Found Safe TN - Mary Catherine Elizabeth Thomas, 15, Maury County, 13 March 2017 #11

[MsPooh]

I'm going to assume you have friends. And I'm going to further assume you like your friends, maybe not all the time, but for the most part you like them, right? I'm going to go a step further and suggest you even go out with those friends, those people you like. And I'm gong to lay odds that at least once they've encouraged you to do something you don't want to do, maybe see a movie you weren't interested in or eat a restaurant you don't care for or even hang out at a time when you just really weren't into it. But you went along to that movie or restaurant or just hung out, pasted a smile on your face and tried to make the best of it. Now anyone looking at you might ask, why go if you don't want to be there? Just get up and leave. Don't like the movie, walk out and leave your friends. Don't like the restaurant, hoof it home. But no, you went along and you didn't leave. So according to your logic that's because you really liked that movie or restaurant. I'm going to even bet you went to school and sat in classes you didn't like, maybe even next to people you didn't like, so why didn't you leave? By your logic you liked that class, you loved school and wanted to be there. Okay, now picture this, a guy who you begin to trust tells you you have no future, no one will love you, you already know you're ugly and the place you have to attend every day is full of twits who feel better by beating you down. This guy says "Hey I can fix it all for you" so you get excited and you hope and you get invested in being saved. But then you realize this is a man old enough to be your grandpa and he wants something in return. But you owe him so much and he can be scary sometimes. He's not your friend, he's a manipulator and now your welfare depends on keeping him happy. Trust me, I can think of at least a dozen scenarios that would be better and happier for a 15 year old girl than living in a car with a 50 year old flabby grandpa and his bodily odors. But let's say you're right, she is having the time of her life living in a car, not showering and peeing in ditches while grandpa tries his 50 year old moves with his droopy skin and flabby messiness, what are you suggesting we should all do?

Yes! This! Best post in awhile! And he seems like the type that LOVES to hear himself talk, not talk with you but AT you. She will get sick of all that noise. Not to mention the fact that IMO, in the video from Walmart he is flushed and looking like he is about to stroke out just from walking from the parking lot. IMO they aren't hiking, kayaking, anything that requires much energy.
IMO MOO Grrrr woof-woof whatever

 

[GigTu]

I think reports that someone is helping hide them is probably true. Whatever dark stuff LE found on the creeper's computer might be key. I think if they are still in this country, they aren't going to get spotted until this dies down, and he starts feeling comfortable everyone has stopped looking. If they left the country, I think we won't find them until ET makes contact.


I'm not even going to speculate on what I think will happen to ET if she tries to escape.

 

[stormymama]

I think what happens is that people hear" 15 yr old and 50 yr old man missing"
They then do a fast search of the Instagram pages and assume that this is nothing more then a forbidden relationship.
It appears that way to some on the surface but if they would just dig a tiny bit deeper ,they would see this is abuse.
Upon first glance to some, they may see images of her leaving her home with clothes and think " she left willingly so she's not in terrible trouble".
I encourage anyone who thinks this isn't a kidnapping to look at it a little longer. You'll soon see that even though it does appear she went willingly, it doesn't mean she isn't in trouble. She was an abused and neglected child who fell prey to this man. He took advantage of her and she needs to be brought home ASAP so the healing process can begin.
This isn't a love story, it's a story of a groomed child who needs help.

Absolutely agree. To me, this is analogous to the boogie man luring away a kindergartener with some candy or a lost puppy. TC just used his own version of candy and a puppy.

 

[Mom24]

I'm beginning to think Vegas might have been a good place to lay low. Plenty of cheap eats, lots of people and places to park a vehicle all night and sleep in it without drawing attention. The biggest thing for them is going to be the lack of money, so they're going to have to do it on the cheap. I also think he's going to search out a religious organization that he can manipulate with some sad sob story to get help. He's going to need money, so where to get it? I like the pawn shop idea. Easy enough to get a fast dollar or two, but beyond that I'm not sure. He's not fit enough to do hard labor and it's not like he can use his resume, can't see him handling standing on his feet too long and he can't chance leaving her alone, she might make a break for it. So.

 

[Mom24]

I think reports that someone is helping hide them is probably true. Whatever dark stuff LE found on the creeper's computer might be key. I think if are still in this country, they aren't going to get spotted until this dies down, and he starts feeling comfortable everyone has stopped looking. If they left the country, I think we won't find them until ET makes contact.


I'm not even going to speculate on what I think will happen to ET if she tries to escape.

Oh yuck, hadn't even thought about people he may have "helping" them. Could be creeps he met on the internet. OR!!! She's been previously homeschooled, there are networks of places that you can travel to for educational reasons, could he be using that? Like colleges and universities will allow people to stay in dorms for a really low price while you do an educational trip. Any other homeschoolers here know about these things?

 

[misslu]

I find the debate on willingness just so frustrating. Of course she was planning it with him. Of course she seemed excited, judging from her IG alone, to be in cahoots with this mission. Of course he didn't physically force her to go and while maybe she had conflicting feelings, she went with him -- willingly.

He's still a criminal. It's still not right. She's still a child. He's still a predator. She's still not safe. They still need to be found.

I don't even care if it was her idea. I wouldn't care if she was the one that picked him up. I don't care if she's calling the shots right this second.

Let's say you witnessed a kidnapping in which a child was lured by candy into a person's vehicle. The kid sure did look happy to hop right in the car. You assume the kid is getting all the candy his little heart desires. Yet still, it's wrong. An extreme comparison for a simple point - Willingness does not negate a crime against someone.

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[4SAM]

:cheers: to MOM24!!! Love how you explain your thoughts to those on these posts that try to victimize a 15 year old!

 

[Mom24]

While trying to get into the mind of this creep, I began wondering if perhaps Mr. Cummins, the "teacher," has decided to take ET on a little tour through some educational spots. If they went through Decatur, AL (where the cellphone pinged), that would be a good chance to show ET the mighty Tennessee River on the way to Oklahoma City. In OKC, they could check out the OKC Bombing Memorial. From there, you could hit three or four states on the way to Yellowstone. [Coincidentally, one possible route would be through Kearney, NE. We now know that was NOT a sighting, but mapping it out yesterday is what gave me this thought.] From Yellowstone, Idaho would be just a stone's throw. I hear it is a really large, sparsely populated place where it would be easy to get lost on purpose. This is all my random thoughts, etc. etc., and no need to point out that we have no info that they're going to Yellowstone. I know that. Just throwing out some ideas that may not have been mentioned.

I think you may be on to something. He's an educator and would have some knowledge on the whole homeschool travel network. He may be using that to his advantage.

 

[adot0902]

Ok at this point the money has to be almost gone, right? Where are some places that have employment that you don't need to apply for with a real social security number. Such as maybe a farm hand, or maybe something in the oil and gas industry (pipe line digger) ((I don't even know if that's a thing)).... But I am now going on the assumption that they are getting low on money and need some.

 

[4SAM]

Would TC feel that it is "below" him to work as a farm hand or day laborer? I agree that he has to be getting money from somewhere but I just can't see him taking an odd job. I still think someone is assisting him. MOO.

 

[Rosewater20]

I missed part of the last thread so this may have been mentioned and sorry if it was in there, but I saw on local news that TBI was following up on a possible sighting in Nebraska. They were possibly on camera at a McDs, but TBI ruled it out. While that disappointed me I was happy to see it getting attention. Anyone I had asked had no idea about the story last week. It was in a small town the tip came in from also, which really gives me hope that more eyes are looking. Leave it so no place is safe to hide. If we keep spreading the word she will come home. I think about this poor girl every single day. Also it has been in the 30's at night here so not exactly comfortable sleeping weather if they did head north.

My main source of confusion in Tad's thinking of this "plan" was what are they going to do when the money runs out? Become criminals? I just keep going back to that. What is his plan for money? I really do not understand how he is still flying under the radar when the plan seems so flawed. That is the thing that leads me to believe someone has or intends to help them w lodging/food/ money. I just don't see how they last like this long term.

The weather is not too bad now but what will they do when it gets really hot? I read that she has sensitive skin and allergies. I know my son finds the heat too much in relation to skin issues when it gets real hot . I know they have A .C in their vehicle. I just feel there will have to be a situation where he will have to seek help. Mechanical trouble .. all sorts of things. It may be just a matter of time before they have to come out of hiding.

 

[Rosewater20]

I think what happens is that people hear" 15 yr old and 50 yr old man missing"
They then do a fast search of the Instagram pages and assume that this is nothing more then a forbidden relationship.
It appears that way to some on the surface but if they would just dig a tiny bit deeper ,they would see this is abuse.
Upon first glance to some, they may see images of her leaving her home with clothes and think " she left willingly so she's not in terrible trouble".
I encourage anyone who thinks this isn't a kidnapping to look at it a little longer. You'll soon see that even though it does appear she went willingly, it doesn't mean she isn't in trouble. She was an abused and neglected child who fell prey to this man. He took advantage of her and she needs to be brought home ASAP so the healing process can begin.
This isn't a love story, it's a story of a groomed child who needs help.

Some groomers actively seek troubled and abused children

 

[michael.gartley]

I have updated the Instagram metadata reports by adding a True / False flag indicating if the original caption was edited, as well as putting the times into local Central time and correcting when appropriate for Daylight Savings.

Elizabeth Thomas Instagram posts date, caption edited flag, and caption text
https://pastebin.com/sBfFfDfX

Tad Cummins Instagram posts date, caption edited flag, and caption text
https://pastebin.com/sBfFfDfX

Also I created a 2nd version of the reports to note which users 'liked' the posts as of March 19th, 2017 when I downloaded the metadata.

Elizabeth Thomas Instagram posts liked by
https://pastebin.com/DfA8tHLR

Tad Cummins Instagram posts liked by
https://pastebin.com/sBfFfDfX

Please let me know if you have any questions, or if you see this as a violation of rules here.

 

[Mom24]

:cheers: to MOM24!!! Love how you explain your thoughts to those on these posts that try to victimize a 15 year old!

I don't know as they're actively attempting to victimize a child, but whether they mean to or not, that's the potential outcome. I think as we age we forget so many things. We forget how our lives were so much more controlled by others at 15. Think about it, at 15 this girl still raises her hand and asks permission from the adults to go to the bathroom. If those children weren't so well trained to follow the orders of the teachers in that school, it would be bedlam. They're taught not to even speak until given permission. That's life for a teenager and they don't find that abnormal. So when that same adult who you have to ask permission of to even speak tells you to run away, is it any wonder you do? He's not just grandpa on the street, he's her teacher and he's large and in charge from 7am to 3pm. Here's a small example. Ever see a kindergarten mom see how her child behaves at school in comparison to home? I've heard moms be shocked when they see their child hang up their coat at school and sit down quietly. That same child will drop his coat on the floor for Mommy to pick up, but he'll hang it neatly on the hook at school. That's some amazing power those teachers have, and when it's used for good it's wonderful. But it can be used for bad things and when it does we end up with a child's face on a milk carton. This is a far cry from a 15 year old girl who runs off to be with her 18 year old boyfriend. And why anyone can't see that is beyond me. That it even needs explanation defies logic. I get delusions, but really, fifty, flabby and....fabulous? Maybe to another 50 year old, but at 15? No, that's not robbing the cradle, that's robbing the womb.

 

[Kapua]

Ok at this point the money has to be almost gone, right? Where are some places that have employment that you don't need to apply for with a real social security number. Such as maybe a farm hand, or maybe something in the oil and gas industry (pipe line digger) ((I don't even know if that's a thing)).... But I am now going on the assumption that they are getting low on money and need some.

TC took out a loan and had a minimum of $4500 with him when they left 3 weeks ago. That is the amount of the loan he took out on one of his vehicles. IMHO, they still have enough money to get for by for a few months, if they are careful with it. Also, he may have more than the $4500, but that has not been made public. Did he drain their bank accounts, pawn or sell some valuables? We don't know.

 

[Mom24]

Would TC feel that it is "below" him to work as a farm hand or day laborer? I agree that he has to be getting money from somewhere but I just can't see him taking an odd job. I still think someone is assisting him. MOO.

Below him or not, I don't think he could physically do it. He's not a young man and he's not taken good care of his body. I don't think there's any way he could handle hard labor I was thinking working at diner, but again, he's soft and I don't think he can do it. Pizza delivery? Maybe, as long as he didn't have to climb stairs. I'm trying to think of under the table opportunities to make money, but I can't think of anything that isn't hard labor. I agree, I think someone is helping. Wouldn't be hard for him to have manipulated a few more students for a short term money situation.

 

[Vedder]

I think you may be on to something. He's an educator and would have some knowledge on the whole homeschool travel network. He may be using that to his advantage.

But is he really an "educator" educator?

 

[mrskeev]

I've heard those states are popular with survivalists and preppers, which he wants to be. It would be easy to disappear in the mid-North or PacNW. Way out in the wilderness. No one would pay attention to them and he could work for cash. You're right - they would need some heavy duty winter gear and being from the South they probably don't, and they'd be in for a real shock.

Another place on my mind is Wyoming. The population in Wyoming is extremely low, for the most part people like to keep to themselves and there is plenty of open space and mountain areas to stay in. At this point they could literally be anywhere, though.
JMO

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[Deleted member 155000]

TC took out a loan and had a minimum of $4500 with him when they left 3 weeks ago. That is the amount of the loan he took out on one of his vehicles. IMHO, they still have enough money to get for by for a few months, if they are careful with it. Also, he may have more than the $4500, but that has not been made public. Did he drain their bank accounts, pawn or sell some valuables? We don't know.

I've always thought he may have several thousand more dollars. If he had enough foresight and went to the trouble to take out a loan, then I am guessing other ways of earning money (cashing out retirement, savings, selling things) occurred to him as well. Imho.


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[Vedder]

99% (not a real statistic) of us here acknowledge that ET is indeed a victim, whether she went happily skipping away with him or not. There will always be one or two who either play devil's advocate, troll, or sincerely believe she isn't a victim.

Can't we just scroll and roll instead of getting all aggravated and having to explain how she is a victim for the umpteenth time?