Scottie Morris: What happened to a missing Indiana teen who ran away from home in a ‘punishment’ shirt

WWhen Scottie Morris disappeared from his childhood home in Indiana on the night of March 16, he was wearing a white T-shirt with disparaging letters labeling him “a liar.”

Six days later, a grueling search takes a turn for the worse as Eaton police say they’re running out of places to look for the 14-year-old, who is feared to be in extreme danger amid freezing temperatures in the town of 1,500. .

Authorities believe that Scottie ran away from home that night after an argument with his parents, and that the shirt he was wearing was part of a “disturbing” pattern of punishment.

Despite saying they are investigating the incident, police have warned against spreading speculation online, noting that Scottie’s parents are fully cooperating with the investigation.

After countless hours of searching by more than 100 volunteers who have joined local law enforcement, the Indiana State Police and several other departments, the Eaton community still hopes that Scottie can be found safely soon.

Here’s everything we know about the case:

Scottie’s whereabouts remain unknown

Scottie was last seen on March 16, when he was believed to have run away from his home.

According to local police, despite the freezing temperatures, the minor wore only the white T-shirt with demeaning letters, red and black shorts and black sneakers. He also wore glasses.

According to Eaton PD, Scottie was caught by a neighbor’s doorbell camera around 8:30 p.m. the day he disappeared. The images have not been released to the public.

When Scottie was last seen, he was walking east on Indiana Avenue, close to Mar Fran Court in Eaton, according to WTHR.

His parents contacted the police at 8:45 p.m.

Eaton police began their search on the night of March 16 and issued a missing person alert the following morning.

Eaton PD confirms ‘disturbing’ sentence

Scottie reportedly ran away from home after a conflict with his parents. On Friday, Eaton Police Department shared a bizarre photo of Scottie on their Facebook page to help the community report possible sightings.

In the photo, Scottie looked distraught and on the verge of crying. His head was shaved and he was also wearing a white T-shirt with crying emoji faces drawn on it and written that he described as “a liar” who had “hurt” [his brother].”

Online users reacted with an uproar, blurring the disparaging writing on Scottie’s shirt as they helped spread the word. But they also wondered why that photo was made public and what the context behind it was.

Police later explained in a message that this was the only photo provided to them in the immediate aftermath of Scottie’s disappearance.

“We are very sorry that the post seemed like we were trying to shame it [any way]because that would NEVER be our intention,” the statement read.

“Posting that photo to social media was in no way an attempt to embarrass or humiliate him… our only concern is that we find Scottie safe and proceed with our investigation from there.”

On Wednesday, Chief Jay Turner confirmed that the T-shirt and subsequent photo taken by Scottie’s parents were part of a “disturbing” and unorthodox” punishment.

“I will say, the shaved head was his idea, they went to Great Clips and it’s what he said he wanted,” Mr Turner told 21Alive. “But the shirt was quite unorthodox, a bit disturbing and we are investigating that.”

Mr Turner said Scottie’s parents are cooperating fully with the investigation and warned against the spread of speculation on social media.

The chief said they had polygraph tests but did not disclose the reason or the results, according to the Star press.

‘No time for speculation’

Eaton resident Chynia Cain told The American sun on Tuesday that conspiracies over punishment could become a distraction from the main goal: to find Scottie.

“I don’t know why he was wearing [the t-shirt] but my statement about it is, whether it was a form of parenting or not, as a parent […] there’s always a moment when you make a mistake,” Ms Cain told the outlet. “There’s always a time when you can be disciplined in a way you never thought you’d ever have to.”

She added: “There is a lot of pain in their homes right now.”

Ms Cain, who organizes candlelight vigils for Scottie at her church, said Scottie’s mother told her he was upset before he left.

“All I know is [Scottie’s] mom said he was very upset and was stomping,” Ms. Cain told the Sun.

“But it’s one of those things where as humans we all know how strong our feelings can be sometimes.

Police debunked rumors that the search has been called off

Search crews and residents have scoured areas in Eaton where Scottie could be at least four times so far without any success.

Eaton police chief Jay Turner said rescue teams had used all available resources, including helicopters and boats, and they now have no reasonable places to look for Scottie, The star press reported.

The department has also used thermal imaging and bloodhounds.

Following reports on Tuesday that the search had been scaled back or paused, Mr Turner said it had not.

Eaton PD teamed up with the Indiana State Police, Delaware County Sheriff’s Department and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children on the case. The department said some foot searches have been halted as K-9 teams take over.

“The search for Scottie Morris IS NOT CANCELLED!” The ministry reports this in a statement on Wednesday. “Officers follow leads and investigate diligently.”

Mr Turner said on Saturday it was “all hands on deck” and residents were coming into the area and joining the search effort.

“What they did today was really great,” Mr Turner told WTHR. “They went to a thick area of ​​woods next to a river, on both sides of the river, and walked about two and a half miles all the way in a line.”

“We’re a small department,” said the chief. “We have four regular officers and 18 reserves. Our reservists and our regulars volunteered their time to come in and conduct these searches. I am very happy how we came together – fire brigade, ambulance, police.”

Police said it is vital to find him quickly as temperatures plummet.

“I want this young man to know we’re not here to make sure he’s in trouble. We want to help him and make sure he is safe,” Turner said.

“We have taken this seriously from the very beginning and we will continue the investigation until we find him,” he added.

“I love you, you’re not in trouble”

On Monday, Scottie’s mother, Felicia Morris, made a public plea for her son to return home.

“Scott, I love you and I want you to come home,” Ms. Morris told WTHR as she burst into tears. “I know you’re angry and confused and I’m afraid all this scares you. Everyone is watching you, we’re not trying to scare you. You’re not in trouble.”

She added: “If you’re in a house and they come to you and you don’t want to go out because it’s the police, get in touch. Me and daddy will come get you. I love you and I just want you to come home. I need to know if you’re safe.’

A silver alert states that the teen is “5 feet 4 inches tall, 150 pounds,” has “brown hair with blue eyes.”