Haleigh Cummings ~ Grandma Defends Haleigh's Father

The Latest On Haleigh’s Case…………..
February 15, 2009 by niecey456

Well it appears that they have ruled out the items of interest as being evidence. It also appears that in the beginning they found a child’s foot print coming from the house and the dogs picked up a scent that led to the pond and then back around and to her bus stop. The father said her shoes were in the house. The part about the foot print and scent are second article down on that same link. Read more about it here:

http://www.clickorlando.com/news/18717442/detail.html#

Check this out. It’s really scary. Take a look:


http://www.ocala.com/article/20090214/ARTICLES/902141003/0/NEWS#

I linked to that article from this next one and the reason I’m going to share this one with you is I see a change in story in it. Take a look at the part that talks about when the girlfriend noticed Haleigh missing:

about when the girlfriend noticed Haleigh missing:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,493230,00.html

The part that bothered me is that Ronald Cummings said that Misty Croslin(his girlfriend), noticed Haleigh missing, after Haleigh got up to go to the bathroom and did not return, then she found the back door open. Is it me? Or did they originally say that Misty got up to go to the bathroom, came back and noticed Haleigh missing??? I know the sleeping arrangement stories have changed, but I hadn’t heard this change before. FYI Geraldo is going to do a piece on this case tonight on his show. Geraldo At Large comes on at 10pm Eastern. Fox’s main page is advertising an interview with George Anthony on Haleigh’s case, and when you click on it, it basically leads you to believe it will be in the piece Geraldo does.

Also Channel 9’s current report did say that both George and Cindy were there in support of the family. There was a video there in which George said he was there representing Kid Finders. I don’t believe other than that it was really anything new, but I mentioned it because most of the videos with George did not mention Kid Finders. If you’d like to view it, view it here:

http://www.wftv.com/video/18701735/index.html

That video is a little rough, as far as quality. I guess you heard where to go to donate to Haleigh’s family. Now if you click on the website below that is the website George was talking about in the video where you can go and donate to the family. The website is sponsored by Kid Finders and gives their phone # and the phone # of the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office. It does not say anything about donations, George did. However, I’m sure one could call Kid Finders and do so. Is this starting to sound familiar???

http://www.bringhaleighhome.com/

I must say that I really hope Haleigh is found alive and unharmed. I am really praying for that. The longer she’s missing the worse the chances are, so please pray. I know that some things in this case don’t make a lot of sense and I know I’m not the only one that feels that way, but I’m equally worried about this sex offender on the loose, as that is a possibility as well. He was prosecuted in that same county. No matter which way you turn there are disturbing facts. This guy was arrested and convicted for burglary and lewd and lacivious molestation of a child under 12 and the incident happened in 2002. He’s 25 now, so he was pretty young. He is on some kind of parole, and was supposed to check in, so they are looking for him. I’m really concerned about this one. I hope there is no connection.

http://niecey456.wordpress.com/2009/02/15/the-latest-on-haleighs-case/

“No revenge” if missing girl returned
The father of a missing Florida girl is pleading for her return and promised “no revenge” if she was found safe.

“If you have my daughter and you’re watching this, drop her off somewhere safe,” Roland Cummings said of his daughter Haleigh.

“I’m not out for revenge, I’m not out for nothing else. I want my daughter back,” Cummings said, with his girlfriend, Misty Croslin, at his side.

He said he could think of no reason Haleigh would be taken.

“Why would anybody be sick enough” to abduct a child? he asked.

Cummings, 25, said earlier that he and Croslin had passed lie detector tests.



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Information from: http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/02/12/miss...

Florida Police Say Haleigh Cummings Was Abducted
The search for Haleigh Ann Marie Cummings, a 5-year-old girl who vanished from her Putnam County, Fla., home early Tuesday morning, has gone on for over 50 hours now, and investigators still have no new leads on her whereabouts.

The search effort, which initially involved over 130 officers from at least 10 county, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, was significantly scaled back today to about 60 active searchers. The reason for the scaleback, according to Maj. Gary Bowling with the Putnam County Sheriff's Office, is that investigators believe Haleigh was abducted.

"The evidence that it's an abduction is that there's no reason to believe that the child wandered off," Bowling said during a media briefing last night. "She's a 5-year-old child, and she's afraid of the dark."

According to authorities, polygraph tests have been administered to Haleigh's father, 24-year-old Ronald Cummings, and his 17-year-old girlfriend, Misty Croslin. Cummings has told the media that they both passed; officials will not comment on the validity of his claims.

Earlier today, Putnam County Sheriff Jeff Hardy said that investigators have collected evidence from Cummings' mobile home but would not describe the evidence.

"I can't discuss what evidence was taken into custody," Hardy said. "I don't want to reveal what was found or not found."

The evidence has since been sent to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement Regional Crime Lab for analysis.

Speaking with Fox News, Putnam County Sheriff's Office Capt. Steve Rose confirmed reports that there have been prior problems with Cummings, Croslin, and the children. He refused to elaborate on what the problems were, saying only, "There have been some investigations done through the Department of Children and Families," Rose said.

On Tuesday, Haleigh's mother, 23-year-old Crystal Sheffield, and her grandmother, Marie Griffis, arrived on the scene from Georgia. Griffis initially told the media that there were no problems between her daughter and Cummings; today, however, she told the media that their relationship had been "rocky."



"If you're in the bed with your child, and you get up and use the bathroom," Sheffield told Firstcoastnews.com, "is there enough time for someone to come to the house and snatch the child out of the bed and disappear without you getting back to the bed in time? No!"

In related news, Joshua Duckett, the father of missing Leesburg toddler Trenton Duckett, and George Anthony, grandfather of child murder victim Caylee Anthony, have both traveled to Putnam County to show their support for Haleigh's family. In addition, celebrity bounty hunter Leonard Padilla is in the area, assisting in the search. Padilla is offering a no-questions-asked $25,000 reward to anyone who returns Haleigh before midnight on Saturday.

Meanwhile, members of the search and recovery group Texas EquuSearch began arriving in Putnam County earlier today. According to Barbie Tarr, a spokesperson for the group, Tim Miller is currently meeting with investigators to determine where his group should begin searching.

"We are planning to start the search tomorrow morning," Tarr told Investigation Discovery. "We are hopeful that Haleigh will be found. No one should have to live the nightmare that this family is going through right now."

According to Tarr, EquuSearch's command center will be located at 194 East Buffalo Bluff in Satsuma, Fla. Anyone interested in helping is asked to arrive at 8:00 a.m. The group is in need of foot searchers and searchers on horseback and ATVs. For more information, visit the organization’s Web site at: Texasequusearch.org.

Haleigh Cummings is described as three feet tall, weighing 39 pounds, with blonde hair and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing a pink shirt and underwear. Anyone with information on her whereabouts is asked to contact the Putnam County Sheriff's Office at 386-329-0808 or Crime Stoppers at 1-888-277-TIPS

Related Links:
Florida Authorities in Desperate Search for Missing 5-year-old Haleigh Cummings

Photo Credits: Haleigh's family


This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission from Discovery Communications. All quotes must include a link back.



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Posted by David Lohr at 05:32 PM in Crimes Against Children, Follow That Crime, Haleigh Cummings, Missing Persons | Permalink

Technorati Tags: abduction, Amber Alert, Baker County, Barbi Tarr, child, crime, crime news, Crystal Sheffield, David Lohr, FBI, Florida, George Anthony, Georgia, Haleigh Ann Marie Cummings, Haleigh Cummings, Hermit's Cove, Investigation Discovery, John Merchant, Joshua Duckett, Leonard Padilla, Marie Griffis, missing, Misty Croslin, news, Palatka, Putnam County, River Villa, Ronald Cummings, Satsuma, Steve Donaway, Texas EquuSearch, Tim Miller, Trenton Duckett, true crime, update
http://blogs.discovery.com/criminal_report/2009/02/florida-police-say-haleigh-cummings-was-abducted.html

Genetic abnormality could help identify Haleigh
By James
ocala.com

Haleigh Ann-Marie Cummings, the 5-year-old girl who has been missing from her family’s home in Satsuma since Feb. 9, has a genetic abnormality that could help an eyewitness identify her.

Family members say Haleigh has been diagnosed with Turner syndrome, which affects one in every 2,500 female babies born alive and is marked by features that range from major heart defects to minor cosmetic indicators.

On Tuesday, day 15 in the search for the missing girl, investigators were following up on a report that she had been spotted walking with a man in St. Augustine. It turned out to be a father walking his daughter to school.

For more than two weeks, detectives have been pouring over the hundreds of leads they’ve received about Haleigh’s disappearance, some from as far away as Tennessee.

Haleigh is described as having strawberry blonde hair and brown eyes. She is 3 feet tall and weighs 39 pounds.

Family members say she has a number of features that are typical of a child with Turner syndrome: Two brown birthmarks are found on her left cheekbone and right jawline, her fingers and toes are chubbier than those of most kids her size and age, and her left eye is slightly smaller and unaligned (a condition called “lazy eye”).

Haleigh is below average height for her age, typical of a Turner syndrome child. Most grow to be no taller than 4 feet 6 inches, according to a report from the National Institutes of Health, and they often are treated with human growth hormone.

While most of the physical signs of Turner syndrome are harmless, those who are born with it can have congenital heart disease, high blood pressure and abnormal development at puberty.

The genetic abnormality can be diagnosed by amniocentesis during pregnancy.

Anyone with information about Haleigh’s disappearance should call 888-277-TIPS or the FDLE’s Missing Endangered Persons Information Clearinghouse at 888-FL-MISSING.
http://rochesterpopulist.wordpress.com/2009/03/02/genetic-abnormality-could-help-identify-haleigh/

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Tuesday, 3 March 2009
Haleigh: 21 days and counting

Haleigh Cummings vanished from her Satsuma home three weeks ago.

Despite a massive search and criminal investigation, no sign of the 5-year-old kindergartner has been found.

Officials on Monday continued their practice of not discussing the results of the investigation by county, state and federal authorities.

"There is nothing new to report," Capt. Dick Shauland, a spokesman for the Putnam County Sheriff's Office, said Monday.

Haleigh was last seen the night of Feb. 9 and reported missing from her bed the next day at 3:27 a.m.

Bloodhounds reportedly tracked Haleigh to the St. Johns River near her home in South Putnam County. Extensive searches of the river and marshland around the Cummings home came up empty.

"It appears she disappeared," Teresa Neves, Haleigh's paternal grandmother, said Monday afternoon. "My baby was here and then she wasn't."

Misty Croslin, the 17-year-old girlfriend of Haleigh's father, Ronald Cummings, told authorities she last saw the girl sleeping. At different points in the investigation, investigators have described Haleigh as missing, abducted and endangered.

Late last week, search teams with dogs specially trained to find human remains canvassed the area around the Cummings home. Three of those dogs "alerted" at a trash container in a neighboring subdivision, but it was believed they were reacting to a personal hygiene item found inside.

Neves said she speaks with detectives every day.

"Police say they are following leads and doing the best they can," she said.

Meanwhile, there were signs the neighborhood is slowly returning to normal. It was noticeable what is no longer there.

For instance, the yellow and black crime scene tape that surrounded the Cummings home is gone, as are the nearly constant stationing of a patrol car and command post.

Even the number of television station trucks has diminished.

As relatives met with reporters, one neighbor was out walking a dog.

Haleigh's family, however, is maintaining its vigil on Tyler Street in tents and a camper parked in a home's front yard despite the chilly nights. Maternal-side relatives and friends man a second site near Buffalo Bluff Road.

"My mom and my cousin and grandpa stayed last night," Neves said.

Candlelight vigils have been held nightly.

"Ronald had a meltdown last night. I actually left him with a pastor last night," Neves said. "He broke down and it's hard."

Neves said she was unable to go back to her son's house after she saw Haleigh's bicycle parked outside.

"I went back and saw her bike and couldn't go inside," she said. "It's just too hard."

Putnam County authorities say they have received about 2,000 tips about the Haleigh Cummings case.

Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers of Northeast Florida at (888) 277-8477. Tips also may be submitted online at westopcrime.com or by text message at tips231 and send to crimes.

Staff writers Chris DeVitto and Larry Sullivan contributed to this report.
Posted by Dont Let Them Hurt Our Children at Tuesday, March 03, 2009
Labels: abducted children, Haleigh Ann-Marie Cummings, Missing children

http://dontletthemhurtourchildren.blogspot.com/2009/03/haleigh-21-days-and-counting.html

Monday, 2 March 2009
Song is plea for Haleigh ~ Songwriter's heart goes out to missing little girl







David Eli Grimes of Picolata stood at a live microphone Friday morning and sang a song he wrote called "A Little Girl is Missing," about 5-year-old Haleigh Cummings, who disappeared from her Satsuma house Feb. 10.

He sounded somewhat like a somber Elvis.

"She needs your help, She needs your prayers

She needs everyone who cares..."

Go tell everyone high and low

All the angels in heaven must know

Pray we find her safe, if you know anything

Please make the telephone ring..."

He felt he had to do something, anything, to help.
[img]"The search (for Haleigh) is starting to die down," Grimes said during a break in the recording session at Eclipse Studios in St. Augustine. "I'm hoping to get this out there (on the radio) and hope it revives interest so people can't forget until this is solved."

Professional musician Kurt Johnston of Ponte Vedra Beach played all instruments on Grimes' song and serves as assistant music director of Ponte Vedra Presbyterian Church. He and wife Debrann, also a trained musician, play the Casa Marina in Jacksonville Beach every Tuesday and Wednesday.

Johnston's highest profile musical role, though, was as keyboard player with the Jon Bon Jovi Band in 2007, recording on the band's 10th album, Grammy-winning "Lost Highway," but has had a professional relationship with the band since 1994.

He toured with Bon Jovi for 18 months, playing piano, keyboards, electric and acoustic guitar, dobro, pedal steel guitar, 5-string banjo, lap steel and mandolin.

Jim Stafford of Eclipse Studios said Johnston "breathes a little magic" into many projects and "has a sense of what is coming next in a song. I admire his heart. He's always ready to help."

Grimes said he got the idea for the song when he went to the Georgia-Pacific plant in Palatka on business a few weeks ago and saw posters and signs everywhere asking people to help find Haleigh. He saw more signs downtown Palatka and at convenience stores and supermarkets.

Something clicked. In his car, he composed a song to raise awareness of Haleigh called "A Little Girl is Missing."

This did not come from out of the blue. Grimes has written and recorded 20 songs, a number for causes and organizations that work for good.

He wrote "The Phantom Ferry of the St. Johns River," "Big, Big Difference" for Big Brothers-Big Sisters, and "The Homeless Dance" and "No One Knows Your Name" for the homeless, and "Does Anybody Kare?" for animal welfare.

"It just seems to flow," he said. "If I have any talent, it's writing a song. There's no doubt that God gave me the words to that song."

Johnston, a youth minister for years, also works from his faith. But "I'm following David's path," was all he'd say about it.

Stafford, who organizes the St. Augustine Christmas albums every year to benefit the Empty Stocking Fund, said, "It makes us feel enriched to participate in something which helps people."
Posted by Dont Let Them Hurt Our Children at Monday, March 02, 2009
Labels: abducted children, Haleigh Ann-Marie Cummings, Missing children
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PUTNAM COUNTY, FL -- Along with the talking about their rides out on the road, this year bikers passing through Putnam County on their way to bike week are also talking about Haleigh Cummings.

"If every biker keeps their eyes open and sees the pictures of her at stores and everything it can't hurt and if they catch the people that did it, I feel sorry for that man," says biker Mike Rizon.

Rizon is from Pittsburgh, and all the bikers he's riding with say they know Haleigh's story and are on the lookout.

"Everyone is well aware the girl is missing, we've all got our eyes open, we're all praying very hard for her safe return," says Mike "Hammer" Seager.

"We as people on motorcycles that are parents especially that don't want to see our children missing, we need to keep an eye out for the children nowadays and watch," says biker Bill Cook.

The signs along Highway 17 warn drivers to watch for the bikers and now family members like grandmother Teresa Neves are hoping the bikers watch for little Haleigh.

"I hope they'll carry that news far and wide and somebody might see my baby and bring her home," says Neves.

Almost all the bikers passing through make a stop at the landmark Cheyenne Saloon. The owners there are passing out flyers and promise to help any way they can.

And some bikers are getting together for a benefit dinner for Haleigh Sunday night.
Posted by Dont Let Them Hurt Our Children at Monday, March 02, 2009
Labels: abducted children, Haleigh Ann-Marie Cummings, Missing children
Links to this post
http://dontletthemhurtourchildren.blogspot.com/2009/03/bikers-help-with-search-for-haleigh.html

Posted on March 3rd, 2009 by Stone in All News, Op-ed, Society and CultureRead 825 times.

Satsuma Florida- Just on the heels of Caylee Anthony’s memorial service, we have a shout to the nation of another missing child out of Florida. Haleigh Cummings snatched from her fathers trailer during the early morning hours of February 10th. Seems the only adult in the home has no real recollection of went on that night and has been questioned numerous times regarding Haleigh and her disappearance. Countless children have come up missing in the days since Haleigh’s disappearance. Millions of children have been missing before Haleigh’s disappearance To many to count on my fingers and toes.

How come they don’t get the media coverage like Haleigh and Caylee. Why arent they blasted and paraded all over the media outlets? I for one would like to know. I, like everyone else in the world, would like to see Haleigh brought home. I would like to see them all brought home. Each one featured on the television and internet. Each one given the same respect that children like Haleigh and Caylee are getting.

There are 800,000 missing children each year under the age of 18. That makes around 2,000 children reported missing each day in America. That’s just in America. Is any child better than the other? Do one or two deserve more coverage than any of the other missing children? Over 60,000 children in Canada will be reported missing this year. That’s one child every 9 minutes. I can only imagine the number of missing children there are each day internationally.

I have been asked by the editors at BNN to cover the Haleigh Cummings case and I obliged. I would like to see coverage for all the missing children not only in America but around the world. I realize that 2,000 children reported missing a day is alot to have to cover each and everyday. Why dont they get the same respect as Haleigh and Caylee? I don’t know I think the laws need to change regarding one missing child and another. Whether the child was abducted by family, acquaintance, or stranger. They all deserve the same coverage. Haleigh Cummings has disappeared with no clues the detectives told her biological grandmother. Nothing. Millions of children disappear each and every day leaving no clues. We never get to hear about them, well not until you open your mailbox and the little flier with 2 children’s faces on it included in your mail. Or at the local supermarket the big poster of missing/lost children. No announcements on the internet or the television. Nothing. Why? How is Caylee or Haleigh any more important then any of the rest?

More people need to be involved in making a change regarding missing/lost children and the media attention and coverage that they get. A great number of these children are never found. Why is that? Is it because its not local for everyone to know about a missing child? I live on the West Coast and I get to hear about children like Caylee and Haleigh every day. Elizabeth Smart was all over for days and days until she was spotted disguised by her abductor. Cole Puffingburger abducted by Mexican drug nationals for 21 million dollars that his grandfather owed. He got national attention. Why not the rest of the missing, abducted, lost children. It may be to great of a task for our nation to handle. It’s only fair to give them all the same respect and coverage that any other missing child receives.

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SATSUMA, FL -- The number of tips the Putnam County Sheriff's Office has received about Haleigh Cummings' disappearance has now grown to 2,300.

Captain Dick Schauland says detectives are following up on the tips today but so far, they aren't any closer to finding the 5-year-old girl.

It has now been over three weeks since she disappeared from her Satsuma home.

"We didn't know in the beginning where she was and we still don't know," says Schauland.

http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/local/news-article.aspx?storyid=132707&catid=3

There are no searches planned for today.

Detectives plan to use the day re-interviewing neighbors and family members.

SATSUMA, FL -- Haleigh Cummings' great-grandmother, Annette Sykes, says the allegations that her grandson abused Haleigh and Haleigh's little brother are "garbage and hearsay."



Sykes told First Coast News Wednesday, "Ronald's a good daddy. I'm not saying he's perfect because he's not. He's a young father, but he loves his children. He provides for his children. He spends as much time as he can with them."

Kim Picazio, Haleigh's mother's attorney, told First Coast News last week that after coming to Putnam County to help Crystal Sheffield handle the media, she received numerous calls and information about possible abuse involving Haleigh's father -- Ronald Cummings, Haleigh and Haleigh's little brother over the past few years.

Picazio said she provided all of that information to the Florida Department of Children and Families Tuesday so that the agency can investigate.

"We're not worried about that [investigation]," said Sykes. "It's just a matter of if they want to investigate facts or if they don't want to take the time and go by hear-say."

John Harrell, a spokesman for the Department of Children and Families, confirmed the agency did receive the information from Picazio this week. Harrell said the agency takes the allegations seriously and will review the information carefully.

As for the speculation that Haleigh's mother, Crystal Sheffield, is fighting for custody of her children, Picazio told First Coast News she is still not pursuing a custody battle at this time.

Haleigh's great-grandmother, Sykes, said even talking about it right now is wrong.

"The only thing that needs to be talked about is Haleigh Ann Marie Cummings! Nothing else," Sykes said. "If they want to do all that other stuff, they should've waited until Haleigh came home. Any issues they had should not be now. Now is not the time."

http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/local/news-article.aspx?storyid=134115&catid=3