Found Safe TN - Mary Catherine Elizabeth Thomas, 15, Maury County, 13 March 2017 #3

[StalkerStalker]

Very easy to disable.

 

[SolarPoweredSeaSlug]

She doesn't have to. It is illegal to transport a minor across state lines without parent or guardian permission.

True, but if neither one admits that anything illegal happened, or it was for immoral purposes, they can not charge him for anything more.

And since I can find almost no records of any convictions for persons doing this, that were not already in a custody dispute, custody agreement breach, or immoral\sex reasons, that's why I say...if she will not testify against him, he will not be charged for this.

Without a witness's testimony, the case is very weak.

 

[Whiteorchids]

(I read plenty of cases on Websleuths, but don't post much, so this is my first time weighing in on this one. So, hi!)

This has probably been discussed and I missed it, but, if Elizabeth told her sister to call the police if she wasn't home by 6pm, what triggered her family, friend, whomever did it, to report her missing at 12:41pm? Was it that she hadn't shown up at school and no one could locate her elsewhere?

Also, maybe I'm naive, but my thoughts on the teen marriage search is that TC was looking for if, and where, he could legally marry her without another person's (parent's, judicial) permission, if he were "free and clear" of his current wife. Since the answer was nowhere (in the US) + divorces take time, real marriage just wasn't going to happen. Or perhaps he was searching for countries where they wouldn't have problems. What I find interesting, is prior to March 5 (the day he conducted the search), Elizabeth had no real mention of marriage on her Instagram. But on March 5, she had 2 posts directly referencing it, plus a promise ring post. And then several more in the days following. His first post that seemed to hint at running away was on February 23, with a picture of a jeep at the ocean with his the hashtag #ohtheplaces he then used on all his later (and very frequent) destination posts. That day also happens to be the day ET posted the Roses are red poem...

Perhaps this whole running away bit was originally construed by TC just for TC, and ET jumped on board and ran with it and he figured why not? TC's life had basically fallen apart (his own doing), why not run? Who knows how his wife reacted to this investigation and suspension and what their interactions were while he was still around...It's obvious based on TC's Instagram that as of February 23, he was planning to run. It's interesting that all his #ohtheplaces posts on February 23 didn't include the #love hashtag as well. But from the first one on February 24, and all subsequent ones after, both hashtags were used. Read ET's posts from early on February 23...they seem to indicate "trouble in paradise". Then February 24, he starts tagging his exotic photos #ohtheplaces #love and she posts her first travel themed post with a caption mentioning @bestfriend. My theory? TC was planning to run, and decided to do so on February 23. Sometime later that day/that night, TC and ET concocted the plan for ET to join him. And they just spent the next 20 days figuring out how to do it.

On the possibility that they're hiding in a storage facility. I don't think they are, but I think the Nissan Rogue is, and they have another vehicle. As someone who's done lots of searches for enclosed vehicle storage (I have an RV), there are hoards of spaces--in cities, in remote areas, in well maintained facilities, in crapholes where no one investigates anything as long as you pay your rent--where you could easily store a vehicle. No one said, to my knowledge, they were spotted in Decatur in the Nissan Rogue? Maybe it took them so long to get there/be sited there because they stayed in the immediate area switching out vehicles and stocking up from the stockpile of supplies they accumulated during 20 days of planning. And maybe they went to Decatur to throw people off, and then came right back and are hiding out "in plain sight", not far from where they started.

On another note, they could definitely be in a National Forest or the like campground and no one would know the better. Many are first-come, first-serve, have no one checking you in (you register yourself and pay, no ID needed), have water and electricity at the site and bathhouses (hello hot showers) mere steps away. Many are in areas not near big cities, and I could definitely see them popping in to a general store and buying supplies and no one thinking anything of it. Especially if only one went. It'd be pretty easy to survive in such an area and not feel so rugged in doing so.

Great post. Thank you I agree with this.

 

[Inthedetails]

True, but if neither one admits that anything illegal happened, or it was for immoral purposes, they can not charge him for anything more.

And since I can find almost no records of any convictions for persons doing this, that were not already in a custody dispute, custody agreement breach, or immoral\sex reasons, that's why I say...if she will not testify against him, he will not be charged for this.

Without a witness's testimony, the case is very weak.

If there is evidence, they can convict. The charges do not have to rely on her testimony, imo. Perhaps Gitana can weigh in.

jmo

 

[Whiteorchids]

Thanks for your post. Have you seen anything to suggest it's debate team vs. criminal Forensics? I know both are offered as electives at the high school level, but I haven't started searching the high school website for course descriptions or anything yet. I'd love it if someone else did!


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I've received many of these visa and and Amex gift cards as gifts. You only register if you shop online or I believe at gas stations. I've used them in physical stores and never had to add my name etc.

 

[SolarPoweredSeaSlug]

Thanks for your post. Have you seen anything to suggest it's debate team vs. criminal Forensics? I know both are offered as electives at the high school level, but I haven't started searching the high school website for course descriptions or anything yet. I'd love it if someone else did!


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Wow, I didn't catch this yet. If it is Forensics, they he knew how to cover his tracks to eliminate the LEO looking into his Google Search History, and all those other little tricks they don't like to advertise on how they can track where you searched for on the Web.

I bet he had burner phones, cheap pre-paid phones, with internet, and different email accounts...I bet he still does, which would imply they are reading all of this right now...

 

[JerseyGirl]

On March 10, Cummins searched the Internet for information on whether certain features of his vehicle, a Nissan Rogue, could be tracked by law enforcement.

 

[gitana1]

They might be offering an olive branch to end any tension and animosity that exists. I'm MAD that the bullying is continuing by kids in school (as posted above), but honestly, the bigger picture is to find ET and the family might just be saying let's just focus on that one mission and set everything else aside for now.

jmo

I think that's exactly what they're doing. But it could backfire if ET gets wind of it because I am sure he has convinced her the school is against them, and that would not be hard to do since it doesn't appear that the school was a happy place for her. So if she sees a public statement in which her family appears to be aligning itself with the school (it's really with the district but she may not understand the difference), then that might solidify her feeling that there is no safe place for her to go back to.

IMO, it is a mistake. And unnecessary at this time.

(I read plenty of cases on Websleuths, but don't post much, so this is my first time weighing in on this one. So, hi!)

This has probably been discussed and I missed it, but, if Elizabeth told her sister to call the police if she wasn't home by 6pm, what triggered her family, friend, whomever did it, to report her missing at 12:41pm? Was it that she hadn't shown up at school and no one could locate her elsewhere?

Also, maybe I'm naive, but my thoughts on the teen marriage search is that TC was looking for if, and where, he could legally marry her without another person's (parent's, judicial) permission, if he were "free and clear" of his current wife. Since the answer was nowhere (in the US) + divorces take time, real marriage just wasn't going to happen. Or perhaps he was searching for countries where they wouldn't have problems. What I find interesting, is prior to March 5 (the day he conducted the search), Elizabeth had no real mention of marriage on her Instagram. But on March 5, she had 2 posts directly referencing it, plus a promise ring post. And then several more in the days following. His first post that seemed to hint at running away was on February 23, with a picture of a jeep at the ocean with his the hashtag #ohtheplaces he then used on all his later (and very frequent) destination posts. That day also happens to be the day ET posted the Roses are red poem...

Perhaps this whole running away bit was originally construed by TC just for TC, and ET jumped on board and ran with it and he figured why not? TC's life had basically fallen apart (his own doing), why not run? Who knows how his wife reacted to this investigation and suspension and what their interactions were while he was still around...It's obvious based on TC's Instagram that as of February 23, he was planning to run. It's interesting that all his #ohtheplaces posts on February 23 didn't include the #love hashtag as well. But from the first one on February 24, and all subsequent ones after, both hashtags were used. Read ET's posts from early on February 23...they seem to indicate "trouble in paradise". Then February 24, he starts tagging his exotic photos #ohtheplaces #love and she posts her first travel themed post with a caption mentioning @bestfriend. My theory? TC was planning to run, and decided to do so on February 23. Sometime later that day/that night, TC and ET concocted the plan for ET to join him. And they just spent the next 20 days figuring out how to do it.

On the possibility that they're hiding in a storage facility. I don't think they are, but I think the Nissan Rogue is, and they have another vehicle. As someone who's done lots of searches for enclosed vehicle storage (I have an RV), there are hoards of spaces--in cities, in remote areas, in well maintained facilities, in crapholes where no one investigates anything as long as you pay your rent--where you could easily store a vehicle. No one said, to my knowledge, they were spotted in Decatur in the Nissan Rogue? Maybe it took them so long to get there/be sited there because they stayed in the immediate area switching out vehicles and stocking up from the stockpile of supplies they accumulated during 20 days of planning. And maybe they went to Decatur to throw people off, and then came right back and are hiding out "in plain sight", not far from where they started.

On another note, they could definitely be in a National Forest or the like campground and no one would know the better. Many are first-come, first-serve, have no one checking you in (you register yourself and pay, no ID needed), have water and electricity at the site and bathhouses (hello hot showers) mere steps away. Many are in areas not near big cities, and I could definitely see them popping in to a general store and buying supplies and no one thinking anything of it. Especially if only one went. It'd be pretty easy to survive in such an area and not feel so rugged in doing so.

******WELCOME!!!!!****[FONT=&amp]**
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just and FYI, they weren't spotted in Decatur, her phone pinged there.

Yeah and I think they are LOOONG gone by now. Either hiding in a remote area in the US or across the border. Whatever money he has will go much further in Mexico. Depending where they live they could survive on about $4,200.00 (I;m thinking they will have spent some of the 4,500 already), for over 5 months, in Mexico:

http://alittleadrift.com/cost-of-living-mexico/

https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/country_result.jsp?country=Mexico&displayCurrency=USD

 

[TNSleuth]

Greetings! I'm a noobie here and not too far from Columbia, Tn where ET is missing from and have been following the case.

Just a few things I'm wondering about and a couple of theories I'm trying to play through my mind....

Above, fluerdenola had some great points and I wanted to add a few.
On the day they came up missing, there wasn't any school that day. It was out for the day for inservice or something like that.

She also changed her Instagram to "wife" after she met up with him. So evidently he was feeding her a line of bull-oney.

Also with the money he took out, could he have gotten pre-paid Visa and Master Cards and be using those, also cards for fast food so tracking wouldn't be easy? Of course cash is easier, but buying gas at night you wouldn't have to go in and see an attendant?

Now as for food, I'm wondering what they are eating or if he stocked up on stuff beforehand.

I do think he's got some type of phone or device that they are using to keep up with media and keep informed.

My fear is he will get tired of her (like a child) and she will get homesick and what will happen to her then.

Here's a link to the timeline that got me thinking and I'm looking for the one that says school was out that day.
http://abcnews.go.com/US/timeline-a...ee-student-elizabeth-thomas/story?id=46273578

 

[babyjazz]

http://www.wsmv.com/story/34847280/amber-alert-search-continues-for-missing-teen-teacher-from-tn

( Sent from WSMV )
Latest news update with map of where ET was last seen in Columbia, TN

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I'm so frustrated at the difference in information being released by the media. They still say she is 5'5" in a lot of the reports, yet her SIL says she is 5'. They are reporting that TC was last seen in Decatur, AL, yet other reports say there was no sighting that only the phones pinged there. So do we ASSUME that TC and ET were there since there were no reports either of them were seen? Or, as in earlier reports did they "throw the phones into the back of a moving truck"? The timelines that were released in the media (from the school), has consistently changed until now they match the timeline of LE. AND the thing about the family only being able to get $300,000 awarded to them if they should win the suit against the 🏫. Well, that's certainly disheartening! This poor girl was failed on so many levels. I can only hope and pray she comes home safe and is able to get the help she needs. It sounds as if her family will do whatever needs to be done. I hope she knows how much she is loved. (Even here on WS &#128147

 

[Angleena]

This is actually interesting because it's a timeshare resort. I bet they own a timeshare. Looking at the timeshare information for this location, there is only one other resort affiliated with them that they could stay at and that's The Beach Club, they actually have condos and small cottages that can be rented. If they have a timeshare, that means they actually own 1-4 weeks stay at either one of these resorts. I hope if they do own a timeshare, that is something that his wife brought to officials attention.

 

[gitana1]

True, but if neither one admits that anything illegal happened, or it was for immoral purposes, they can not charge him for anything more.

And since I can find almost no records of any convictions for persons doing this, that were not already in a custody dispute, custody agreement breach, or immoral\sex reasons, that's why I say...if she will not testify against him, he will not be charged for this.

Without a witness's testimony, the case is very weak.

That's just not true. It is a possibility she won't admit to him having had sexual contact with her. (Typically, these kids when rescued, do admit to it), but there is plenty of evidence, I think, that he took her for sexual purposes, even if that didn't ultimately happen. The federal code sections have to do with intent, not conduct. He researched teen marriage. He was seen kissing her. They likely have private social media messages or other electronic information.

Regardless, simply harboring a runaway, illegal in Tennessee, will preclude him from teaching again, even though it's only a misdemeanor.

But let's say for the sake of argument that he was not able to be convicted of anything. Do you honestly believe that any school in the US would hire this dude? After he took off with a student he was seen kissing? Out of state?

I think we need to be realistic.

 

[alucardsdream]

I think what people are forgetting is this is a SMALL RURAL town... in TENNESSEE. Lots of differences there than other areas....

Culleoka is an unincorporated community of roughly 5,000 residents in the southeastern corner of Maury County, Tennessee. Located southeast of Columbia. Wikipedia

That's true, we don't know how the long teaching position had been open before he applied...he might have been the only applicant and they were getting desperate.

 

[delita_chan]

Long-time lurker here.
I was reading the Corpus Christi news about a festival going on that my sister wants to attend and lo and behold. There seems to be a sighting of the two:
http://www.caller.com/story/news/20...t-may-have-been-spotted-north-beach/99543814/

This is just in.

 

[TNSleuth]

Found it!

[h=3]March 13[/h]
It's a professional development day for teachers, so there's no school, according to the district calendar.
Elizabeth tells a sibling that she is leaving and expects to be home by dinner, but if she's not home by 6 p.m., to call the police. James Thomas later tells HLN.
Just before 8 a.m., a friend drops Elizabeth off at a restaurant in Columbia, about 45 miles south of Nashville. Just after 8 a.m., surveillance cameras show Cummins pumping gas nearby, according to authorities. By that afternoon, authorities suspect the two were about 80 miles away in Decatur, Alabama.
Then, they vanish.

http://www.cnn.com/2017/03/21/us/tennessee-teacher-manhunt-timeline/

 

[Deleted member 172065]

Greetings! I'm a noobie here and not too far from Columbia, Tn where ET is missing from and have been following the case.

Just a few things I'm wondering about and a couple of theories I'm trying to play through my mind....

Above, fluerdenola had some great points and I wanted to add a few.
On the day they came up missing, there wasn't any school that day. It was out for the day for inservice or something like that.

She also changed her Instagram to "wife" after she met up with him. So evidently he was feeding her a line of bull-oney.

Also with the money he took out, could he have gotten pre-paid Visa and Master Cards and be using those, also cards for fast food so tracking wouldn't be easy? Of course cash is easier, but buying gas at night you wouldn't have to go in and see an attendant?

Now as for food, I'm wondering what they are eating or if he stocked up on stuff beforehand.

I do think he's got some type of phone or device that they are using to keep up with media and keep informed.

My fear is he will get tired of her (like a child) and she will get homesick and what will happen to her then.

Here's a link to the timeline that got me thinking and I'm looking for the one that says school was out that day.
http://abcnews.go.com/US/timeline-a...ee-student-elizabeth-thomas/story?id=46273578

I think it's way more likely that SHE will tire of him.

 

[Deleted member 155000]

In my opinion, he taught principles of Scientific or Criminal Forensics because the 2016/2017 Curriculum Guide for Culleoka lists it under Heath Science. Forensics, when referring to speech and debate, is more typically listed under English/Communication. Trying to find more info to confirm this.

As I mentioned in a few previous posts, this would likely suggest Tad has been studying police and investigative procedure for some time. He'd have a better than average chance of evasion if so.


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[fleurdenola]

Found it!

[h=3]March 13[/h]
It's a professional development day for teachers, so there's no school, according to the district calendar.
Elizabeth tells a sibling that she is leaving and expects to be home by dinner, but if she's not home by 6 p.m., to call the police. James Thomas later tells HLN.
Just before 8 a.m., a friend drops Elizabeth off at a restaurant in Columbia, about 45 miles south of Nashville. Just after 8 a.m., surveillance cameras show Cummins pumping gas nearby, according to authorities. By that afternoon, authorities suspect the two were about 80 miles away in Decatur, Alabama.
Then, they vanish.

http://www.cnn.com/2017/03/21/us/tennessee-teacher-manhunt-timeline/

So, what triggered someone reporting her missing at 12:41pm, especially since she explicitly gave her sister the timeframe of 6pm.

 

[J4cknsal1y]

Yikes, thread 3 already...

I haven't caught up yet so both marking my spot and thinking out loud..

I can see social media being a must have for a 15 year old. Maybe the two of them made an IG account together- before they left, so it wouldn't stand out as much? Those siblings surely she'd want to check in on, they both posted SO much, and the habit of SM and the general curiosity of what people would say once they left...I think it's possible they are keeping tabs and indulging in Instagram still.

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I wonder if that's why both of their instagram pages seem to be so wide open for all to see. That way they can still keep tabs without having to sign into an account. I'm not sure, but signing in may be risky as it may somehow transmit the location they signed in from. Moo


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[StalkerStalker]

"National Forest or the like campground " will be the 1st places LE will concentrate efforts.