Tad Cummins, a former high school teacher in Maury County, Tennessee, allegedly kidnapped his then-student, 15-year-old Elizabeth Thomas on March 13.
In the days before the two disappeared, Cummins also searched to learn what features of his vehicle might allow law enforcement to track him.
According to the TBI, concern about Cummins’ relationship with Thomas has heightened the urgency in the midst of an ongoing AMBER Alert in Tennessee and Alabama.
The agency believes Cummins, 50, may have abused his position as Thomas’ teacher “in an effort to lure and potentially sexually exploit her."
During one incident about two weeks before Cummins and Thomas disappeared, one of Thomas' fellow students reported an incident to the school in which the student said Thomas and Cummins appeared to be kissing at school. Both Thomas and Cummins denied the allegation, and school officials allowed Cummins to continue working at the school while school officials investigated the incident, The Tennesseean reported.
Cummins was fired by the school the day after he and Thomas disappeared.
As of Tuesday afternoon, the TBI had received hundreds leads for the pair's whereabouts from more than 24 states but no credible sightings of the two.
Neither Cummins nor Thomas has contacted family members since disappearing.
"She may not realize that she's a victim, but she is certainly a victim," TBI spokesman Josh DeVine said Monday. "She needs help, she needs our best efforts and she needs the attention of this country to be on the lookout for her."
According to the TBI, Cummins may be armed with two handguns and driving a silver Nissan Rogue with Tennessee tag 976-ZPT. A warrant has been issued for Cummins for sexual contact with a minor and aggravated kidnapping. There is a $1,000 reward for information leading to his capture.
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