Former NFL player, wife arrested after missing son found at religious center

The missing 14-year-old son of former Indianapolis Colts football player Daniel Muir was found safe and sound Wednesday after a state police SWAT team raided his family’s home, which was housed in a religious center.

According to a state police news release, Bryson Muir appeared to be “safe and well” and was turned over to Cass County Social Services.

Bryson had been considered missing and endangered since last month after his grandmother told social services she believed he had been the victim of domestic violence at the hands of his father, according to previous HuffPost reporting. Authorities were unable to locate the teen after his grandmother filed a report.

After finding Bryson, authorities arrested his parents, Kristin Muir, 38, and Daniel Muir, 40, on charges of hindering justice.

According to a press release, Daniel Muir has been charged with an additional charge of domestic violence.

“His face was beat up. When I got him, he had a black eye and a busted lip,” Bryson’s grandmother Cheryl Wright told Fox affiliate WXIN of the teen’s condition last month when she decided to call authorities.

Wright told the outlet that Bryson was “manipulated” into the lifestyle of his parents who lived at a religious center in Logansport, Indiana.

Although Bryson had not been seen since June 16, police issued a Silver Alert for him on June 28 after his parents backed out of a plan to bring their son to authorities.

After Bryson went missing, a WXIN news crew visited the Muir property and found a sign for Straitway Truth Ministries.

The Tennessee-based organization is led by Pastor Charles Dowell and has 12 chapters in the U.S. and Canada, according to its website. Daniel Muir is listed as pastor of the Indiana chapter.

According to an investigation by Sports Illustrated, the organization has been described as a cult and its members include many former NFL players.

In a YouTube video posted after the arrests, Dowell spoke against a backdrop of a wall adorned with camouflage fatigues and assault rifles and tried to dispute media reporting on the case.

He added that during morning prayers, authorities entered the property with battering rams and a BearCat hunting dog, comparing the incident to the 1993 raid in Waco, Texas, where authorities besieged a Branch Davidian worship compound that left more than 80 people dead.

No one was injured in this week’s raid in Indiana, according to state police.

Sergeant Steven Glass told WXIN the operation was “peaceful” as police made contact with the Muirs immediately after the search.

“For something like this, we have to be well prepared to go into the unknown,” Glass told the website.

Need help? In the U.S., call 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) for help. National Domestic Violence Helpline.