Attorney: Family says Tennesee Amber Alert victim once hid from suspected kidnapper
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) – Nearly two weeks since the disappearance of missing Maury County teen Elizabeth Thomas, there are claims from her father that suggest she once hid from Tad Cummins at her workplace.
One of the Thomas family’s attorneys stated that Elizabeth’s father said Cummins went into Elizabeth’s work and begged a coworker to tell him she wasn’t there.
Elizabeth reportedly hid in the bathroom while Cummins was in the business.
Elizabeth’s friend Ashlee Riggins says she just hopes she makes it home safely.
“She’s helped me through so many things, she’s been there with me through the hard times. I want her back, I want my best friend back,” said Ashlee.
Thomas is a 15-year-old white female, with hazel eyes, stands 5 feet tall and weighs 120 pounds. She was last seen wearing a flannel shirt and black leggings.
Elizabeth Thomas was last seen on March 13 after she was dropped off at the Shoney’s in Columbia by a friend around 8 a.m.
She was reported missing later that same day by her parents and is believed to be in the company of 50-year-old Tad Cummins, who is believed to be armed with two handguns.
Cummins is a white male, who stands 6 feet tall, weighs approximately 200 pounds, and has brown hair and eyes. He’s believed to be armed with two handguns.
He faces kidnapping in the Amber Alert case and is also charged with sexual contact with a minor after he allegedly kissed Thomas at school earlier this year.
As of Saturday afternoon, the TBI had received 985 tips, with 116 still open and being pursued.