Indiana authorities were on the search for a 14-year-old Black boy the past two weeks until he finally reappeared mysteriously. We don’t know what’s more suspicious, his sudden vanishing or the domestic abuse accusations that came against his family at the same time of his disappearance.
Bryson Vanishes
Indiana State Police issued a Silver Alert June 28 for Bryson Muir, son of ex-Colts defensive lineman Daniel Muir and his wife, Kristen. The department previously said the teen was last seen leaving a family member’s house in Ohio with his mother on June 16. Minutes later, the vehicle was pulled over by Ohio law enforcement. However, Bryson was not in the vehicle.
Two days later, police said investigators were commissioned by the Cass County Department of Child Services to investigate allegations of domestic battery to Bryson which was alleged to have occurred at his home in Logansport.
Abuse Claims
Bryson’s grandmother told police she believed the boy’s father was beating him and “brainwashed” the child into living a certain lifestyle with the religious group his parents were part of, Servant Leader’s Foundation. In addition to her accusations, she produced a photo she took of Bryson with a swollen black eye and busted lip. Bryson’s reluctance to tell his grandmother how he got injured provoked her to call the police, she told FOX 59 News.
“I didn’t want to let him go,” Wright told reporters. “I tried to call the police because he had been abused. It hurts me that anyone could be beaten like that. It hurts me that my daughter would allow anyone to do that to her child. I can only imagine how many times he had been hit in the face for it to be like that.”
Lack of Cooperation
After failing to make contact with the Muirs, the ISP said the couple agreed to meet with authorities that day and to the cops’ surprise, bring Bryson with them to meet with ISP investigators. At the time, the boy was still considered missing and endangered.
However, an hour before their meeting time, police said the Muirs backed out of the agreement, signaling an unwillingness to cooperate. Mr. Muir was then named a person of interest in the disappearance of his son.
Bryson Found
Around 6 a.m. the morning of July 3, SWAT officers, K-9 units and a bomb squad descended upon the Servant Leader’s Foundation compound in Logansport where they found the Muirs as well as Bryson who was described to be “safe and well,” per ISP authorities. He was released into the custody of the child services agency. As for his parents, they were taken into the custody of the state police.
Daniel Muir faces charges of domestic battery and obstruction of justice while his wife faces an obstruction charge. They were booked in Cass County Jail, per FOX 59.
It’s still unclear where Bryson was between June 16 and June 28 or what else may have happened to him while the cops searched for him.