Tad Cummins' Wife Says Elizabeth Thomas Was Exploited by Her Husband
Jill Cummins, the wife of Tad Cummins, has recently spoken up about the circumstances surrounding the alleged romantic relationship between her husband and 15-year-old Tennessee student Elizabeth Thomas, and the subsequent suspected kidnapping of the teenager in March.
Tad and Elizabeth both disappeared in March and were later found in mid-April in the remote Siskiyou County of Northern California where they were living in a cabin.
In an interview with Inside Edition, Jill revealed that she felt betrayed by the teenager for getting romantically involved with her husband. According to Tad's wife, Elizabeth visited the couple several times, and they were helping the girl get through some difficult times. She even thought of her as another daughter.
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While Jill did not think an affair between her husband and the teenager would be possible, she did warn Tad to stay away from Elizabeth when she noticed that he was getting a little too friendly with the young teen.
"He was getting really close to her," Jill said. "A father-daughter close, a friendship close, and I knew that. I discussed that with him. And explained to him, 'She's your student, you can't be so close to her.'"
She went on to add, "Never did I think there was a romantic thing between the two of them. There were no signs of that."
Jill filed for divorce from Tad after it was determined that he disappeared with Elizabeth in March. She agreed that the teenager may have been exploited, and perhaps even brainwashed by her husband into running away with him.
"I feel slightly betrayed by her because she knew me," she said. "I don't really want to talk to her. It's not the right time. Maybe one day."
After five weeks of going off the radar, Cummins and the teenager were tracked down at a remote cabin in Cecilville, California when a tipster recognized them and alerted the authorities.
After they were found, Elizabeth has reunited with her family while Cummins was arrested. He faces one federal count of transporting a minor with the intent of engaging in sexual activity across state lines.
Tad has not entered a plea, but he is expected to be transferred to the federal court in Tennessee in the coming weeks.
