Family of Elizabeth Thomas issues new statement on disappearance

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- (WZTV) -- The family of missing Maury County teen Elizabeth Thomas has released a new statement through family attorney S. Jason Watley on Thursday.

Thomas, the subject of an AMBER ALERT and national BOLO, is believed to be with her former teacher, 50-year-old Tad Cummins. Both Cummins and Thomas have now been missing for ten days, with investigators asking for the public's help due to a shortage of solid leads in the case.

Per the statement, the Thomas family says the last ten days have been the "most difficult" in their lives. More specifically, the family's statement focuses on questions surrounding Maury County Schools handling of events prior to Thomas' disappearance and asks the focus shift from "possible mistakes" to finding Elizabeth.

"It is important to the Thomas family to emphasize that none of the reports about possible mistakes made regarding Tad Cummins prior to Elizabeth's disappearance are relevant to what we are doing now. Our focus should be on finding Elizabeth. Period," the statement reads.

The family says they and the school district are "unified," and says "whatever questions about how issues were handled" are "distant and secondary," and "distracting."