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

[blue22]

Look I think the deplorable and dangerous thing thing is the kidnapping, mann act violation and almost certain statutory rape, by this despicable criminal.

That aside I think some of the comments on the place itself, in the middle of some of the most beautiful nature in the world, as a dump or a per se horrible thing reflects a point of view not shared by many.

I live an urban life with plenty of connections, comfort and the dependence on modernity that come wiht it. But when I was young my parents took us for a few months each year to a remote island in Greece, where the phone service was a 5 hour walk or mule ride, where there was no electricity whatsoever, where except for rice and ground flour everything we ate and drank was from fish we caught, hens we raised, fruit from close by orchards and vegetables from our and our neighbors gardens, and bread we made. No TV, no phone, no video games, no more of a radio than these people had in their car, and no internet. No ice, no refrigeration at all. No dishwasher, no washing machine -- no running water. Our housing was spartan but the views and environment were beautiful. In terms of fire departments, or local medical care, just like people in far northern California mountains might be hours from a fire department. In our case a clinic was on the other side of the island, again 4 to 5 hours away. Once a week we hiked to town to call our grandparents.

We learned patience, delayed gratification, played board games, had discussions over books, and swam or hiked miles every day. We learned where food came from and how to grow and cook it. We were engaged by our parents mentally and had hours of their attention daily. To me the lifestyle of kids today is abusive in absentee parenting and addiction to things like the net, TV, instant gratification all around

I agree with you in your hope that this sick criminal child abusing bastrd rots. But I think some of the things being said about rural living, off the grid living, minimalist housing etc are points of view judgement.

That sounds lovely. You were taken there to give you a wonderful experience, with your loving family.

She was kidnapped and kept in that place in isolation, for deviant reasons. You were NOT isolated. You were free. She was not. Her, in that place, under those circumstances....was nothing the same. It's a differing opinion. Yours isn't right or wrong, others aren't right or wrong. It makes the world go round.

 

[DatelineFan]

The family posted to send cards to welcome ET home to:
P. O. Box 731
Columbia, TN 38402

Something we all can individually do is to send her a card so she can see how many around the world cared and were worried about her.

Thanks for sharing this! I will absolutely write her a letter!

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[LaneGirl]

That sounds lovely. You were taken there to give you a wonderful experience, with your loving family.

She was kidnapped and kept in that place in isolation, for deviant reasons. You were NOT isolated. You were free. She was not. Her, in that place, under those circumstances....was nothing the same. It's a differing opinion. Yours isn't right or wrong, others aren't right or wrong. It makes the world go round.

To be fair she was only at that cabin either a night or a week depending on the report one believes...

She's been isolated from her family for deviant reasons regardless if she was in a motel, a hostel, a cabin or the car which is where most of us thought she was for the entire 39 days.

BUT I respect your opinion of the cabin it self as you are entitled to it.

 

[MsMtOlympus]

Good point to all of you who made it. I was only thinking of no soft place for her to lay her head. But of course now she is sleeping in her own bed [emoji7]


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Aw man, you just made me tear up over here. Two days ago I was trying not to lose hope but it was getting harder. Thank you for the beautiful reminder that tonight, ET is safe in her own warm bed.

 

[blue22]

To be fair she was only at that cabin either a night or a week depending on the report one believes...

She's been isolated from her family for deviant reasons regardless if she was in a motel, a hostel, a cabin or the car which is where most of us thought she was for the entire 39 days.

BUT I respect your opinion of the cabin it self as you are entitled to it.

I'm sure all the places they stayed could be described the same. (IMO, of course.)

I value your perspective and the experience you had. I just don't think it's comparable at all to ET's. Opinions are what makes this forum work. I totally respect yours, as well.

 

[LaneGirl]

I'm sure all the places they stayed could be described the same. (IMO, of course.)

I value your perspective and the experience you had. I just don't think it's comparable at all to ET's. Opinions are what makes this forum work. I totally respect yours, as well.

Actually I wasn't the poster that you were quoting regarding a nice family vacation at an off grid remote cabin.

I butted in with my 2 cents to try and make the point this cabin was a blip on the 39 days ET was missing.

But thanks we are cool!!!!

 

[DatelineFan]

I may have missed something on a fast moving thread, but I didn't think that ET was home with her own family just yet?

IMO, she's with her family, but not at home.

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[cshea99]

IMO, she's with her family, but not at home.

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She's in Nashville with her family.

 

[DatelineFan]

She's in Nashville with her family.

Right. That's what I'm saying. I just don't think they will be staying in the family home for a bit. They are likely in an undisclosed location.

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[Doghairrules]

I may have missed something on a fast moving thread, but I didn't think that ET was home with her own family just yet?

I think you're right. They are probably elsewhere due to media intrusion. So not her own bed, but a bed nonetheless.


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[prblythe]

According to this photo it looks like what is in the jar is coconut oil? It appears to be there even when the media is allowd in. If it was taken I doubt it would be before media got in there.

And some people are saying that coconut oil can be used exactly the same way KY is used.

Thus the suspicion as to why it was taken and not other food related items.

 

[Whiteorchids]

One of the pics has what looks like some sort of grill. Did they cook on it, use it for heat? In a closed cabin!!!

Thats how people die from carbon monoxide poisoning let alone possibly falling asleep and cabin going up in a gigantic fire ball with fire snd police dept hours away. What an idiot he seriously lost his marbles.

Can you imagine her fear when he was in a pissed off mood like being kicked out of commune and having him with two loaded pistols in that small cabin? She was probably walking on pins and needles. She really didn't know what this creep was capable of.

 

[Ran]

Yeah I feel sorta the same and also feel like she needs something to counter the TC supporters and others that say she fully knew what she was doing.

I am conflicted at this moment to be honest.

The people who don't understand the seriousness of the crime by the teacher in this case are simply ignorant of the law.

I don't think there are many such people with this ignorance, rather their comments stick out as shocking when they blame the victim.

Now yes there are cultural differences, that is why there are same variations in consent age in different US states just as there are in different European countries. And we all recognize while bright lines are necessary, we also have all kinds of conditions of age of each person, and courts that can mitigate and take all facts into account so we don't send a 18 year and one week old to prison for having a 16 and 51 week old girlfriend in most cases.

But the fact is that this child is 15. There is almost certainly no mitigation of the perps behavior, and there are multiple aggravations (kidnapping for one which would be a major felony even if he did not touch her). We also know that he had a loci parentis relationship, ie a position of authority over her which means if she was 17 this would still be rape.

As far as what this child needs, I would think it is privacy and counseling,

 

[LaneGirl]

According to this photo it looks like what is in the jar is coconut oil? It appears to be there even when the media is allowd in. If it was taken I doubt it would be before media got in there.

It does look like it to me but the list that LE left behind states that coconut oil was taken. So perhaps there was more and in a different location like next to the bed rolls? Or perhaps this is rice or something else?

BUT according to the list of evidence removed from the cabin coconut oil was removed.

ETA - you can see the search warrant and list on paper to the right of this picture. So what we see in this picture was not taken.

 

[borndem]

Yes. All of it will be hard. He might even have her blaming her family for it not being the adventure he promised. That part of the grooming process is so sickening. He needed her to believe this would be an adventure. If she knew it would be a month on the run in cheap motels, the car, and tiny barely functioning cabins...he'd have never been able to convince her. He had her believing the fantasy. Coming back from that, is hard. He messed with her head so thoroughly it's just frightening. (All JMO.)

Huffing & puffing, still playing catch-up, way behind, anyway...

Your post also made me think about when she goes back to school -- unless therapy, etc., takes the remainder of her school year, which would prolly put her back a grade & that would be, IMO, for her a very negative thing... (i.e. no alternative is good, seems to me...)

But how will her returning to school -- unless she transfers to another which would also be tuff - affect her? Shame, embarrassment, hearing or thinking she's hearing other students talking about her or laffing at her, etc., That's a tuff age to face being so "different." SMH. I would have just wanted to curl up & die if that had happened to me.

This is just one fine mess this man has made for her, her parents, and his family as well. At least, I assume, he will be in the county jail & then state prison or federal prison for a long time -- kidnapping, statutory rape (if proven), Mann Act possibly, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, etc., etc.

Grrrrrr.
.

 

[LaneGirl]

The people who don't understand the seriousness of the crime by the teacher in this case are simply ignorant of the law.

I don't think there are many such people with this ignorance, rather their comments stick out as shocking when they blame the victim.

Now yes there are cultural differences, that is why there are same variations in consent age in different US states just as there are in different European countries. And we all recognize while bright lines are necessary, we also have all kinds of conditions of age of each person, and courts that can mitigate and take all facts into account so we don't send a 18 year and one week old to prison for having a 16 and 51 week old girlfriend in most cases.

But the fact is that this child is 15. There is almost certainly no mitigation of the perps behavior, and there are multiple aggravations (kidnapping for one which would be a major felony even if he did not touch her). We also know that he had a loci parentis relationship, ie a position of authority over her which means if she was 17 this would still be rape.

As far as what this child needs, I would think it is privacy and counseling,

I absolutely agree this is a 15 year old child. Sadly there are many, and all you have to do is look at msm comments on each of these news outlets and see people saying she left of her own free will.

That is not how I feel by any means!!!!

 

[1&2&3]

One thing that would eat up the money quickly is buying gluten free food. It is very expensive to buy any type food without wheat in it.

In my area it seems just about everything is about $4.99. That includes crackers, cookies, cereals, box of spaghetti; frozen meals are more like $5.99 - $7.99.

Fast food restaurants are out of the question with the exception of salads. At a few of the higher price ones, you can get a hamburger in a lettuce wrap or a piece of grilled chicken and pray it has not been contaminated by using the same utensils as used on fried chicken.

 

[LaneGirl]

One thing that would eat up the money quickly is buying gluten free food. It is very expensive to buy any type food without wheat in it.

In my area it seems just about everything is about $4.99. That includes crackers, cookies, cereals, box of spaghetti; frozen meals are more like $5.99 - $7.99.

Fast food restaurants are out of the question with the exception of salads. At a few of the higher price ones, you can get a hamburger in a lettuce wrap or a piece of grilled chicken and pray it has not been contaminated by using the same utensils as used on fried chicken.

I have no first hand knowledge of gluten free foods. Can you identify anything in the picture above?

ETA - I think I recognize the label of Rosarita refried beans, and of course toiled paper. Anything else I don't think I'm familiar with.

 

[Mom24]

One thing that would eat up the money quickly is buying gluten free food. It is very expensive to buy any type food without wheat in it.

In my area it seems just about everything is about $4.99. That includes crackers, cookies, cereals, box of spaghetti; frozen meals are more like $5.99 - $7.99.

Fast food restaurants are out of the question with the exception of salads. At a few of the higher price ones, you can get a hamburger in a lettuce wrap or a piece of grilled chicken and pray it has not been contaminated by using the same utensils as used on fried chicken.

Food costs in CA are far higher than they are in TN. That's important to remember.

 

[bluesneakers]

Food costs in CA are far higher than they are in TN. That's important to remember.

I think food costs are lower in CA.