Scottie Morris: Indiana teen missing after parents made him wear 'I'M A LIAR' t-shirt as punishment
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EATON, INDIANA: Police have reported that the parents of a missing 14-year-old boy made him wear a t-shirt with the words "liar" and "cheat" before he disappeared. The missing person alert stated that Indiana boy, Scottie Dean Morris "is believed to be in extreme danger and may require medical assistance" when he was last seen in his hometown Eaton, which is located 76 miles northeast of Indianapolis, at 8.30 pm on March 16.
Morris has brown hair and blue eyes, is 5'4" tall, and weighs 150 pounds. He was last seen at 8.30 pm in the small town of Eaton when the boy disappeared. He was wearing a white T-shirt and red and black shorts.
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'I hurt my brother'
Authorities were given a "disturbing" picture of Morris wearing the t-shirt which appeared to read "I hurt my brother" and had the words "I'm a liar" scribbled on it with a marker. His parents reportedly made him wear the shirt as punishment, but it's unclear why, according to police chief Jay Turner.
The Eaton Police Department released that picture after Morris was reported missing. After receiving criticism for the "humiliating" photograph, police later issued an apology and re-released the photo with the t-shirt cut out. However, Chief Turner claimed that it was "the only photo" that the department had access to and that it had been "displayed as an investigation tool," implying that it might contain information about Morris' disappearance's circumstances or facilitate the search, as per Daily Mail.
His parents did this to him he was forced to wear that shirt to school. No wonder he ran away. I hope he finds a safe place to stay #ScottieMorris https://t.co/YbQ2lciflZ
— cmerry🌀 (@cmerry) March 19, 2023
'The shirt, it was quite unorthodox, kind of disturbing'
According to reports, the photo was shot on the day Morris disappeared, and Chief Turner has subsequently said that Morris was forced to wear it as a form of corporal punishment. Chief Turner said, "The shirt, it was quite unorthodox, kind of disturbing, and we're looking into that."
The boy's haircut in the picture was "his idea," the police chief claimed, dispelling rumors that Morris had to have his head shaved. After the picture of him wearing the t-shirt was posted, he claimed that Morris's parents were devastated and "beat up pretty bad on social media," adding, "Right now, they have cooperated the entire time with us."
Deputy Chief Chris Liggett said on Monday, March 20, that "there have been several interviews done, polygraphs have been conducted. We have no new leads, no new information, we're kind of a standstill right now," he said.
