Chris's Crime Forum

Police Question Father of Missing Florida Girl, 5
Investigators in northeast Florida have questioned the father of a missing 5-year-old girl who his girlfriend says wasn't in her bed when they checked on her Tuesday morning, police told FOXNews.com.

Putnam County Sheriff's Department Sgt. Jason Nettles said he didn't have information on whether or not Haleigh Cummings' father and girlfriend are suspects in her disappearance.

"I don't know that for sure," he told FOXNews.com.

Both were questioned Tuesday by authorities. The child lived with the couple in Putnam County, Fla.

"The girlfriend and the father are cooperating with police," Special Agent Steve Donaway of the Florida Dept of Law Enforcement told an afternoon news conference.

Investigators also were interviewing others in the case, according to Nettles — including sex offenders in the area.

An Amber Alert was issued Tuesday for Haleigh, and authorities with dogs and ground search crews were hunting in the nearby river and woods for signs of the girl, who apparently disappeared before dawn.

"It could be an abduction. We're looking at it from all angles," Donaway said. Leads have been minimal, he said, and investigators are asking for the public's help.

Haleigh was reported missing after her father's girlfriend told police she discovered the child wasn't in her bed about 3 a.m.

The woman said the back door to the home was not locked at the time. Police found the door to the residence unlocked when they arrived at the house, according to Donaway.

Several registered sex offenders reportedly live in the vicinity of the missing girl's home in Satsuma, Fla. Donaway said they've all been identified, and either have been or will be interviewed by police.

Nettles said he couldn't confirm whether authorities were worried a sex offender might have abducted Haleigh.

"I don't think they've ruled anything out," he told FOXNews.com.

He declined to comment on one report that put the number of registered sex offenders nearby at 25 because he said he didn't know how wide an area was being considered.

Haleigh is 3 feet tall with blond hair and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing a pink shirt.

Donaway said search teams would continue to look for the child through the night.

Anyone with information about the girl is urged to contact the Putnam County Sheriff's Office at (386) 329-0800 or 911.


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Police, Divers Search Neighborhood For Girl

Wednesday, February 11, 2009 – updated: 2:58 pm EST February 11, 2009

SATSUMA, Fla. -- Sheriff's deputies searched house-to-house Wednesday and dive teams probed the St. Johns River for a 5-year-old north Florida girl who went missing from her bed.

A Florida Amber Alert was issued for Haleigh Cummings of Satsuma, about 70 miles north of Orlando (see map). The girl was last seen Monday night when she went to bed.

Investigators with the Putnam County Sheriff's Office said it was not clear if Haleigh was abducted or wandered out into the rural neighborhood that borders the river. They said the mobile home where she lives had no signs of forced entry, but a back door was open.

Haleigh's father told investigators the blonde girl was missing when he returned home from work around 3 a.m. Tuesday. Ronald Cummings said his girlfriend was awake and frantic that Haleigh was missing from her bed.

Officers from local, state and federal agencies and K-9 teams scoured the neighborhood around the doublewide mobile home where the child disappeared from a bedroom she shared with her 4-year-old brother and her father's girlfriend.

"We go door to door. We meet with the homeowners and ask if they mind if we go look around," said Lt. Johnny Greenwood, a spokesman for the sheriff's office. "You ask if you can look in the back of the house, at the sheds and anything that's around there."

Several hundred homes were expected to be surveyed. Check points were set up at the entrance to the neighborhood to search departing vehicles. Two dive teams explored the St. Johns River. Neighbors and family members also were being interviewed by detectives.

The girl's disappearance has not been classified as an abduction.

"We're currently working both angles -- did she wander off, we're working it that way with the searches," Greenwood said. "And investigators are doing interviews in case it is an abduction."


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Bounty Hunter Joins Search For Missing Girl

Bounty Hunter Joins Search For Missing Girl
Thursday, February 12, 2009 – updated: 10:43 am EST February 12, 2009

PUTNAM COUNTY, Fla. -- Some familiar faces from the Caylee Anthony case are involved in the search for a missing Putnam County girl.

Eyewitness News has learned that bounty hunter Leonard Padilla, who was involved in the search for Caylee Anthony, joined the search for 5-year-old Haleigh Cummings. Padilla is offering a $25,000 reward for her safe return.

Texas-based EquuSearch is also gearing up to help investigators scour the area around her home.

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Girlfriend takes lie detector test in Haleigh Cummings case
SATSUMA, FL -- Family members, friends and others who know Haleigh Cummings (special report) have been interviewed by investigators, and in many cases, offered lie detector tests.

That includes Haleigh's father, Ronald Cummings and his girlfriend, Misty Croslin, who said she woke up early Tuesday morning and discovered the 5-year-old girl missing.

Cummings said he believes he and Croslin passed the tests. Croslin has been in the spotlight as she was the last person to see Haleigh. "I don't care what people are saying about me because I didn't do it," she told Jacksonville.com.

At a news conference Thursday, Putnam County Sheriff Jeff Hardy confirmed that Croslin had taken a polygraph test, but he wouldn't discuss the results. He did say that all family members have been "extremely cooperative."

Croslin said she woke up at 3 a.m. Tuesday and discovered Haleigh missing and the back door of the home propped open with a brick. Moments later, Ronald Cummings arrived home from work and they both called 911.

The search for Haleigh entered into its third day with the arrival of the Texas-based group Equusearch, which was recently involved in the Caylee Anthony case. Sherriff Hardy said search efforts are being expanded to include aircraft and horseback searches of rough terrain.

Investigators are also looking closely at 44 registered sex offenders who live within a five mile radius of Haleigh's home.

“We’ll expand this investigation as far as it needs to go,” Hardy said.
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George Anthony, EquuSearch Help Look For Haleigh [/b

(I really believe that George needs to do this!)

Tim and his team are out there searching for the Little girl Haleigh

Friday, February 13, 2009 – updated: 9:54 am EST February 13, 2009

PUTNAM COUNTY, Fla. -- The search for missing five-year-old Haleigh Cummings continued Friday morning. Eyewitness News has learned that at 8:00am crews began another day of intense efforts to find her.

Some key players from the Caylee Anthony case are involved in the search effort, namely Tim Miller with EquuSearch, Caylee's grandfather George Anthony and bounty hunter Leonard Padilla have a been at the scene since Thursday.

Haleigh disappeared early Tuesday morning from her home in Satsuma, about 85 miles north of Orlando and west of Flagler County.
Friday morning, searchers with Texas-based Equusearch will begin a massive search for 5-year-old Haleigh Cummings in Satsuma.

"We're holding on to some kind of miracle she just wondered away," said Tim Miller of EquuSearch.

Deputies chopped through the wooded area surrounding Haleigh's neighborhood Thursday. They had to use machetes because of the thick brush.

Putnam County sheriff's investigators said someone snatched the little girl right out of her bed Monday night while her father's 17-year-old live-in girlfriend slept nearby.

Officials interviewed 44 sex offenders living with 5-miles of the Cummings' home. Haleigh's father, Ronald Cummings, begged for her safe return.

"I want my daughter back, that's all I want. I want my daughter back," he pleaded.

Tim Miller said getting his searchers to work as soon as possible was the goal.

'It's very critical to get out there as quick as we can get out there. I wish we would have been here the first hour but unfortunately there's never a warning when there's a possible abduction," he said.

Miller is looking for volunteers to help out in the search Friday morning and into the weekend. The group is expected to gather at 8:00am.

The mother of Haleigh Cummings, Crystal Sheffield, was surrounded by her family and friends during a prayer vigil Thursday night for her daughter. She couldn't hold back the tears.

Haeligh's grandfather, Johnny Sheffield was there for support and to help in the search.

"We don't want another tragic ending, like her to end up like Caylee Anthony,' said Johnny.

The small crowd held candles and came from all over the area, holding signs saying they want the little girl to come back home.

"I'm just here to show support to the family," said one supporter.


[b]HALEIGH'S PARENTS INVOLVED IN BITTER CUSTODY BATTLE

Eyewitness News obtained court records that show Haleigh's parents were involved in a bitter custody battle trading nasty accusations about drugs and violence.

WFTV found out that Ronald Cummings has been arrested several times on drug charges, but was not convicted.

Three years ago, Haleigh's mother took her and her young brother away from their father even though he had custody. Ronald went to court to get them back.

Haleigh's mother claimed to have purchased a whole-life insurance policy for her and the children. However, investigators said they have no information about the policy.

Ronald Cummings said her disappearance has nothing to do with the custody dispute.

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New Area Searched For Haleigh Cummings
Monday, February 16, 2009 – updated: 12:26 pm EST February 16, 2009

PUTNAM COUNTY, Fla. -- The search for a missing 5-year-old girl was scaled back Monday, but crews are also focusing on a new area. Dozens of deputies are now searching through thick, heavy brush looking for Haleigh Cummings.

Sixty-one deputies were conducting a grid search Monday in a wooded area just a few miles from Haleigh Cumming's home in Satsuma. Deputies think the 5-year-old was taken from her bedroom last Tuesday and there's still no sign of her this afternoon.

Monday morning, nothing was found in the new search area. Deputies and police from several agencies across the area took a break around noon, but planned to continue searching for clues later in the afternoon.
Monday's search will be the last time crews will do physical ground searches in Putnam County for Haleigh. On the first day of searching, a total of 130 law enforcement officers helped search for the little girl. It's a much different scene now.

Searchers are going through the wooded area shoulder to shoulder, grid searching, looking for anything they can find. Deputies won't say why they are searching the new area or if it was a tip that led them there.

Even though the searching will end Monday, investigators are on standby, ready to mobilize if a tip comes in. There have been more than 500 tips so far.

EquuSearch organized hundreds of volunteers, however their efforts to find clues turned up nothing. They are packing up and heading out Monday.

"We're feeling disappointed, we’re not feeling embarrassed, but we're feeling disappointed. We always hate to leave a search like this. But we feel like we've done our best, that searchers out here have given their whole hearts to this mission," said Barbie Tarr, EquuSearch.

It's a costly search, too. The Putnam County Sheriff's Office said, due to the overtime and resources used, the sheriff's office is in touch with the county commission about budget issues. It's currently unclear exactly how much the search is costing taxpayers.

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Girlfriend Under Investigation In Haleigh Case


PUTNAM COUNTY, Fla. -- Eyewitness News discovered that the Putnam County Sheriff's Office is investigating Ronald Cummings' girlfriend, who claimed that she was at home and sleeping when Haleigh Cummings was taken. But a tip puts the spot light on the 17-year-old girlfriend.

The most recent information investigators got was that Ronald Cummings' girlfriend, Misty Croslin, may not have been home when Haleigh disappeared from her Satusum house early last week.

The Putnam County Sheriff's Office said its dealing with more than 1,200 tips in the case and plans to pursue each and every one of them.

"We will take any lead, any place, anytime," said Dominick Pape of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

On CNN, Tuesday night, Haleighs paternal grandmother, Terese Neves, spoke out in support of the 17-year-old's story.


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INTERVIEW: Haleigh's Grandmother On Nancy Grace
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"I believe someone went into the house and took her. I believe they either know my grandchildren and my family or Haleigh's mother's family," said Neves.

Sheriff's deputies also said they have the pink shirt that Haleigh was thought to be wearing when she disappeared.

"What we now need people to focus on is this face because we do not know at this time what the clothing was at this point," said Pape.

The massive search for Haleigh was scaled back this week. Deputies do not want to say too much in fear of jeopardizing the investigation, but confirmed they set up a road block this week and interviewed at least 300 neighbors in the area.

"We've got a life of a 5-year-old girl at stake," he said.

Another prayer vigil was held Tuesday night, at the Dunns Creek Baptist Church in Putnam County.

Haleigh's father, Ronald Cummings and the little girl's mother, Crystal Sheffield sat side by side while the community came together to comfort them.

"I care for the people even though I don't know them," said one neighbor.

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Girlfriend's Cousin Under Investigation In Haleigh Case
Friday, February 20, 2009 – updated: 10:02 am EST February 20, 2009

PUTNAM COUNTY, Fla. -- The Putnam County Sherriff's Office says that the FBI is investigating Misty Croslin's cousin. Eyewitness News learned Thursday that Misty Croslin's cousin, known as "Joe" was in town the night Haleigh disappeared.

There are now questions about what role Joe may have played in the disappearance. After the little girl vanished, he took off to Tennessee.

WFTV reporter Mark Boyle briefly spoke with Misty Croslin about her cousin (watch it).

"You said you don't trust him, why?" asked Boyle.
"I just don't trust him," she said. "He's gotten into a lot of trouble."

Eyewitness News has confirmed that a woman called 911 in Knoxville, Tennessee a few days ago to report a possible Haliegh sighting. The woman told police she saw a man shielding a little girl's face who looked like Haleigh while getting into an SUV.

There were also reports that Croslin's cousin and Haleigh's father, Ronald Cummings, got into some type of argument hours before the 5-year-old disappeared.

Eyewitness News asked Cummings about the reported argument.

"There was no fight with a cousin over a gun. I don't know where people are getting their information from, but people say a lot of things and they don't always know what they are talking about," he said.

At noon Thursday, 17-year-old Misty Croslin was escorted to a car with two detectives. She had to put out her smoke before getting into the backseat, but didn't answer any questions.

Minutes later, her boyfriend, Ronald Cummings, spoke out about her (watch it).

"I don't have any suspicions of anybody," Ronald said of Misty. "Anybody could have done anything. Obviously, if I knew what was going on, I would have my daughter."


WFTV VIEWER DONATES CAMPER TO HALEIGH'S FATHER

An Eyewitness News viewer decided to donate a camper to Haleigh's father, who is presently living in a tent, while investigators search for the little girl.

The camper will be arriving Friday for Ronald Cummings to live in. Cummings moved into the tent when his home became a crime scene.


FAMILY MEMBERS LIVING IN TENT DURING SEARCH

Eyewitness News spoke with Haleigh's family Thursday about how they are coping. They are living in a tent, about 15-by-15 (see images). Coolers are full of water and drinks and inside is where the family is living, because their mobile home down the street is still a crime scene.

New information was released Thursday about the pink shirt Haleigh was last reported wearing. Ronald Cummings' grandmother, Annette Sykes, told Eyewitness News earlier this week deputies allowed Misty Croslin back inside the mobile home where Haleigh was abducted.

At a press conference Thursday afternoon, Ronald Cummings pleaded for his daughter's safe return.
Yes, I do have a message for whoever has taken Haleigh. I would ask that you please, please bring my daughter home. She's not yours, not your property. She's not something that you just take and say, 'It's mine.' This is my daughter, this is blood and I would like to have my daughter back please. Please bring my daughter home," he pleaded.

Sykes said the 17-year-old girlfriend found the pink shirt in the home, but the sheriff's office won't confirm where it was found. Meanwhile, the family is still camped out in the neighborhood.

"It's not home, but it's good. I mean it's dry, basically, it's out of the sun," Sykes said.

But on a rainy Thursday in Putnam County, water poured through the cracks of a tent donated by a funeral home. The fire department donated a propane tank to keep them warm on cool nights and the family is taking shifts sleeping on mattresses.

"Waiting on Haleigh to come home. This is as close to the house as we can get really and the gentleman here was nice enough to let us put this up in his yard," Sykes said.

That gentleman is also allowing Haleigh's family to run cable to the tent so they can watch a big, color, flat screen TV. There's also food, drinks, and chairs for guests.

As for the investigation into Haleigh's whereabouts, the Putnam County Sheriff's Office is still following up on more than 1,300leads. Haleigh's great grandmother said she'll be sleeping under the stars until the little girl comes home.

"We'll be right here waiting," she said.

Haleigh's little brother, Junior, is sleeping at a family home about six miles away.

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Haleigh's Brother Says" Man In Black" Took Her
PUTNAM COUNTY, Fla. -- There were new clues in the search for 5-year-old, Haleigh Cummings Tuesday morning. The family said Haleigh's younger brother may have witnessed her abduction.

"I want to find my sissy. And he said something about the man in black took her," said Haleigh's mother, Crystal Sheffield.

The 4-year-old boy gave the description to his mother nearly two weeks after his sister disappeared from her father's Putnam County home in Satsuma on February 9.

Investigators are no longer conducting ground searches, but said they're following up on over 1,600 tips. The reward for information that leads to Haleigh's safe return is $20,000.

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After over two weeks of exhaustive searches, investigators say they are no closer to finding little Haleigh Cummings.

Misty Croslin, 17, claims she was at home sleeping when the girl disappeared. Croslin said that when she got up to use the bathroom, she discovered the kitchen light on, the back door propped open with a brick, and Haleigh gone. Croslin is Haleigh's father's live-in girlfriend.

On Monday, the fiancé of Crystal Sheffield, Haleigh’s mother was questioned. Chad Griffis spent about 30 minutes with police, but no further information was released by investigators regarding his interview.

It has been reported that Sheffield is approximately $4,000 behind in child support and tension was building between the families before Haleigh was disappeared.

Family members were concerned when authorities decided not to hold a news conference on Monday, and are worried the public will lose interest. Rev. Terry Wright, the Cummings’ family pastor said, “There is concern that people will forget to pray or not remember what she looks like.”

According to recent reports, the reward for information leading to Haleigh’s return has increased to $25,500 due to several anonymous donations.

Haleigh has blond hair and brown eyes and is 3 feet tall. Please call the Putnam County Sheriff's Office at 386-329-0800 if you have any information regarding Haleigh Cummings.

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