Silver Alert issued for missing Logansport boy; parents back out of meeting with police

The Indiana State Police have issued a statewide Silver Alert as it investigates the disappearance of Bryson Muir, who had been living in rural Logansport on a property tied to a religious organization that has been accused in the past of cult-like activities.

Bryson is a 14-year-old Black male, 6-feet-2 inches tall and 185 pounds with black hair and brown eyes, last seen wearing an orange Under Armor shirt and blue jeans.

On Friday, Bryson's parents Daniel and Kristen Muir had agreed to bring Bryson to meet with ISP investigators at the Peru Post, according to a press release from the ISP. The agreement was to meet at noon. At approximately 11 a.m., the Muirs backed out of that arrangement, which signaled an unwillingness to cooperate, ISP stated in the press release.

Bryson is still believed to be in extreme danger and may require medical assistance, the Silver Alert stated.

Bryson was last seen at 7:53 a.m. June 16 leaving a family member’s residence in Ohio with his mother in a white 2015 Chevrolet Suburban belonging to Servant Leader’s Foundation in Kokomo, police said.

Shortly after leaving the residence, the vehicle was pulled over by the Garfield Heights, Ohio, Police Department, but Bryson was not in the vehicle.

Investigators are asking anyone with information to contact the Indiana State Police Peru at 765-513-9907 or 911.

On or about June 18, investigators with ISP were requested by the Cass County Department of Child Services to investigate allegations of domestic battery to Bryson. The abuse was alleged to have occurred in the 1700 block of U.S. 24 in Logansport, where the child lives. The gated property, which is surrounded by fencing, is owned by the Servant Leader’s Foundation, although an Internet search of the name does not lead to any specific group or organization.

On Thursday, ISP and the Cass County Department of Child Services made a visit at the Muir’s residence, according to a state police press release on Thursday.

According to YouTube and Facebook pages run by Daniel Muir, he is the pastor for Straitway Indiana-Goshen. A sign for Straitway Indiana-Goshen appears at the entrance of the property on U.S. 24. The YouTube page links to Straitway.com, where Muir is listed on the ministry team.

Straitway Indiana-Goshen

Straitway Truth is a religious group led by Pastor Charles Dowell, based in Lafayette, Tennessee, according to newreligiousmovements.org. The group has appealed to many former NFL players, according to the website.

The website states: “This group identifies itself with Hebrew Israelism, a belief system that claims a lineage connection between African Americans and the biblical Israelites. Straitway Truth Ministry promotes a life of separation from mainstream society, advocating for a return to biblical laws and commandments as they interpret them.”

Straitway was the subject a Sports Illustrated cover story and accused of cult-like activities in 2020, with Muir being mentioned as a member.

A sign outside the property on U.S. 24 reads "Straitway Indiana-Goshen." A special session of the Logansport Board of Zoning Appeals on Sept. 13, 2021, shed some light on what is on the property and what Muir had planned for the property, which is on about 119 acres.

The special BZA session was about variances and a modular/ mobile home being added to the property.

A modular/ mobile type of home was to be added on the property, listed as 1421 Sadler Hill Road, and a 6-foot high gate off the Sadler Hill Road entrance, which comes off U.S. 35. The Sadler Hill Road neighborhood is on the northeast border of the property.

The BZA members also voted that, eventually, the property can have 10 mobile homes and 10 stick-built homes, and the owner can put a 6-foot privacy fence along U.S. 24.

Muir, who was referred to as the owner of the property, said people had been parking along the highway and trespassing onto the land.

He said the homes and mobile homes would go on the property over time and not immediately, and he added they would be high-end modular homes.

Several residents on Sadler Hill Road spoke at the meeting to express concerns that increased traffic would disrupt the quiet neighborhood. They also wondered whether mobile homes or smaller homes would decrease nearby property values.