Tennessee Manhunt

Tennessee police are still searching for a missing 15 year old teen and her former high school teacher.

Elizabeth Thomas has been missing since March 13th and 50 year old Tad Cummins is charged in her abduction.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigations says Cummins may be hiding her or that they have left the state entirely.

The girl's father, Anthony Thomas says he thought something suspicious was going on days before she left but his daughter never made mention of her teacher.

The two were reportedly caught kissing by another student in late January and reported it to school administrators.

The school opened an investigation but it still took a week for the Maury County Sheriff's Department notified her father about the alleged incident.

Elizabeth and Cummins denied the allegation.

He referred to the freshman as "a really good friend" and the two spoke when she needed a sounding board.

In the report, another faculty member, identified as "Teacher 1" says she never witnessed anything inappropriate but Cummins,

"should have a better boundary between his role as the student's teacher and the student's friend."

The initial report concluded that they couldn't prove the kiss was true, but they decided that Elizabeth to be taken out of Cummins class and to bring any issues she wanted to speak about to a counselor. 

Days later on February 4th, Cummins was reprimanded after Elizabeth was back in his classroom for half an hour.

The attorney for Elizabeth's father, Jason Whatley says in a letter on February 6th that the school didn't do enough to protect the teen from her teacher.

"If it is true that contact between this student and Mr. Cummins has continued in light of these allegations, I can tell you that my client will use whatever legal means are at his disposal, including filing suit, to assist Maury County Schools in protecting (Elizabeth) from Mr. Cummins." 

Elizabeth was last seen being dropped off at a diner miles away from Nashville and at the same time, Cummins was caught on tape pumping gas at a station nearby.

Police say Cummins is driving a silver Nissan Rogue, has about $4,500 in cash and two guns.

He has been placed on Tennessee's most-wanted list and is charged with aggravated kidnapping and sexual misconduct with a minor.


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