Thomas and Cummins were found on April 20 at a remote cabin in northern California the teen was "healthy and unharmed," authorities said, and Cummins was taken into custody. He now faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years, the release states. A school report from January said that neither one "admitted to behaving inappropriately towards the other." Cummins was a teacher at Culleoka Unit School when he kidnapped freshman student Elizabeth Thomas in March 2017. 23, according to a school district investigative report, but both denied the claim. One of Thomas' schoolmates reported seeing her and Cummins kiss in his classroom on Jan. An Amber Alert was issued and police across the country searched for more than a month before finding them thousands of miles away in California.Ĭummins, who was fired from his teaching job one day after the alleged kidnapping, had allegedly researched teen marriage online and specifically the age of consent, according to law enforcement officials. On March 13, Thomas went missing with Tad Cummins, then 50, a married father and grandfather. No matter what we do, we’ll have to deal with it." "It was an experience I'll have to live with the rest of my life. "I don’t regret it, nor do I say it was the right thing to do," Elizabeth Thomas told the Columbia Daily Herald over five months after she was found. Maury County Schools, where Cummins taught until he was fired the day after he disappeared with Thomas, released a statement on the conclusion of the case.— - Elizabeth Thomas, the Tennessee teenager allegedly kidnapped by her former teacher, said she doesn't regret leaving town with him in her first interview since being rescued. Thursday, Cummins remained in the custody of the Siskiyou County jail where he’s being held without bond, awaiting extradition to Tennessee. A student reportedly witnessed him kiss Thomas while at school in late January.Īs of 6 p.m. Attorney Jack Smith said the federal charge carries a required minimum sentence of 10 years behind bars, but the former Maury County teacher’s sentence could be “possibly quite longer.”Cummins also faces one count of sexual contact with a minor from an incident that allegedly happened earlier this year. He now also faces a federal charge of transportation of a minor across state lines for the purpose of having criminal sexual intercourse.Ĭummins could face eight to 12 years on the aggravated kidnapping charge and acting U.S. The 50-year-old already faced one count of kidnapping in the case, which has since been upgraded to aggravated kidnapping. When day broke, Cummins was spotted and taken into custody without further incident after he walked out of the cabin on Eddy Gulch Road. The area was a “very remote, isolated area with no or limited cell phone service.”ĭeputies ultimately located Cummins’ Nissan Rogue, which had the license plate removed but was verified through its VIN number, and kept the SUV under surveillance for hours. TBI spokesman Josh DeVine said they notified authorities in Siskiyou County, who had “challenges to overcome” in locating the pair. Central Wednesday night from a California resident who said he believed he saw Thomas and Cummins and had information they had taken up residence in cabin in Cecilville over the last week and a half. The TBI says they received a tip at 11 p.m. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation announced Tad Cummins, 50, was taken into custody and Elizabeth Thomas was safely rescued in Cecilville, California, in Siskiyou County. Tennessee Bureau of Investigation The search for missing teen Elizabeth Thomas. CECILVILLE, CA ( WKRN) -The former Tennessee teacher accused of kidnapping a 15-year-old student was arrested Thursday at a northern California cabin. Tad Cummins and Elizabeth Thomas, who disappeared March 13, are seen in this photo taken in January 2017.
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