LOGANSPORT, Ind. — Police continue to search for a missing 14-year-old Logansport boy over a week after he disappeared. The child's parents, including a former Indianapolis Colts player now named as a person of interest, are now in the "early stage of cooperation" with investigators.
Indiana State Police are asking for the public’s help in locating Bryson Muir, a 14-year-old boy last seen 11 days ago who may be the victim of abuse by his parents. Bryson is the son of former Colts defensive lineman Daniel Muir, who is now a person of interest in the investigation.
Grandma's report
Bryson was last seen by non-parental family members on June 16 after leaving his grandmother’s home outside Cleveland, Ohio with his mother, Kristen Muir, in a white 2015 Chevrolet Suburban. The child's grandmother reported to police that the child had a black eye and might be being abused by his parents.
Indiana State Police Capt. Ron Galaviz said it was just minutes between when the son and mother left the home and when local police pulled over her Suburban. However, officers said Bryson was not found inside the car with his mother.
"It was minutes, it wasn’t a very long period of time whatsoever," Galaviz said. "But in that period of time, Bryson wasn’t able to be found. We don’t know where he went."
Investigation into parents
Two days later, the Cass County Department of Child Services asked ISP troopers to look into allegations of domestic battery inflicted upon Bryson at a home in Logansport. This was after the department wasn’t able to get ahold of the family.
Up until Thursday, June 27, ISP had been unable to get ahold of the Muir parents despite going out to the family’s home along the 1700 block of West US 24 in Logansport several times.
Now, Capt. Galaviz says detectives have made contact with the parents at the Logansport property and that they are "beginning to cooperate" with the investigation. However, Bryson has still yet to be found and no arrests have been made as of 3:30 p.m. Thursday.
Logansport property, possible cult connections
State Police said the Muir’s Logansport property is owned by the Servant Leader’s Foundation, a nonprofit religious group. The Chevy Suburban driven by Kristen Muir is also owned by the Servant Leader’s Foundation.
FOX59/CBS4 crews recently went to the home, located off a secluded two-lane road in rural Logansport and surrounded mostly by trees. A long gravel driveway is cut off near the road by a fence marked with multiple no-trespassing and private property signs.
There are no signs outside the home with the name Servant Leader’s Foundation, but there is one right past the fence that says "Welcome To Straitway Indiana Goshen." A crest on the sign has an "S" on a shield with two swords forming an X behind the shield.
A Google search of Straitway will lead you to Straitway Truth Ministries, a Tennessee-based religious group that some online have labeled a cult. On the Straitway Truth Ministries website, the group states it is a "nation of Hebrew Israelites who are commandment keepers; obedient to Yah (God) and our savior, Jesus the Christ."
Straitway's official YouTube page features a video published four months ago of a man who appears to be former Colts defensive tackle Daniel Muir preaching from a stage to a cheering crowd.
In the video, Muir holds up a picture of himself and fellow former Colts defensive end Robert Mathis while discussing a place called Goshen.
Further investigation
Galaviz said a Silver or Amber alert has not been issued yet because the information police have about Bryson’s situation does not meet the criteria.
"He is our primary concern, his well-being and safety are of utmost importance," Galaviz said last week. "His father Daniel is a person of interest, someone we want to speak with. Definitely want to speak with the mother, as well."
Police are urging anyone with information on Bryson's whereabouts or his parents to contact the Indiana State Police Peru post at (800) 382-0689 or call 911.
This article features additional reporting by Eric Graves.