State police search Logansport complex

LOGANSPORT, Ind. – The 14-year-old son of a former Indianapolis Colts player has been found more than two weeks after he was reported missing.

Bryson Muir’s parents were arrested and several other people were taken into custody Wednesday in Cass County on arrest and search warrants issued by the Indiana State Police.

The teen appeared “safe and sound,” according to Indiana State Police. He was turned over to the care of the Cass County Department of Child Services.

His father, Daniel Muir, has been charged with domestic violence (Class A misdemeanor) and obstructing justice (6th degree felony), while his mother, Kristen Muir, has been charged with obstructing justice (6th degree felony), ISP reported.

Arrest warrants were issued for both parents. Police took them to the Cass County Jail. A judge said no bond would be set for the Muirs Wednesday afternoon, citing flight risks.

It happened after Indiana State Police responded to the complex at 1740 W. US Highway 24 in Logansport.

Three SWAT teams, detectives, K9 units and a bomb squad were prepared to search multiple buildings on the property owned by the Servant Leader’s Foundation, a nonprofit religious group. The operation began around 6 a.m., ISP said.

“When something like this happens, we have to be well prepared to go into the unknown,” said Sgt. Steven Glass of ISP. “Ultimately, everything went well and everyone is safe, including Bryson.”

Glass described the operation as “peaceful” and added that police immediately made contact with the Muirs after the warrants were executed.

The Logansport Police Department and Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department were also on scene. The Cass County Sheriff’s Office provided additional resources.

The footage shows that numerous police cars and an IMPD armored vehicle arrived at the scene.

Daniel and Kristen Muir were scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday but failed to show up, prompting ISP to prepare the operation for Wednesday.

Background to the case

Before Wednesday’s events, Bryson Muir was last seen on June 16. His grandmother, Cheryl Wright, said the teenager may have been a victim of abuse at the hands of his father, a former Indianapolis Colts defensive lineman.

Wright reported the possible abuse to police after finding her grandson with a black eye. He was last seen in Cleveland, Ohio, leaving with his mother, Kristen Muir, in a white 2015 Chevrolet Suburban.

Wright told FOX59/CBS4 this week that she contacted police and took photos of her grandson’s injuries.

“His face was battered. When I brought him in, he had a black eye and a busted lip,” Wright said. “His whole face was swollen. I can only imagine how many times he got hit in the face to get that.”

Bryson Muir told her that his father was responsible for the injuries. He did not reveal what led to it.

According to court documents, Daniel Muir allegedly confessed to beating his son in a recorded phone conversation.

“I kicked his ass like a grown man,” Daniel Muir reportedly said in the recording.

Wright believes her grandson was “brainwashed” by his parents and the religious group they belong to.

Police quickly found Bryson Muir’s mother and the Suburban, but the 14-year-old was not in the vehicle. Investigators believe he may have been moved to another vehicle.

Ongoing Dispute, Silver Alert

For several days, investigators were unable to contact Bryson Muir’s parents, despite making multiple visits to the family’s Logansport home. On June 27, there was a change in the case, and the Indiana State Police said the Muirs were “beginning to cooperate.”

But that optimism quickly dissipated; Daniel and Kristen Muir, through their attorney, agreed to meet with police at Peru Post on Friday. An hour before the scheduled meeting, they backed out, ISP said. The developments prompted police to issue a statewide Silver Alert.

The alert said Bryson was last seen on June 16 at around 7:53 a.m. and that he may be in “extreme danger and may require medical attention.”

The Silver Alert has already been canceled.

More about Logansport real estate

Signs on the isolated Logansport property make no mention of the Servant Leader’s Foundation, which records show is the registered owner of the property. Many signs read “Welcome to Straitway Indiana Goshen” along with a coat of arms.

Other signs warn against trespassing and state that the area is private property.

An Internet search leads to Straitway Ministries, a Tennessee-based religious group that describes itself as “a nation of Hebrew Israelites who keep the commandments; obedient to Jah (God) and our Savior, Jesus Christ.”

The group’s official YouTube page features a video from four years ago showing a man resembling Daniel Muir giving a sermon to a crowd.

Some have called the group a cult; Bryson Muir’s grandmother feared her grandson was being “brainwashed” and was unable to leave his parents.

“Bryson is so conditioned or brainwashed into their way of life that he wanted to come back,” Wright said earlier this week. “When I tried to get my daughter to leave, he ran out of the house and left with them.”

The Muir Family and the Straitway Truth’s Response

Victor Vining, a defense attorney representing Daniel and Kristen Muir, spoke to reporters after the parents appeared before a judge Wednesday afternoon.

“The Muir family was wrongly attacked and is not guilty of any wrongdoing or illegal activity. They are entitled to their day in court and due process,” Vining said.

During the hearing, a judge denied Daniel and Kristen Muir bail, citing flight risks. The parents were also ordered to have no contact with their son.

Muir’s next court appearance will be on July 16.

Pastor Charles Dowell, who runs Straitway Truth, posted several videos on YouTube after the raid. In one video, Dowell said not to trust news reports or police reports regarding allegations involving the Muir family.

“You can be sure Straitway is not going down without a fight,” Dowell said. “We are coming. You can be sure we are coming.”

Sports Illustrated magazine has already published a lengthy report detailing Straitway Truth and Pastor Dowell, with multiple people accusing the religious group of being a cult and making other disturbing accusations.