Groomed, Manipulated and Abducted by Her Teacher: The Elizabeth Thomas Case Artwork

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Groomed, Manipulated and Abducted by Her Teacher: The Elizabeth Thomas Case

August 06, 2025 • Amy Townsend, Chris Nathan

She was 15. He was her 50-year-old high school teacher. When they vanished together in March 2017, it set off a nationwide manhunt.

Tad Cummins had spent nearly a year grooming Elizabeth—flirting, giving her gifts, and convincing her they had a special bond. When school officials started investigating their relationship, he panicked and took off with her.

They were found 38 days later in a remote cabin in Northern California. Elizabeth had been manipulated into believing she was in love. But when the lies fell apart, so did his control.Do you think this could’ve been stopped if the school had intervened earlier, or was Elizabeth already too far under his influence by then?

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