The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation says there’s surveillance footage showing student Elizabeth Thomas walking with her kidnapper Tad Cummins.
In a statement published Friday, authorities said they got a tip, and looked at footage from a Walmart in Oklahoma City. They claim video, which you can see above, shows Thomas and Cummins shopping at the store.
#TNAMBERAlert SIGHTING CONFIRMED: Tad Cummins and Elizabeth Thomas were in Oklahoma City on March 15th. DETAILS: https://t.co/PtEHq8npp2 pic.twitter.com/cLhDJRBCd3
— TBI (@TBInvestigation) March 31, 2017
“Cummins used cash to purchase various food items, but did not purchase anything else of significance,” investigators said. “The surveillance images of Cummins and Thomas – the first obtained by investigators since the alleged kidnapping on March 13th – clearly show Tad Cummins with an altered appearance to darken his hair. The same images show Elizabeth may currently have red hair. Efforts to determine what vehicle they were traveling in remain ongoing.”
The TBI says both disappeared on March 13. Now Cummins, a 50-year-old former schoolteacher, is wanted for kidnapping and sexually abusing the 15-year-old Thomas. He allegedly used his position to groom her for exploitation.
Authorities say Cummins may have two handguns, and drive a silver Nissan Rogue with the Tennessee tag 976-ZPT. There is a $1,000 reward for information leading to his capture.
[Image via the TBI]