It was gathered that a man, Judy Garner was driving along Highway 82 in Bullock County when she first spotted Theris, whom she initially mistook for a deer. But after sherealized it was a human, Garner pulled over.
Whiles peaking to journalists, he said; “I started shaking. I was crying, I was scared, and I didn’t know what to do. So I went over to her and asked her if she would stay there while I get water out of my van. She stayed, and I called 911 and told them I had found a girl on the road.”
Theris from Louisville, Alabama, who had been missing since July 18, was n*ked and covered in a rash of bug bites and scratch marks. Her dark hair had become matted, and dirt had embedded deep beneath her nails.
“She said she ate berries and drank muddy water,” Garner said. “I gave her a hug and said, ‘You poor thing. You’ve been through a lot.'”
Theris was lethargic, and begged Garner not to leave her Chief Anthony Williams, of the Bullock County Sheriff’s Department, was one of the first law enforcement officers to arrive on scene.
“That’s my first time ever witnessing someone in that condition,” Williams said.
An ambulance transported Theris to a nearby hospital where she has since been released to return to her family’s home in Louisville. Williams said none of Theris’ injuries were severe.
“28 days stranded out in the wilderness and Lisa is still standing, strongest person i know,” Theris’ brother Will wrote on Facebook along with a picture of his sister in the hospital. In another post he wrote that having his sister home felt “like a dream.”
Police said the details of how Theris ended up in her condition are still fuzzy, but two suspects who were arrested on burglary and theft charges, and are believed to be tied to Theris’ disappearance.
Manley Davis and Randall Oswald, who were arrested approximately two weeks after Theris disappeared, told authorities they were driving to rob a hunting camp with Theris in their vehicle, police said.
However, when Theris learned of their intent to steal from the camp, she said she wanted nothing to do with the burglary and jumped out of the car, they allegedly told authorities, claiming they have not seen her since.
Police said they were not sure if Theris had a criminal record. They said they plan to ask her more questions later Tuesday.
“We’re giving her some time to let her body adjust back to normal,” Williams said. “And maybe she could give us some insight and fill in the blank spaces.”
It’s still unclear how Theris physically survived her nearly month-long ordeal, but Williams said her will to live was rooted in her love for her family.
“When I asked about what she ate, she had broke down and started crying, but she said the main thing that kept her alive was her family,” Williams said.
