Tad Cummins and Elizabeth Thomas Latest News: How Did Cummins Evade Authorities for Nearly a Month?
How did 50-year-old Tad Cummins and his 15-year-old "brainwashed" student Elizabeth Thomas evade authorities for nearly a month? Their story was detailed recently by FBI Agent Utley Nobel at the court hearing.
Investigators say that a week before they started their cross-country trip, Cummins and Thomas both met at a restaurant parking lot to discuss their plans, reports reveal. On March 13, they met up at Shoney's restaurant in Columbia. The pair headed south on Interstate 65, and then to Decaturville, Alabama. They crossed Birmingham before they stopped at Mississippi for their first night.
From Mississippi, the pair made their way to Oklahoma City, where they stopped at a Walmart, and were caught on surveillance. Authorities, however, would only see this two weeks after. They stayed in Oklahoma for two nights, transferring from one Super 8 motel to another, before heading off to Colorado.
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It was in Colorado where Cummins decided they assume Hispanic pseudonyms, as he planned on going to Mexico. Cummins assumed 40-year-old John Castro, while Elizabeth pretended to be his 24-year-old wife, Joanne.
Cummins and Thomas then headed west, to Utah, before traveling to Nevada and then San Diego, where he bought a $1,500 kayak, which they were going to use to cross the border.
As Cummins was running out of money, he got in touch with an acquaintance called Griffin who provided them with cash and gasoline. At that time, Griffin did not know who they were, but as soon as he was able to identify him, he contacted the authorities.
Elizabeth first met the health sciences teacher at Culleoka Unit High School in Maury County, Tennessee. She was 15. According to her sister, Sarah Thomas, who was with her when she first met Cummins, the teacher came off as creepy in their first encounter. It was the start of the school year in 2016 when they met Cummins. He rubbed their shoulders and ran his hands on their backs.
"Elizabeth looked at me with her eyes, like, 'This guy is scary, get this guy off,' " Sarah tells People.
Cummins was initially charged with a federal crime on April 20. He has yet to be indicted, and could possibly face additional charges.
