Haleigh Cummings: Investigators Change Stance on Missing Girl's 6th Birthday

SATSUMA, Fla. -- Investigators in Putnam County marked the sixth birthday of Haleigh Cummings with a news release stating they believe the missing girl was likely kidnapped by someone she knew.

Putnam County Sheriff's Office Lt. Johnny Greenwood said evidence and the work of investigators have minimized the likelihood that Haleigh's disappearance is the work of a stranger.

Greenwood said the missing girl's biological parents, Ronald Cummings and Crystal Sheffield, are not considered suspects in the case, but Cummings' current wife, Misty Croslin-Cummings, has not been cleared.

"Investigators believe that Misty Croslin-Cummings continues to hold important answers in the case," the news release stated. "She has failed to provide any sort of detailed accounting of the hours during the late evening and early morning of Haleigh's disappearance."

Greenwood said physical evidence found at the Cummings' home contradicted Croslin-Cummings' account of her evening activities. Authorities asked anyone with direct knowledge of her activities around the time of Haleigh's disappearance to contact the Putnam County Sheriff's Office at 386-329-0800.

Haleigh Remembered On 6th Birthday

The thought of Haleigh's sixth birthday transformed her grandmother's face into a portrait of anguish.

"You can't celebrate a birthday when she's not here," grandmother Teresa Neves said.

Haleigh vanished from her bed on a cold February morning.

"I can definitely say she has not been forgotten," Greenwood said.

The news release from the Putnam County Sheriff's Office stated that investigators don't believe a stranger kidnapped Haleigh, but they are looking for more information from Croslin-Cummings. Haleigh disappeared on her watch.

"All it's going to take is one small piece of information. Like I said, somebody out there knows what happened," Greenwood said.

Countless searches have been completed since Haleigh's disappearance. and 4,000 leads have been received by authorities. Some of them have taken investigators as far away as Tennessee.

And there were the unexpected events like when Haleigh's father proposed to his 16-year-old girlfriend. A recent family feud ended with him being jailed.

On Haleigh's birthday, her father and his new wife were together, but six months have passed, and the girl remains missing.

Investigators said they believe Haleigh could still be alive, and they have no evidence to believe otherwise. Greenwood said they're waiting for new leads and reworking old ones.

"We've actually got an agent with the (Florida Department of Law Enforcement) right now who is assigned to us to go back through tips, just reviewing to see if there's any tip that might not have been investigated," Greenwood said.

Balloons Released With Fliers Inside

On her birthday, Haleigh's family didn't miss the chance to get her face back out in the public. They sponsored a nationwide balloon release, with fliers containing her information.

"When they take it out of the balloon, or when it falls, they'll look at it, and possibly, hopefully, if they've seen Haleigh, they'll recognize her and call law enforcement," great-grandmother Annette Sykes said.

Haleigh's family keeps reminders of her everywhere. Shrines contain pictures, pieces of her little-girl makeup and presents she has never opened.

And there's pain.

"It just hurts, and it's a lot of pain. You get up every day, praying this is the day she comes home, and you go to bed praying," Neves said.

Haleigh's family can't forget, but their biggest fear is that the rest of the world will.

More Searches Planned

Orlando attorney Make NeJame and Texas EquuSearch founder Tim Miller also announced they're teaming up to search for Haleigh.

Miller said the search will take place in four to six weeks, when he believes weather conditions and vegetation will be more conducive to finding the girl.

The search has spanned thousands of acres of land to date, including all of the area near the Cummings' home. Aerial and underwater searches have also been conducted.

Miller said about 50 EquuSearch members and volunteers will conduct the search. The group has searched for the girl previously and also searched for Caylee Anthony.

The Community Speaks Out About Haleigh Cummings

SATSUMA - Despite continuing support and concern for missing 5-year-old Haleigh Cummings, some members of the Satsuma community are not afraid to ask the hard questions.

"Where are the priorities?" Jacob Brey, pastor of Hope Lutheran Church said recently. "It seems like the attentions been diverted off Haleigh. I think some people in our congregation are just not pleased with some of the antics of the individuals."

As a retired police officer of 28 years, Brey, who lives in River Villas, said Haleigh's disappearance has made people "more protective than ever."

"The main thing I've seen is concern for the child, but it makes you think," Brey said. "It takes away the freedom. It takes away the fact that you can't just let your child go a couple blocks down and play ball without feeling like you have to have them in eyesight at all times..."

Paul White, 79, is a Putnam County native retired from Georgia-Pacific. He said the small town has received negative popularity since the incident began.

"I don't mind the news people, I mean everybody's got to do their job," White said, "But there has been a big influx of people."

White said the town's positive reputation changed after authorities began releasing the number of sexual offenders who live in the area.

"Before, it seemed you had nothing but wholesome people," White said. "It makes you wonder. Of course there are still many more good people than bad people..."

Kathie Kellie, a local foster mom, said the community has been very generous despite the family's polarity, which has twisted Haleigh's case in separate directions.

"Maybe they weren't the parents of the year, but the community has overlooked that, and has extended out their hand in every which way," Kellie said. "There's so many questions about the family, and our community has said, 'Yeah, maybe I don't agree with that, but Haleigh needs us.'" (source)

Possible Clues Into Haleigh Cummings Disappearance

Kim Picazio was already on her way to Satsuma from Miami Wednesday afternoon when she got our phone call. With a few hours left ahead of her on the road, Picazio shared new details about what she says happened the night Haleigh disappeared, and what she's calling bad living conditions inside Haleigh's home.

"Just your typical sex drugs and rock and roll life style that is not conducive to raising children," said Picazio.

"Not one of the things I've heard about what goes on in the home would I even consider letting my child watch on TV, let alone exposing him to it."

Picazio says after sifting through documents, seeing pictures and talking with family and friends, she felt compelled to seek state intervention and ask the DCF to investigate the Cummings household.

"I would be committing malpractice if I chose to hold off on bringing those allegations to the proper authorities," said Picazio.

"Conditions of neglect to outright child abuse and to the conditions in the home which would not be conducive to raising any child."

The Florida Department of Children and Families could not comment on the specifics of the investigation. A spokesman did tell us Picazio met with members of the DCF and presented them with documents alleging abuse and neglect. He also said the Department is reviewing the information she provided very carefully.

"The particular lifestyle that we believe is led by Misty and Ronald Cummings is one that essentially laid out the red carpet to something at some point happening to these children, and something did," said Picazio.

The lawyer also shared with us new details about what she said happened the night Haleigh was taken. She says Ronald Junior, Haleigh's brother, woke up when a man came into the house to see Misty Croslin, Ronald Cummings then girlfriend.

"What he stated to his mother was that he saw a black man in black clothing take Haleigh...she asked him, if you were asleep Junior how could you have seen that if you were asleep? And he said well I woke up because the man had squeaky shoes...and the couch was bouncing," said Picazio.

"A lot of the times we hear things from 8 different people who did not know each other including eyewitnesses. And at this point we have a pretty solid timeline. We think we know what happened in that house up until about 10:30. There's a wide gap in time from 10:30 till three in the morning and somewhere in that timeframe, Haleigh went missing," said Picazio.

Ronald Cummings, Haleigh's father, could not be reached for comment. His Grandmother tells us they have been advised by legal council to not speak with the media. A call to Ronald's lawyer was not returned. (source)

DCF met with Attorney for Mother of Haleigh Cummings

SATSUMA, Fla. -- As investigators began their sixth week of trying to solve the disappearance of Haleigh Cummings, the focus of the case shifted in light of some serious allegations.

The missing girl's 4-year-old brother, Junior, is the subject of an escalated custody fight that includes some claims about the children's father, Ronald Cummings. Their mother, Crystal Sheffield, is alleging abuse.

On Tuesday afternoon, Sheffield's attorney, Kim Picazio, said she met with the Department of Children and Families and urged them to investigate allegations of abuse at the Cummings' home.

She said officials would investigate some claims of possible physical abuse of Junior.

"I don’t believe that anyone knew exactly what was going on in that household until the spotlight was shown upon it. Why now? Well, we're still not going to let Junior just sit there in an unsafe environment just because Haleigh is missing," Picazio said. "Is she supposed to allow her other child, who has not been taken under the nose of a 17-year-old child, to be abducted or to be abused in that household? Is she supposed to sit by and watch when she know what's going in that household? She would be remiss. They would be calling her reckless. They would have the right to take action against her. So no, we are not going to wait. We're not going to allow Junior to sit in an unsafe household."

The attorney said her meeting with DCF was about serious claims of physical abuse and neglect involving Haleigh and Junior.

"When a parent beats a child until the child is bloodied, that is a crime in this county and where I'm from and in New York City. Just because this is a small town, and just because this is Putnam County, there are still laws here that need to be adhered to. It's legally and morally wrong, and he needs to be brought to justice," Picazio said.

Haleigh's great-grandmother, Annette Sykes, told Channel 4 any claims of abuse are lies.

"It's ridiculous. Ronald spanked his children just like children's services says you can spank them -- on the rear end. I'm from old school, I believe in correcting a child if they don’t mind. That's the way Ronald is, and that's the way he was raised," Sykes said. "It enrages me. It really does. I've been around the children all of their lives, and they're happy and loved. Anybody that sees them -- you can't fool everybody."

She said on her grandson's behalf that the DCF investigation is welcomed because she said he has nothing to hide.

DCF said it was reviewing the allegations.
The sheriff's office said it was aware of the allegations of abuse, but it did not yet have the paperwork needed to begin an investigation.

Haleigh's Mother Hires Spokesperson

Haleigh's mother, Crystal Sheffield hired spokesperson, Wayanne Kruger, from Arizonia to travel to Satsuma, FL.

Kruger said her daughter was molested in the 1990's. Her experience is with families of child abuse cases not child abductions. She told press that she plans to find a home for Sheffield and family in Putnam County.

Kruger will also help Sheffield hire an attorney.

So Sad, Still No Real Leads..

At a news conference by the Justice Coalition that raised Haleigh's reward to $35,000., Ronald Cummings sent a message to his daughter of, "You'll always be daddy's little girl, I love you very much - we will find you."

"Me and her daddy both need her - please just bring her back," said mother Crystal Sheffield.
Ronald made another plea of "Please, if you have my daughter bring her home, please," He also thanked Putnam County Officials for their efforts to find his Haleigh.

Putnam County Sheriff Jeff Hardy thanked Haleigh's family for their cooperation and reminded the public that "We're looking for that one lead, that one tip, that is going to bring Haleigh home."

Mother's Alleged Account Of Father's Abuse Towards Haleigh

Haleigh Cummings mother, Crystal Sheffield in the interview with Fox news host, Greta Van Susteren on Feb 27th.
In the interview, Sheffield changed gears from her earlier description of Ronald Cummings on Geraldo At Large.

Sheffield said " When I first got pregnant with Haleigh, he punched me in the back of the head and before then, he was verbal. I mean he was just very abusive". When Geraldo asked "Are you frightened of him even today?" Sheffield repiled "Yes I am...I mean it could get bad enough for him to hurt Haleigh...Um, my cousin, Candice, told me when we got down here for this incident, that, um, he come to her house - it was Ronald, Haleigh, Junior and Misty. And Haleigh bumped into him or smarted off to him and she said he just backhanded her. And she fell flat on her face on the porch". (source)

Friday, Van Susteren interviewed Sheffield about the day Haleigh went missing:
"when you spoke to Ronald, what did you ask him" said Susteren, "I did not ask him nothing. He just told me he was sorry and that if he had been home from work, it would not have never happened" replied Sheffield.

"He is a good father, isn't he" asked Susteren.
"Yes. He loves Haleigh. I know Haleigh is his heart, and I do not think he hurt her" said Sheffield. (source)