Photo of Missing Scottie Morris Sparks Concern Amid Search for Teenager

A photo of missing Scottie Morris from Indiana has sparked concern as the search continues for the 14-year-old.

The Eaton, Indiana Police Department issued a missing person poster over the weekend about Morris. The alert included three pictures of Morris, and he is seen smiling in two of them.

The full image of Morris not smiling has begun to circulate on social media and sparked concern for his overall well-being and the context surrounding the picture.

The full picture shows Morris looking sad while sitting on some stairs in a white t-shirt that appears to say: "I'm a liar. I hurt my brother." Other words on the shirt can't be clearly viewed, however.

Social media users have remarked at how sad Morris looks in the photo with some questioning whether this was a punishment and who were the individuals administering this possible punishment.

Morris was last seen on March 16, 2023, at about 8.30 p.m. The clothing in the picture matches that of the description given by police regarding what he was last seen in.

Twitter user 901Lulu shared the picture and captioned it: "This is Scottie Morris (14) who has been missing from Eaton, Indiana since March 16, 2023. Apparently, this was taken of him right before he went missing. Wtf is happening with his shirt?!

Another Twitter page that focuses on legal and crime stories shared the image alongside another poster of Morris. The Pretty Lies & Alibis page captioned the picture: "Scottie Morris from Eaton Indiana. This photo of him in the shirt is devastating to look at - his face and the writing."

The deputy chief of the Eaton Indiana Police Department, Chris Liggett, addressed the rumors and concerns that have arisen following the circulation the picture of Morris.

In a video shared on the Eaton Indiana Police Department Facebook page on Monday, Liggett said: "We are doing this live video to squash some rumors that we are hearing.

"At this time there is no crime scene, there is nothing being taped off for part of this investigation.

"The haircut that people are talking about had been done prior, to Scottie's request, at a hair salon, that was not done the night of, that was done days prior."

The police chief admitted that authorities are at a "standstill" at the moment in the search for Morris and asked for the public's cooperation in helping find the missing teen.

He thanked the public, local community, businesses and volunteers who had already offered support and help in finding Morris.

Newsweek has contacted the Eaton Indiana Police Department through its Facebook page and via email for comment.