After more than five weeks of searching, missing Tennessee teenager Elizabeth Thomas has been found safe in Northern California and the man accused of abducting her, former teacher Tad Cummins, has been arrested.
The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation announced the news on Twitter Thursday afternoon. No additional details were provided, pending a news conference scheduled for 3 p.m. Central Time at the bureau’s headquarters in Nashville.
According to The Tennessean, Cummins’ vehicle was found Wednesday in Siskiyou County, California. It’s not unclear if that is the same county where authorities located him and Elizabeth. Siskiyou County lies approximately 120 miles from the California-Oregon state line.
Authorities issued an Amber Alert for the Columbia, Tennessee, 15-year-old after her parents reported her missing on March 13. At that time, authorities said they suspected Cummins, the girl’s former teacher, had abducted her.
Prior to Elizabeth’s disappearance, Cummins had been suspended from his job as a health sciences teacher for allegedly inappropriate contact with her. Another student at Culleoka Unit School reported seeing Cummins kiss the girl on the lips in January. When school officials questioned Elizabeth about the incident, she allegedly denied that it happened.
“The 50-year-old may have been abusing his role as a teacher to groom this vulnerable young girl for some time in an effort to lure and potentially sexually exploit her,” the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said in a March press release.
School officials have been criticized for waiting until February to suspend Cummins. He was only formally dismissed the day after Elizabeth went missing.
Prior to Cummins’ capture, District Attorney General Brent Cooper had already filed multiple charges against him, including aggravated kidnapping. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation also added Cummins to its Top 10 Most Wanted list and was offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to his capture.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
David Lohr covers crime and missing persons. Tips? Feedback? Send an email or follow him on Twitter.
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