Good start on the detective work!
If the PO didn't dress the groove in the crank that the seal rides in, the groove could have taken out the new seal...or the PO did a 'fail' job and cut the seal during install.
Since you've been so thorough with the diagnosing already, I hate to ask if you went north of the crank seal looking for the leak...this isn't a new leak at the back of the head/block junction is it?