A SHOCKING series of videos appears to show Steven Bryan's father threatening to harm and kill his mom – months before she vanished with the boy and went into hiding for two years with her new boyfriend.
Family members of Deborah Bryan told The U.S. Sun earlier this week that she ran away in June 2022 with little Steven, then 3, because she was so afraid of her ex-husband, Steven's father Tyler Bryan.
Deborah's uncle, Tom Cash, claimed his niece's relationship with Tyler – which began when they were teenagers – was marred with domestic violence.
Cash claimed that his niece was terrified of Tyler, who on more than one occasion allegedly threatened to kill her.
Court documents uncovered by The U.S. Sun show that Tyler Bryan was charged in January 2021 with domestic battery, threatening to commit a forcible felony, and domestic battery in the presence of a child in Indianapolis, Indiana.
According to a police incident report, Tyler Bryan allegedly threatened to shoot Deborah and then struck her "four or five times with a closed fist" in front of their son.
Deborah's family provided The U.S. Sun with a video dated January 3, 2021, showing a confrontation between her and Tyler in front of Steven, in which Tyler is heard warning, "B***h, I'm about to shoot you."
Tyler Bryan has not yet returned a request for comment.
His mom, Shelia Bryan, emphatically denied claims her son has ever been abusive towards Deborah, insisting he is "not a violent person".
The charges against Tyler were later dismissed as part of a reduced plea and a no-contact order put in place by a judge was rescinded.
Shelia Bryan said her son only agreed to enter a plea so he could get the case over with and see Steven again.
Deborah's time on the run with Steven and her boyfriend, Caleb Blevins, came to an end after 25 months on Tuesday when they were found hiding out in a relative's home in Bloomington, Indiana.
Steven was temporarily taken into the custody of Child Protective Services (CPS) before being released into the care of his father later on Tuesday.
Shelia Bryan said the boy is fine, in good spirits, and catching up on lost time with his dad, whom she said has "been through Hell" the last two years, praying for him to come home.
However, Deborah's family says they are now living in more fear for the boy's life than they were during the time Steven was missing.
"[Deborah] left behind her career of 10 years and dropped everything, giving up her life because she was worried about her son's safety and her safety. That's why she did this," claimed Cash.
"I don't want Steven to be another statistic. I told an officer the other day, we can't get him back if something happens to him."
Cash shared with The U.S. Sun three more videos captured by Deborah that show alleged conflicts between the couple before she vanished with Steven.
He said his niece would often record herself in situations when she felt unsafe.
In one of the clips, Tyler – as identified by Cash – is heard telling Deborah, "You better hope no crazy s**t f**king goes down like those motherf**kers. I'll kill you and take my own f**king son.
"I'll raise my own son without you and say your mommy f**king disappeared [...] you better hope to f**king God it don't happen dude."
Deborah responds, "And you'll go to jail," before the video abruptly cuts off.
The context of the video is not clear.
It was first shared on Facebook by Deborah's mom in 2022.
In a second clip, which captures mostly audio, Deborah and Tyler appear to be having a conversation about music as they're driving in a car.
"I don't like people in general, I don't," says a male voice, identified by Cash and Deborah's mom as Tyler.
"You could be a mom, a dad, a brother, a cousin, a sister – I don't give a f**k I don't like you. I don't. I just gotta deal with you."
A long silence ensues, before the male voice adds, "You should know me by now, that's the only music I listen to. You hear me listening to music about killing motherf**kers.
"I grew up listening to music about killing motherf**kers [...] stabbing them up, I want to so f**king bad."
Deborah responds, "Who cares Tyler [...] you sound like a f**king psychotic person, dude, stop.
"I asked you what you want to do before we go and see the lights?"
Tyler responds, "I want to shoot you in your goddamn gums is what I want to do."
A third video shared with The U.S. Sun was captured shortly before Tyler and Deborah filed for divorce in 2021.
Cash claims Deborah captured the video while driving back from the hospital with Tyler after he suffered an overdose at home.
I don't want Steven to be another statistic. I told an officer the other day, we can't get him back if something happens to him.
Tom Cash
In the video, Tyler is heard talking about taking an "Oxy" (an opiate) and asks, "Was I dead? I don't know what f**k was going on. Was I?"
Deborah responds, "Yeah basically. Before the ambulance got there you barely had any pulse.
"So you're out doing drugs, going to bars and drinking? [...] Seriously, I'm not living like this at f**king all. My son is screaming in the background in bed while my husband is dying on the hallway floor."
Deborah continues, "So it's okay what happened? It's okay the life choices you're making when you have a f**king family? You have a son and a wife and you're worried about doing a f**king pain pill."
Tyler asks whether his mom knows about the incident, to which Deborah replies, "No Tyler. Who cares if your mom knows? You don't want her to know how much of a piece of s**t you really are?
" [...] You could've lost your son and wife, but you don't care, you've already said that plenty of times that you don't care to die."
The other video clip shared by Deborah's family captures part of Deborah's January 2021 domestic violence claim against Tyler.
A police incident report stated that when police arrived at their home, Deborah was hiding at a neighbor's house.
"Ms. Bryan started a video to record her interaction with Tyler on the phone [...] Ms. Bryan stated that Tyler threatened her with a firearm and attacked her on the street while she was holding Steven Bryan," the report states.
The attending officer noted that Deborah appeared to have a cut on her eyebrow and redness around her cheeks.
Deborah told police that Tyler followed her and allegedly hit her four to five times in the face with a closed fist while she was holding her son in the middle of the street.
"[Deborah] stated that the cut on her eyebrow was from an earlier incident but Tyler could have re-opened it when he hit her," reads the report.
The argument began when Deborah called Tyler to ask him when he'd be home, which is said to have "angered" him, according to the report.
"[Officers] attempted to take Tyler into custody but he refused to exit the house. Officers ordered Tyler out of the house using their PA system in their patrol car," reads the report.
"Tyler exited the house and was taken into custody. Initially, Tyler was not willing to apply [sic] with commands and passively resisted being placed in handcuffs.
"Tyler was informed of his Miranda Rights and agreed to speak with officers. Tyler stated that he would not hit his wife and she did not call 911."
In a minute-long clip, Tyler is heard warning Deborah, "B***h, I'm about to shoot you," as he walks into the house past her.
The video is referenced in the incident report, which notes that Deborah began filming before Tyler returned home because she was afraid he would "damage her vehicle when he got home."
"Deborah said she continued to video Tyler and he stormed past her and said, 'I'm going to shoot you' and was heading to the bedroom where Deborah said Tyler keeps his handgun but she never saw him with the handgun," the report reads.
"Deborah was scared so she grabbed Steven and went outside in the cold without coats due to being scared he was really going to shoot her."
Cash alleges that Deborah was terrified of her ex because Tyler allegedly made repeated threats to harm and kill her, as documented in the videos shared.
He claimed Deborah finally decided to separate from Tyler because she was genuinely fearful he'd one day follow through on one of his threats.
"She finally decided to get a divorce because if she couldn't do it for her, she wanted to do it for her son to keep him safe," claimed Cash.
"Debbie used to sleep next to Steven at night to ensure he was safe. She spent months getting a game plan together to get a divorce and get away from [Tyler].
"It was an abusive relationship on his part, and she was terrified of him because he'd threatened to kill her."
Tyler's mom, Shelia Bryan, however, claims the January 2021 incident was a "setup" and denied her son would ever hurt, or has ever hurt, either Deborah or Steven.
"Tyler is not a violent person," said Sheila Bryan.
"He has never been a violent person, he's done some silly stuff in his life when he was younger, but it was never fighting or anything like that involved.
"She was always filming him secretly, and who does that? [...] She'd do it to try and make him say something or make him look bad.
"Debbie is the violent one. I've seen her hit and slap Tyler before – but he has never laid a finger on her."
Sheila Bryan described Deborah as "controlling" and accused her of staging some of the videos she captured of Tyler over the course of their relationship.
Sheila added that Cash's claims Deborah feared Tyler would hurt or kill her or Steven are "absolutely false."
She continued, "He's just making that up. Tyler loves Stevie so much. He's been through hell missing his son so much because he hasn't seen him for two years.
"He'd never hurt Steven. Ever.
"[Authorities] released him to Tyler right away and they've just been having the best time together."
Deborah Bryan vanished with Steven and her boyfriend, Caleb Blevins, from their hometown of Mooresville, Indiana, in June 2022.
They were officially reported missing by Tyler Bryan in August 2022 amid a custody dispute over the boy.
Deborah Bryan failed to show up for a custody hearing between the time she was last seen and when she was reported missing along with her son and Blevins.
As a result of her absence from court, Tyler Bryan was granted temporary emergency custody of the boy.
Deborah was charged with misdemeanor interference with custody in December 2022 for failing to surrender the boy to his father.
Court records show Deborah Bryan previously asked the Indiana Court of Appeals to reverse a lower court's ruling that awarded custody of Steven to Tyler.
That appeal is still pending.
Debbie is a very possessive and jealous person, and any small thing could set her off. Tyler just wants to focus on being a good father, and that's it.
Shelia Bryan
Deborah, Stevens and Blevins were finally located on Tuesday just 35 miles away at a home in Bloomington, which Mooresville Police Chief Kerry Buckner told The U.S. Sun investigators believe belongs to one of Deborah Bryan's relatives.
The discovery was made following an anonymous tip.
Buckner said Mooresville PD received a great deal of assistance from multiple agencies in their search for Steven, including state police, who staked out the property where he was found for days on end before moving in to recover him.
"We were constantly getting new intelligence about a possible location and then we had state police perform surveillance on that location for quite a long time," Buckner said.
"They eventually got information that led them to believe he was possibly inside. They conducted a door knock and received no answer but they could tell someone was inside.
Deborah was arrested on an outstanding warrant for interfering with custody and remains in jail on a $1,000 bond.
An investigation into Steven, Deborah's and Caleb Blevin's disappearance is ongoing.
Buckner said Deborah may yet face more charges, as could any family members who may have assisted in keeping her and Steven hidden, he warned.
Cash said it's difficult to see his niece behind bars.
He described Deborah as a loving and dedicated mother who only wanted the best for her son.
Cash said she has been "broken" since her arrest.
"It's horrible," he said. "You're putting a loving mother who cares for the life of her son in jail but this situation is not as simple as it's being made out to be – it goes a lot deeper.
"It's a sad situation because she hasn't been able to voice her side of the story. The father has been painted as a victim who has been begging for the return of his son but that's not the truth.
"He doesn't care, he only cares that he lost control of Debbie.
"We always see with these domestic violence cases that although you should leave the relationship, it can be hard, it's not easy to do. But Deborah did it."
Shelia Bryan, again, fiercly contested the narrative being spun by Deborah's loved ones.
She accused Deborah of conspiring to get Tyler put in jail so she could take his son away from him for good.
When that plan failed, she ran away with him instead, alleged Sheila.
"That was her plan all along but Tyler never hit her," she said.
"In all of the tapes she made, not in a single one of those videos does he hit her or get violent with her.
"He only pleaded out of the case because the court was taking forever, it was during COVID, and he was desperate to see Stevie again.
"But she wasn't scared of him [...] her mom lives down the road, if she was really that scared Tyler she would've taken Stevie and gone and stayed there."
Sheila continued: "Debbie is a very possessive and jealous person, and any small thing could set her off.
"Tyler just wants to focus on being a good father, and that's it."
After Steven Bryan was recovered safe and well after a two-year hunt on Tuesday, the Mooresville Police Department released the following statement:
On July 9th, 2024, the Indiana State Police located missing child, Steven Bryan, who had been missing for two years.
On July 18, 2022, the Mooresville Metropolitan Police Department (MMPD) was contacted by Tyler Bryan who asked for assistance in retrieving his 3-year-old son, Steven Bryan, from a residence in Mooresville Indiana. Tyler Bryan had a court order granting him emergency custody of Steven.
Officers were unable to locate the child nor his mother, Deborah Bryan. On the same day, the Mooresville Metropolitan Police Department was contacted by Abygail Kenworthy who wanted to report her ex-husband, Caleb Blevins, as a missing person. She stated that she and Blevins have a child in common and that he had not had visitation with the child. According to Kenworthy, this was unusual.
During our investigation, we learned that Caleb Blevins was in a relationship with Deborah Bryan. Ms. Bryan had withdrawn all the funds from her bank account, shut down her cellular phone, and disappeared. We also learned that Caleb Blevins had not reported to work and had taken his work tools out of his workplace.
The MMPD entered both Steven Bryan and Caleb Blevins into NCIC and IDACS as missing persons. The Indiana State Police activated a Silver Alert on Steven Bryan. Detectives filed an arrest warrant on Deborah Bryan for Interference With Custody.
Detectives with the Mooresville Metropolitan Police Department worked with Indiana Intelligence Fusion Center (IIFC) Analyst Angie Meachum in attempts to find Steven Bryan, Deborah Bryan, and Caleb Blevins. This effort was supported by the United States Marshals Service and the Indiana State Police.
Indiana State Police Detectives Josh Allen and Zach Robbins, working on
intelligence provided by the IIFC surveilled a residence in the 8300 block of North Fox Hollow Rd. in Bloomington Indiana. During their surveillance, they gathered information leading them to believe that all three individuals were inside the residence.
An attempt was made to contact the occupants of the residence to no avail. A search warrant was requested and issued for the residence. Indiana State Police Hostage Negotiator William Lux was able to talk Deborah Bryan and Caleb Blevins out of the residence without incident. Steven Bryan was located inside the residence unharmed.
Deborah Bryan was taken into custody for her warrant by the Indiana State Police. Steven Bryan was released to the Department of Child Services, and Caleb Blevins was interviewed and released.
Detectives are continuing this investigation to determine if Deborah Bryan was assisted by others to avoid apprehension. If it is determined that others assisted her during this incident, additional charges may be filed.
Chief Buckner said he was unaware of any prior claims of domestic abuse between Deborah and Tyler.
Of the accusations made by Deborah's uncle, Beckner said all he knows is that the boy was missing and has now been found.
"Whatever happened in court, the judge made that decision," said Beckner.
"We weren't involved with that, our priority and job was to get that child back safe to whoever he was safe with, and we've achieved that.
"There's a right way and there's a wrong way to do things, and if Deborah Bryan was concerned about Tyler and her son's safety, she should've gone to court and expressed that concern to a judge.
"The judges always err on the side of the well-being of the child, but until you go to court and show up to say, 'Hey, here's my issues' [...] she had an attorney and instead of taking off and disappearing for two years, she should've gone to court and made her claim.
"All we've wanted to do is make sure Steven was okay.
"We even contacted her lawyer and tried to arrange a Zoom meeting to prove he was okay and they [Deborah and Blevins] refused."
Sheila Bryan, meanwhile, states that despite the events of the last two years, she hopes Tyler and Deborah can come to some kind of resolution in the near future to ensure Steven has the best life possible.
"We just really hope Debbie gets the help she needs, that eventually they can co-parent together effectively, and that Debbie realizes that she can't just run off with Steven.
"He is Tyler's son. We just want peace. We don't care that Caleb and Debbie are together.
"We wish them well and we just wanted to be in Steven's life.
"Everyone needs two parents – and we just want them to be the best two parents they can be."
She shared that Steven has adapted seamlessly into life back with his father and appears to have been unaffected by the last two years.
"He's doing great [...] he seemed to remember Tyler and he's just been all smiles. They've been having a wonderful time together.
"We're so happy to have him back."
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or chat at thehotline.org.
