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

[Kapua]

Cummins told [the owner of the cabin] that he was 44 years old, the young woman with him was 22 and they were recently married.

He added that when Thomas wanted to share something she would whisper stuff in Cummins’ ear and then Cummins would repeat it.

He also noticed that the young woman would not get out of the car when the man got out.

http://nymag.com/thecut/2017/04/missing-teen-elizabeth-thomas-found-with-teacher-tad-cummins.html

I knew he would be busted if he tried to pass ET off as a girlfriend/wife and not his daughter/granddaughter.

 

[gitana1]

Yep -- it's like statutory rape (which also may figure here, certainly) -- someone under 18 cannot, may not, give "consent" because s/he is a minor and does not have the authority to give consent. Period.

The Feds may throw the Mann Act against him (if this has already been mentioned, I must have overlooked/missed it, so please forgive the repetition)...

The Mann Act was initially enacted to punish ones who carried women or slaves across state lines for prostitution, but it also covers just taking a minor over a state border for the purpose of the perp planning to have sex with the minor.

From Wiki:



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mann_Act

Thats what he was charged with.

 

[MsArk]

Another self delete. (Maybe I should take a break!)

 

[gitana1]

If a Federal case (vs state) there will not be any cameras in the courtroom, and longer sentence potentially. My guess is they will go for federal charges first. Good, as not too happy with potential state trial and that "friend" DA and jury pool.

Friend DA. Friend politician. And apparently the support of much of the town/area. I think he'd get off on state charges if tried there. I hope ET was forthcoming and told everything she knows.

 

[Mountain_Kat]

I knew he would be busted if he tried to pass ET off as a girlfriend/wife and not his daughter/granddaughter.

And that ridiculous story about being from Colorado and their house burning down. Man, that's a really great explanation for a 50 year old man with a distinct southern accent, in tow with a new wife 30+ years his junior, just leaving their burned out home to trek to a commune in Northern California.

What a dope.

 

[jessarox]

I hadn't thought about that. The last hotel I stayed in, a Best Western, I think it was, required a credit card on file to book and stay in the room that night.

I know if you pay with cash hotels usually want a large deposit, maybe that's where some of their money went? He may have left without collecting the deposit if he felt like they were suspicious of him.

 

[TiffanyL_AS]

I know if you pay with cash hotels usually want a large deposit, maybe that's where some of their money went? He may have left without collecting the deposit if he felt like they were suspicious of him.

That is a great point. A large deposit may have been required. And if he paid cash, I don't understand why he would risk using his real name to log in. He could have called himself Johnny Denver and no one would have questioned it with cash. This just plays into my thought that he was really rather dumb about this this whole time.

 

[MsArk]

Self deleted. Found answer up thread.

 

[JerseyGirl]

Cummins had come to Siskiyou County after hearing about the commune from people in Berkeley.

On Wednesday, Barry said, Cummins and Thomas helped him fish rocks out of the creek. It’s unclear what the point of that exercise was. Sheriff's officials said they found rocks with the names of various locations the two had visited in the Nissan Rogue Cummins had driven.

http://www.redding.com/story/news/l...off-cops-cummins-case-shares-story/100720192/

 

[Fly3]

Friend DA. Friend politician. And apparently the support of much of the town/area. I think he'd get off on state charges if tried there. I hope ET was forthcoming and told everything she knows.

I'm not sure the DA is a good "friend" of TC necessarily. They did go to the same school (a few years apart I believe) but it is a smaller school and community-an everyone knew everyone type of place.

 

[Vedder]

That is a great point. A large deposit may have been required. And if he paid cash, I don't understand why he would risk using his real name to log in. He could have called himself Johnny Denver and no one would have questioned it with cash. This just plays into my thought that he was really rather dumb about this this whole time.

Seems that they required ID, because he showed his license.

 

[Lmustang89]

LOL and please call your doctor after 4 hours...

:hilarious: I spit my salad out hehehehe. So true - painful I would think for 4 hours hahahahahaha

 

[gitana1]

I don't see that he has so many supporters in her peer group. Most of the kids were seeing this differently as time went on. The lies about the CIA, the weird behavior with other girls before her, the realization of what he was doing to his family, his abandonment of his students, he was just a dirty old man using performance enhancing drugs and abducting a young girl for some perverse fantasy. He went from cool dude to creepy old man from what I've been seeing online. It was sad to watch, really, as these young teens had a hard lesson in reality. I think the reception may appear a bit cold because kids are quick to feel guilty so they'll be awkward about having been friends or liking TC, but that will pass. In a very short time they'll remember there was some sort of drama around TC and this student, but it will just be ghosts in the halls, nothing of any substance. This is also a small town and I'm sure everyone's relieved she's alive and will be more than happy to have her back home. The thing that usually causes issues are the questions that teens will ask, they don't have filters like adults do and that can be hard as an adult to watch, so they have to be reminded what is and isn't okay to ask and ET will be taught how to make boundaries around this. She'll be empowered as to what questions she wants to answer and how to politely and firmly tell someone to get lost.

I have little faith in the ability of ET to receive the help she needs and to be taught anything in that town. There have been high profile adults there issuing supportive statements toward TC and other officials (the school), allowed his grooming behaviors and despite knowledge refused to protect ET.

It feels like a small-minded area. I don't know that it will be that easy to
get professional, quality and knowledgeable help for her there.

 

[WestCoastLady]

While reading your post, I thought about ET and her going to sleep last night and her feeling safe. I am curious if ET would have spent the night in a hospital or if law enforcement (such as FBI) has a place for victims to stay while waiting to go home. What do you think?

I would think they would have her in a "safe house" or hotel. No need for her to be in a hospital setting or police station/FBI office.

 

[whiteballet]

It seems like TC was not very well prepared at all and was scrambling by now. I can't believe it took this long for someone to spot them if they were staying in hotels and going into public together. I can only imagine how well he may have been able to hide if he'd actually thought this through.

 

[Mountain_Kat]

Cummins had come to Siskiyou County after hearing about the commune from people in Berkeley.

On Wednesday, Barry said, Cummins and Thomas helped him fish rocks out of the creek. It’s unclear what the point of that exercise was. Sheriff's officials said they found rocks with the names of various locations the two had visited in the Nissan Rogue Cummins had driven.

http://www.redding.com/story/news/l...off-cops-cummins-case-shares-story/100720192/

The wording here made me giggle. Like Barry was some kind of Cosmic Guru trying to impart a life lesson or something. "First, you must move rocks and contemplate the beauty to be found in the mundane and repetitive, Grasshopper."

Ummm...I'm guessing the point of the "excerise" was to build a wall or line a driveway. But what do I know, I'm the most practical hippie on the planet.

 

[WestCoastLady]

Cummins had come to Siskiyou County after hearing about the commune from people in Berkeley.

On Wednesday, Barry said, Cummins and Thomas helped him fish rocks out of the creek. It’s unclear what the point of that exercise was. Sheriff's officials said they found rocks with the names of various locations the two had visited in the Nissan Rogue Cummins had driven.

http://www.redding.com/story/news/l...off-cops-cummins-case-shares-story/100720192/

I read somewhere that the cabin owner was building a rock wall and had asked TC to help him.....

 

[MsArk]

I have little faith in the ability of ET to receive the help she needs and to be taught anything in that town. There have been high profile adults there issuing supportive statements toward TC and other officials (the school), allowed his grooming behaviors and despite knowledge refused to protect ET.

It feels like a small-minded area. I don't know that it will be that easy to
get professional, quality and knowledgeable help for her there.

Columbia is about 60 miles from Nashville. Hopefully there will be arrangements with professional there who will help Elizabeth.

 

[Doghairrules]

If so, then I sure hope my husband never needs that medication, or we're going to be driving into town ALOT.

One of my favorite things about Websleuths is people like you who can make me snort my drink out of my nose in the middle of what is usually a dark and serious topic. Thank you.


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[gitana1]

I'm not sure the DA is a good "friend" of TC necessarily. They did go to the same school (a few years apart I believe) but it is a smaller school and community-an everyone knew everyone type of place.

I didn't say they were good friends.

Did you hear what state rep Sheila Butt said about him?: “I have known Tad Cummins over the years, and I think I could honestly tell you that I’m not surprised that she’s safe."

These people like and respect him. They've minimized his behavior.