Found Safe TN - Mary Catherine Elizabeth Thomas, 15, Maury County, 13 March 2017 #1

[Renee110]

First time checking in today. I cannot believe there have been no sightings of these two! I wonder if either of them have family in other states. If my memory serves me, wasn't it suggested yesterday that they might be headed for Alabama? Why Alabama?

As far as "she is not a baby....she knew what she was doing", my response is, yes she really is a baby! She simply does not have the emotional maturity to make this kind of decision separate from him cajoling her. He is a predator, pure and simple!

15 is young.... (modsnip) people who try to make her an adult an the innocent... (modsnip) ?

 

[Renee110]

I am concerned that the description of the victim is wrong..... according to a family friend she is not 5'5 she is under 5 foot.... and is worried that people are looking for a tall person....
http://fox17.com/news/local/family-friend-shares-message-with-missing-maury-co-teen

 

[bestill]

I'm more worried that the description of the suspect is way off base! He's huge and looks much older than the pics on AA.

http://wkrn.com/2017/03/17/tbi-to-hold-press-conference-on-amber-alert-in-maury-county/

 

[Inspector Gidget]

I watched the presser and IMO ET is in grave danger.Tad is now on the top 10 most wanted list at TBI,he lost his teaching job ,and all his family knows.He has nothing left to lose.He has firearms with him,which leads me to believe he is desperate to get away.My fear is that this girls life will not be spared by him,if it all goes down.I think at this point he has risked a lot and he counts her as being his to keep.From the looks of his recent pictures,he looks like he has let himself go as far as grooming goes.I can't believe a 15 year old would be content in this situation and so far from family and friends.I think she is probably very scared.Let's hope he comes to his senses and lets her go,

 

[EllieBee]

Exactly. I worry that he may feel he can never return because of the damage he has done and the thought of going to prison. If he does feel that way, I really hope he drops her off somewhere safe first...:candle: .....she has her entire life ahead of her, this is just a speed bump...

I like the way you worded this....."speed bump", indeed.

She is not at fault. And she can move on. With love and support.

 

[Kapua]

I was thinking the same, there are similarities. It took me forever to remember which case that was. It was the case of Brittany Mae Smith, taken by her mother's 32 year old boyfriend, Jeffrey Scott Easley. Her mother Tina Smith was found dead in the home. The social media in this case is hauntingly familiar to that case. Brittany was found safe, so let's hope that we have the same outcome here.

YES! Thank you! That's the case I was thinking of. They went all the way from Virginia to California. But they were discovered within a week. I'm thinking that these two (TC and ET) have left the state and are hundreds of miles from TN now. But I am confident that they will be found.

 

[mbison]

I am concerned that the description of the victim is wrong..... according to a family friend she is not 5'5 she is under 5 foot.... and is worried that people are looking for a tall person....
http://fox17.com/news/local/family-friend-shares-message-with-missing-maury-co-teen

Thats a huge difference.

 

[seemsfishy]

I guess I must be missing something here, as the posters on here, are calling
this guy a pedophile, and kidnapper. Firstly a pedophile is someone who targets
kids, say in the 4 - 11 year old range. This girl is post puberty, and not a kid, so
this guy is no pedophile. Also from what I've read, she went with him on her own
volition- he didn't handcuff her, and throw her in his vehicle. All he should be guilty
of, is having sex with a minor.
In Canada, the legal age of sexual consent was 14 yrs old ( changed 2 yrs ago)
and in many other countries it's 14 yrs old. Most of North America from 1950 and
before lived on farms where girls got married at 14-15 yrs old, and started their
families.
Yes I think we have to draw the line somewhere-like an age of 14, 16, or whatever,
to protect young girls in this complex society. With that being said, I think this
guy is likely harmless with no criminal record, and they are making a Mountain out
of a Mole Hill. I can't believe he's on the FBI's most wanted list. I guess if having
sex with a minor qualifies you for that-the list should be a lot bigger.
They will catch this man, and girl- but I think to big a deal is being made here,
and sleuther's should look at real crimes, like the Delphi murders, of 2 innocent
young girls.-That's MO

 

[EntreNous]

From the looks of his Instagram page it appears he's given this some serious thought. He bought a new-to-him car, he's posting pictures of tropical locations. Is it too far fetched to think he may have obtained false IDs prior to taking her? The several posts about "taking time", "when the time is right", etc. lead me to believe he was getting everything in order before taking off.

 

[EntreNous]

I guess I must be missing something here, as the posters on here, are calling
this guy a pedophile, and kidnapper. Firstly a pedophile is someone who targets
kids, say in the 4 - 11 year old range. This girl is post puberty, and not a kid, so
this guy is no pedophile. Also from what I've read, she went with him on her own
volition- he didn't handcuff her, and throw her in his vehicle. All he should be guilty
of, is having sex with a minor.
In Canada, the legal age of sexual consent was 14 yrs old ( changed 2 yrs ago)
and in many other countries it's 14 yrs old. Most of North America from 1950 and
before lived on farms where girls got married at 14-15 yrs old, and started their
families.
Yes I think we have to draw the line somewhere-like an age of 14, 16, or whatever,
to protect young girls in this complex society. With that being said, I think this
guy is likely harmless with no criminal record, and they are making a Mountain out
of a Mole Hill. I can't believe he's on the FBI's most wanted list. I guess if having
sex with a minor qualifies you for that-the list should be a lot bigger.
They will catch this man, and girl- but I think to big a deal is being made here,
and sleuther's should look at real crimes, like the Delphi murders, of 2 innocent
young girls.-That's MO

What if instead of it being a girl, it was a boy? If it were a boy he'd groomed to be his sexual partner and disappeared with? Would you still feel the same?

 

[mrsu]

I have a sad feeling this is going to end in suicide/double suicide/murder suicide.

 

[Deleted member 155000]

What if instead of it being a girl, it was a boy? If it were a boy he'd groomed to be his sexual partner and disappeared with? Would you still feel the same?

YES. A million times over. Yes.

Adults, especially adults in a position of authority, cannot cross these lines. They are in a position of influence with kids who are often in a very insecure stage of life. And they hold authority/power. It's an absolutely unhealthy and illegal dynamic regardless of the gender of either party.


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[SouthernCutie]

I guess I must be missing something here, as the posters on here, are calling
this guy a pedophile, and kidnapper. Firstly a pedophile is someone who targets
kids, say in the 4 - 11 year old range. This girl is post puberty, and not a kid, so
this guy is no pedophile. Also from what I've read, she went with him on her own
volition- he didn't handcuff her, and throw her in his vehicle. All he should be guilty
of, is having sex with a minor.
In Canada, the legal age of sexual consent was 14 yrs old ( changed 2 yrs ago)
and in many other countries it's 14 yrs old. Most of North America from 1950 and
before lived on farms where girls got married at 14-15 yrs old, and started their
families.
Yes I think we have to draw the line somewhere-like an age of 14, 16, or whatever,
to protect young girls in this complex society. With that being said, I think this
guy is likely harmless with no criminal record, and they are making a Mountain out
of a Mole Hill. I can't believe he's on the FBI's most wanted list. I guess if having
sex with a minor qualifies you for that-the list should be a lot bigger.
They will catch this man, and girl- but I think to big a deal is being made here,
and sleuther's should look at real crimes, like the Delphi murders, of 2 innocent
young girls.-That's MO

I think he's very dangerous he has 2 weapons with him that's one reason he's on the TBI most wanted list plus he's a teacher there's boundaries he was not supposed to cross and by doing so he's a danger to minors IMO

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[xmsmadex]

I guess I must be missing something here, as the posters on here, are calling
this guy a pedophile, and kidnapper. Firstly a pedophile is someone who targets
kids, say in the 4 - 11 year old range. This girl is post puberty, and not a kid, so
this guy is no pedophile. Also from what I've read, she went with him on her own
volition- he didn't handcuff her, and throw her in his vehicle. All he should be guilty
of, is having sex with a minor.
In Canada, the legal age of sexual consent was 14 yrs old ( changed 2 yrs ago)
and in many other countries it's 14 yrs old. Most of North America from 1950 and
before lived on farms where girls got married at 14-15 yrs old, and started their
families.
Yes I think we have to draw the line somewhere-like an age of 14, 16, or whatever,
to protect young girls in this complex society. With that being said, I think this
guy is likely harmless with no criminal record, and they are making a Mountain out
of a Mole Hill. I can't believe he's on the FBI's most wanted list. I guess if having
sex with a minor qualifies you for that-the list should be a lot bigger.
They will catch this man, and girl- but I think to big a deal is being made here,
and sleuther's should look at real crimes, like the Delphi murders, of 2 innocent
young girls.-That's MO

Although I agree with some of what you said there are a few things that change this situation.

He was a teacher making this so not ok. There are a set of standards teachers are held to and having a relationship with a student, yours or not is not ok.

He also took her... its one thing if they were carrying on a relationship, which I still disagree with considering her background, you cant just take a 15 year old away from her family, she is not an adult according to our laws. So no matter how willing she may have been this is kidnapping.

As far as whether he's dangerous or not, I dont know, I believ this began with him truly believing he was her knight in shining armor saving her from a bad home life. He sounds like a teenage boy whos fallin in love for the first time, based on his instagram posts. But like you said this has turned into a huge deal, people are threatening his life and being on the most wanted list is no joke. So if they do run out of money or cant find a place to settle he could get desperate, and she too could begin doubting her decision which could also change his attitude. If he gets scared and desperate who knows what hes capable of.

Its worrisome he felt the need to bring 2 guns, this could just be to prove his secret agent persona to her but they could wind up being used for something else.

 

[SouthernCutie]

I have a sad feeling this is going to end in suicide/double suicide/murder suicide.

That's what I'm afraid of too. The low number of tips his increase in charges I just don't see any reason he'd want to come home. I pray I'm wrong and she's strong enough to escape him eventually. I hope that maybe being with him 24/7 will be too much pressure and she'll come home.

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[Deleted member 155000]

That's what I'm afraid of too. The low number of tips his increase in charges I just don't see any reason he'd want to come home. I pray I'm wrong and she's strong enough to escape him eventually. I hope that maybe being with him 24/7 will be too much pressure and she'll come home.

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The police did say that there was incentive to release her or direct police safely to her--that this could possibly reduce the felony charge via a clause in the law.


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[SouthernCutie]

The police did say that there was incentive to release her or direct police safely to her--that this could possibly reduce the felony charge via a clause in the law.


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Oh good I haven't heard the local news today yet, I'll have to turn it on. Hopefully they just hid somewhere and she does come home soon. Does anyone know how much of a head start they got? I know she was reported missing at around 9am and we didn't get the alert in Middle Tn until almost 6 but I never heard how long they were missing until people started looking.

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[policyoftruth501]

Those recent pics of him make me wonder what a 15 year old girl would ever see in him. My 18!year old daughter would say "he's old".


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[MsArk]

15 is young.... I am (modsnip) the people who try to make her an adult an the innocent.... (modsnip)?

I completely agree! Just think about the difference between a 14/15 yo girl and one who is 17/18. Seems like a big difference to me.

Not that a 50 yo man picking up an 18 yo girl is not creepy.... just less creepy, IMO.

 

[MIKAYOYO]

I guess I must be missing something here, as the posters on here, are calling
this guy a pedophile, and kidnapper. Firstly a pedophile is someone who targets
kids, say in the 4 - 11 year old range. This girl is post puberty, and not a kid, so
this guy is no pedophile. Also from what I've read, she went with him on her own
volition- he didn't handcuff her, and throw her in his vehicle. All he should be guilty
of, is having sex with a minor.
In Canada, the legal age of sexual consent was 14 yrs old ( changed 2 yrs ago)
and in many other countries it's 14 yrs old. Most of North America from 1950 and
before lived on farms where girls got married at 14-15 yrs old, and started their
families.
Yes I think we have to draw the line somewhere-like an age of 14, 16, or whatever,
to protect young girls in this complex society. With that being said, I think this
guy is likely harmless with no criminal record, and they are making a Mountain out
of a Mole Hill. I can't believe he's on the FBI's most wanted list. I guess if having
sex with a minor qualifies you for that-the list should be a lot bigger.
They will catch this man, and girl- but I think to big a deal is being made here,
and sleuther's should look at real crimes, like the Delphi murders, of 2 innocent
young girls.-That's MO

Sorry, but no! She's 15. She may have went with him willingly but he's 50!! There's nothing harmless about this! If it was so harmless then why aren't they out in public professing their love? Why, because it's wrong. If he didn't feel it was wrong he wouldn't be on the run. Period. Moo

Also, if I hadn't been following this here, wouldn't have known about until today when DFW media finally picked it up.