This Friday’s edition of ABC’s 20/20 will examine the case of a 15-year-old student who was taken by a Tennessee teacher resulting in a 38-day nationwide search.
What’s Happening:
- In 2017, 50-year-old high school teacher Tad Cummins took his 15-year-old student Elizabeth Thomas from her small hometown in Tennessee after illicit behavior that began in his classroom came to light. Their disappearance prompted a 38-day national search, making headlines across the country.
- 20/20 examines the case with new interviews and police footage after ABC News correspondent Eva Pilgrim had the first on-camera interview with Thomas in 2018.
- The two-hour program provides a comprehensive look at the case, including the events leading up to the disappearance, never-before-released evidence from the month-long investigation that tracked the pair across the country, and the prosecution of Cummins.
- 20/20 has new interviews with key investigators and prosecutors who brought Cummins to justice, including Special Agent Sterling Wall, the lead FBI agent on the case; Special Agent Tyler Sells with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation; detective Marcus Albright, the lead investigator from the Maury County, Tennessee Sheriff's Office; and Sara Beth Myers, the lead federal prosecutor on the case.
- The program also features never-before-broadcast interrogation footage of Cummins, providing critical insight into his state of mind before he fled, and an interview with Cummins’ ex-wife Jill. Additional interviews include key family members of Cummins and Thomas; Jason Whatley, the Thomas family attorney; District Attorney Brent Cooper; and Griffin Barry, whose tip led to Cummins’ arrest.
- 20/20 airs Friday, December 2nd (9:01-11:00 p.m. EST), on ABC, streaming the next day on Hulu.
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