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Speaker 1: And as daylight broke this morning, they were able to

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Speaker 1: take Tad Cummins into custody and safely recovered Elizabeth without incident.

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Speaker 1: Elizabeth Thomas was brand new to the Cologa School in

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Speaker 1: Murray County. She started as a freshman this year, entering

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Speaker 1: the public school system for the very first time. She's fifteen.

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Speaker 1: He's fifty. This is Crime Stories with Nancy Grace to

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Speaker 1: be also the Cummins was a teacher. A student reported

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Speaker 1: seeing Cummins kissing Elizabeth in his classroom in late January.

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Speaker 1: Police arrested Elizabeth's mom, Kimberly Thomas, last year. They charged

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Speaker 1: her with five counts of child abuse and neglect. Hummins

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Speaker 1: told two students he's a father figure to Elizabeth. He's

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Speaker 1: told my daughter from me this afternoon. We couldn't be

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Speaker 1: happier to tell you. She will soon be on her

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Speaker 1: way back. Holliday to Timnesseu. Tad Cummins is arrested. Repeat.

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Speaker 1: Tad Cummings charged with the kidnap of his student, Elizabeth

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Speaker 1: Thomas arrested. Joining me right now, special guest the victims

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Speaker 1: family lawyer Jason Whatley. Jason and the last moments and

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Speaker 1: arrest has gone down on Tad Cummings. What do you know?

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Speaker 1: We know that they're in the northernmost county in California,

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Speaker 1: the largest county along that border. I can even pronounce

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Speaker 1: the name, Cecilville, California, is the closest town we know.

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Speaker 1: It was about two hours away from the sheriff's apartment there.

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Speaker 1: There had been a tip called in last night that

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Speaker 1: law enforcement was able to get to that, and it

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Speaker 1: literally took law enforcement two hours to get out there

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Speaker 1: due to snow that is literally still on the ground

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Speaker 1: out there. Apparently, uh is so remote there wasn't sell service.

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Speaker 1: These details have been trickling, man, because it's having to

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Speaker 1: be radioed into dispatch. It's just amazing. We're just absolutely

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Speaker 1: beside ourselves. All I can say is praise the Lord

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Speaker 1: because I understand that Elizabeth is safe. But we understand

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Speaker 1: that she's physically safe. Right now, um, you know, beyond that,

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Speaker 1: we don't know any details. We're literally in the process

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Speaker 1: of working out what happens next in terms of Anthony

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Speaker 1: going to California. What do we do? You know, what

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Speaker 1: do we do with her? Step one, two and three.

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Speaker 1: We've got some things lined up, but I mean, just

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Speaker 1: this is also overwhelming at this moment. Uh, and the

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Speaker 1: and the details are still trickling. Then is it isn't

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Speaker 1: like we have a flood of information yet. Um, it's uh,

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Speaker 1: it's just a moment by moment. How did the father respond?

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Speaker 1: Poor guy? Look, Anthony is is is beside himself. He

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Speaker 1: really he's at a loss for words right now. His

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Speaker 1: focus is on just getting to her. That's his focus.

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Speaker 1: You know. I. I know that you're racing, but I

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Speaker 1: just want you to know. When I heard that she

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Speaker 1: was found, say, I just couldn't believe it. I've been

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Speaker 1: so afraid all along this would end badly. And to

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Speaker 1: think he has her out there and this snow and

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Speaker 1: these conditions, doing anything to get away from authorities. I'm

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Speaker 1: just you know, if this is really a miracle, you

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Speaker 1: know that, right, And it's gonna be an uphill battle

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Speaker 1: from here. She's probably brainwashed. Yeah, well, let's just pray

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Speaker 1: for the best. Let's pray that that she can quickly

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Speaker 1: recover from this. And so we're gonna we're gonna do

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Speaker 1: everything in our power. This community is going to rally together.

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Speaker 1: We're gonna get her through this. Uh, and we're gonna

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Speaker 1: see her through the other side. So so Jason, before

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Speaker 1: you go, I have one last question. My last question

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Speaker 1: is this. Do you know how they managed to find them?

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Speaker 1: It was a tip called in by someone who had

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Speaker 1: seen their car um at this particular commune. It's a

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Speaker 1: commune this, that's what they're calling it. Um and uh.

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Speaker 1: The tip was called in last night and through whatever

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Speaker 1: channels they had over there with local law enforcement, they

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Speaker 1: were able to confirm the car and they found them

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Speaker 1: next to that car, which is amazing to me. The

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Speaker 1: Nissan rogue that we all assumed was long gone was

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Speaker 1: still there, still running. Okay, Jason Whiteley, run run and no.

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Speaker 1: Our prayers are with you and the family. Thank you, Nancy,

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Speaker 1: and now joining me as special guest Dr Karen Stark, psychologist, Karen,

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Speaker 1: I am overwhelmed. I have been beside myself about this girl,

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Speaker 1: Elizabeth Thomas, taken by her teacher, of all people, Tad Cummins.

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Speaker 1: And what really burned me up all along, Karen, is

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Speaker 1: people going online. I know it had to be men,

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Speaker 1: no offense aland really it's not. Men individually are wonderful,

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Speaker 1: but as a group there well, I I won't say

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Speaker 1: um anyway, they would write online. They would write comments

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Speaker 1: that why are we looking for this girl? She went willingly?

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Speaker 1: A fifteen year old girl who has been homeschooled her

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Speaker 1: whole life, who has been allegedly beaten and abused in

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Speaker 1: many ways by her own mother, with nine siblings and

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Speaker 1: a father that works out of town. She enters school

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Speaker 1: for the first time in public school, and this teacher

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Speaker 1: abducts her. She used to hide from him, Karen. She

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Speaker 1: hid from him. She did not want to go with him,

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Speaker 1: and if she did go willingly, she was brainwashed. I'm

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Speaker 1: just telling you, And people would write him, why do

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Speaker 1: you care she went on her own? This is romantic.

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Speaker 1: I guess if date rape is romantic, then this is romantic.

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Speaker 1: But I guess there was a time where people just

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Speaker 1: didn't understand that developmentally, you're not able to make that

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Speaker 1: kind of decision for yourself when you're a fifteen year

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Speaker 1: old girl. And if you look at it, Nancy, I mean, Karen, Karen,

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Speaker 1: you can't even buy cigarettes at and there's there's a

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Speaker 1: reason for that. You can't make a moral decision, and

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Speaker 1: you can't make one with being able to weigh the

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Speaker 1: facts about what's happening and It's a perfect storm in

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Speaker 1: terms of who she is. She just went through tremendous trauma.

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Speaker 1: She's already been exposed sexually, and when that happens with

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Speaker 1: her mother in the in the incidents that I had

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Speaker 1: read about where you know, her mother made her take

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Speaker 1: off her clothes and think children blamed themselves. So she's

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Speaker 1: already not understanding what happened to her and gets exposed

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Speaker 1: to this teacher without really being able to be in

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Speaker 1: the bigger world, in a wider world where she understood

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Speaker 1: people and understood relationships. She was so vulnerable and you know, Karen,

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Speaker 1: She's gonna carry this around with her the rest of

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Speaker 1: her life. But the good knees right now, everybody. Elizabeth

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Speaker 1: Thomas has been found with the former Middle Tennessee teacher

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Speaker 1: Tad Cummins. They were found in northern California. Elizabeth Thomas

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Speaker 1: Thomas with Tad Cummins is safe, according to the TB.

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Speaker 1: I now we have just learned from her father's lawyer,

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Speaker 1: Jason Watley, that they were found at a commune in

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Speaker 1: northern California. Of course, snow on the ground, still in

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Speaker 1: that same Nissan that he took off in. And I

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Speaker 1: was researching earlier and found where Karen, the wife, did

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Speaker 1: not believe the kissing incident for many many days after

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Speaker 1: it was reported. And really I don't blame the wife.

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Speaker 1: I wouldn't believe it either. I think it was a

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Speaker 1: bunch of hooey. But and then to find out so

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Speaker 1: horribly that your husband has betrayed you in such a

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Speaker 1: way must have been awful. Although I wonder, Nancy, it's

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Speaker 1: hard to believe that this just came out of nowhere.

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Speaker 1: And when people want to stay their marriage, there's a

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Speaker 1: lot that they're in denial about. And I'm not saying

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Speaker 1: that with anything intentional, but on some level, there is

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Speaker 1: a possibility that she's she's realized something about him before this,

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Speaker 1: after thirty one years, it would be a surprise if

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Speaker 1: nothing hinted that he was interested in the young girls.

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Speaker 1: If well, you know what, You got a point, Karen,

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Speaker 1: because it came out and we interviewed the then young

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Speaker 1: girl that he was singing love songs to. I just

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Speaker 1: want to gag even saying that a high school teacher

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Speaker 1: singing love songs to a little girl, it's sick. And

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Speaker 1: then what we understand, Karen is after this whole thing

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Speaker 1: crack edwine open. Other faculty members at the school were

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Speaker 1: basically calling Elizabeth the tramp, like it's her fault. They

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Speaker 1: just they just don't understand Dance that she's not able

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Speaker 1: to make that decision, even if she consciously said yes,

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Speaker 1: they're not understanding developmentally, there's a reason why she's considered

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Speaker 1: a minor because she can't make those kind of choices,

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Speaker 1: not the way you would or I would. And it's

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Speaker 1: so easy to blame the victim in this case. You know,

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Speaker 1: it is it is, and that's what so many people

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Speaker 1: are doing. He had really gone a long way with her,

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Speaker 1: Alan do you joining Karen Stark and I They had

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Speaker 1: made it all the way to Susky Yow County. It's

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Speaker 1: a remote area in the Shasta Trinity National Forest, and

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Speaker 1: it's only about a hundred and twenty miles south of

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Speaker 1: the California Oregon state line. Where do you think he

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Speaker 1: was heading. I think he got to where he was heading, Nancy.

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Speaker 1: It's a commune, it's a it's a place that you

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Speaker 1: go to hide away. I mean, this is a very

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Speaker 1: rural area. This is where people are known to go

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Speaker 1: and hide and it was really in one of our

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Speaker 1: theories about what he might do, but he found a commune.

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Speaker 1: I understand that he had taken the license plate, the

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Speaker 1: Tennessee license plate off of his his rogue, and but

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Speaker 1: it was still recognized. Somebody thought it was suspicious that

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Speaker 1: it didn't have a license plate. Also another detail, I

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Speaker 1: understand that yesterday he went into a saloon, a bar

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Speaker 1: near this place and asked for a job. And that

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Speaker 1: is one of the things that raised suspicion and led

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Speaker 1: to the tip to law enforcement. Yeah, Karen, can you

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Speaker 1: imagine the life having her living with him on a

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Speaker 1: commune while he worked in a bar, hiding out under

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Speaker 1: a false name. I mean, this is a little girl.

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Speaker 1: She's fifteen years old, you know, Karen, you know my

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Speaker 1: twins very very well. That's just six years from now.

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Speaker 1: That's not even six years. That's that five and a

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Speaker 1: half years from now for Lucy with her teacher living

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Speaker 1: in a commune and the teacher working at a bar

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Speaker 1: in northern California. Oh, hell, would know no fury compared

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Speaker 1: to my wrath, let me tell you that much. I

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Speaker 1: bet her father is beside himself. And another thing, Karen

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Speaker 1: Tad Cummins, you know, under Tennessee law, if you bring

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Speaker 1: back the victim, or you even give information to authorities

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Speaker 1: so they can find the kidnapped victim, your sentence is greatly,

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Speaker 1: greatly reduced under the law that it's not up to

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Speaker 1: the judge's discretion. That's something within the Tennessee law. Well,

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Speaker 1: that ship has sailed, Tad commons, that ship has sailed.

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Speaker 1: He's looking down the wrong end of the barrel on

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Speaker 1: this one, Karen, absolutely no proof that he was even

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Speaker 1: contemplating that. Just the opposite man he was. He was

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Speaker 1: actually trying to stay there, get a job, and intended

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Speaker 1: to stay in this situation. And we have no idea

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Speaker 1: what it was like for her, but I could tell

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Speaker 1: you that at that age, at fifteen, your development in

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Speaker 1: your brain has not been completed, not nearly, and her

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Speaker 1: frontal lobe, the decision making part, the executive decision making part,

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Speaker 1: is not there. And so anyone who would say that

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Speaker 1: she's a tramp, I'm thinking about what you said. It

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Speaker 1: makes it's so horrible and so unfair because he's in

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Speaker 1: a position of authorities, he's older, and she's actually, as

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Speaker 1: you said, brainwashed. Maybe his frontal lobe has a problem too.

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Speaker 1: Your problem with that is that he's a sexual molested.

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Speaker 1: That's his problem. Well, that's yes, yeah, that's his first problem.

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Speaker 1: He's got another legal issue in California. He's charged with

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Speaker 1: aggravated kidnapping because they believe that he took two handguns

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Speaker 1: with him. If he brought those out here to California

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Speaker 1: and they still are in his possession, those handguns will

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Speaker 1: get him a pretty serious weapons charge. You know, I

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Speaker 1: appreciate you worrying about his handguns. I'm more worried about

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Speaker 1: a possible statutory rate charge on the girl worl to

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Speaker 1: hey with his handguns. But you're right, as you often

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Speaker 1: are allan do you. You're right about that. But he

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Speaker 1: is coming home to Tennessee, whether he fights extradition or not.

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Speaker 1: Extradition is really just a rubber stamping. He is coming

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Speaker 1: home to Tennessee to face the music. He dance to

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Speaker 1: the music. Now it's time to pay the piper. But pedophile,

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Speaker 1: any kind of jail term for this man is going

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Speaker 1: to be helped statutory rape. He could face those charges

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Speaker 1: here in California as well. In other words, this guy

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Speaker 1: no longer has just a Columbia Tennessee legal problem. He's

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Speaker 1: got a California problem. Well, I can tell you this much.

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Speaker 1: I think the first thing that's going to happen is

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Speaker 1: the Tennessee Governor is going to file is going to

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Speaker 1: sign an extradition document and that's pro forma. Okay, they're

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Speaker 1: gonna ship him home. I don't know how they're going

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Speaker 1: to get her home. I guess her dad will fly

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Speaker 1: to California or they will fly her to him. And

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Speaker 1: this has got to be handled very delicately. You know,

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Speaker 1: I'm just a trial lawyer, Karen start. How do you

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Speaker 1: approach Elizabeth? Who should approach or what should they do

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Speaker 1: to reintegrate her back into her family? How do you

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Speaker 1: do that? She has to be with a psychologist Nancy

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Speaker 1: symbody like me, and she needs to be treated with

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Speaker 1: tremendous respect, kid gloves without any kind of actuization, and

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Speaker 1: so they need to get close to her to enable

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Speaker 1: her to talk about what the experience was like. And

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Speaker 1: more than anything, she needs to be told that she

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Speaker 1: did nothing wrong, that she could not have made this

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Speaker 1: decision in a in a way that an adult could

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Speaker 1: make it, and that needs to be reinforced over and

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Speaker 1: over again, because the self blame in a situation like

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Speaker 1: this is horrendous. Ted Cummins will very same be on

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Speaker 1: his way back to Tennessee as well Elizabeth Thomas, and

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Speaker 1: our prayers continue on for not only Elizabeth's family, but

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Speaker 1: for the family of Tad Cummins, because I think they

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Speaker 1: were blindsided with this. Now, Karen, I agree with you.

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Speaker 1: I think there were probably telltale signs all along. But

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Speaker 1: you know, when you love somebody, you tend to ignore

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Speaker 1: their faults and I don't want to believe them, and

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Speaker 1: I imagine that's what his wife did all this time.

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Speaker 1: So I do believe in her mind would surprised. I

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Speaker 1: wouldn't be surprised Nancy, So in her mind, this was

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Speaker 1: a big surprise and she didn't want to believe it,

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Speaker 1: even though you or I might have seen the signs,

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Speaker 1: but I guarantee you she did not want to see

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Speaker 1: any of that. So this is just a horrible, horrible

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Speaker 1: blow to her, for Elizabeth, for Elizabeth's family, for the

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Speaker 1: Cummins family. But all I can say is the big

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Speaker 1: headline today, Elizabeth Thomas has been found safe and she

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Speaker 1: is coming home. Now, what happens with the family and

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Speaker 1: how she is treated and how this is handled is

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Speaker 1: going to make all the difference in this girl's life.

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Speaker 1: I can tell you what's gonna happen to tag Commons.

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Speaker 1: He's going to jail where he belongs, and I hope

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Speaker 1: he stays there. That's what I think about that. Karen Stark, Yes,

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Speaker 1: but she needs to be integrated back into her family

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Speaker 1: and society and you know, have a way that she

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Speaker 1: can re enter without Shane. And really, what was he

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Speaker 1: gonna do with the trauma of what happened? What was

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Speaker 1: he gonna do? Karen? Home school er some more in

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Speaker 1: his time off from the saloon? I mean, really living

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Speaker 1: in a commune all. I mean, you know, just when

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Speaker 1: I think I've heard it all, then comes along Tad

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Speaker 1: comes to teach, told me, show me, show me how

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Speaker 1: wrong I am. I guess I'm kind of happy though,

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Speaker 1: because she's alive, and that's what we've all been for.

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Speaker 1: She's alive and and and not alive living with him anymore.

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Speaker 1: That she'll be home and people can help her. Now,

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Speaker 1: okay they will, you know if you think about Elizabeth

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Speaker 1: Smart right, Ye, you're right, Yes, that's right. So you

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Speaker 1: know he went back to live a normal life. She

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Speaker 1: sure did, and she now has a family, and I

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Speaker 1: think a couple of children. God bless her. You know,

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Speaker 1: Karen Starr, it is so great talking to you. And

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Speaker 1: I can't tell you how much I love your articles

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Speaker 1: on Crime online dot Com. I just love them, you know,

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Speaker 1: I just I do. Thank you for being with us.

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Speaker 1: Alan Dieke as always the deep with all the information,

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Speaker 1: and Nancy, I've got some new information. Tennessee Bureau of

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Speaker 1: Investigation spokesman Josh Divine is holding a news conference this

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Speaker 1: afternoon to tell us more details. All of the officials, federal, state,

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Speaker 1: and local are gathered less listen to what they say.

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Speaker 1: The caller indicated they have taken up residence in a

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Speaker 1: cabin in a remote area in Cecilville, California, within the

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Speaker 1: last week and a half. In turn, we contacted the

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Speaker 1: Sisquou County Sheriff's office in California and learned that they

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Speaker 1: had received the very same information from the very same individual.

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Speaker 1: We obviously wanted to jump on this information quickly and

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Speaker 1: requested assistance from that law enforcement agency. They quickly began

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Speaker 1: their efforts to immediately address the situation, but there were

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Speaker 1: challenges they had to overcome. The area where the pair

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Speaker 1: was reported to be is a very remote, isolated area

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Speaker 1: with no or limited cell phone service. In spite of

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Speaker 1: it all, deputies found the Nissan Rogue that's been at

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Speaker 1: the center of this nearly six weeks search early this

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Speaker 1: morning and were able to confirm through the VIN number

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Speaker 1: on the vehicle that this was, in fact the vehicle

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Speaker 1: that's been the subject of this ongoing amber alert. A

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Speaker 1: thor parties in Sisku County kept this car under surveillance

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Speaker 1: for several hours, and as daylight broke this morning, they

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Speaker 1: were able to take Tad Cummins into custody and safely

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Speaker 1: recover Elizabeth without incident. With more Here's director Mark Wynn,

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Speaker 1: Thank you, Josh, and good afternoon. As you've seen from

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Speaker 1: the pictures we've shared with you over the past six weeks,

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Speaker 1: Elizabeth Thomas is a beautiful fifteen year old girl. She's

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Speaker 1: loved by her friends, her family, and the community of Columbia.

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Speaker 1: This afternoon, we couldn't be happier to tell you she

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Speaker 1: will soon be on her way back home to Tennessee.

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Speaker 1: This morning, authorities in Sisko County followed up on a

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Speaker 1: tip called into tb I headquarters late last night and

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Speaker 1: found Elizabeth and arrested Tad Cummings. She will soon be

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Speaker 1: on her way back home. Tad is in custody of

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Speaker 1: law enforcement, facing a set of charges that could keep

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Speaker 1: him from behind bars for many years. To the public,

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Speaker 1: I can't say how thankful we are for all your tips,

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Speaker 1: your concern, and your support having made the difference in

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Speaker 1: this six week search. As we have said from the start,

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Speaker 1: it only takes one tip, and this is yet another

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Speaker 1: example of the value of the public helping us to

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Speaker 1: rescue a kidnapping victim. Because of the remote nature of

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Speaker 1: the area where the pair were found, agents from the

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Speaker 1: TB I FBI, along with investigators from the Murray County

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Speaker 1: Sheriff's Office, are currently flying on TB I aircraft to

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Speaker 1: get there as quickly as possible to meet with local

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Speaker 1: authorities and make the final arrangements to bring Elizabeth home.

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Speaker 1: She will be flying back home on TB aircraft. We

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Speaker 1: are thankful to all our partner agencies in this search,

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Speaker 1: including the FBI, Mary County Sheriff's Department, and the District

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Speaker 1: Attorney General for the twenty second Judicial District, Brent Coop.

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Speaker 1: Thank you, Director um. I just want to say that

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Speaker 1: as a prosecutor, one of the one of the greatest

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Speaker 1: parts of my job is to is to assist law

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Speaker 1: enforcement and doing their job. And UH, now for well

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Speaker 1: over a month, I've had the pleasure and the honor

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Speaker 1: of helping our local, state and federal UH investigators as

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Speaker 1: they tried to find Elizabeth Thomas. And UH it's been

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Speaker 1: a long time coming. But today UH, they're hard work

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Speaker 1: paid off. And UH again it's been a it's been

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Speaker 1: an honor and a pleasure to help them as much

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Speaker 1: as I could. But also as a prosecutor, it's it's

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Speaker 1: difficult to stand on the sidelines. UH. And once the

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Speaker 1: officers do their work, because the prosecutors can't. We can't

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Speaker 1: go to work until the officers and the investigators have

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Speaker 1: found that person and and thankfully in this case, returned

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Speaker 1: everyone safely. UH. So now it's time for the prosecution

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Speaker 1: to get to work. UH. Law enforcement still has work

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Speaker 1: to do, UH and I know they will. They will

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Speaker 1: continue to work to build our cases UH for prosecution.

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Speaker 1: And but it's now I'm grateful to say that now

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Speaker 1: I can I can get busy as a prosecutor doing

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Speaker 1: my job UH and hopefully bringing justice in this case.

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Speaker 1: The state, as you all know, has an aggravated kidnapping

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Speaker 1: charge UH and a misdemeanor sexual contact with a minor charge.

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Speaker 1: I've been in collaboration with the U. S. Attorney's office

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Speaker 1: about the possibility of federal charges being brought and how

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Speaker 1: best to UH address that situation along with the state charges.

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Speaker 1: I met recently UH with the interim U S Attorney

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Speaker 1: here and they have been more than cooperative, and I

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Speaker 1: believe at this time I'll turn it over to him

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Speaker 1: and let him share a little bit about the potential charge.

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Speaker 1: Thank you, Good afternoon everyone. My name is Jack Smith on,

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Speaker 1: the acting United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee.

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Speaker 1: I wanted to start by just complimenting our law enforcement

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Speaker 1: partners here on the amazing job they did in this case. UH.

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Speaker 1: It was only yesterday UM that UH General Cooper and

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Speaker 1: myself got together with FBI and tb I to go

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Speaker 1: over the state of the investigation. And I left that

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Speaker 1: meeting thinking there was literally nothing UH that these folks

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Speaker 1: could do, all that they hadn't already been being done,

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Speaker 1: and I'm just so happy to see that this case

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Speaker 1: has come to a good resolution. I can also tell

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Speaker 1: you today that earlier today my office filed federal charges

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Speaker 1: against the defendant. In this case. He has charged with

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Speaker 1: the transportation of a minor across state lines for the

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Speaker 1: purpose of having criminal sexual intercourse. UH. He will face

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Speaker 1: a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years on those charges

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Speaker 1: and possibly quite longer. UH. And as General Cooper said, UH,

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Speaker 1: he and I will work together on this investigation to

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Speaker 1: make sure that justice has done. Thank you very much,

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Speaker 1: Thank you. I'm Chief Deputy Ray Jeter, Murray County Sheriff's Department. UM.

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Speaker 1: It's a good day and I'd like to lead with that,

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Speaker 1: but I'm gonna be very brief. UM. First of all,

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Speaker 1: I would just like to thank everyone for their help

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Speaker 1: UH in this peaceful resolution to this case. UM. The sheriff,

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Speaker 1: Sheriff Buckey Rowland in the Murray County Sheriff's Department partnered

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Speaker 1: with t B, I with the FBI very early in

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Speaker 1: this case, and it has been a very It has

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Speaker 1: been a group effort ever since. To that end. Sheriff

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Speaker 1: Rovan and I would like to thank the t B.

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Speaker 1: I would like to thank the FB. UH. We also

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Speaker 1: would like to thank all the local agencies across this

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Speaker 1: country for their help. We fielded UH nearly tips in

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Speaker 1: this process and UH. In that process, we partnered with

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Speaker 1: every agency along the way, and we thank you for that.

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Speaker 1: We'd also would like to thank our own people. Our

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Speaker 1: own people put in the dedication and the countless hours

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Speaker 1: they put in to see this resolution, and we thank

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Speaker 1: you at the sheriff Department. We also would like to

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Speaker 1: thank the media. We'd like to thank you you for

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Speaker 1: putting this and putting our message out UH and kept

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Speaker 1: this going. We appreciate that. We also would like to

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Speaker 1: thank the public. Ultimately, it took a tip from the

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Speaker 1: public to see this resolution, and to the public, I

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Speaker 1: say I thank you for your help. UM. We will

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Speaker 1: continue to work with t B, I will continue to

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Speaker 1: work with the FBI, and we'll continue to work with

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Speaker 1: these agencies as we continue our investigation. Thank you after

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Speaker 1: and everyone. I'm Matt Espion Shade with the Federal Peer

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Speaker 1: of Investigation here in Nashville. Again, I just like to

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Speaker 1: echo those thanks to countless numbers of officers across the

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Speaker 1: country who helped us to run down over nearly leads.

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Speaker 1: To the officers here from the agencies are standing in

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Speaker 1: front of you, who put in countless hours and they

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Speaker 1: ask nothing of that just that the justice is done,

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Speaker 1: and in this case, I feel we're on the tip

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Speaker 1: of that. We are now out of the search stage.

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Speaker 1: We are going to pursue justice in this case, and

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Speaker 1: along that time, I hope that we can heal as

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Speaker 1: a community as the victims. Uh. And I just like

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Speaker 1: to thank everyone in this room because you kept this

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Speaker 1: at the forefront of the news. Great job by t

427
00:26:43,359 --> 00:26:47,440
Speaker 1: b I for leading up this cause. Murray County Sheriff's Office. UM,

428
00:26:47,560 --> 00:26:50,280
Speaker 1: we're glad to play a part of it as the FBI,

429
00:26:50,600 --> 00:26:53,399
Speaker 1: and now we're onto the prosecution stage. So thank you

430
00:26:53,480 --> 00:26:57,280
Speaker 1: very much to everyone. Yeah, I just want to also

431
00:26:57,359 --> 00:26:59,199
Speaker 1: let you know that, representing t b I as our

432
00:26:59,240 --> 00:27:02,120
Speaker 1: deputy director Jason Locke, at this point, we will open

433
00:27:02,160 --> 00:27:04,840
Speaker 1: it up for any questions. As I've indicated, this is

434
00:27:04,840 --> 00:27:07,960
Speaker 1: still an active and ongoing investigation in a fluid situation

435
00:27:08,000 --> 00:27:10,520
Speaker 1: in terms of the recovery of Elizabeth Thomas and the

436
00:27:10,600 --> 00:27:12,679
Speaker 1: arrest of Tad Commons, so we might be limited in

437
00:27:12,760 --> 00:27:14,560
Speaker 1: terms of what we can offer, but we'll certainly try

438
00:27:14,600 --> 00:27:20,920
Speaker 1: to do our very best. General Cooper, UH, you've been

439
00:27:21,000 --> 00:27:24,800
Speaker 1: very close to this all the way through. Say anything

440
00:27:24,840 --> 00:27:30,040
Speaker 1: about Elizabeth Thomas um at this time, all we know

441
00:27:30,160 --> 00:27:34,360
Speaker 1: is that she's apparently healthy and unharmed. Uh it will

442
00:27:34,400 --> 00:27:37,760
Speaker 1: be uh of course our our knowing that our main

443
00:27:37,840 --> 00:27:41,760
Speaker 1: concern is how is she emotionally and mentally and uh

444
00:27:42,000 --> 00:27:45,600
Speaker 1: we're gonna see to it that not only uh do

445
00:27:45,760 --> 00:27:48,159
Speaker 1: we look at her as a potential witness and a

446
00:27:48,359 --> 00:27:52,560
Speaker 1: victim in this case, but also as someone that if

447
00:27:52,600 --> 00:27:56,520
Speaker 1: she needs help, whatever whatever help we can offer, we

448
00:27:56,560 --> 00:28:00,840
Speaker 1: will make sure that's provided for what might be provided

449
00:28:01,119 --> 00:28:05,960
Speaker 1: after something like well, there there are agencies right in

450
00:28:06,040 --> 00:28:11,399
Speaker 1: our district that their sole purposes to uh treat child

451
00:28:11,480 --> 00:28:15,560
Speaker 1: victims of abuse, whether it's emotional abuse, physical abuse, or

452
00:28:15,560 --> 00:28:20,280
Speaker 1: sexual abuse, and they can they can refer that child

453
00:28:20,640 --> 00:28:25,160
Speaker 1: to the appropriate entities, whether it be counselors or therapists,

454
00:28:25,720 --> 00:28:28,720
Speaker 1: uh and things like that to get the help they

455
00:28:28,760 --> 00:28:32,000
Speaker 1: need so that they can move on past this stage

456
00:28:32,000 --> 00:28:35,920
Speaker 1: in their life. And immediately as soon as we can,

457
00:28:35,960 --> 00:28:38,400
Speaker 1: as soon as we get her back, and of course

458
00:28:38,440 --> 00:28:41,040
Speaker 1: we want to. We we don't want to disrupt her

459
00:28:41,120 --> 00:28:44,800
Speaker 1: life anymore than we have to, and uh we want

460
00:28:44,840 --> 00:28:48,520
Speaker 1: her to uh reacquaint herself with her with her family

461
00:28:48,880 --> 00:28:52,920
Speaker 1: and her friends and lead as a normal life as possible,

462
00:28:53,000 --> 00:28:56,960
Speaker 1: But as as soon as she's ready, uh for any

463
00:28:57,000 --> 00:29:00,480
Speaker 1: help we can offer, it'll be there for that. She

464
00:29:00,600 --> 00:29:09,800
Speaker 1: will here diferent I left the director. Actually, as I said,

465
00:29:09,880 --> 00:29:13,520
Speaker 1: we've got agents in route on TB I aircraft right now.

466
00:29:14,320 --> 00:29:16,520
Speaker 1: We're not going to disclose exactly where we will be

467
00:29:16,520 --> 00:29:20,360
Speaker 1: bringing her back. Um. You know, I think she's been

468
00:29:20,360 --> 00:29:24,440
Speaker 1: through enough, um and as quickly as we can get

469
00:29:24,440 --> 00:29:28,720
Speaker 1: her back here to a safe environment, she will be better.

470
00:29:29,600 --> 00:29:32,160
Speaker 1: So we won't disclose where we were bringing her back,

471
00:29:32,240 --> 00:29:34,360
Speaker 1: but we were, We are in route right now to

472
00:29:34,400 --> 00:29:44,400
Speaker 1: go get her Commune. We really can't say anything right now.

473
00:29:44,520 --> 00:29:46,440
Speaker 1: Like I said, agents are en route. We will be

474
00:29:46,480 --> 00:29:49,840
Speaker 1: going to the location obviously to collect any type of

475
00:29:49,880 --> 00:29:52,880
Speaker 1: evidence that we need to collect, um and to scour

476
00:29:53,000 --> 00:29:56,520
Speaker 1: that that crime scene. Um and uh, but they're not

477
00:29:56,600 --> 00:30:01,120
Speaker 1: there yet, they're just in route. So, yes, she was

478
00:30:02,840 --> 00:30:10,640
Speaker 1: as or. We don't want to get into the specifics

479
00:30:10,680 --> 00:30:12,760
Speaker 1: of the investigation. But at the end of the day,

480
00:30:12,760 --> 00:30:16,240
Speaker 1: she's fifteen years old. She's fifteen years old, she's a

481
00:30:16,360 --> 00:30:20,320
Speaker 1: she's a young girl that's with a grown man that's

482
00:30:20,360 --> 00:30:24,040
Speaker 1: fifty years old. So he needs to be held accountable

483
00:30:24,080 --> 00:30:30,320
Speaker 1: for kidnapping this girl, We we don't know yet. Well,

484
00:30:30,400 --> 00:30:32,120
Speaker 1: we'll try to find all of that out once we

485
00:30:32,160 --> 00:30:41,240
Speaker 1: get out there direct vehicle, how they were the vehicle.

486
00:30:43,160 --> 00:30:45,360
Speaker 1: Know that that we're not going to go into the

487
00:30:45,360 --> 00:30:47,560
Speaker 1: specifics of how they were caught, but that vehicle was

488
00:30:47,640 --> 00:30:59,960
Speaker 1: under surveillance. We felt confident that they were there. You know,

489
00:31:00,000 --> 00:31:03,840
Speaker 1: it's been depicted as a commune. But obviously some good citizen,

490
00:31:04,400 --> 00:31:06,360
Speaker 1: whether a part of that area, was a part of

491
00:31:06,400 --> 00:31:09,720
Speaker 1: that area, saw the vehicle reported it to us here

492
00:31:09,720 --> 00:31:13,120
Speaker 1: at tb I headquarters. We in turn called local authorities.

493
00:31:13,560 --> 00:31:17,880
Speaker 1: Uh so whatever you want to call it, cabin commune. Uh,

494
00:31:18,120 --> 00:31:22,160
Speaker 1: some good, honest citizen wanting to do the right thing

495
00:31:22,240 --> 00:31:24,760
Speaker 1: did the right thing. And that's what we've been counting on.

496
00:31:24,880 --> 00:31:29,720
Speaker 1: You know, we well saw the vehicle, you know, and reported,

497
00:31:30,160 --> 00:31:32,680
Speaker 1: We were able to local law enforcement, was able to

498
00:31:32,680 --> 00:31:35,560
Speaker 1: confirm it was the vehicle. But you gotta understand, we

499
00:31:35,640 --> 00:31:41,080
Speaker 1: mobilize the nation during this six weeks. We mobilized a nation,

500
00:31:41,760 --> 00:31:45,120
Speaker 1: and when you do that, something good most likely is

501
00:31:45,120 --> 00:31:48,080
Speaker 1: going to happen because you can't hide from that many

502
00:31:48,160 --> 00:31:51,080
Speaker 1: millions of people that are looking for you. So I'm

503
00:31:51,080 --> 00:31:53,520
Speaker 1: most proud of what you've done. As the media, what

504
00:31:53,600 --> 00:31:56,440
Speaker 1: the citizens have done in this country to help us

505
00:31:56,440 --> 00:31:59,880
Speaker 1: and mobilize and have b I E. S and ears,

506
00:32:00,280 --> 00:32:10,200
Speaker 1: and that's how we're here today. Yes, that's something that

507
00:32:10,200 --> 00:32:12,760
Speaker 1: that General Cooper and I discussed earlier today, and we

508
00:32:12,800 --> 00:32:15,400
Speaker 1: feel like in this case that is the best way

509
00:32:15,440 --> 00:32:21,800
Speaker 1: to handle this situation and what's best for Elizabeth. I'm sorry,

510
00:32:23,840 --> 00:32:27,200
Speaker 1: I'm not sure generally, you know, up to the best

511
00:32:27,200 --> 00:32:30,800
Speaker 1: of my knowledge, there in Colombia UH at or near

512
00:32:30,840 --> 00:32:35,600
Speaker 1: their residence, and they're just awaiting eagerly for Elizabeth to

513
00:32:36,040 --> 00:32:47,080
Speaker 1: come home. Probably not yet, but it will be coming shortly. Um.

514
00:32:47,080 --> 00:32:49,920
Speaker 1: You know, law Enford, this is a very remote area,

515
00:32:50,320 --> 00:32:52,680
Speaker 1: so it's probably gonna take a couple of hours for

516
00:32:52,720 --> 00:32:54,640
Speaker 1: them to get to a location where they can even

517
00:32:54,680 --> 00:32:58,120
Speaker 1: sit down and and and really discuss things. So that

518
00:32:58,160 --> 00:33:00,840
Speaker 1: will be coming, and we'll make sure she's very well

519
00:33:00,840 --> 00:33:06,320
Speaker 1: taken care of. Found Was there eight handguns by our arms?

520
00:33:06,320 --> 00:33:08,280
Speaker 1: Can you talk about No, we can't. We're not gonna

521
00:33:08,280 --> 00:33:15,640
Speaker 1: talk about that here. UM. I guess jack human. Uh.

522
00:33:15,680 --> 00:33:17,840
Speaker 1: The usual course in these cases is he'll be brought

523
00:33:17,880 --> 00:33:21,600
Speaker 1: to a US magistrate in that in that district, UH

524
00:33:21,680 --> 00:33:23,719
Speaker 1: and we'll seek the government will seek to have being

525
00:33:23,800 --> 00:33:27,480
Speaker 1: removed back to Tennessee. UH. That's usually something they could

526
00:33:27,480 --> 00:33:32,720
Speaker 1: take several weeks. Sacrimental. That is the district, right, I'm

527
00:33:32,720 --> 00:33:36,120
Speaker 1: not sure if there's a field office or field court there,

528
00:33:36,160 --> 00:33:38,320
Speaker 1: but that is the district that the removal will come

529
00:33:38,320 --> 00:33:47,840
Speaker 1: out of. Transportation. That's the only federal charge at this time.

530
00:33:49,800 --> 00:33:55,320
Speaker 1: Perhaps one more question if none, then, once again, we

531
00:33:55,400 --> 00:33:57,720
Speaker 1: all want to thank you for the job that you've

532
00:33:57,720 --> 00:34:01,440
Speaker 1: helped us do in this sweeks period. We couldn't be

533
00:34:01,480 --> 00:34:04,320
Speaker 1: standing here without you. We're just glad it's come to

534
00:34:04,480 --> 00:34:09,719
Speaker 1: a great resolution that Elizabeth is safe and we'll be

535
00:34:09,760 --> 00:34:13,479
Speaker 1: bringing her home soon. Thank you. You guys want to axit.

536
00:34:13,520 --> 00:34:17,800
Speaker 1: I appreciate that. Again. We will soon post a formal

537
00:34:17,920 --> 00:34:21,480
Speaker 1: release on t p I newsroom dot com that will

538
00:34:21,520 --> 00:34:24,080
Speaker 1: have some additional details. I do want to make you

539
00:34:24,120 --> 00:34:28,480
Speaker 1: aware that some of you were asking questions about the

540
00:34:28,520 --> 00:34:30,520
Speaker 1: commune issue, so let me offer your a little bit

541
00:34:30,520 --> 00:34:33,879
Speaker 1: of clarification on that. That originated because we had sent

542
00:34:33,920 --> 00:34:37,640
Speaker 1: our draft release to authorities in California to take a

543
00:34:38,160 --> 00:34:41,400
Speaker 1: peek at. And it's my understanding that that had inadvertently

544
00:34:41,440 --> 00:34:45,440
Speaker 1: been sent to early reporters who had requested information, so

545
00:34:45,520 --> 00:34:49,279
Speaker 1: please do not use that as accurate information. You'll note

546
00:34:49,320 --> 00:34:52,080
Speaker 1: that our release that we issue shortly refers to it

547
00:34:52,160 --> 00:34:55,120
Speaker 1: a cabin in a rural area, and so that's our

548
00:34:55,200 --> 00:34:57,960
Speaker 1: understanding at this point. We have backed off on language

549
00:34:58,360 --> 00:35:01,400
Speaker 1: centered on commune, and we would appreciate your subsequent reporting

550
00:35:01,400 --> 00:35:04,120
Speaker 1: to do the same. Sure, yes, and I understand that's

551
00:35:04,120 --> 00:35:05,920
Speaker 1: why I wanted to take a moment to clarify that

552
00:35:05,960 --> 00:35:09,560
Speaker 1: for you. Yes, our release, you'll note refers to it

553
00:35:09,840 --> 00:35:12,480
Speaker 1: as a cabin in a rural area, so we won't

554
00:35:12,520 --> 00:35:15,040
Speaker 1: be referring it to to it necessarily as a commune

555
00:35:15,040 --> 00:35:17,800
Speaker 1: at this point. But as as you heard the director

556
00:35:17,840 --> 00:35:20,320
Speaker 1: allude to, we're still trying to gain the circumstance. And

557
00:35:20,360 --> 00:35:22,080
Speaker 1: let me offer a bit of context on that. It's

558
00:35:22,080 --> 00:35:25,880
Speaker 1: our understanding that the sheriff's office in that particular county

559
00:35:25,920 --> 00:35:28,799
Speaker 1: is every bit of two hours away from where they

560
00:35:28,800 --> 00:35:31,280
Speaker 1: were found in them so this is a very large county.

561
00:35:31,280 --> 00:35:34,360
Speaker 1: It's my understanding it's approximately nine or ten times the

562
00:35:34,400 --> 00:35:36,359
Speaker 1: size of Murray County. Just to give you a little

563
00:35:36,360 --> 00:35:39,960
Speaker 1: bit of context, in northern California, very rural. They had

564
00:35:40,000 --> 00:35:42,719
Speaker 1: snow on the ground, so authorities had some difficulty even

565
00:35:42,719 --> 00:35:46,200
Speaker 1: getting to that location early on today. Any other housekeeping

566
00:35:46,280 --> 00:35:53,840
Speaker 1: questions I can answer for you please. They were actually,

567
00:35:54,760 --> 00:35:57,160
Speaker 1: we don't know. Again, we're trying to fully understand the

568
00:35:57,200 --> 00:35:59,880
Speaker 1: circumstances from the authorities that were on the ground. But

569
00:36:00,040 --> 00:36:03,120
Speaker 1: they were able to confirm to us that they had

570
00:36:03,440 --> 00:36:05,440
Speaker 1: both of these individuals. So we don't know if they

571
00:36:05,440 --> 00:36:07,719
Speaker 1: were inside the cabin or in the car in the driveway.

572
00:36:07,840 --> 00:36:11,279
Speaker 1: We're working to get those details right now. Precisely. Yes,

573
00:36:11,320 --> 00:36:14,400
Speaker 1: the information that we had received from the tipster indicated

574
00:36:14,440 --> 00:36:16,560
Speaker 1: that they had taken up residents in that home about

575
00:36:16,560 --> 00:36:18,400
Speaker 1: a week and a half ago, as we had indicated

576
00:36:18,440 --> 00:36:22,360
Speaker 1: in in my earlier statement, So they were staying in

577
00:36:22,400 --> 00:36:25,239
Speaker 1: that particular location. Is the preliminary information that we have.

578
00:36:25,760 --> 00:36:28,680
Speaker 1: But as to what the encounter looked like between local

579
00:36:28,760 --> 00:36:33,359
Speaker 1: law enforcement today, that's still very much fluid in terms

580
00:36:33,360 --> 00:36:34,880
Speaker 1: of us trying to get a full grasp of the

581
00:36:34,920 --> 00:36:40,919
Speaker 1: circumstances there. Does that make sense? Great fancy Grace Crime

582
00:36:41,040 --> 00:37:03,800
Speaker 1: Stories signing off, goodbye friend. All right, well, thank you again,

583
00:37:04,280 --> 00:37:06,960
Speaker 1: and let me echo what the director said, is the

584
00:37:07,000 --> 00:37:10,200
Speaker 1: public information officer, you guys have been invaluable. I think

585
00:37:10,200 --> 00:37:12,000
Speaker 1: the director really hit the nail on the head. You

586
00:37:12,080 --> 00:37:14,160
Speaker 1: talked from the beginning that it only takes one tip.

587
00:37:14,600 --> 00:37:17,200
Speaker 1: You are the entity that helps us get to the public.

588
00:37:17,280 --> 00:37:20,040
Speaker 1: So thank you on behalf of our Public Information Office

589
00:37:20,120 --> 00:37:23,520
Speaker 1: for your partnership on this story. This is a success

590
00:37:23,800 --> 00:37:25,960
Speaker 1: story for the Amber Alert system here in Tennessee and

591
00:37:25,960 --> 00:37:28,000
Speaker 1: we couldn't have done it without you. As you know,

592
00:37:28,080 --> 00:37:29,600
Speaker 1: T b I, dot Media at t and dot gov

593
00:37:29,680 --> 00:37:30,839
Speaker 1: is the way to reach us. If you have any

594
00:37:30,880 --> 00:37:33,759
Speaker 1: further questions, I will run upstairs and post that news

595
00:37:33,760 --> 00:37:36,360
Speaker 1: release so you'll have that as soon as possible. Great,

596
00:37:36,719 --> 00:37:37,120
Speaker 1: thank you,