Found Safe TN - Mary Catherine Elizabeth Thomas, 15, Maury County, 13 March 2017 #4

[Whiteorchids]

I just don't think they've left the area. IMHO there would have been sightings the first night. By 6pm AL TN and GA were alerted

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I disagree. I think they are long gone and out of the area. According to his resume he's got an array of outdoor skills from different endeavors in his past and he's well rounded, lol no pun intended.

 

[btfly547]

I've been reading/lurking on this thread since the beginning. It hits very close to home for me in a lot of ways. I live in Huntsville and Columbia is "just up the road" from me. I drove from Nashville on the Sunday before she went missing and actually stopped in Columbia. I'm not sure why, but I never got an Amber Alert on Monday. I only knew about it because I was at work and everyone's phone buzzed at the same time except mine - not sure why not because I am set to get them. On Tuesday, I saw a billboard for an Amber Alert, but it just said silver Nissan and their pics. I do wish that billboard had been more specific and actually showed a pic of the vehicle - that's what I look for more than anything with Amber Alerts.

I never really thought much about them actually being in Decatur, only because it is right off the interstate when leaving Columbia. It would be the place I would stop for gas, restroom break, etc. I do wonder if they were pinged just off the interstate or further into town or near one of the campgrounds there.

I could have very well been Elizabeth 20 years ago. I was a "victim" (according to who you ask) of someone more than twice my age. Coming from a very dysfunctional family, I believed anything that guy said. I definitely would have run away with him had he asked just to get away from all the craziness at home. Not sure how long I would have stayed on the run with him before I got tired and wanted to see my siblings, but I without a doubt would have done it.

 

[SouthernCutie]

Or just their phones are. I would think they've ditched their phones by now. jmo

There has been talk of that's all it was is the phones with batteries removed but I can't provide a link and LE won't confirm so take it with a pound of salt

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[SouthernCutie]

I saw that shortly after I posted and edited my post. I was glad to see it was the former therapists. Still hoping the school will ante up but they probably won't for legal/liability reasons.

They haven't even listed her as missing in the website I see not mentioning him it's really disappointing I feel like all of TN let her down. When Holly Bobo was missing we raised like 100,000 the 1 St week and ET just now gets to 5,000.[emoji36] IMO if they hadn't used the word willingly it'd be different

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[Mom24]

This is new:

"The latest tip came from Decatur, Alabama where police say Thomas’ cell phone pinged off a cell tower.
Police say Thomas and Cummins may have stopped at a motel there.
The Morgan County Sheriff’s department told News 2 they received tips that Cummins was looking for work in the area."

http://wkrn.com/2017/03/24/tbi-no-c...elizabeth-thomas-11-days-after-disappearance/

 

[DatelineFan]

IMO, TC's wife is the last person that the authorities should have relied upon to make a public plea to TC. He has shown through his actions how much he values and respects her (as in, not in the slightest) and he is literally running away from his marriage to her with glee as I write this.


If we are in the unfortunate situation a few weeks from now that ET is still missing, I believe that LE should request that one of his adult children make the next public plea. In several weeks, TC may be psychologically and physically more run down and seeing one of his children address him in the media may serve as effecting. (I'm in the camp that believes he's traveling with a burner phone and is checking media like crazy in order to stay "one step ahead").

I think you're right, but OUCH. That would be so incredibly difficult to go public as one of his kids. Even if they're adults. I really feel for his entire family.

 

[btfly547]

I disagree. I think they are long gone and out of the area. According to his resume he's got an array of outdoor skills from different endeavors in his past and he's well rounded, lol no pun intended.

Those are my thoughts as well. This seems to have been planned out for a while. It would be the craziest thing ever for him to still be within an hour of his home. Not sure why they were in Decatur hours after leaving, but I am willing to bet that they traveled that night and drove as far away as possible to some preplanned place. I don't think they will be found until they come out of hiding after running out of money.

 

[Rachel1]

I would imagine that a 15 yr old girl would get tied of living on the run. But this isn't our average girl, she's been through some really tough stuff. So she might not break as quickly as a child who hasn't been abused. She may hold in a lot of her feelings and may be" trained" not to complain or whine. Because she's been abused and neglected, she may be tough as nails on the exterior. ( Meaning she isn't going to break down and cry for her blanket and her mommy like others might)

It's just so concerning because this abduction has went on way too long. ( Ten mins alone would've been too long!)
This girl needs to be found immediately.

 

[JeannaT]

This really scares me. To concoct this method to get access to her and conceal his predation is mindblowing. When I think he can't be much more depraved, it gets worse.

I don't know. They both seem to be searching for love in all the wrong places. She's the victim here, and once she's found and brought to safety, her healing can begin and his life will be over.

They are separated by 40 years. Both of them seem like injured birds. I don't believe he intended to harm her - although certainly this relationship isn't helpful for her.

In the final analysis, I think her mother has harmed her far more than this off-balance 50 year old teacher has.

Now - can SOMEONE enter her life who will help her?

 

[Rachel1]

I don't know how they'd get into Jamaica??
I've flown with young people and TSA doesn't play!
They checked credentials for the minors and the boys that where young adults. They even pulled one boy aside and asked where he was going and who he was traveling with and why ( they already knew the answers to those questions, they ask Just to see if the child says anything out of place)
It would not be easy to get her into Jamaica

 

[Mom24]

another bit from WSJ:
"On March 13, video surveillance at a Columbia gas station showed Cummins filling up his silver Nissan Rogue. A short time later, investigators say, he drove to the Shoney’s restaurant, where Elizabeth had been dropped off by a friend and was waiting. Investigators think he manipulated her into coming, but he wasn’t authorized to take a minor and she wasn’t old enough to consent. That afternoon, investigators say, they determined Thomas was 80 miles away in Decatur, Ala"

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...ducted-her-police-say/?utm_term=.fe59d1afd005

 

[SouthernCutie]

I've been reading/lurking on this thread since the beginning. It hits very close to home for me in a lot of ways. I live in Huntsville and Columbia is "just up the road" from me. I drove from Nashville on the Sunday before she went missing and actually stopped in Columbia. I'm not sure why, but I never got an Amber Alert on Monday. I only knew about it because I was at work and everyone's phone buzzed at the same time except mine - not sure why not because I am set to get them. On Tuesday, I saw a billboard for an Amber Alert, but it just said silver Nissan and their pics. I do wish that billboard had been more specific and actually showed a pic of the vehicle - that's what I look for more than anything with Amber Alerts.

I never really thought much about them actually being in Decatur, only because it is right off the interstate when leaving Columbia. It would be the place I would stop for gas, restroom break, etc. I do wonder if they were pinged just off the interstate or further into town or near one of the campgrounds there.

I could have very well been Elizabeth 20 years ago. I was a "victim" (according to who you ask) of someone more than twice my age. Coming from a very dysfunctional family, I believed anything that guy said. I definitely would have run away with him had he asked just to get away from all the craziness at home. Not sure how long I would have stayed on the run with him before I got tired and wanted to see my siblings, but I without a doubt would have done it.

Welcome
Sorry for what you went through I too could have been here and now looking back oh my I knew absolutely nothing at 15
Maybe because it was an endangered child alert at first? I know you have to set your phone to receive the emergency alerts for storms etc but I'm not sure how the different levels of the AA affect those alerts

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[tresptip]

I've been reading/lurking on this thread since the beginning. It hits very close to home for me in a lot of ways. I live in Huntsville and Columbia is "just up the road" from me. I drove from Nashville on the Sunday before she went missing and actually stopped in Columbia. I'm not sure why, but I never got an Amber Alert on Monday. I only knew about it because I was at work and everyone's phone buzzed at the same time except mine - not sure why not because I am set to get them. On Tuesday, I saw a billboard for an Amber Alert, but it just said silver Nissan and their pics. I do wish that billboard had been more specific and actually showed a pic of the vehicle - that's what I look for more than anything with Amber Alerts.

I never really thought much about them actually being in Decatur, only because it is right off the interstate when leaving Columbia. It would be the place I would stop for gas, restroom break, etc. I do wonder if they were pinged just off the interstate or further into town or near one of the campgrounds there.

I could have very well been Elizabeth 20 years ago. I was a "victim" (according to who you ask) of someone more than twice my age. Coming from a very dysfunctional family, I believed anything that guy said. I definitely would have run away with him had he asked just to get away from all the craziness at home. Not sure how long I would have stayed on the run with him before I got tired and wanted to see my siblings, but I without a doubt would have done it.

When I was a 15 yr old runaway I met a lot of old men that wanted to help me and did help me out but none of them were pervs at least that I was aware of at the time.I guess I was very lucky.One of the old men took me to his friends family where there were girls close to my age.I stayed about a week until I was ready to go home,then I called my parents. My parents were good parents and always treated me good so they knew I'd come home eventually,lol.

 

[mrsu]

[FONT=&quot]WAAY 31 learned from investigators on Friday how they believe Elizabeth Thomas and Tad Cummins communicated before the two disappeared. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]The Maury County Sheriff's Department lead investigator on the case said it all centers around Cummin's school email account.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot][/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]
The Maury County District Attorney and the Sheriff's Office believes the two were writing emails to each other but not sending them. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Brent Cooper, Maury County District Attorney "They would write the message and let it save as a draft. The other person would log in, read the message and then delete it and then write another message that was saved as a draft," said Maury County District Attorney Brent Cooper.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]According to investigators, Elizabeth Thomas and Tad Cummins used Cummin's school email to write inappropriate messages to each other.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]THE district attorney told WAAY 31 he couldn't go into details about what exactly was written in the email drafts. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] "If you read them you would immediately recognize you are reading messages between two people who have a romantic interest in each other, said Cooper." [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot][/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]The lead investigator on the case did share one of the messages with WAAY 31.[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]"I saw you standing next to you backpack this morning and makes a reference to a body part of hers and how nice that looked, said Marcus Alright with the Maury County Sheriff's Department."

https://www.facebook.com/waay31news/[/FONT]

Why in God's name would he use his work account? Makes zero sense! Why not set up gmail, etc.

 

[pegs]

I don't know. They both seem to be searching for love in all the wrong places. She's the victim here, and once she's found and brought to safety, her healing can begin and his life will be over.

They are separated by 40 years. Both of them seem like injured birds. I don't believe he intended to harm her - although certainly this relationship isn't helpful for her.

In the final analysis, I think her mother has harmed her far more than this off-balance 50 year old teacher has.

Now - can SOMEONE enter her life who will help her?

I can respect your take on this, but broken bird IMO is not how I'd describe TC. He is IMO more like a opportunist preying on broken birds like ET. I also believe he hurt and betrayed her just a much as her mother. He was in a position to truly make her life better, but chose to further victimize her. He only thinks of himself. If you think he is redeemable, just look at how he has treated his family. He is a very bad, dangerous predator.

 

[Whiteorchids]

They haven't even listed her as missing in the website I see not mentioning him it's really disappointing I feel like all of TN let her down. When Holly Bobo was missing we raised like 100,000 the 1 St week and ET just now gets to 5,000.[emoji36] IMO if they hadn't used the word willingly it'd be different

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I completely agree. So sad.

 

[mrsu]

He probably watched HUNTED and saw that's what a couple of those people on the run used for communication.

 

[pegs]

Why in God's name would he use his work account? Makes zero sense! Why not set up gmail, etc.

I suspect it was his ego. I think he liked the idea of doing it right under their noses. Afterall, he is ex-CIA and FBI and a forensics genius...NOT.

 

[babyjazz]

Why at 7 days in are they reporting this?

http://komonews.com/news/local/gallery-new-photos-released-in-amber-alert-of-elizabeth-thomas

We do not believe Elizabeth Thomas left with a large amount of stuff," DeVine said. "She might very well have the same clothing she left with. She might be wearing that same clothing."*
DeVine also said he believes Cummins might be wearing the same clothing he left with. TBI released security video of Cummins in the Columbia, Tenn. Walmart

Do they not think she took clothes or him? What about the photo? I'm confused

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I'm confused too. They say they may have on the same clothes they disappeared in, but the Wal-Mart video of TC was taken a week before they went missing?

 

[btfly547]

I don't know. They both seem to be searching for love in all the wrong places. She's the victim here, and once she's found and brought to safety, her healing can begin and his life will be over.

They are separated by 40 years. Both of them seem like injured birds. I don't believe he intended to harm her - although certainly this relationship isn't helpful for her.

In the final analysis, I think her mother has harmed her far more than this off-balance 50 year old teacher has.

Now - can SOMEONE enter her life who will help her?

Jeanna, only because I have lived through something similar that Elizabeth is going through, I have to disagree. My family was and still is very dysfunctional. My family's actions definitely led me to get involved with a 30-something year old when I was only 15. His actions still 20 years later cause me anger and resentment. I feel as though my parents acts were unintentional. They were "asleep at the wheel" with raising all of us. The guy I got involved with very much knew what he was doing and took advantage of my situation. My mom and I still aren't really close, but I can work on that relationship. I probably won't get over that guy using me for a very long time, if ever. I have moved on, but I do wonder what kind of person I would have been had he not stolen my innocence.