Law enforcement has received 1,100 tips on the whereabouts of 15-year-old Elizabeth Thomas since her disappearance from Maury County March 13. But none of the leads have panned out. And investigators say they’re still not sure that Thomas sees herself as a victim.
“Right now, Elizabeth may not realize she is a victim. But she is,” Tennessee Bureau of Investigation director Mark Gwyn said at a press conference Tuesday. “This was not a romance. This was a manipulation.”
Thomas is presumed to be with a teacher who was fired for having an inappropriate relationship with her. Tad Cummins is 50, and she is a high school freshman.
Maury County Sheriff Bucky Rowland says it has become clear that Cummings put great thought into what law enforcement considers a kidnapping.
“This is a very well planned and executed plan to leave our community, but he’s going to slip up, or hopefully he’ll come back to reality that this is not a good idea,” Rowland said.
A recent tip led investigators to start thinking the pair could have driven to Mexico. Law enforcement say the map of where they could be expands by the day. They encourage anyone who thinks they see them to call local police immediately. So far, tips have been too delayed to be of any help.
AMBER ALERT: Here’s the latest in our ongoing search for Tad Cummins and Elizabeth Thomas. #TNAMBERAlerthttps://t.co/vzOtcb7XCNpic.twitter.com/C1GzTELf3u— TBI (@TBInvestigation) March 21, 2017
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