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

[Dr.Strangelove]

Of course. I hope it is. That doesn't erase years of abuse and disruption in attachment to your primary caregiver (mother) as a result. The physical changes in the brain keep the brain on alarm mode even when physical safety is met (hopefully current home). Emotional and psychological safety can take a lot longer to obtain. Jm(professional)o.

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Oh believe me, I know from personal experience. I thought a discussion was being brought up about her current home life

 

[midtoe47]

Just saw that WKRN.com just posted e-mail investigation. The were communicating via draft mails with a lot of
inappropriate language.

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[midtoe47]

Sorry if this was already posted. Am new here.

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[Mom24]

Just hit me that water is the most important thing, so if they are camping out somewhere they'd have to be close to a place they can get drinking water.

 

[Heavenlystars]

With these roadside campsites, there is no registration, first come first serve. My husband and I used these campsites before. Plenty of fresh mountain water too!

 

[Deleted member 155000]

Bess, I'm thinking Wheeler Refuge is the most promising, but I'm not sure if they can enter undetected.

Let me see what I can find out about that. Thanks.

 

[SouthernCutie]

I've been wondering about that bag as well. The article I read stated employees saw the bag after she ran out the door to get in the car with TC..... then it was "gone" later in the day? What the what??? Wouldn't a Shoney's employee have immediately put it behind the counter before seating the table again? Color me wayyy confused with regard to the left behind bag.


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Was a bartender/waitress many years as my parents owned a restaurant and when a table was all cleaned and bussed anything left behind i.e. glasses, purses, keys and definitely bookbags would have been put behind the cash register or hostess stand. So either they leave their tables dirty a really long time or someone sat it up front where she could see it coming back in. Most Shoney's have a waiting area at the front door with a bench seat along the wall. IMO the bag must have been sat there or else someone would've had to hand it back to her.

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[Daisy47]

Maybe they just weren't on Instagram. My parents are a little older than he is, but neither one of them use Instragram even though they both do use Facebook.

True but not all of their friends would be their age, and he has grown children that likely use Instagram. I think they just didn't know he had an IG account. (I wouldn't look for my Dad on IG, as I'd assume if he was there he'd let us know, or it would be linked to FB).

Annnnddddd.... I'm older than Todd and LOVE IG! Much prefer it over FB. Yet I do get that not everyone is as cool as me. #cashmeoutside #howboudah Lol. Ok, confession..... not really cool, just love following my daughters, nieces, nephews etc. (And sharing pics of my 5 amazing grandies).


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[Greater Than]

Hi everyone.

Please start making your way over to Thread #5.

This thread will close in about 10 minutes.

Thanks :seeya:

 

[Mom24]

Let me see what I can find out about that. Thanks.

They don't allow overnight camping either, but I'm thinking the other ones are just too far away. I know we have areas here where they're not supposed to overnight, but LE look the other way if a homeless person is camping out. I'm assuming the same may hold for this place.

 

[Deleted member 155000]

Bess, I'm thinking Wheeler Refuge is the most promising, but I'm not sure if they can enter undetected.

Wheeler State Park campground has campground sites between $16.50 to $29 a day, $150 week, $550 month.

They also have cabins, a lodge, cottages, and "fishermen's cabins." Here's the site: http://www.alapark.com/joe-wheeler-state-park-campground

 

[pegs]

*

Mary Catherine Elizabeth Thomas was reported missing on Monday. (Source: TBI)

COLUMBIA, TN (WSMV) -

The Amber Alert for Elizabeth Thomas could result in a law change if the district attorney has anything to say about it.


MORE

Special Section: The Search for Elizabeth Thomas



Continuing coverage in the search for Elizabeth Thomas, who has been missing 12 days.

Investigators have stressed that even if Thomas wanted to leave with Tad Cummins, she is 15 and has no business being with a 50-year-old. But according to District Attorney Brent Cooper, the law doesn’t reflect that.

Depending on how this plays out, it’s possible Cummins could walk away with a misdemeanor.

Cooper said finding an appropriate charge was a struggle. Prosecutors first issued a warrant for inappropriate contact with a minor, a misdemeanor.

“It only got on the books last year,” Cooper said. “And thankfully it did or we would have been in real trouble, because all we would have had would have been a runaway petition on her and nothing on him.”

Prosecutors have now issued a warrant for aggravated kidnapping, but they will have to prove Thomas was taken against her will. As the law stands now, if the child is over the age of 13 and they leave willingly with an adult, it’s not kidnapping.

“It should be irrelevant that she went willingly. She’s 15 and he’s in a position where he certainly should have known better,” Cooper said.

Cooper is proposing a new law. He said if an adult leaves with any minor under the age of 18 without the guardian’s consent, it should be considered kidnapping.
Cooper said she worries about what could happen if Thomas is found and she says she left of her own free will.

“That’s definitely going to hinder our prosecution. It may not completely rule it out, but it’s definitely going to hinder it and make it more difficult,” he said.

http://www.wsmv.com/story/34967802/da-hopes-amber-alert-will-result-in-law-change?



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Well this is interesting and disheartening. So it hinges on going 'willingly.' Then I wonder how they handle cases where there was clear grooming, manipulation and possible Stockholm Syndrome going on? How can someone be considered 'willing' if there is evidence of brainwashing? Wouldn't that be a mitigating factor?

 

[Daisy47]

It really disgusts me how some people on SM and other sites are defending this man- not even defending him but claim he's going through a 'mid-life crisis,' needs help, or wasn't completely at fault because ET played a role in it as well. NO, he is a sick pedophile and is a big danger to society. ET wasn't the first student to go to church with him or spend a lot of time with him in his classroom- many students and one particular female student- have stated that they went to his classroom whenever they wanted to have fun or 'hang out.' He obviously used methods to make them feel like they could trust him (he looks like he TRIES to dress younger, talks jovially, jokes around, is 'laid-back').
All this plus buying ET gifts and putting ideas in her head was the perfect recipe for taking advantage of that abused child. He is a pervert.

IMO the majority of those defending TC are kids themselves (at least I HOPE so) and as such, naive.


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[SouthernCutie]

*

Mary Catherine Elizabeth Thomas was reported missing on Monday. (Source: TBI)

COLUMBIA, TN (WSMV) -

The Amber Alert for Elizabeth Thomas could result in a law change if the district attorney has anything to say about it.


MORE

Special Section: The Search for Elizabeth Thomas



Continuing coverage in the search for Elizabeth Thomas, who has been missing 12 days.

Investigators have stressed that even if Thomas wanted to leave with Tad Cummins, she is 15 and has no business being with a 50-year-old. But according to District Attorney Brent Cooper, the law doesn’t reflect that.

Depending on how this plays out, it’s possible Cummins could walk away with a misdemeanor.

Cooper said finding an appropriate charge was a struggle. Prosecutors first issued a warrant for inappropriate contact with a minor, a misdemeanor.

“It only got on the books last year,” Cooper said. “And thankfully it did or we would have been in real trouble, because all we would have had would have been a runaway petition on her and nothing on him.”

Prosecutors have now issued a warrant for aggravated kidnapping, but they will have to prove Thomas was taken against her will. As the law stands now, if the child is over the age of 13 and they leave willingly with an adult, it’s not kidnapping.

“It should be irrelevant that she went willingly. She’s 15 and he’s in a position where he certainly should have known better,” Cooper said.

Cooper is proposing a new law. He said if an adult leaves with any minor under the age of 18 without the guardian’s consent, it should be considered kidnapping.
Cooper said she worries about what could happen if Thomas is found and she says she left of her own free will.

“That’s definitely going to hinder our prosecution. It may not completely rule it out, but it’s definitely going to hinder it and make it more difficult,” he said.

http://www.wsmv.com/story/34967802/da-hopes-amber-alert-will-result-in-law-change?



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I just want to repost this because as a mother of a daughter in TN I had no idea someone unrelated could take my minor child across state lines and it be hard to prosecute them for kidnapping. IMO they will have no trouble changing the law


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[SouthernCutie]

Well this is interesting and disheartening. So it hinges on going 'willingly.' Then I wonder how they handle cases where there was clear grooming, manipulation and possible Stockholm Syndrome going on? How can someone be considered 'willing' if there is evidence of brainwashing? Wouldn't that be a mitigating factor?

I'm hoping they used this language to lure him in? I live here with a daughter this terrifies and confused me. How can you take a minor unrelated to you and it be difficult to prosecute? Smh only in TN if I were in Miami still it would be a felony.

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[midtoe47]

Just a thought about the bag. Maybe she left it on purpose, went to nearby dive motel, changed appearances, and came back to see if anyone recognized her with new clothes and new hair. Just a thought. That might account for some of the time before it was gone. It was also reported they didn't know if the clothes in the camera view were the ones in the bag or not. Would the girlfriend who dropped her off be able to clear that up.

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[Greater Than]

This thread is now closed.

Please continue discussion at Thread #5.