. That's why I stayed here 38 years," said the new interim director.