Indiana State Police are asking for help finding the 14-year-old son of former NFL player Daniel Muir. The boy’s grandmother claims his father gave him a black eye and a split lip.
Bryson Muir was picked up by his parents from a relative’s home near Cleveland, Ohio, on June 16, but Bryson was not with them when police stopped their car shortly afterward, authorities said. Indiana State Police said in a press release The Cass County Department of Child Services was contacted for assistance in investigating allegations of domestic battery.
His parents, Daniel and Kristen Muir, initially cooperated with authorities but backed out of an agreement Friday to take Bryson to meet with investigators, state police said.
A silver alert has been issued for Bryson, who is “considered missing and endangered.” Indiana State Police said the case is “ongoing” and no charges have been filed.
Kristen Muir’s mother, Cheryl Wright, told NBC station WTHR that Bryson was last seen at her home and that she called police after seeing her grandson with a black eye, a swollen lip and a swollen face.
“He just said his dad did it, but he wasn’t mad, but he wasn’t mad at his dad,” Wright said. “He told me he deserved it and that it was okay. So I told him that wasn’t true and that no one should hit their children like that, not if they love them.”
A photo in Bryson’s silver alert shows the 14-year-old with a bruised eye. According to WTHR, Wright shared that photo with police.
Wright said she picked up Bryson from Toledo at her daughter’s request, and noted that the Muirs were with an unknown man at the time. When they picked Bryson up a few days later, Wright called police.
“Bryson is, I believe, somewhere else, and they just don’t want to bring him back, maybe they don’t want the police to see his face,” Wright said.
Police described Bryson as 6 feet 1 inch tall, 185 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes.
NBC News could not reach Daniel Muir at numbers listed for him in public records. He did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment on the abuse allegations.
WTHR also noted that several attempts to reach the couple were unsuccessful.
Daniel Muir is a former NFL defensive tackle who played for multiple teams from 2007 to 2014. According to his ESPN profile, he was signed to the Indianapolis Colts for four seasons. According to the Indianapolis Star, the former player gave motivational speeches after his retirement.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
