UPDATE: Eaton police reported late Friday night that Scottie Morris has been found. The department says medics are examining him, but he is “safe.” Other details were not immediately released.
Eaton schools were about to start spring break when the small Indiana community began looking for Scottie Morris.
The 14-year-old Delta Middle School student was last seen on March 16, when his family told police he left home in the cold, wearing only a T-shirt and shorts. Here’s a look at what’s happened since then.
Missing Teenager From Indiana:Eaton police say the 14-year-old has been found alive and well
March 16: Scottie Morris leaves his family’s home
In the first photo posted by police, taken the day he allegedly left, he was wearing a white T-shirt that said he was a liar. Police later trimmed it to remove the wording. Police said the photo was used because it was what Morris was wearing when he left the house.
What we know:Scottie Dean Morris of Eaton, Indiana, still missing
March 17: Silver alert issued for Eaton teen
In Indiana, a statewide Silver Alert went out stating that the Eaton Police Department was investigating the disappearance of Scottie Dean Morris. An Indiana State Police press release described him as 14 years old, 5 feet 4 inches tall, 150 pounds, with brown hair and blue eyes “last seen wearing black shoes, red and black shorts, and a white T-shirt that read the front side.”
Anyone with information on the boy’s whereabouts was asked to call 911 or contact the Eaton Police Department at 765-396-3297.
March 17-18: Officials and volunteers search area around Eaton
Search teams looked for Scottie Morris near Eaton, 15 kilometers north of Muncie. The Delaware Community Schools helped by providing school buses to transport searchers.
March 19: Indiana State Police scan area using infrared cameras
Police temporarily suspended ground searches to allow state troopers in helicopters to scan the area with infrared cameras.
Search for Scottie Morris:Eaton teen still missing after lie detector tests, infrared cameras, searches
March 19: Eaton police ask the public for help in collecting video footage
In a Facebook post the weekend after Scottie Morris went missing, police posted a message on Facebook asking those living in Eaton to check security cameras for footage from the night he left home.
March 20: Searches continue in the area, including the Mississinewa River
After the weekend, police continued to comb the area using “professional grid searches” that the Delaware County Emergency Management Agency helped set up.
March 20: Felicia Morris, the mother of the missing teen, makes a plea on the TV news
Scottie Dean Morris’ mother briefly appeared on a newscast on Indianapolis TV the Monday after he went missing, urging her son to return home.
March 21: Eaton Police Department meets with other law enforcement agencies
In a press release, the Eaton Police Department announced it would meet with the Indiana State Police, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources and “a federal organization.” Organized, public searches were halted, and police said IDNR “will assist with boats, sonar, and drone and dive teams as needed” to monitor the water in and near Eaton.
March 22: Police renew call for security camera footage
Police are seeking footage of all Eaton residents who have cameras on their homes. For the second time since Scottie’s disappearance, Eaton Police on its Facebook page asked residents to view their footage from 8:15 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Thursday, March 16.
March 23: The community holds a vigil for Scottie Dean Morris
Family, friends and community members gathered at an Eaton church for a candlelight vigil and marched to nearby Norseman Park. Those present prayed for Scottie Morris and tied green ribbons around a large wooden cross.
“He’s a good friend of mine and I just want to support him and his family,” said one of Scottie’s classmates. “I sent them prayers.”
Eaton Police Chief Jay Turner and several officers from his department also attended the event.
March 24: Police say the bones found in the fire pit are not human
Eaton police responded to Facebook rumors that human remains had been found, saying the claim was false.
“We were sent to an area of interest last night, but no human remains were found there,” police wrote in the post.
Later, Police Chief Jay Turner posted a press release detailing the previous night’s search. He wrote that they had responded to 1200 North County Road where someone had reported finding bones in a “fire pit” in a shed. “After investigation and confirmation with three different forensic anthropologists, the bones were said to belong to an animal,” Turner wrote.
Turner also said the department was working with the Indiana State Police cybercrime unit on the case.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Scottie Dean Morris: Eaton Teen Found Safe, Police Report
