Commune 'reeling' at revelation over missing teen
Black Bear Ranch, the commune where once-missing teen Elizabeth Thomas briefly stayed with the suspect in her disappearance, is "reeling from the events and misinformation" over the incident, a spokeswoman said, noting that residents didn't realize she was a minor or that she'd been reported missing.
Still, the commune about halfway between the coast and Interstate 5 is looking at ways to prevent repeat incidents amid the potential black eye caused by unknowingly harboring a fugitive.
More: Elizabeth Thomas case: What we know in the North State
Since Thomas and her alleged captor, Tad Cummins, showed up at the Siskiyou County ranch unexpectedly, it's "currently reviewing its approach to offering accommodation to drop-in visitors," spokeswoman Karuna Greenberg said in a statement to the Record Searchlight. Step one: it's not accepting any visitors at this time, she said.
"Black Bear is committed to equality, safety, and non-violence," Greenberg said. "We stand firmly and explicitly against all forms of exploitation. We do not harbor fugitives, runaways, or known criminals."
Greenberg said that on April 6, Thomas and Cummins showed and said their names were John and Joanna, and that they were 22 and 44, respectively. In reality, Thomas is only 15 and Cummins is 50.
"While at the ranch they spun a convincing story that we now know to be false," she said.
Greenberg said the ranch welcomed the couple, though unexpected visitors are "discouraged." Eventually, "these two visitors were told they were not a fit with the ranch and were asked to leave on April 17."
More:Griffin Barry recounts encounter with Tad Cummins
"Three days later we were shocked to learn they were actually a fugitive teacher from Tennessee and his allegedly captive student, on the run from law enforcement," Greenberg said.
She noted that the ranch has no newspaper delivery or Internet service, so residents didn't know about the manhunt for Cummins. Cummins was arrested not far away in Cecilville, where he stayed a night or two with Thomas until the man who let them sleep in a cabin on the property realized what was going on and called law enforcement.
"We are extremely glad that Cummins was caught, and hope that Elizabeth Thomas can begin to heal from this terrible incident," Greenberg said.
The commune was established in the 1960s when Richard Marley converted a former gold mine into an off-the-grid community.
Greenberg was not immediately available for further comment.
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