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

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I just can't see this going on for years and years. I believe she'll be located sooner rather then later, I have no proof of that it's just my opinion.
Does anyone else here feel like she'll be found alive within 1 year?or Does anyone here believe they will continue to run longer then 1 year?
 
Sounds like this was all beginning for her. Personally I wouldn't put much stock in anything that school offers. My guess is she'll be transferred to another school When a child is first taken out an abusive home it's not unusual for them to be depressed and anxious. While we look at what she was going through with her mother as horrendous, for her it was normal. What is normal for the rest of us feels abnormal to her. She can't get her bearings and as bad as her previous situation was, she understood it, knew what to expect. It's not uncommon for children to just want to go back to the abusive parent because they know that, it's normal, they know when to expect the abuse. So yes, she'll need lots of caring people around, people who won't abuse that dependency she may form with them and twist it like TC did. People who will teach her how to depend on herself and her good intuition. But it's amazing how resilient children are and how quickly they will bounce back because deep down inside, the hope is still there and the desire to believe magic might just be real. She's strong, and she's survived so much and she'll get through this. She's already been robbed of so much by TC, he needs to stop taking from her.

My friend's son did well in a "charter school" which welcomes kids that have difficulty in mainstream schools. I attended his graduation and heard the students speak. It was inspiring! I can see ET succeeding in that kind of environment.
 
I know it's not PC to say this, but it is VERY likely, in my opinion, that this relationship did start out as one where he was truly trying to help her, and he got caught up in it and lost his brain completely. This isn't like some monster who snatches a small child off the street and then rapes her violently and strangles her and leaves her posed and naked to be found by the community.

This is a man who is a teacher, who had an inappropriately close relationship with a student who was damaged by a childhood filled with abuse, and he lost all his sense and did the unthinkable, and unrecoverable - he encouraged her to leave with him.

Life happens in shadings of greys, not in blacks and whites, IMHO.

And I have eyes in my head. I went to high school in the late 70's, and I did see cases where male teachers were having affairs with students, and in one case a female teacher having an affair with a male student.

And I think those who aren't able to see that maybe just don't know what to look for. It's there. It's there wherever groups of humans exist, they find each other and in their brokenness, locate the ones similarly broken.

I see it a little differently. TC has always yearned for attention and rarely got it. He tried to be in a band.. that didn't work. He took karate and still can't beat anyone up. He has a sickness that was buried for years and hid it by doing all the right things. He joins a church community and even goes on mission trips. No one knows what TC did or fantasized about when he was alone all those years as a 'missionary'. Chris Rock said 'A man is only as faithful as his options' and i feel like that is what finally brought the demon out of this Christian/Married/Missionary facade.

Guys like him don't get attention from the opposite sex. TC receives a little bit of attention and goes off the deep end. Good ole' TC finally had someone telling him he was interesting and starts to make up stories to keep it going. After all, this is something he's been working towards and waiting for.. for years. The problem is... it's a child!

This is what makes him so dangerous and hard to find. I'm willing to bet he spent every waking moment planning this escape for months. His sole focus is to keep ET interested in him. Once he loses that.. only then will they be found. Hopefully she lives. He won't.
 
I just can't see this going on for years and years. I believe she'll be located sooner rather then later, I have no proof of that it's just my opinion.
Does anyone else here feel like she'll be found alive within 1 year?or Does anyone here believe they will continue to run longer then 1 year?

I think she'll be found alive within 2 weeks. It's hard to keep up the romantic fantasy when you're on the run. Some of the shine wears off REAL fast.
 
He is going to Honduras. IMO, I read somewhere that he told students he was a cia agent and had a remote hideaway in Honduras. If she has been believing this lie, he has to go to Honduras now..
 
Thanks for the link. I haven't found any other news articles today.

"The owner of a Maury County clinic, Chandler Anderson, is also offering a $5,000 reward to anyone who helps Thomas return home safely."

I hope the additional reward money will help bring attention to the case and inspire people to be observant.
There's also one about the school changing its policies if you're interested


http://www.wsmv.com/story/34990689/...maury-county-schools-announces-new-task-force

( Sent from WSMV )

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So I haven't followed this case as closely as most. He's in his 50's - has he been teaching most of his adult life?

Have there been other instances of sexual misconduct that have surfaced - or is this apparently a first - does anyone know?

He has not been teaching most of his adult life. Someone posted his job history yesterday, but it's probably 100+ posts down the thread by now.
 
I know it's not PC to say this, but it is VERY likely, in my opinion, that this relationship did start out as one where he was truly trying to help her, and he got caught up in it and lost his brain completely. This isn't like some monster who snatches a small child off the street and then rapes her violently and strangles her and leaves her posed and naked to be found by the community.

This is a man who is a teacher, who had an inappropriately close relationship with a student who was damaged by a childhood filled with abuse, and he lost all his sense and did the unthinkable, and unrecoverable - he encouraged her to leave with him.

Life happens in shadings of greys, not in blacks and whites, IMHO.

And I have eyes in my head. I went to high school in the late 70's, and I did see cases where male teachers were having affairs with students, and in one case a female teacher having an affair with a male student.

And I think those who aren't able to see that maybe just don't know what to look for. It's there. It's there wherever groups of humans exist, they find each other and in their brokenness, locate the ones similarly broken.

Great post. I think this is very likely what happened -- and would emphasize that (for me, anyway) this nuanced account neither rationalizes nor excuses TC from the consequences of what he has done/is doing.

best,

s
 
I'm still reading posts and taking a break from what I was doing. But I've been looking into states and teen marriages. Most likely he went somewhere where they could marry. Thing is, most require parental permission. Unless she has proof of pregnancy. A few states so far will waive the need for parents to be there to consent if the minor is pregnant.
I had a friend runaway and marry her 19 yr old bf in High School because she was pregnant. Her poor parents didn't find out she was married until they returned

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He is going to Honduras. IMO, I read somewhere that he told students he was a cia agent and had a remote hideaway in Honduras. If she has been believing this lie, he has to go to Honduras now..

Seems to me that'd be the last place he'd want to go. Um, where is your remote hideaway, then?
 
The wedding was the bait that lured her away. She was desperate for an escape and the sad thing to me is that if TC hadn't done this someone else would have. I'm not condoning anything TC has done at all, just I think the ET was that desperate.
 
Oh I see! I don't think he was using this as a legal defense. I think he's doing it to feed the fantasy, keep her with him. She's busy planning the wedding of her dreams she won't notice what she's lost. It's the beauty and the beast fantasy that he sold her.

Yes this^^ and.... if he has sex with her it is statuary rape. He may be delusional enough to think that if they get married he won't spend the rest of his life in jail.
 
I think she'll be found alive within 2 weeks. It's hard to keep up the romantic fantasy when you're on the run. Some of the shine wears off REAL fast.

I really, really, hope that you are right. I hope they are discovered within weeks and not months.
 
Seems to me that'd be the last place he'd want to go. Um, where is your remote hideaway, then?

Pshaw. He's got his own Island. It was given to him by the Honduran gov't after his single handed take down of the guerilla militia when he was a top CIA operative. You can only get there on his private boat and it's not listed on any maps.
 
Pshaw. He's got his own Island. It was given to him by the Honduran gov't after his single handed take down of the guerilla militia when he was a top CIA operative. You can only get there on his private boat and it's not listed on any maps.

He can't be that great or he'd have his own teleport. Having to take a boat is just so...common. :angel:
 
Seems to me that'd be the last place he'd want to go. Um, where is your remote hideaway, then?

yeah, I dunno, just a thought. I was thinking that he is already caught up in this lie, and he will just find a place once they get there.
 
Oh I see! I don't think he was using this as a legal defense. I think he's doing it to feed the fantasy, keep her with him. She's busy planning the wedding of her dreams she won't notice what she's lost. It's the beauty and the beast fantasy that he sold her.

I think the marriage is symbolism to commitment and not the ceremony itself. They could have the commitment ceremony by themselves and declare their commitment. It is sad to see a man continuing to lead this girl into a fantasy that will abuse her emotionally.

The above is my opinion only.
 
New from WKRN
http://wkrn.com/2017/03/24/former-fbi-agent-weighs-in-on-disappearance-of-elizabeth-thomas/


The TBI is a very professional outfit, I know they have worked long and hard on this around the clock, I enjoyed working with them over the years and I know they have explored every avenue they can, they have checked the credit cards, the cell phone and the vehicle and all of that,” said Hodges.
He has dropped off the grid, that makes me think he’s in rural area somewhere, maybe camping,” added Hodges.

The number of tips the TBI have received is small compared to other cases like Thomas

Hodges mentioned Thomas may have developed Stockholm syndrome, where a victim begins to identify with their captor.

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I think the marriage is symbolism to commitment and not the ceremony itself. They could have the commitment ceremony by themselves and declare their commitment. It is sad to see a man continuing to lead this girl into a fantasy that will abuse her emotionally.

The above is my opinion only.

For all we know, he told her that he's a religious leader of some sort and able to perform marriage ceremonies. He could have "married" her in the parking lot of Shoney's.
 
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