Haleigh Ann Marie Cummings, 5 MSG Since 02/09/09, Satsuma, FL, # 1

[Trailblazer]

Audie and Helen from TES told me last night, that they were heading up to help with the search.

[chambord]

It does seem to happen more than we realize that someone can come in and take a child while others sleep through it. We had little Riley Fox in Wilmington, IL and look at Elizabeth Smart and Danielle Van Dam.

Hope someone will remember seeing something that will help find Harleigh.

*thud* Thanks packy. I've forgotten more than I remember. Yes, Danielle and Elizabeth were also abducted while the family slept. Its an ugly world out there in these times. Growing up, my parents only reminded me of the Lindburg case. Seems now, its becoming an epidemic. What is the phenomenon that is causing this? Is it the easy access to the internet? I'm at a loss towork it out in my mind.

moo

[Faith]

http://media2.myfoxorlando.com//photo/2009/02/10/Amber_alert_20090210140253599_320_240.JPG

[Faith]

Audie and Helen from TES told me last night, that they were heading up to help with the search.

I am very happy to hear this. Please keep us updated.

[chambord]

Hmm. the father's girlfriend is suspicious according to the grandfather. Wonder why he thinks that. She's only 17, barely a child herself. Scary. I hope my mind isnt wandering to the dark side.


imo

[Isabella]

Audie and Helen from TES told me last night, that they were heading up to help with the search.
Bless them.
Are they letting people search, the article Faith posted on page 4 said they are not asking for any volunteers, but then again another one probably says they are.

I wish them a safe trip.

[chambord]

Audie and Helen from TES told me last night, that they were heading up to help with the search.

God Bless Audie.

[lost indie]

OK here is what bothers me. In the 911 call the father clearly states that there was a brick holding the door open. What abductor does that??? Clearly announce that someone was in the house!

I am starting to think revenge....especially the way he says he is going to kill whoever did it. Did he have someone in mind?

[AmyE]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29140029/

5-Year-Old Fla. Girl Vanishes From Bed


updated 1 hour, 33 minutes ago
PUTNAM COUNTY, Fla. -

An Amber Alert has been issued in Putnam County, Florida, after a 5-year-old girl was seemingly snatched from her home while sleeping.

Haleigh Cummings is 3 feet tall, weighs 39 pounds and has blond hair and brown eyes.

The girl's father reportedly discovered her missing when returning home from work early Tuesday morning.

The girlfriend of Cummings' father then called 911.

She told the operator their home's back door was opened, and a brick was laying nearby.

The woman said young Haleigh was last seen asleep at 10 pm Monday.

Haleigh's father then got on the phone, telling the operator "I'm killing him" if were he to find whoever snatched the girl before police did.

Authorities set up a command post near Haleigh's home, and it was kept under surveillance overnight.

A search effort will continue on Wednesday.

Authorities with the Putnam County Sheriff's Office said they have not identified a suspect.

"We're not focusing on any person as a person of interest right now. It is still truly a whodunit, meaning whether it's an abduction or a homicide or if she just wandered out," Putnam County Sheriff's Office Major Gary Bowling said.

Authorities searched the St. Johns River with boats on Tuesday, as well as an aerial search of the area using helicopters.

The girl's hometown of Satsuma is just north of the Ocala National Forest, near Palatka.

Haleigh was last seen wearing a pink shirt and underwear.

Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Haleigh is asked to call the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office at 386-329-0808.

The sentence I have highlighted makes me wonder if the father knows something. Does he suspect a certain person having his daughter? He did say "HIM"? Why not a her? Could the father have owed someone money or something? Just thinking out loud!

[Trailblazer]

OK here is what bothers me. In the 911 call the father clearly states that there was a brick holding the door open. What abductor does that??? Clearly announce that someone was in the house!

I am starting to think revenge....especially the way he says he is going to kill whoever did it. Did he have someone in mind?


Great catch...I just think we're going to find out this wasn't just a stranger that took Haleigh

[chambord]

Great catch...I just think we're going to find out this wasn't just a stranger that took Haleigh

Your instinct could be right Blaize. I'm of the mind of the same.

moo

[Isabella]

The sentence I have highlighted makes me wonder if the father knows something. Does he suspect a certain person having his daughter? He did say "HIM"? Why not a her? Could the father have owed someone money or something? Just thinking out loud!
Well that's true, and that early after she went missing she could have wondered just off, he jumped to a man took her from the beginning.

jmo

[Pauli]

Just a reminder, we are a victim advocate site.. please do not jump to conclusions on any family member until we have proof/facts that they have done something wrong. We are here to help the family and that is all...








thank you

[annalyzer]

OK here is what bothers me. In the 911 call the father clearly states that there was a brick holding the door open. What abductor does that??? Clearly announce that someone was in the house!

I am starting to think revenge....especially the way he says he is going to kill whoever did it. Did he have someone in mind?

Yeah that is strange. Why would an abductor take the time to prop a door open with a brick?

[Trailblazer]

http://www.cfnews13.com/News/Local/2009/2/10/missing_child_alert_girl_4_from_putnam_co.html

Amber Alert -- Texas EquuSearch Joins Search For Haleigh

Texas EquuSearch director Tim Miller said his group will join in the search for Haleigh Cummings. Josh Duckett and the Kid Finders Network are also searching for the 5-year-old Putnam County girl who vanished from her home Tuesday morning.

Texas EquuSearch opened an Orlando branch during the search for Caylee Anthony.

Twenty-four hours after Haleigh was last seen, family and friends gathered for a candlelight vigil hoping for her safe return.

The Amber Alert for Haleigh Cummings was issued Tuesday. The Satsuma girl was last seen Monday when she went to bed around 10 p.m.

Haleigh's father said the child 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.

“Please bring my baby home. She's an angel. She's never done anything bad. She is such a good girl and she does not deserve this. I know she has to be scared to death without her daddy. Let her go. Bring her home," said Haleigh's grandmother, Teresa Neves.

Investigators with the Putnam County Sheriff's Office said it's not clear if Haleigh was abducted. The trailer where she lives had no signs of forced entry, but a back door was ajar.

Haleigh is around 3 feet tall, has blond hair, brown eyes, and weighs about 39 lbs. She was wearing a pink shirt and her underwear when she was last seen.

Local and state authorities and the FBI searched Tuesday for Haleigh in neighbors' homes and vehicles leaving her neighborhood on the St. Johns River.

If you have seen Haleigh Cummings, call the Putnam County Sheriff's Office at (386) 329-0808.

[annalyzer]

Hmm. the father's girlfriend is suspicious according to the grandfather. Wonder why he thinks that. She's only 17, barely a child herself. Scary. I hope my mind isnt wandering to the dark side.


imo

Where did you read that Cham?

[Lilly]

Just a reminder, we are a victim advocate site.. please do not jump to conclusions on any family member until we have proof/facts that they have done something wrong. We are here to help the family and that is all...


Does anyone know if the 2 year old is Croslin's child? One of the articles in the last thread referred to the child as "their" child. She's 17? The child is two. :waitasec:

Praying that Haleigh is found safe soon!

[lost indie]

Just a reminder, we are a victim advocate site.. please do not jump to conclusions on any family member until we have proof/facts that they have done something wrong. We are here to help the family and that is all...

Sorry pauli....my bad. I remember how we all looked at Mark Lunsford during the first days after Jessie went missing. We were so wrong...

but I still say the door being propped open means something..

[AmyE]

Just a reminder, we are a victim advocate site.. please do not jump to conclusions on any family member until we have proof/facts that they have done something wrong. We are here to help the family and that is all...

I apologize if I said something I wasn't suppose to.

Praying she is alive and well and will be found soon!

[Pauli]

Does anyone know if the 2 year old is Croslin's child? One of the articles in the last thread referred to the child as "their" child. She's 17? The child is two. :waitasec:

Praying that Haleigh is found safe soon!

No, she is not her child...

[annalyzer]

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/breakingnews/orl-bk-missing-florida-girl-021109,0,947501.story

Grandmother of missing girl: 'Just bring her back'

Haleigh Cummings, 5, was last seen at 10 p.m. Monday in the bedroom of her Satsuma home. (MISSINGKIDS.COM / February 10, 2009)

SATSUMA -- Five-year-old Haleigh Cummings is afraid of the dark would not have wandered off into the night, her family told the Orlando Sentinel today as investigators stepped up a massive search for the Putnam County girl.

Haleigh, who is nicknamed Doodlebug, lives with her father and his girlfriend in this rural county about 80 miles north of Orlando. Her father, Ronald Cummings, 25, put Haleigh to bed about 10 p.m. Monday before he left for work. His 17-year-old girlfriend, Misty Croslin, found Haleigh missing about 3:30 a.m. Tuesday.

"Haleigh is a very indoor-type child," Haleigh's maternal grandmother, Marie Griffis, said today. "If she goes outside, she wants you to be with her – she would never go outside by herself in the dark."

Griffis said that Haleigh is bright, and loves drawing, makeup, and playing with gadgets. She said that if someone has abducted Haleigh, she hopes the person will release the girl.

"Just bring her back," Griffis said. "There are plenty of places you can drop off a kid, no questions asked."

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

Det. John Merchant of the Putnam County Sheriff's Office said that a screen door on the side of the couple's Satsuma home had been propped open with a block, but they found no obvious signs of forced entry.

"I just woke up and my back door is open and I can't find my daughter," Croslin told a 911 dispatcher. She told the dispatcher she had been sleeping and the door was not open when she went to sleep.

Merchant said that 44 sex offenders live in a 5-mile radius of Cummings' home, but that all have been contacted by law enforcement since Haleigh went missing.

"Right now, we don't have a lot of clues indicating where she's at," Merchant said. "I'm always positive, though – we want to find her alive."

Officials orginally said Haleigh's mother Crystal Sheffield, 23, was in Georgia at the time of her daughter's disappearance. But they said today she was in Baker County after receiving news of Haleigh's disappearance. She was in Putnam County today.

In addition to Putnam County deputies, officers from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Federal Bureau of Investigations, and the Volusia, Marion, and Flagler Sherriff's Offices are searching for Haleigh.

Search dogs are combing through woods in the area, and divers are searching the nearby St. Johns River. In the 911 call originally placed by Croslin, Haleigh's father told officials he needed their help immediately.

"I just got home from work and my 5-year-old daughter is gone," he said, seeming to become more agitated as the call progressed. "I need somebody to be here now, I'm telling you.

"If I find whoever has my daughter before you do I'm killing them," he said. "I don't if I have to spend the rest of my life in prison."

He apparently hung up on the dispatcher, who when placed a call back to the residence, trying to get additional information from Croslin, while constantly assuring her that deputies were on the way.

Joshua Duckett, father of missing Lake County toddler Trenton Duckett, said he was acting as a family spokesman and would try to find additional photos of Haleigh to help with the search.

Meanwhile, a volunteer group out of Houston that helped look for Caylee Marie Anthony last year told the Orlando Sentinel is gearing up to help in the search for Haleigh. Caylee's remains were found in December and her public memorial was Tuesday.

Tim Miller, the founder of Texas EquuSearch, said his organization has been in contact with Putnam County officials. Some volunteers may drive and others may fly to Florida today or tomorrow, he said.

"It's pretty ironic. We have another child disappear seven hours before Caylee's memorial," he said.

Bounty hunter Leonard Padilla is joining the ranks headed for Putnam County. He and his crew - including bounty hunter Rob Dick - plan to drive 80 miles north where the command center has been set up to search for the missing girl.

Padilla said he's going to see what's happening up there and will help out if needed.

Anyone with information about Haleigh's whereabouts is asked to contact the Putnam County Sheriff's Office at 386-329-0808.

[Emyo]

Sorry pauli....my bad. I remember how we all looked at Mark Lunsford during the first days after Jessie went missing. We were so wrong...

but I still say the door being propped open means something..

I didn't read that the door was propped open. I think it was on the 911 where the 17 y/o says that a brick was laying on the pathway. Or something like that. She said it wasn't there before.
jmo

~my bad...I just read the article above. The screen door was propped open.

[Pauli]

Sorry pauli....my bad. I remember how we all looked at Mark Lunsford during the first days after Jessie went missing. We were so wrong...

but I still say the door being propped open means something..

A lot of people in this kind of situation have been treated real bad, only to find out later they had no involvement whatsoever..

The door could have been propped open so no one would hear it shut, open and shut again.. There just isn't enough in yet to really know much more than we have a 5-yr-old little girl missing.

[Lilly]

No, she is not her child...

Thank you Pauli.. I was hoping that was wrong.

[annalyzer]

From my above post, "The girl's disappearance has not been classified as an abduction."

I thought I read just a bit ago that it was classified as an abduction??

[lost indie]

From my above post, "The girl's disappearance has not been classified as an abduction."

I thought I read just a bit ago that it was classified as an abduction??

all the articles have conflicting information....

[Faith]

Presser now on HLN

[chambord]

Enter Dennis Milstead and Kiddfinders.

http://www.myfoxorlando.com/dpp/news/local/021109Kidfinders_Josh_Duckett_to_help_in_search_fo r_missing_girl

[Trailblazer]

Presser now on HLN

Banner says that parents share weekend custody of the Haleigh

[chambord]

Where did you read that Cham?

Up thread anna.

[Trailblazer]

Maj. Gary Bowling saying "Treating it as an abduction" no reason to believe Haleigh just wandered off...

Reason for saying abduction...gives them more resources to help in the search...

[Trailblazer]

Polographs have been done...but not saying who took them....offering to everyone to clear everyone..
No forced entry....

[Isabella]

Polographs have been done...but not saying who took them....offering to everyone to clear everyone..
No forced entry....
Thanks for the info, my HLN is out right now.

[Faith]

The screen door was propped open and the back door was wide open.

[Trailblazer]

Up thread anna.

http://www.wesh.com/news/18681356/detail.html

snipped

Authorities with the Putnam County Sheriff's Office said they have not identified a suspect, but relatives of the girl said they don't think they're getting the full story from the father's girlfriend.

"If (you're) in your bed with your child, and you get up to go use the bathroom, is there enough time for somebody to come in your house and snatch your child out of bed and disappear without you getting back to the bed in time? No," grandfather Donny Sheffield said.

Detectives said the girlfriend and everyone else has been cooperative with the investigation.

"We're not focusing on any person as a person of interest right now. It is still truly a whodunit, meaning whether it's an abduction or a homicide or if she just wandered out," Putnam County Sheriff's Office Maj. Gary Bowling said.

[annalyzer]

http://www.wesh.com/news/18681356/detail.html

snipped

Authorities with the Putnam County Sheriff's Office said they have not identified a suspect, but relatives of the girl said they don't think they're getting the full story from the father's girlfriend.

"If (you're) in your bed with your child, and you get up to go use the bathroom, is there enough time for somebody to come in your house and snatch your child out of bed and disappear without you getting back to the bed in time? No," grandfather Donny Sheffield said.

Detectives said the girlfriend and everyone else has been cooperative with the investigation.

"We're not focusing on any person as a person of interest right now. It is still truly a whodunit, meaning whether it's an abduction or a homicide or if she just wandered out," Putnam County Sheriff's Office Maj. Gary Bowling said.

Thanks Trail. So now the story is the gf got up to go to the bathroom and when she came back to bed the child was gone.

Story subject to change though with next news story. :doh:

[Grande]

http://texasequusearch.org/tag/haleigh-cummings/

[Faith]

Thanks Trail. So now the story is the gf got up to go to the bathroom and when she came back to bed the child was gone.

Story subject to change though with next news story. :doh:

Not sure if that is accurate. Too much misinformation coming out.

[Trailblazer]

http://www.clickorlando.com/news/18691022/detail.html

Mother Of Missing Girl: I Want My Baby Home

snipped

The mother of a missing 5-year-old Satsuma girl who vanished from her bed Monday night pleaded for the safe return of her daughter.

A massive search involving the FBI, Putnam County sheriff's deputies, K-9s and helicopters continued Wednesday for Haleigh Ann Marie Cummings, who was last seen at 10 p.m. Monday in a bed at her home on Green Lane, where she lived with her father, his 17-year-old girlfriend and Haleigh's 2-year-old brother.

Haleigh's mother, Crystal Sheffield, last saw her daughter two weeks ago and tearfully pleaded for the child's safe return.

"I just want whoever's got her to bring her home," Sheffield said. "That's all I want is my baby home."

The last person to see Haleigh was her father's girlfriend, who told investigators that she saw Haleigh in her bed. Haleigh's father, Ronald Cummings, was at work Monday night and his girlfriend and son were the only other people in the house when Haleigh disappeared.

The girlfriend told police she put the children to bed, but when she awoke at 3 a.m. to use the bathroom, Haleigh was missing and the back door of the home was open.

Sheffield's family on Wednesday questioned the father's girlfriend's role in the incident.

"She was the only one there, we all think it," said Haleigh's grandmother, Marie Griffis. "How else would a kid disappear on your watch?"

"Something had to give. I mean it's not like that baby just disappeared out of thin air," said Haleigh's grandfather, Johnny Sheffield.

Authorities said they are treating the incident as an abduction and have no persons of interest in the case. An Amber Alert was issued for Haleigh on Tuesday morning.

[TigressPen]

http://texasequusearch.org/tag/haleigh-cummings/


Thanks for this post Grande. Great to know Tim is headed out to help. One article stated they weren't asking for volunteers yet due to the large amount LE they had searching. At least they are getting the best professional team there is to help now other than LE.

[Trailblazer]

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/breakingnews/orl-bk-missing-florida-girl-021109,0,947501.story

snipped

Five-year-old Haleigh Cummings is afraid of the dark and would not have wandered off into the night, her family told the Orlando Sentinel today as investigators stepped up a massive search for the Putnam County girl.

Haleigh, who is nicknamed Doodlebug, lives with her father and his girlfriend in this rural county about 80 miles north of Orlando. Her father, Ronald Cummings, 25, put Haleigh to bed about 10 p.m. Monday before he left for work. His 17-year-old girlfriend, Misty Croslin, noticed Haleigh was missing about 3:30 a.m. Tuesday.

[AmyE]

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/breakingnews/orl-bk-missing-florida-girl-021109,0,947501.story

snipped

Five-year-old Haleigh Cummings is afraid of the dark and would not have wandered off into the night, her family told the Orlando Sentinel today as investigators stepped up a massive search for the Putnam County girl.

Haleigh, who is nicknamed Doodlebug, lives with her father and his girlfriend in this rural county about 80 miles north of Orlando. Her father, Ronald Cummings, 25, put Haleigh to bed about 10 p.m. Monday before he left for work. His 17-year-old girlfriend, Misty Croslin, noticed Haleigh was missing about 3:30 a.m. Tuesday.

OMG, my mother calls my daughter that. I hope she is found soon!

[Trailblazer]

http://www.wftv.com/news/18692192/detail.html

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."

[Trailblazer]

http://www.myfoxorlando.com/dpp/news/local/0211095_Police_missing_girl_abducted

Padilla offers reward
for abducted girl

Leonard Padilla, the bounty hunter who for several months had been engaged in the search for Caylee Anthony, is offering a $25,000 reward for the safe return or another missing girl, believed to have been abducted in the early morning hours of Tuesday.
A Florida Amber Alert was issued for five year old Haleigh Cummings, of Satsuma, which is located about 70 miles north of Orlando.

On Wednesday, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the FBI and the Putnam County Sheriff's Office resumed the search for the missing girl in an area about 70 miles north of Orlando. Investigators searched house-to-house and dive teams probed the St. Johns River.

According to investigators, Haleigh was last seen on Monday night around 10 p.m. in her mobile home on Green Lane. Haleigh, her younger brother and her father's 17-year-old girlfriend, Mistie Croslin, went to bed in the same room. Deputies say Croslin told them that the little girl got up to go to the bathroom around 3:30 a.m., about the same time Haleigh's father, Ronald, got home from work. When they went back into the bedroom they discovered Haleigh was gone.

Last night Haleigh's mother, Crystal Sheffield, cried in front of the news cameras. "I just want to say, bring her back home. Please!" Haleigh's father says his daughter was afraid of the dark and wouldn't wander off by herself. "Somebody stole my child, trust me when I tell you that I know my child," he said.

Family members spent the night at a candlelight vigil. They say they will continue the vigil until Haleigh returns home.

Initially, 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 St. Johns River. They said the mobile home where she lives had no signs of forced entry, but a back door was open.

"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."

Investigators say Croslin is now with her family. They are not calling her a suspect at this time.

Haleigh's grandfather, Johnny Sheffield, told FOX 35 on Wednesday that he was distraught over the disappearance of his granddaughter. He questioned Croslin's involvement in his granddaughter's disappearance.

Haleigh's grandmother, Marie Griffis, was also pleading to the public for help. Griffis told FOX 35 that the father of Trenton Ducket, the missing Lake County toddler who disappeared in 2006, was also assisting in the search. Indeed, Josh Ducket arrived on Wednesday to volunteer in the search efforts. Also present was Leonard Padilla. Padilla said the $25,000 reward would be honored if the girl is recoverd safely within 72 hours of her disappearance. Though both Ducket and Padilla have offered their assistance, Gary Bowling, a spokesperson for the Putnam County Sheriff's Office, said officials are not actively seeking help from volunteers at present time.

Twenty five law enforcement agencies have assisted so far, including crews from Marion, Flagler and Volusia counties. Deputies say they have questioned 44 sex offenders who live within five miles of Haleigh's home. "This child didn't voluntarily walk out of her home. If she did someone took her," Bowling said.

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

"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."

Haleigh Ann-Marie Cummings is 5-years-old. She is 3 feet tall, weighs 39 lbs, has blonde hair and brown eyes. She was last seen on Green Lane in the Hermit's Cove area of Satsuma. She was wearing a pink shirt and underwear. Anyone with information should call the Putnam County Sheriffs Office at 386-329-0808.

[annalyzer]

"Investigators say Croslin is now with her family. They are not calling her a suspect at this time."

Hmmm....

[Faith]

Tim Miller is flying from Texas to Florida today and should arrive tonight in Putnam County.

[Faith]

TB, I am thankful LP is offering a nice reward. Maybe this will lead to Haleigh's safe return.

[Faith]

Haleigh's mom: 'It's tearing me apart' (http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&ct=us/1-0&fp=49931eb0070dbe74&ei=hzaTScKAF4egM9myxZ4K&url=http%3A//www.gainesville.com/article/20090211/ARTICLES/902110939/-1/NEWS05%3FTitle%3DHaleigh_s_mom___It_s_tearing_me_a part_&cid=0&sig2=DhXJyGueO0LUB0Jba-WVMQ&usg=AFQjCNECH9EK2G5pclXljjV3uU8fFieIHw)

[Faith]

Can anyone tell me if the 2 yr old boy is Haleigh's full brother? I am posting but am not reading all of the article, just scanning thru. I think it is but not sure.

[StickyBeak]

I am pleased to see they are wasting no time especially with the reward. Hope for a safe and fast return home of this little girl. Very Strange

[Lilly]

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/breakingnews/orl-bk-missing-florida-girl-021109,0,947501.story

snipped

Five-year-old Haleigh Cummings is afraid of the dark and would not have wandered off into the night, her family told the Orlando Sentinel today as investigators stepped up a massive search for the Putnam County girl.

Haleigh, who is nicknamed Doodlebug, lives with her father and his girlfriend in this rural county about 80 miles north of Orlando. Her father, Ronald Cummings, 25, put Haleigh to bed about 10 p.m. Monday before he left for work. His 17-year-old girlfriend, Misty Croslin, noticed Haleigh was missing about 3:30 a.m. Tuesday.

OMG.. this gets me where I live. My S6 (also a kindergartner) is nicknamed Doodlebug. :1187603408.CR.Mothe I can totally related to the GM saying that Haleigh wouldn't wander off and is shy with strangers too. They're not babies, but they're not ready to set out anywhere on their own yet at that age either. Especially at night. I wonder if the GF was there with the kids all night. Just wondering, not accusing at all, but at her age, it wouldn't be strange if she ran out and left two sleeping kids for a few hours. In my mind that would explain alot - how Haleigh was taken without anyone hearing, the GF being awake and checking on the kids (if she was getting back before her father got home), etc. I'm sorry Pauli if this is inappropriate. I'm not attempting to blame or accuse anyone.. just trying to understand and speculating on reasons for the unusual circumstances.

[AmyE]

Family Releases New Pictures of Haleigh Cummings

SATSUMA, FL -- The family of Haleigh Cummings has put out new images of the little girl, hoping someone sees her and brings her home safely.

The-five-year old girl has been missing since early Tuesday.

The Putnam County Sheriff's Office says everyone is being treated as a suspect, including Haleigh's family. The family is cooperating with investigators.

The 17-year-old girl in the home at the time of Hayleigh's disappearance has been questioned by investigators and is with her family. The teen is the girlfriend of Haylee's father.

Call 911 if you know where Hayleigh Cummings is.



http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/local/news-article.aspx?storyid=131087&catid=3

[Trailblazer]

Can anyone tell me if the 2 yr old boy is Haleigh's full brother? I am posting but am not reading all of the article, just scanning thru. I think it is but not sure.

I'm thinking he is....I've read both the father and mother say their son...but the articles are different...some say he's 2, some say a different age..but I'm going with 2...since the mom said he's 2...

[Isabella]

TB, I am thankful LP is offering a nice reward. Maybe this will lead to Haleigh's safe return.
So am I Faith, and with the quick response by so many agencies and volunteers on the way to search I am hopeful for a good outcome.

[Grande]

Can anyone tell me if the 2 yr old boy is Haleigh's full brother? I am posting but am not reading all of the article, just scanning thru. I think it is but not sure.

Rodney Jr. is Haleigh's biological brother from what I undestand.

[annalyzer]

OMG.. this gets me where I live. My S6 (also a kindergartner) is nicknamed Doodlebug. :1187603408.CR.Mothe I can totally related to the GM saying that Haleigh wouldn't wander off and is shy with strangers too. They're not babies, but they're not ready to set out anywhere on their own yet at that age either. Especially at night. I wonder if the GF was there with the kids all night. Just wondering, not accusing at all, but at her age, it wouldn't be strange if she ran out and left two sleeping kids for a few hours. In my mind that would explain alot - how Haleigh was taken without anyone hearing, the GF being awake and checking on the kids (if she was getting back before her father got home), etc. I'm sorry Pauli if this is inappropriate. I'm not attempting to blame or accuse anyone.. just trying to understand and speculating on reasons for the unusual circumstances.

I also had a brief thought that maybe the gf was sneaking out and may have left them alone that night.

[Faith]

Rodney Jr. is Haleigh's biological brother from what I undestand.

Thanks Grande, I thought so but wasn't positive.

[Grande]

YW Faith.

Everyone have a good evening! Talk to you all later. In the meantime, my thoughts and prayers will be with Haleigh's friends and family.

:1222423:

[chambord]

Thanks Trail. So now the story is the gf got up to go to the bathroom and when she came back to bed the child was gone.

Story subject to change though with next news story. :doh:

Sorry to come across so jaded, but does anyone else feel this bathroom trip is nonsence?

moo

[ChildrenFirst]

Is there anything people who don't live in the town can do to help?
What other efforts can people put forth?
Dear God, I hope they find something soon. The more time passes, the slimmer the chance is that she is unharmed. I'm praying for a miracle.
I do think they should look into the girlfriend more, see if she had another boyfriend or if they had a rocky relationship. Something isn't right there. She isn't telling the whole story. The 911 call was shady to me. She just kept saying HUH? I believe the dad really doesn't know and is heartbroken, but then again...cases like this have fooled others before.

[Trailblazer]

Sorry to come across so jaded, but does anyone else feel this bathroom trip is nonsence?

moo

At my age, getting up in the middle of the night is not unusual..but at 17..hmmm....I just don't know

[Micky_Spill]

At my age, getting up in the middle of the night is not unusual..but at 17..hmmm....I just don't know


Going to bed at ten is unusual for a 17, heck it is unusual for many people.

[Pauli]

Is there anything people who don't live in the town can do to help?
What other efforts can people put forth?
Dear God, I hope they find something soon. The more time passes, the slimmer the chance is that she is unharmed. I'm praying for a miracle.
I do think they should look into the girlfriend more, see if she had another boyfriend or if they had a rocky relationship. Something isn't right there. She isn't telling the whole story. The 911 call was shady to me. She just kept saying HUH? I believe the dad really doesn't know and is heartbroken, but then again...cases like this have fooled others before.

Welcome to the board..

When you don't live in the area and can't be there to help search the best thing to do is donate to who is doing the search and rescue. If TexasEquusearch (TES) has been called in to search, that would be a good place to donate to.. or when they have an official search site set up, you can contact food places in the area and have food, water etc sent to the site.

When a place and time has been set for a search, sometimes a group from here will get together and call places to see if they will donate items for the search.. or we will get together and donate money to pay for items.

Hope this answers your question.

[StickyBeak]

Sorry to come across so jaded, but does anyone else feel this bathroom trip is nonsence?

moo

I am having an uncomfortable feeling as well, Jaded. Seems to be something missing, I don't want to speculate.

Prayers for little girl lost, God I can't take another after Caylee.

[Faith]

NG is talking about Haleigh's case now. Ronald is on with NG now.

[Trailblazer]

Father just said that GF put the kids to bed at 8PM..that the GF went to bed at 11PM...when GF got up at around 3am, to go to the bathroom, then when she came back...Haleigh was missing...

GF didn't call 911 until father got home at around 3:27AM..and he told her to call 911...

Both father and GF took lie detector tests and passed with flying colors...

[chambord]

Now I am really confused, Dad and his girlfriend passed LD tests.

[Battnt]

OMG the 911 call really got me!...

[Trailblazer]

LE got a scent near the waters edge...OMG...Hope they find this little girl...and real soon...I pray she's still alive.

[StickyBeak]

LE got a scent near the waters edge...OMG...Hope they find this little girl...and real soon...I pray she's still alive.


OMG, Please don't tell me someone blocked the door with a brick and this poor child wandered outside. Why would she if she was afraid of the dark,
I am so thinking another party like irate boyfriend/girldfrind.

[emmeblu]

Sorry to come across so jaded, but does anyone else feel this bathroom trip is nonsence?

moo

The only part of this story that does not fit for me is the 17 y/o getting up at the same time Ronald Cummings was getting home from work. Something about that is just not fitting for me. What 17 y/o has to get up in middle of night to go to bathroom unless pregnant. ummmm I may change my feelings on this but hinky meter going off of girlfriend getting up in middle of night.

Watching the dad, Robert Cummings, on NG now and he just looks totally heart broken! A pervert could have been hiding in the home and took the child after the girlfriend went to sleep. Scary with so many sex offenders living in the area.

Praying hard this child will be found alive!

[emmeblu]

Cannot remember the case where the pervert watched the children playing in the yard and then killed the adults and took the children. Killed the boy and the girl was found. My point, perverts target kids they want and then do what they have to do to get them. Too many perverts in that area.

This child did not wander off out of the house. No sense to waste time even giving any consideration to that! I wonder if the child was gone when the g/f went to bed and the g/f just did not notice that she was gone then.

I don't like the timing of the g/f finding out the child was gone. Don't mean to harp but something does not fit.

[emmeblu]

Audie and Helen from TES told me last night, that they were heading up to help with the search.


God Bless them!

[polly7]

I wonder if she was a sleepwalker? The only reason I ask is because my sister at 5 years old walked a mile in the middle of winter freezing her feet, she'd never done it before. Or, maybe she woke up when the girlfriend wasn't there with her, was afraid and went out to look for her? Whatever has happened, I hope with all my heart she's found safe and well .... and, soon.

[look4u]

The only part of this story that does not fit for me is the 17 y/o getting up at the same time Ronald Cummings was getting home from work. Something about that is just not fitting for me. What 17 y/o has to get up in middle of night to go to bathroom unless pregnant. ummmm I may change my feelings on this but hinky meter going off of girlfriend getting up in middle of night.

Watching the dad, Robert Cummings, on NG now and he just looks totally heart broken! A pervert could have been hiding in the home and took the child after the girlfriend went to sleep. Scary with so many sex offenders living in the area.

Praying hard this child will be found alive!

Sorry to come across so jaded, but does anyone else feel this bathroom trip is nonsence?

moo

My opinion is that if the father/boyfriend was returning home around 3:30 AM from a work shift, why wouldn’t she get in the regular habit of waking up around that time, when he comes in the door. As far as a seventeen year old girl going to bed at 10:00 PM or 11:00 PM, taking care of a two year old and a five year old can be very tiring. I took care of four children (2/4/6&8) year old this summer in Arizona, I would sleep whenever I had a chance, even outside in the 110° heat.

[emmeblu]

I wonder if she was a sleepwalker? The only reason I ask is because my sister at 5 years old walked a mile in the middle of winter freezing her feet, she'd never done it before. Or, maybe she woke up when the girlfriend wasn't there with her, was afraid and went out to look for her? Whatever has happened, I hope with all my heart she's found safe and well .... and, soon.


The screen door was propped open with a cinder block. I doubt a child sleep walking would prop open a door. I agree that some children sleepwalk but I don't think this is the case here.
The person that took the child propped open the screen door or either that was staged to make it look like the child was taken.

ITA, I hope with all of my heart this child is found alive.

[emmeblu]

My opinion is that if the father/boyfriend was returning home around 3:30 AM from a work shift, why wouldn’t she get in the regular habit of waking up around that time, when he comes in the door. As far as a seventeen year old girl going to bed at 10:00 PM or 11:00 PM, taking care of a two year old and a five year old can be very tiring. I took care of four children (2/4/6&8) year old this summer in Arizona, I would sleep whenever I had a chance, even outside in the 110° heat.

It would not be unusual for someone to get up on arrival of the husband / boyfriend getting home from work IMO. What was told was that the 17 y/o g/f got up to go to the bathroom and found the child gone. It is just suspicious to me the g/f got up to go to the bathroom around the time the b/f was coming in from work. Right now that is now sitting well with me.

LOL, I agree about how kids can wear you out. The part about the g/f going to bed at 10 is not suspicious for me if that was her normal bedtime.
Still praying the child is found safe.

[polly7]

The screen door was propped open with a cinder block. I doubt a child sleep walking would prop open a door. I agree that some children sleepwalk but I don't think this is the case here.
The person that took the child propped open the screen door or either that was staged to make it look like the child was taken.

ITA, I hope with all of my heart this child is found alive.

That's true, I guess I read too fast and was just hoping against the alternatives.. Even if she had been sleepwalking she'd have come into contact with someone for help by now. It's so sad.

[TigressPen]

The screen door was propped open with a cinder block. I doubt a child sleep walking would prop open a door. I agree that some children sleepwalk but I don't think this is the case here.
The person that took the child propped open the screen door or either that was staged to make it look like the child was taken.

ITA, I hope with all of my heart this child is found alive.



I am curious about the blanket and sheet found outside. That gives the impression it was a hurried snatch and go. He grabbed cover and all with child and got out. So the door propping would've had to be done prior to coming inside. And too, it only takes a couple minutes to use BR, flush and make it back to bedroom. So that kidnapper was one lucky dude to pick that particular time to take Haleigh.

I am wondering if she just assumes the child was still in the bed when she went to rest room. Use to her being there so in her mind she was. BR trip woke her enough that brain would function more normally.

[AmyE]

Why did the girlfriend wait 27 minutes to call 911? This puzzles me, there is no way I would wait 27 minutes after I realize my child is missing.

[Trailblazer]

I am curious about the blanket and sheet found outside. That gives the impression it was a hurried snatch and go. He grabbed cover and all with child and got out. So the door propping would've had to be done prior to coming inside. And too, it only takes a couple minutes to use BR, flush and make it back to bedroom. So that kidnapper was one lucky dude to pick that particular time to take Haleigh.

I am wondering if she just assumes the child was still in the bed when she went to rest room. Use to her being there so in her mind she was. BR trip woke her enough that brain would function more normally.

I must have missed it about the blanket and sheet found outside...was that on NG???

And wouldn't the GF notice a sheet and blanket were missed from the bed?

If someone came in...how did they know all 3 slept in the same room? I would think a doublewide had at least 3 bedrooms...

[Micky_Spill]

What was told was that the 17 y/o g/f got up to go to the bathroom and found the child gone. It is just suspicious to me the g/f got up to go to the bathroom around the time the b/f was coming in from work. Right now that is now sitting well with me.

.


This is not suspicious to me, if she was expecting her boyfriend home at that time, it would not surprise me if she was waiting by the door, looking out the window, that is assuming they look forward to times together.

[TigressPen]

I must have missed it about the blanket and sheet found outside...was that on NG???

And wouldn't the GF notice a sheet and blanket were missed from the bed?

If someone came in...how did they know all 3 slept in the same room? I would think a doublewide had at least 3 bedrooms...



The blanket and sheet information was in an article - it said blanket and sheet was near the wood deck.

She may have been lieing down with kids to help them feel better. IIRC one article said little Haleigh doesn't like being away from daddy.

[Trailblazer]

The blanket and sheet information was in an article - it said blanket and sheet was near the wood deck.

She may have been lieing down with kids to help them feel better. IIRC one article said little Haleigh doesn't like being away from daddy.


Thanks

[Audie]

We are are in the Daytona area looking for a hotel. I don't really know what is happening now. TES did a callout earlier, and since we were in the area we headed that way. I guess I'll find out more later what we are going to do. I hope she is found safe tonite and we won't have to do anything.
jmo

[Faith]

I wonder if she was a sleepwalker? The only reason I ask is because my sister at 5 years old walked a mile in the middle of winter freezing her feet, she'd never done it before. Or, maybe she woke up when the girlfriend wasn't there with her, was afraid and went out to look for her? Whatever has happened, I hope with all my heart she's found safe and well .... and, soon.

Sorry if this has been answered.

The father said on NG she was not a sleepwalker and she was scared of the dark.

[AmyE]

We are are in the Daytona area looking for a hotel. I don't really know what is happening now. TES did a callout earlier, and since we were in the area we headed that way. I guess I'll find out more later what we are going to do. I hope she is found safe tonite and we won't have to do anything.
jmo


So, glad you are able to be there Audie. Keep us updated the best you can.

[Faith]

Massive search targets woods, river in South Putnam for missing girl


BY LARRY SULLIVAN

Published: Tuesday, February 10, 2009 11:48 PM EST
Palatka Daily News

SATSUMA - A young girl was reported missing, and possibly abducted, from her South Putnam County home early Tuesday.

The disappearance of 5-year-old Haleigh Cummings triggered a massive search on land, water and in the air as more than 130 officers from agencies across Northeast Florida responded to the Satsuma area.

"We would hope that she is safe," Detective John Merchant said Tuesday. "And we're hoping for the best outcome."

The nightmare began about 3 a.m.

Haleigh wasn't in bed. The back door of a blue doublewide mobile home was open, and a blanket and sheets were scattered on the wooden ramp leading from the door.

Authorities said they were told Haleigh's father, Ronald, had just ended his shift at PDM Bridge in Palatka. His girlfriend, Misty Croslin, said she had been sleeping next to Haleigh, but when she awoke, the blonde-haired girl was gone.

"She was sleeping right next to me," Croslin told the Daily News while distributing flyers bearing Haleigh's photo. "I can't believe I didn't hear anything."

A 911 call at 3:27 a.m. resulted in Putnam County sheriff's deputies being sent to the home, which is on a dirt road in the Hermit's Cove neighborhood.

By daybreak, a Child Abduction Regional Team response was implemented by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement at Putnam County's request. A nearly constant convoy of vehicles and personnel from a wide spectrum of agencies rolled into the otherwise quiet neighborhood.

A roadblock was set up on the only road out of the neighborhood and deputies thoroughly searched every vehicle that left.

Helicopters from Volusia County and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission flew over the neighborhood and a section of the nearby St. Johns River. Those flights continued into Tuesday night.

Boats from the FWC and Jacksonville Sheriff's Office joined Putnam County deputies seeking clues from the river, while divers searched below the surface.

And, several search teams scoured woods adjacent to the Cummings home.

Some searchers were led by specially trained bloodhounds from the Tomoka Correctional Institution and nearly 30 workers at the state prison in East Palatka joined the effort.

Some officers rode all-terrain vehicles while others walked carefully side-by-side through brush hoping to find some sign of the missing child.

At the same time, authorities went door-to-door asking neighbors if they saw or heard anything that could help find Haleigh.

"Right now, our leads are minimal," Merchant said.

He asked the public to report possible leads to the sheriff's office by calling 329-0800.

"We are doing everything possible," Chief Deputy Rick Ryan said.

Haleigh's 4-year-old brother also was in the home Tuesday night, authorities said.

Haleigh does not have a history of wandering from home.

"That would be abnormal for the child," Merchant said.

Investigators questioned family members for much of Tuesday.

In an interview Tuesday night, Sheriff Jeff Hardy said the FBI had dispatched 16 agents to assist the investigation.

"They'll be on the ground with us Wednesday," he said.

In addition, Hardy said the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children was sending a team to help authorities.

Hardy said he appreciated the fast response and he was hopeful.

"I am optimistic this case will have a positive outcome," he said. "This is a missing, endangered child at this point."

An Amber Alert was issued for Haleigh on Tuesday morning, prompting many tips to be called in to the sheriff's office, Hardy said.

"We're adding to our dispatch staff to handle the calls," he said.

There are no plans at this time to bolster the ranks of searchers with volunteers from the general public Hardy said.

"We have what we consider to be adequate law enforcement resources at this point," he said.

Investigators are pursuing "several different angles" on the case, including the whereabouts of 44 registered sexual offenders who live within a five-mile radius of the Cummings home, Hardy said.

He said "less than 10" were registered sexual predators with a more serious past.

Hardy also said there were no signs of forced entry into the Cummings house.

http://www.palatkadailynews.com/articles/2009/02/11/news/news01.txt

[Faith]

We are are in the Daytona area looking for a hotel. I don't really know what is happening now. TES did a callout earlier, and since we were in the area we headed that way. I guess I'll find out more later what we are going to do. I hope she is found safe tonite and we won't have to do anything.
jmo

Audie, I am so glad you are there to help search. Please keep us updated.

God Bless you & Helen.

[Faith]

Father just said that GF put the kids to bed at 8PM..that the GF went to bed at 11PM...when GF got up at around 3am, to go to the bathroom, then when she came back...Haleigh was missing...

GF didn't call 911 until father got home at around 3:27AM..and he told her to call 911...

Both father and GF took lie detector tests and passed with flying colors...

I didn't hear him say they both took LD's and passed. This has to go far with LE.

Ronald also said that she called him as he was pulling in the driveway.

[AmyE]

Fake Amber Alert in Camden County

ST. MARYS, GA -- The Camden County Sheriff's Office says they have received dozens of calls about an Amber Alert for a child in St. Marys. It is a hoax.

The fake Amber Alert faked out people from Utah to West Virginia and trickled to tiny St. Marys, Georgia, through cell phone signals.

The fake alert read: "Amber Alert! A 7 yr old girl from St. Marys was taken by a man driving a newer silver truck." It listed a license plate number and told people to "Please keep this going!"

"Somebody started it and it started bouncing around through text messages, two became four, four became eight and before we knew it, this thing covered the whole east coast. Basically, it's a hoax," Camden County Sheriff Tommy Gregory told First Coast News' Erich Spivey.

To be very clear, the Sheriff's Office says there is no Amber Alert for anyone in Camden County. They got "inundated" with calls about the alert today, Gregory says.

The Amber Alert nearby is for Haleigh Cummings, the Putnam County girl who has been missing since early Tuesday.

"Unless you verify it's a legit Amber Alert, please don't forward it on because we do have a 5-year-old missing in Putnam County and this is taking away from that," Gregory says.

http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/georgia/news-article.aspx?storyid=131071&catid=5

[Trailblazer]

=Faith;532553]Audie, I am so glad you are there to help search. Please keep us updated.

God Bless you & Helen.


I second that...

[Faith]

The Sheriff said- the younger brother was NOT sleeping in the same room. Haleigh was sleeping with Misty.

Greta specifically asked about the gf. Sheriff said no one is ruled out.

Chrystal is on with Greta- she said her daughter would not have walked out.

[Faith]

Ronald told Chrystal he was sorry, that if he would have been at home this wouldn't have happened.

The grandma is questioning Misty. She wants to know what role Misty plays in this.

Haleigh & Jr says they liked Misty, she was nice to them.

Chrystal says Misty has been nice to her.

Misty has been in the kids life maybe 4-6 months, not sure, Chrystal said.

[Micky_Spill]

I had not thought of that but a lot of mobile homes have bathrooms in the bedroom and that is how their's is.

Makes the story even harder to believe, not like thinking of a big house.

[Faith]

Ronald runs a crane. Chrystal doesn't know what kind of work R does. Marie knew where he worked.

[Faith]

I had not thought of that but a lot of mobile homes have bathrooms in the bedroom and that is how their's is.

Makes the story even harder to believe, not like thinking of a big house.

It hasn't been confirmed if they were sleeping in the master bedroom.

I do know the mobile home is a double wide. The neighborhood looks clean and nice from what I can tell by photos.

[emmeblu]

I am curious about the blanket and sheet found outside. That gives the impression it was a hurried snatch and go. He grabbed cover and all with child and got out. So the door propping would've had to be done prior to coming inside. And too, it only takes a couple minutes to use BR, flush and make it back to bedroom. So that kidnapper was one lucky dude to pick that particular time to take Haleigh.

I am wondering if she just assumes the child was still in the bed when she went to rest room. Use to her being there so in her mind she was. BR trip woke her enough that brain would function more normally.

Agree with everything you said.
I just do not see how a child snatcher could have gotten the child while she was in the bathroom.
If taken by a stranger, he must have gotten her while the g/f and child slept.

[Faith]

Ronald is on Greta, coming up.

[Battnt]

We need Nancy Grace's transcript.... I was sure the father said they were all 3 sleeping in the same bed, and that him and the GF both took, and passed polygraph tests...

[emmeblu]

It hasn't been confirmed if they were sleeping in the master bedroom.

I do know the mobile home is a double wide. The neighborhood looks clean and nice from what I can tell by photos.

I heard the daddy say on NG that "someone took her out of my bed". When he said that, it made me think the child was sleeping in the master bedroom bed.

[Micky_Spill]

It hasn't been confirmed if they were sleeping in the master bedroom.

I do know the mobile home is a double wide. The neighborhood looks clean and nice from what I can tell by photos.

But the lady on with Crystal said she was suspicious because the bathroom was in the bedroom, this was said on Greta.

[Trailblazer]

We need Nancy Grace's transcript.... I was sure the father said they were all 3 sleeping in the same bed, and that him and the GF both took, and passed polygraph tests...


That's what I heard too Battnt

[Faith]

This Crystal is Haleigh's aunt with Ronald on Greta.

Ronald is not sure when she saw the child missing.

Greta asked R if he was suspicious of Misty. He said no and he would appreciate the false allegations dropped.

Greta asked why he had custody and not the mother- he said the court ordered him custody because he could provide better.

he believes someone broke into the house and took H-- the kids cannot unlock the deadbolt he thinks a crowbar was used. ??????????????????????????



I can't type fast enough.

[Faith]

I heard the daddy say on NG that "someone took her out of my bed". When he said that, it made me think the child was sleeping in the master bedroom bed.

thank you...... I am not trying to be hard but the articles in this case are very misleading and we have very few facts.

[Micky_Spill]

That's what I heard too Battnt

I agree that may have been said (I did not watch), it really does not carry any weight if the transcripts show that.

What is important is if LE states they passed with flying colors.

[Battnt]

That's what I heard too Battnt

Oh thanks TB!...

[Faith]

But the lady on with Crystal said she was suspicious because the bathroom was in the bedroom, this was said on Greta.



Thanks- I didn't hear that part for typing I suppose.

[emmeblu]

This is not suspicious to me, if she was expecting her boyfriend home at that time, it would not surprise me if she was waiting by the door, looking out the window, that is assuming they look forward to times together.

Respectfully, I will again say that I found it suspicious based on it being told that she got up to go to the bathroom. I have not heard anything about the g/f getting up to greet the b/f. Why would that have not been told if that was the situation? So, based on what has been said, I find it suspicious that the bathroom trip lined up with the b/f coming home and the child gone. I may change my mind as I learn more about the circumstances surrounding this case.

JMO

[Battnt]

I agree that may have been said (I did not watch), it really does not carry any weight if the transcripts show that.

What is important is if LE states they passed with flying colors.

I am pretty sure LE was right there when he did the interview, so heck if I know then....

[Micky_Spill]

Respectfully, I will again say that I found it suspicious based on it being told that she got up to go to the bathroom. I have not heard anything about the g/f getting up to greet the b/f. Why would that have not been told if that was the situation? So, based on what has been said, I find it suspicious that the bathroom trip lined up with the b/f coming home and the child gone. I may change my mind as I learn more about the circumstances surrounding this case.

JMO

Be careful with being suspicious, actually I do not believe they both passed with flying colors, I hope I do not get banned for my doubts if I am allowed to.

I must say Misty has better parenting skills than myself. Maybe once a month I may get lucky and have my four year old at sleep at 8pm. His energy level is too high, and believe I have tried to tire him out. He gets plenty of exercise daily no naps, have trampoline, go to park etc. The energizer bunny has nothing on him, yeah he is still up, trying to get him down shortly.

[Faith]

Just a reminder, we are a victim advocate site.. please do not jump to conclusions on any family member until we have proof/facts that they have done something wrong. We are here to help the family and that is all...








thank you


Reminder.

[AmyE]

Be careful with being suspicious, actually I do not believe they both passed with flying colors, I hope I do not get banned for my doubts if I am allowed to.

I must say Misty has better parenting skills than myself. Maybe once a month I may get lucky and have my four year old at sleep at 8pm. His energy level is too high, and believe I have tried to tire him out. He gets plenty of exercise daily no naps, have trampoline, go to park etc. The energizer bunny has nothing on him, yeah he is still up, trying to get him down shortly.

My 6 year old will be in bed and asleep by 9, however my 4 year old daughter sounds like your son, her energy level is very high, my 3 year old son is in bed by 8 everynight...no doubt. It just depends on the child. However, I am suspicious of this g/f. JMO

[emmeblu]

Be careful with being suspicious, actually I do not believe they both passed with flying colors, I hope I do not get banned for my doubts if I am allowed to.

I must say Misty has better parenting skills than myself. Maybe once a month I may get lucky and have my four year old at sleep at 8pm. His energy level is too high, and believe I have tried to tire him out. He gets plenty of exercise daily no naps, have trampoline, go to park etc. The energizer bunny has nothing on him, yeah he is still up, trying to get him down shortly.


hahaha I know about those 4 year olds. Takes ton of energy and we have one in our family that can sit up with the best of 'em.

I just wonder how long the g/f has been dating or living with R Cummings (the dad)? I know some children go to bed at 8 but do 17 y/o's go to bed at 10? Don't know, guess in some cases they do.
Don't know why but the dad seemed very sincere with his grief on NG. I could be wrong about that also guess time will tell.

Anyway, I have lots of questions and no answers yet. Also wondering if the 17 y/o was jealous of Haleigh and her relationship with her dad. Who are the parents of the little boy? Why didn't the bio mother have her child?

[Audie]

I'm hearing that TES is not starting their search until Friday morning. I'm more confused than any one right now. jmo

[Faith]

This Crystal is Haleigh's aunt with Ronald on Greta.

Ronald is not sure when she saw the child missing.

Greta asked R if he was suspicious of Misty. He said no and he would appreciate the false allegations dropped.

Greta asked why he had custody and not the mother- he said the court ordered him custody because he could provide better.

he believes someone broke into the house and took H-- the kids cannot unlock the deadbolt he thinks a crowbar was used. ??????????????????????????



I can't type fast enough.

I've not read any posts on this case..Had a hard time finding a thread for Haleigh Cummings.

I got more from the interview on Greta than almost the full hour on NG. NG did not ask the question I wanted asked;

"Why do you [Cummings] have custody and not the children's mother?"


That was a short answer that I typed, he said more. He was trying to be respectful. Honestly, that question shouldn't have been asked. IMO- Haleigh has lived with her father since she was 2.

[Faith]

I'm hearing that TES is not starting their search until Friday morning. I'm more confused than any one right now. jmo


Audie, FWIW- this is what I heard today and posted.

Tim Miller is flying from Texas to Florida today and should arrive tonight in Putnam County.

[DeeJay]

That was a short answer that I typed, he said more. He was trying to be respectful. Honestly, that question shouldn't have been asked. IMO- Haleigh has lived with her father since she was 2.

Cummings said he's had custody for the past year.

It is important to know why the mom doesn't have custody. You can bet LE asked it upfront when they interviewed Cummings.

[AmyE]

I'm hearing that TES is not starting their search until Friday morning. I'm more confused than any one right now. jmo

Oh Audie.... I wish TES would do some searching tomorrow atleast. So sorry you are confused with the rest of us.

[Faith]

I'm hearing that TES is not starting their search until Friday morning. I'm more confused than any one right now. jmo


Cummings, Haleigh - Putnam Cty, FL - 02/10/09 - TES Deployed (http://texasequusearch.org/2009/02/cummings-haleigh-putnam-cty-fl-021009/)

Posted on 10. Feb, 2009 by B Tarr (http://texasequusearch.org/author/btarr/).
5 (http://texasequusearch.org/2009/02/cummings-haleigh-putnam-cty-fl-021009/#comments)

02/11/09 - Texas EquuSearch has been contacted by law enforcement to aid in the search for Haleigh Cummings. Tim Miller will be traveling to Florida today, and the mobile command center is leaving Texas this afternoon, enroute to the Putnam County area. More information will be posted here as it becomes available.
02/10/09 - Florida Amber [...]


http://texasequusearch.org/

[dojewo]

We are are in the Daytona area looking for a hotel. I don't really know what is happening now. TES did a callout earlier, and since we were in the area we headed that way. I guess I'll find out more later what we are going to do. I hope she is found safe tonite and we won't have to do anything.
jmo
Good to hear that you are there Audie, I'm hoping that Haleigh is found safe.

[DeeJay]

I'm hearing that TES is not starting their search until Friday morning. I'm more confused than any one right now. jmo

Really? Not until Friday? Oh my...time is of the essence too.

(I saw you leaving the church yesterday. You paused right in front of the camera...Got a good look at ya!) :happy0158:

[Faith]

Cummings said he's had custody for the past year.

It is important to know why the mom doesn't have custody. You can bet LE asked it upfront when they interviewed Cummings.

What LE asks him/her is different than why we are here. We are victim advocates.

[Micky_Spill]

My 6 year old will be in bed and asleep by 9, however my 4 year old daughter sounds like your son, her energy level is very high, my 3 year old son is in bed by 8 everynight...no doubt. It just depends on the child. However, I am suspicious of this g/f. JMO

I was trying to get him to sleep, I get book from the library every two weeks and they have about 15 stories in each case so I was reading to him. He left and now it is my wife's turn. He just ran down to where I am at to tell me the light was turned back on. He probably will be asleep in the next hour for sure.

BTW, I was being facetious. I do have good parenting skills, his energy level is through the roof.

He settles down more with his mother than he does with me, with me play time is never over, at least not in his mind. Here he comes running again:022:

[Faith]

Cummings said he's had custody for the past year.

It is important to know why the mom doesn't have custody. You can bet LE asked it upfront when they interviewed Cummings.

Ronald Cummings says within the first 30 seconds of the video- I've been raising her since the day she was 2 years old by myself.

http://www.gainesville.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090211/VIDEO/902100302&template=video&lineup=452316393


http://www.gainesville.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Avis=GS&Dato=20090211&Kategori=VIDEO&Lopenr=902100302&Ref=AR&MaxW=120 (http://www.gainesville.com/article/20090211/VIDEO/902100302&template=video&lineup=452316393)
http://www.gainesville.com/global/images/mm_play.gif (http://www.gainesville.com/article/20090211/VIDEO/902100302&template=video&lineup=452316393)
February 11, 2009
Video: Interview with father of missing 5-year-old (http://www.gainesville.com/article/20090211/VIDEO/902100302&template=video&lineup=452316393)

[Faith]

Audie- if you are still around.

However, right now investigators are asking volunteers to hold off and wait while they concentrate closely on the investigation. Still family members are doing all that they can to find Haleigh Cummings.

http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/local/news-article.aspx?storyid=131126&catid=3

[Pauli]

I am posting this again...

Just a reminder, we are a victim advocate site.. please do not jump to conclusions on any family member until we have proof/facts that they have done something wrong. We are here to help the family and that is all...



We are not here to guess about or accuse any family member. That is not what this site is about.. there are plenty of other places that allow posters to use their imaginations on what did or did not happen... If/when there are facts of who had anything to do with Haleigh's disappearance it can be discussed then.. but until then there is to be no speculating on the victim's family members.. IF LE does not think they are suspect or POI we will not either. Please keep with the facts of this case, not gossip/rumor.

Thank you...

[Tracian]

As far as I have heard...this family has done everything to help LE including polygraph tests.

I watched the father on NG tonight, and he seems to be doing all he can to get his daughter back..I think his cadence is shock..not an attempt to mislead the investigation.

[dega101653]

Sorry pauli....my bad. I remember how we all looked at Mark Lunsford during the first days after Jessie went missing. We were so wrong...

but I still say the door being propped open means something..



Probably because someone wanted to make a fast get away and not have to open door. jmo

[grammybears]

I have been trying to real all I can on this case. There is no way that this little girl being missing is not affecting the whole family. I just cannot even imagine what these dear people are going through. It does not matter who is raising this little girl, what matters is that Haleigh is missing and the whole family is worried sick about her. I hope she is found soon and safe. I am concermed about all the stories that are going around about this case. No matter what the first priority is that this girl is found soon and she is ok. All other issues can be handeled after she is found.

My prayers go out to Haleigh and her family. May this family get their prayers answered sooner then later.

jmoo

[annalyzer]

The blanket and sheet information was in an article - it said blanket and sheet was near the wood deck.

She may have been lieing down with kids to help them feel better. IIRC one article said little Haleigh doesn't like being away from daddy.


That must have been posted after I lost power. Okay say someone does snatch the child with the blanket and sheet wrapped around her. Are they going to unwrap her out of the blanket and sheet right outside the home instead of just taking her the way she is??

Maybe my thinking will change once I read the article. That is if the story didn't change in the news since then.

[annalyzer]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29152052/

48 Hours Pass With No Sign Of Missing Girl


WJXT-TV
updated 2 hours, 5 minutes ago

SATSUMA, Fla. - More than two full days have passed since anyone's seen Haleigh Ann-Marie Cummings, and still the Putnam County girl is no where to be found.

Haleigh was last seen at 10 p.m. Monday in bed at her home in the Hermet's Cove mobile home park where she lived with her father, his 17-year-old girlfriend and her 2-year-old brother.

Investigators were told the last person to see the 5-year-old was her father's girlfriend, Misty Croslin, who told investigators that she saw the girl in her bed at 10 p.m. Monday. She told police Tuesday that when she awoke at 3 a.m. to use the bathroom, Haleigh was missing and the back door of the home was open.

Channel 4 was told that that Croslin was interviewed for a second time at midday Wednesday, but authorities said Croslin -- and everyone connected with the family -- was cooperating with authorities.

On Wednesday night, Haleigh's father, Ronald Cummings, made another plea for the safe return of his little girl.

"I'd like to say if anybody's watching and they've seen the picture of my daughter and they've seen her anywhere, please get in contact with local law enforcement officer or Crimestoppers," Cummings said. "I know what happened to my daughter. She came up missing out of my house in the middle of the night. Besides that, no I don't know."

Detectives said they don't know either.

On Wednesday, investigators announced the 5-year-old's disappearance is being treated as an abduction and the active search for the child was scaled back as Putnam County deputies, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the FBI focused on the investigation into what happened to the girl, according to lead Detective John Merchant.

They said everyone, from family members to friends to a repairman who serviced the family's air conditioning unit, is being questioned about in the case.

Police interviewed people who know Haleigh and people who do not. Investigators have even offered lie-detector tests to anyone who would take one.

"Yes, I have taken a polygraph test. Yes, I did pass it," Cummings said.

Detectives said no one is being considered a person of interest in the girl's disappearance, and everyone is still considered a suspect.

Candlelight Vigil Held For Haleigh

For the second time in as many days, friends and family said a prayer and lit candles for Haleigh's safe return.

The missing girl's loved ones have been sitting under a tent just yards away from the home for much of the day as they leaned on each other for support.

"I don't know where she is or who has her. I just want her home," said Haleigh's mother, Crystal Sheffield.

Haleigh's grandmother, Marie Griffiths, told Channel 4 the little girl would never willing go with a stranger, but she still has hope the 5-year-old is alive.

"Haleigh is living and breathing. I don't feel that there's anything that has happened to her bad," Griffiths said.

Investigators have ruled out the possibility the girl may have wandered off in the middle of the night because she's afraid of the dark. However, Haleigh's mother confirmed there was in an incident a few years ago in which the child wandered to a canal near their back yard and was found floating face down.

Sheffield and investigators insist that incident has nothing to do with the current situation.

"Just bring my baby home," Sheffield said on Wednesday.

"She's a baby. She needs her mother, and she needs her family. She don’t need to be out there with strangers if that's where she's at. We want her home. Y'all bring her to her mother if you don’t want to take her anywhere else," Griffiths said.

Authorities ask anyone with any information to call the Putnam County Sheriff's Office at 386-329-0800 or the FDLE's Missing Endangered Persons Information Clearinghouse at 888-FL-MISSING.

[annalyzer]

http://www.myfoxnepa.com/myfox/pages/News/Detail?contentId=8352739&version=1&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=3.1.1

Detectives: Missing Florida Girl Was Kidnapped, Family Members and 'All the World' Are Suspects


Last Edited: Thursday, 12 Feb 2009, 12:43 AM EST
Created: Wednesday, 11 Feb 2009, 7:43 PM EST

By Catherine Donaldson-Evans

02/11/2009 --
Florida detectives say they believe a 5-year-old girl who vanished from her bed Tuesday morning was abducted — and they aren't overlooking anyone, including family members, as suspects.

Haleigh Ann-Marie Cummings reportedly vanished from her bed before dawn Tuesday.

The child's father, Roger Cummings, said in an interview with Greta Van Susteren that his girlfriend Misty Croslin, 17, was watching his daughter while he was at work as a crane operator.

According to Cummings, Haleigh had gotten up to use the bathroom. When she had not returned, Croslin went to look for her and noticed the back door was open.

"I locked doors before I left for work. My child cannot unlock the deadbolt, you have to force the door shut all the way ... and she doesn’t open door to strangers," Cummings said.

Croslin and Cummings called 911 after discovering the girl was missing, according to the police report. The tapes were released Wednesday.

Click here for photos.

Putnam County Sheriff's spokesman Gary Bowling said Croslin, Cummings and the child's mother, Crystal Sheffield, as well as several others have been questioned in the case. Police have given them all the chance to take lie detector tests.

"It is never safe to say that a family member is not a suspect," Bowling said during a press conference. "However, all the world is a suspect right now."

Investigators conducted a second day of ground and air searches Wednesday for Haleigh.

"This child didn't voluntarily walk out of her home. If she did, someone took her," Bowling said earlier.

Cummings, who has custody of Haleigh and her brother Junior, said his daughter was scared of the dark and would not wander off.

"Somebody stole my child," he said. "Trust me when I tell you that I know my child."

Sheffield's mother, Marie, told Greta Van Susteren everything seemed to be fine with her granddaughter living with her father.

"Haleigh told us they’ve been hit, and stuff like that, but to this point, everything was fine," Marie Sheffield said.

Police had never been called to the home in the past — but there have been prior problems with Cummings, Croslin and the children, Putnam County Capt. Steve Rose said.

"There have been some investigations done through the department of children and family," Rose told FOX News on Wednesday. He didn't elaborate.

There were still no firm leads in the case, despite police interviews with Cummings, Croslin and sex offenders in the area.

Investigators say Croslin is now with her family, but they're not calling her a suspect nor are they revealing whether the child's father is a focus of the investigation.

"I don't know that for sure," Putnam County Sheriff's Sgt. Jason Nettles told FOXNews.com on Tuesday.

Haleigh's grandfather, Johnny Sheffield, said he was distraught about the girl's disappearance and characterized Croslin as suspicious, though he admitted he didn't know much about her, according to MyFOXOrlando.com.

Cummings said his girlfriend was awake and frantic after she found Haleigh was gone.

But in the police report, obtained by FOX News, Cummings reportedly told officers that his "dumb bitch girlfriend" told him Haleigh was gone when he got home from work.

"Ronald said that he did not know what Haleigh was wearing, and that all he knew was that the back door was standing open. Ronald repeatedly said that someone had taken his child and also said 'When I find him I'll kill him,'" police wrote in the report.

He referred to a 9mm Beretta handgun he owns and said if authorities found his daughter's kidnapper, "he would shoot them through the back window of the patrol car," the police report said.

Detectives wrote that they followed a path that led behind the home and found what appeared to be a child's footprint in the dirt, though Cummings said his daughter's shoes were in the house.

Nettles told FOXNews.com that the hunt for Haleigh got under way Wednesday morning, with more helicopter searches as well as more on the ground using K-9 units.

Deputies say they have questioned 44 registered sex offenders who live within five miles of Haleigh's home, according to MyFOXOrlando.com.

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 on Tuesday.

An air conditioner repair man who was at the home on Monday was questioned after police found out about his house call but cleared him of any wrongdoing.

Local and state authorities and the FBI searched for Haleigh in neighbors' homes and vehicles leaving her neighborhood on the St. Johns River, as well as in the nearby river and woods for signs of the girl. The effort lasted through the night Tuesday.

Investigators are asking for the public's help. Leads have been minimal, according to authorities.

Crystal Sheffield made a tearful plea about her little girl on TV news Tuesday night.

"I just want to say, 'Bring her back home. Please,'" Sheffield said.

Sheffield told Greta van Susteren the kids said they "loved Croslin," who she says Cummings was dating for four to six months.

"I’ve talked to her, she seemed like a really nice person, but I never sat down and had a conversation with her," Sheffield said.

Rose said Sheffield doesn't live in the area but traveled to Putnam County after she learned of her daughter's disappearance and has been interviewed.

"She is cooperating," Rose told FOX News.

The family held a candlelight vigil Tuesday night and said they plan to continue with the vigils until the child comes home.

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

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

[annalyzer]

From above link, "According to Cummings, Haleigh had gotten up to use the bathroom. When she had not returned, Croslin went to look for her and noticed the back door was open."

Okay this is the first I've heard this version.

[annalyzer]

From above link, "Investigators have ruled out the possibility the girl may have wandered off in the middle of the night because she's afraid of the dark. However, Haleigh's mother confirmed there was in an incident a few years ago in which the child wandered to a canal near their back yard and was found floating face down.

Sheffield and investigators insist that incident has nothing to do with the current situation."

[annalyzer]

From above link, "Putnam County Sheriff's spokesman Gary Bowling said Croslin, Cummings and the child's mother, Crystal Sheffield, as well as several others have been questioned in the case. Police have given them all the chance to take lie detector tests."

If they had taken and passed LDT's wouldn't the police say so?

[annalyzer]

From above link, "Investigators say Croslin is now with her family, but they're not calling her a suspect nor are they revealing whether the child's father is a focus of the investigation."

[sarahhod]

From above link, "Investigators have ruled out the possibility the girl may have wandered off in the middle of the night because she's afraid of the dark. However, Haleigh's mother confirmed there was in an incident a few years ago in which the child wandered to a canal near their back yard and was found floating face down.

Sheffield and investigators insist that incident has nothing to do with the current situation."

OMG - Thanks for this anna. I sure hope this hasn't happened again. How horrifying.

[sarahhod]

Massive Search Launched for Missing Florida Girl

Thursday February 12, 2009
http://z.about.com/d/crime/1/0/2/0/1/cummings_h.jpg Police suspect a stranger abducted a five-year-old Florida girl from her bedroom after interviewing family members and neighbors. A nationwide Amber Alert has been issued for Haleigh Cummings of Satsuma, Florida who has been missing since 3 a.m. Tuesday. A massive search of the area near the St. Johns River has turned up no clues, authorities said.
Haleigh lives with her father, Ronald Cummings, and his girlfriend, Misty Croslin in Putnam County. Cummings was at work Monday night when Croslin woke up around 3 a.m. and realized Haleigh was missing. She found the back door of the home held open with a brick. She immediately called 9-1-1.
"There's no longer any reason to believe that the child simply wandered outside," said Putnam County Sheriff's Office Maj. Gary Bowling, who said investigators must "assume abduction."
44 Registered Sex Offenders
"All the answers to why you'd want to take a 5-year-old are ugly," Bowling said. "All the world's a suspect now."
Police interviewed all the family members, including Haleigh's mother, Crystal Sheffield, who lives in Georgia near the Georgia-Florida line. Ronald Cummings reportedly took a polygraph test. "All I want is my child ... please ... all I want is my child," Cummings said at a news conference.
Misty Croslin, who is only 17 years old, is now staying with relatives during the investigation. "She's just a child herself," Bowling told reporters.
There are 44 registered sex offenders living within five miles of the Cummings' double-wide trailer in Putnam and Palatka Counties, which are both along the St. Johns River. All are being interviewed and offered the opportunity to take a polygraph test.



http://crime.about.com/b/2009/02/12/massive-search-launched-for-missing-florida-girl.htm

[sarahhod]

Missing 5-year-old Florida girl likely was abducted, police say

Helen Eckinger |Sentinel Staff Writer February 12, 2009

SATSUMA - The search for Haleigh Cummings turned more desperate Wednesday after officials said someone likely abducted the 5-year-old from her bedroom in rural Putnam County.

"There is no longer any reason to believe that the child simply wandered off outside," said Maj. Gary Bowling of the Putnam County Sheriff's Office.

Family members begged for the safe return of the girl they call Doodlebug on the second day of a massive search in this sparsely populated county about 80 miles north of Orlando.

"Just bring her back," said Haleigh's maternal grandmother, Marie Griffis. "There are plenty of places you can drop off a kid, no questions asked."
Haleigh lives with her father, Ronald Cummings, 25, and his girlfriend in a double-wide in Satsuma, an isolated riverfront community northeast of Ocala National Forest (http://www.orlandosentinel.com/topic/environmental-issues/natural-resources/forests/ocala-national-forest-PLREC000081.topic).

The girlfriend, Misty Croslin, 17, put Haleigh to bed about 10 p.m. Monday while Cummings was working at PDM Bridge.

Croslin woke up about 3:30 a.m. Tuesday, noticed Haleigh was missing and called 911 for help.

"I just woke up and my back door is open, and I can't find my daughter," Croslin told a 911 dispatcher. She said she had been sleeping and the door was not open when she went to bed.

A screen door on the side of the couple's Satsuma home had been propped open with a cinder block. The main door was slightly ajar, but authorities found no obvious signs of forced entry.

Cummings just returned home while Croslin was talking to the dispatcher.

"I just got home from work, and my 5-year-old daughter is gone. I need somebody to be here now, I'm telling you," he told the dispatcher. "If I find whoever has my daughter before you do, I'm killing them. I don't care if I have to spend the rest of my life in prison."

Officials issued a statewide alert for Haleigh on Tuesday, triggering a search that quickly drew as many as 130 officers from several law-enforcement agencies with bloodhounds and helicopters.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement, FBI (http://www.orlandosentinel.com/topic/crime-law-justice/crimes/fbi-ORGOV000008.topic), and Volusia, Marion and Flagler sheriff's offices are helping Putnam County deputies and investigators.

The search continued Wednesday and included divers exploring the nearby St. Johns River.

Bowling said 44 sex offenders live in a 5-mile radius of Cummings' home, but most have been contacted by law enforcement since Haleigh disappeared. Many sought out authorities on their own.

"Right now, we don't have a lot of clues indicating where she's at," Detective John Merchant said. "I'm always positive, though. We want to find her alive."

No suspects have been named, and no one has been ruled out.

"All the world's a suspect right now," Bowling said.

Family members said Haleigh was unlikely to leave on her own.

"Haleigh is a very indoor-type child," said Griffis, her grandmother. "If she goes outside, she wants you to be with her -- she would never go outside by herself in the dark."

Griffis said Haleigh is bright and loves drawing, makeup and playing with gadgets.

Her mother, Crystal Sheffield, 23, was at her home in Baker County near the Florida-Georgia state line at the time of her daughter's disappearance. She was in Putnam County on Wednesday, talking with investigators and waiting for news on her daughter's whereabouts.

She gets custody of Haleigh and her 3-year-old brother, Ronald Jr., every other weekend. This weekend the family was planning to celebrate Ronald's fourth birthday.

Joshua Duckett, father of missing Lake County toddler Trenton Duckett (http://www.orlandosentinel.com/topic/crime-law-justice/crimes/trenton-duckett-PECLB002294.topic), stepped in Wednesday as a family spokesman.
"I've been through it, and it definitely helps the family to have someone who can say, 'Hey, I know what you're going through,' " said Duckett, whose son was last seen Aug. 26, 2006.

Also Wednesday, bounty hunter Leonard Padilla, who inserted himself in the case of missing Orlando toddler Caylee Marie Anthony (http://www.orlandosentinel.com/topic/crime-law-justice/crimes/caylee-anthony-PECLB004332.topic), joined the ranks heading for Putnam County. At a staging area near Cummings' house, he said curiosity had drawn him to Haleigh's search.

Meanwhile, a volunteer group from Houston that helped look for Caylee in Orlando last year said it is gearing up to help in the search for Haleigh.

Caylee's remains were found in December, and her public memorial was Tuesday.

Tim Miller, founder of Texas EquuSearch, said his organization has been in contact with Putnam County officials. Some volunteers may drive and others may fly to Florida, he said.

"It's pretty ironic. We have another child disappear seven hours before Caylee's memorial," he said.

Anyone with information about Haleigh's whereabouts is asked to call the Putnam County Sheriff's Office at 386-329-0808.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/state/orl-missing1209feb12,0,4662439.story?page=2

[annalyzer]

From Sarah's link above, "Ronald Cummings reportedly took a polygraph test."

They didn't say whether he had passed the test.

[sarahhod]

Child 'Snatched' From Putnam Home


10:18am UK, Thursday February 12, 2009
A search is on for a 5-year-old girl who has been reported missing from her home in Florida.


http://news.sky.com/sky-news/content/StaticFile/jpg/2009/Feb/Week2/15221626.jpg
Haleigh Cummings: missing since Monday




Haleigh Cummings was reported missing in the early hours of Tuesday morning - she was being looked after by the 17-year-old girlfriend of her father, Ronald.
The girlfriend, Misty Croslin, who was also looking after Haleigh's little brother, called the Florida (http://indepth.news.sky.com/InDepth/topic/Florida) police to report the child missing at around 3am after waking up and discovering the child was gone.
"There's no longer any reason to believe that the child simply wandered outside," said Mayor Gary Bowling of the county sheriff's office in Putnam (http://indepth.news.sky.com/InDepth/topic/Putnam).

"She's a 5-year-old child, and she's afraid of the dark..we feel really desperate that 24 hours have passed now and we don't have a clue where this child is.
Florida police spokesman

The police must "assume abduction. All the answers to why you'd want to take a 5-year-old are ugly."
Police said they had no official suspects, but were treating everyone being interviewed as a potential suspect.
The blonde-haired, brown-eyed little girl was last seen wearing a pink T-shirt and underwear.
"She's a 5-year-old child, and she's afraid of the dark," Mayor Bowling said.
"We feel good about what we're doing, but we feel really desperate that 24 hours have passed now and we don't have a clue where this child is," he said.
"We haven't lost ground, but we haven't gained any ground that we can you know plant a stake in and say yeah we're making progress in this area."



http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/World-News/Florida-Police-Search-For-Missing-Girl-Hayleigh-Cummings/Article/200902215221501

[sarahhod]

From Sarah's link above, "Ronald Cummings reportedly took a polygraph test."

They didn't say whether he had passed the test.

Yes they are keeping very tight lipped about whether anyone passed LDT or not, maybe they have good reason to keep quiet, or LE has told them not to comment on this for the time being.

If it we me and I passed I would be shouting it out to the rooftops to stop the suspicion of everyone thinking I were involved.

I think this WAS an abduction based on what we know so far. My opinion may change as more news comes through.

[sarahhod]

Investigators: Girl's disappearance was abduction


Associated Press - February 12, 2009 6:14 AM ET

SATSUMA, Fla. (AP) - Investigators say they're treating the disappearance of a 5-year-old north Florida girl as an abduction.
Haleigh Cummings was last seen Monday night in her father's mobile home in Satsuma. The rural community is about 70 miles north of Orlando.
Putnam County Sheriff's Office Major Gary Bowling says there's no longer any reason to believe Haleigh wandered away. Bowling says there's no evidence of Haleigh near her home.
Haleigh was reported missing when her father returned home from work early Tuesday. His girlfriend had woken up and discovered the child was missing.
Authorities have searched Haleigh's neighborhood house-to-house and divers have probed the St. Johns River.
Major Gary Bowling says volunteer groups may begin searching nearby areas of thick vegetation Thursday.

http://www.wflxfox29.com/Global/story.asp?S=9832139&nav=menu98_3

[sarahhod]

Search for Haleigh Continues; probe intestifies; authorities say girl abducted



BY LARRY SULLIVAN

Published: Thursday, February 12, 2009 12:46 AM EST
Palatka Daily News

SATSUMA - Authorities believe the 5-year-old Putnam County girl missing since early Tuesday was kidnapped and are trying to identify who's responsible.

Meanwhile, the search for Haleigh Ann-Marie Cummings continued Wednesday.

"All the answers to why you would take a 5-year-old are ugly," Maj. Gary Bowling, a spokesman for the Putnam County Sheriff's Office, said during a press conference Wednesday afternoon.

The massive ground and air search launched Tuesday around the South Putnam neighborhood known as Hermits Cove, complete with roadblocks and door-to-door canvassing, changed Wednesday to a quiet-but-determined effort by local, state and federal officers.

Bowling said an intensive investigation was under way and "all the world is a suspect."

Wednesday's developments include:

� Authorities said there was no trace of Haleigh, no arrests and no suspects.

� Bloodhounds tracked Haleigh's scent from her home to the St. Johns River, but authorities don't know how recent the tracks were. Divers checked the area nearby.

� Relatives maintained a vigil not far from the command center directing the search.

� FBI agents are helping question people, including 44 registered sex offenders living within five miles of Haleigh's home.

� Volunteers may be utilized later in the week.

Haleigh was reported missing at 3:27 a.m. Tuesday by Misty Croslin, 17, girlfriend of Haleigh's father, Ronald Cummings, who had just gotten home from his night shift at PDM Bridge in Palatka.

The rear door of their home was propped open with a cinderblock, authorities said, and there was no sign of forced entry.

Croslin had been sleeping next to Haleigh and when she went to the restroom, the child vanished. Haleigh's 3-year-old brother was unharmed.

"She was sleeping right next to me," Croslin told the Daily News while distributing flyers bearing Haleigh's photo on Tuesday. "I can't believe I didn't hear anything."

The emergency call for help triggered a massive response. About 150 law officers worked from helicopters, all-terrain vehicles and on foot, as well as boats, into the night Tuesday.

On Wednesday, about 50 officers were involved, and the ranks of investigators were growing.

"Right now, a major focus is on the investigation," Bowling said. "We've talked to nearly everyone in the neighborhood."

Through extensive interviews, investigators are building a timeline of Haleigh's family going back 30 days in an attempt to uncover leads, Bowling said.

"The family is cooperating with us completely," Bowling said.

Haleigh's maternal grandparents and other relatives gathered Wednesday on a grassy area between the Cummings home and the sheriff's office command post. Throughout the day they met with deputies and well-wishers.

Behind them were signs expressing support. One, written on a blue sheet, urged people to pray for the young girl's safe return.

Johnny Sheffield, Haleigh's grandfather, and his ex-wife, Marie Griffis, expressed doubt in Croslin's account, saying details of her account "don't fit."

"How could somebody lift her up and move her and this girl not even wake up?" Griffis said. "It don't fit together. I don't know, it just don't work."

Sheffield said he believed his daughter's ex-husband and Croslin had dated about three to six months.

"I don't know nothing about her," he said. "Never seen her, never spoke to her."

As they spoke, their daughter, Crystal Sheffield, watched and waited inside a SUV. Griffis said her daughter was distraught over the disappearance and came to Putnam County for word.

Down the road, another group of relatives and friends waited for news.

Teresa Neves, Haleigh's paternal grandmother, said they stayed there all night Tuesday. Supporters held a candlelight vigil.

Griffis, meanwhile, urged Haleigh's abductor to release the girl.

"Just take her somewhere where the police can have access to her," she said.

Sheffield, who lives in Fruitland, said he wouldn't give up.

"I'm going to look over hell and half of Georgia until I find her," Sheffeld said.

"They're not going to get away with it. I'm going to find my baby," he added. "Somebody around here knows something."

Also Wednesday, authorities explained the blanket and bed sheets on a wooden ramp leading from the Cummings' back door. Bowling said the items had been brought out by police so tracking dogs could learn Haleigh's scent.

Sheriff Jeff Hardy on Wednesday cited assistance Putnam County was receiving from other agencies and said the cooperative effort increased the chance of "a positive outcome."

The sheriff's office also has received numerous tips, and residents have also provided food and other support, Hardy said.

"I want to thank the public for their assistance," he said.

Many volunteers have offered to help search for Haleigh, Bowling said, and they may be utilized later this week.

Johnny Sheffield, Haleigh's grandfather, praised the efforts of the sheriff's office and other agencies, describing their work as "tremendous."

"We can't say enough," Sheffield said.

http://www.palatkadailynews.com/articles/2009/02/12/news/news01.txt

[sarahhod]

Also Wednesday, authorities explained the blanket and bed sheets on a wooden ramp leading from the Cummings' back door. Bowling said the items had been brought out by police so tracking dogs could learn Haleigh's scent.

So the blanket and sheet have nothing to do with the abduction. They were just used for the scent of Haleigh for the dogs to track. Glad that's been cleared up.

[sarahhod]

Haleigh's principal remains hopeful



BY KRISTIN CHAMBERS

Published: Thursday, February 12, 2009 12:46 AM EST
Palatka Daily News

SAN MATEO - An average of 18 students fill each of the nine kindergarten classrooms at Browning-Pearce Elementary School.

One desk remains empty.

Along with the rest of the community, staff and students hope that 5-year-old Haleigh Cummings will soon return home.

School Principal Debra Buckles has faith she will be found, and like many mothers, can relate to what the family is feeling.

"I have five children and four grandchildren," Buckles said Wednesday. "My baby is 26 years old. It doesn't matter how old they get, they're still your baby."

Buckles knows Haleigh as a good student with beautiful, long, blonde hair and big brown eyes.

"She is very sweet and well-behaved," Buckles said. "She is very happy child - always a smile on her face."

Tuesday afternoon, Buckles sent out letters informing approximately 800 students and their families about the disappearance of Haleigh. The letter asked everyone to remain alert for the missing child, and explained that the incident did not take place on campus. It also assured parents that the school is taking every precaution to keep the students safe.

So far she has not received many phone calls, and only a few students have asked questions regarding their classmate. Even so, precautions have been taken to offer support for those in need.

"We have a counselor on campus, a visiting counselor from the south end of the county, plus two more counselors on standby," Buckles said.

"I'm very hopeful she is going to be found, and we're going to have a homecoming for her," Buckles said.

In addition to the counselors available, teachers are answering individual questions students may have regarding their schoolmate.

"I think it's a natural reaction to be in a state of shock with something this tragic," Buckles said. "We're hanging on to the hope that she will be found, and everything will return back to normal."

Buckles said in her memory this is the first incident of a missing Browning-Pearce child.

http://www.palatkadailynews.com/articles/2009/02/12/news/news02.txt

[chambord]

Nancy Grace Transcript

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0902/11/ng.01.html

[Isabella]

Searchers To Focus On Canal On Thursday

SATSUMA, Fla. -- The search for a missing Putnam County girl will resume on Thursday.
Haleigh Cummings, 5, disappeared from her home in Satsuma early Tuesday morning.

Law enforcement agencies from across the state joined the FBI on Wednesday to search for the girl.

The community gathered Wednesday night for a pair of candlelight vigils in Haleigh's honor.

The girl's parents are separated, so both held their own vigil. Her mother and grandmother said they won't give up hope.

"I don't know where she is or who has her. I just want her home," mother Crystal Sheffield said.

"Haleigh is living and breathing. I don't feel there's anything that's happened to her bad," grandmother Marie Griffiths said.

Investigators said the case is being considered an abduction.

Searchers will focus on a canal behind Haleigh's home on Thursday.

http://www.wesh.com/news/18697602/detail.html

[sarahhod]

Florida Girl 'Snatched' From Home


11:52am UK, Thursday February 12, 2009
A kidnap investigation has been launched after a five-year-old girl was snatched from her home in Florida.


http://news.sky.com/sky-news/content/StaticFile/jpg/2009/Feb/Week2/15221626.jpg Police believe Haleigh Cummings was kidnapped


Haleigh Cummings was reported missing in the early hours of Tuesday morning - she was being looked after by the 17-year-old girlfriend of her father, Ronald.
Misty Croslin, who was also looking after Haleigh's little brother, called police at around 3am after waking up and discovering the child was gone.
"There's no longer any reason to believe that the child simply wandered outside," said Mayor Gary Bowling of the county sheriff's office in Putnam (http://indepth.news.sky.com/InDepth/topic/Putnam).


"She's a 5-year-old child, and she's afraid of the dark..we feel really desperate that 24 hours have passed now and we don't have a clue where this child is.
Florida police spokesman

The police have said they must "assume abduction".
"All the answers to why you'd want to take a five-year-old are ugly," Mayor Bowling added.
Police said they have no official suspects, but were treating everyone being interviewed as a potential suspect.
The blonde-haired, brown-eyed little girl was last seen wearing a pink T-shirt and underwear.
"She's a five-year-old child, and she's afraid of the dark," Mayor Bowling said.
"We feel good about what we're doing, but we feel really desperate that 24 hours have passed now and we don't have a clue where this child is," he said.



http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/World-News/Florida-Police-Search-For-Missing-Girl-Hayleigh-Cummings/Article/200902215221501?lpos=World_News_First_Home_Article _Teaser_Region_1&lid=ARTICLE_15221501_Florida_Police_Search_For_Mis sing_Girl_Hayleigh_Cummings

[sarahhod]

Police: Girl probably abducted

http://www.gainesville.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=GS&Date=20090212&Category=ARTICLES&ArtNo=902121020&Ref=AR&Profile=1002&MaxW=600&border=0 (http://www.gainesville.com/article/20090212/ARTICLES/902121020/1002/news?Title=Police__5_year_old_probably_abducted#) Doug Finger/The Gainesville Sun
Johnny Sheffield comforts his daughter Crystal Sheffield, the mother of missing 5-year-old Haleigh Ann-Marie Cummings, Wednesda.


By Christopher Curry (chris.curry@starbanner.com) & Lise Fisher (fisherl@gvillesun.com)
Staff writers


Published: Thursday, February 12, 2009 at 6:01 a.m.
Last Modified: Wednesday, February 11, 2009 at 11:22 p.m.
PALATKA - Absent any sign of a missing south Putnam County girl, investigators called her disappearance an abduction on Wednesday, two days after she was last seen at her father's home.


Related Links:


Interview with Grandparents of Missing 5-year-old (http://www.gainesville.com/article/20090211/VIDEO/902110301/1002) | Video
Dad of missing Leesburg boy supports Haleigh's family (http://www.gainesville.com/article/20090211/ARTICLES/902110928/1002)
A depressingly familiar Florida story (http://www.gainesville.com/article/20090211/ARTICLES/902110949/1002)
Father's urgency, rage heard on 911 recordings (http://www.gainesville.com/article/20090211/ARTICLES/902110942/1002)
Authorities: No suspects in case of missing Putnam girl (http://www.gainesville.com/article/20090211/ARTICLES/902100984/1002)



More Photos:


Searching for Haleigh Cummings (http://www.gainesville.com/apps/pbcs.dll/gallery?Avis=GS&Dato=20090211&Kategori=NEWS&Lopenr=211009997&Ref=PH&Profile=1002&show=galleries)



With no evidence of Haleigh Ann-Marie Cummings near her residence in Satsuma, there is no longer any reason to believe the child wandered away, Putnam County Sheriff's Office Maj. Gary Bowling said Wednesday afternoon.
"We just don't believe that the child is here, so we assume abduction," Bowling said.
About 150 officers and 20 law enforcement agencies have been searching for the child, whom family members said was last seen at about 10 p.m. Monday in a bedroom at her father's home in the Hermit's Cove area of Satsuma, which is about 10 miles south of Palatka.
The man's girlfriend said she woke up about 3 a.m. and discovered the child was gone. A rear door at the double-wide mobile home was ajar, but authorities could not say if it had previously been locked.
During a 911 call made from the home, the girlfriend reported that the door always stayed locked.
Scanning from the air, combing the St. Johns River about 300 yards from the residence, and hunting on the ground through woods and with bloodhounds produced no sign of the girl Wednesday. A young child like Haleigh would be afraid of walking down a dark hall by herself, Bowling told reporters. And, without any history indicating she might have wandered away, the likelihood of an abduction has become increasingly likely.
Officers also said they had no reports of a custody issue between the father and mother.
"All the world's a suspect right now," Bowling said. "We're going to treat every family member, every neighbor as a suspect until we eliminate them."
Bowling's words echoed comments from the girl's relatives and others in the community who feared she had been taken.
The child's father, Ronald Cummings, 24, broke down in tears on a neighbor's lawn Tuesday and said someone had taken his child. The girl's mother, Crystal Sheffield, 23, held a picture of her daughter and cried with him.
Cummings had been at work from late Monday night until early Tuesday. He arrived home some time after 3 a.m. to find that his girlfriend had already discovered Haleigh missing. He works at a company that makes steel girders for bridges, and relatives said it wasn't unusual for him to return home from work at that hour.
Haleigh had been at the home with her younger brother and her father's 17-year-old girlfriend, Misty Croslin.
The two children were in the same bedroom with Croslin when she awoke to go to the restroom shortly before Cummings got home from work and discovered the girl missing, officers reported Tuesday.
Bowling said Croslin, like others who know Haleigh or are her relatives, had been questioned by - and was cooperating with - authorities.
"She's with family," Bowling said when asked about Croslin's whereabouts. "We're just going to keep close contact with her."
Both Croslin and Cummings made frantic 911 calls early Tuesday. The Sheriff's Office released redacted copies of the calls Wednesday.
"If I find whoever has my daughter before y'all do, I'm killing them. I don't care. I'll spend the rest of my life in prison. ... I don't care," Cummings said during the call.
Earlier Wednesday, Haleigh's mother - Sheffield, of Baker County - made a desperate plea.
"I just want whoever has her to bring her home, drop her off somewhere," Sheffield said as she fought back tears. "I just don't know who could have done this. It's tearing me apart."
She said Haleigh is a "wonderful child" who acts very motherly toward her brother, Ronald Cummings Jr., who is 2.
Haleigh's maternal grandparents also made an impassioned plea for the girl's return.
Standing in Satsuma - next to a street-side banner that says "Our prayers are with you, Haleigh" - Marie Griffis and Johnny Sheffield talked with reporters.
Griffis, 43, of Baker County, said she believes the girl is alive. "She's out there somewhere. I can feel it. I can feel her presence."
"People around here know me," said Sheffield, a Putnam County resident. "If anyone around here has my granddaughter, just bring her home to me. She's my first baby from my first baby. Please bring her back. ... I'm going to look around hell and half of Georgia until I find her."
They said the family wants to join the police search for Haleigh but that law enforcement officials won't let them, out of concern that they might contaminate evidence.
Griffis described her grandchild as an outspoken, happy child.
"All we can do is hope, and we believe that she is OK," Griffis said. "If anybody knows her whereabouts just please bring her back. We love her and miss her."
The woman said she didn't believe her granddaughter just left the home.
"She's not going to get up and wander through the house and get up and go through the back door," she said. "She's not going to get up and go outside."
Griffis said she wasn't sure how her granddaughter would react to a stranger but she thought she would put up a fight.
Divers have been checking the St. Johns River. But Griffis said her granddaughter had once fallen into water in the past and she believed the child now was afraid to go near water.
Officers confirmed that a dog, searching for Haleigh's scent, had alerted to something in the direction of the water. But they stressed that could have been due to the way the wind was blowing.
Still, authorities have been paying close attention to the river and sent search teams out in that area again Wednesday.
Blankets from the home were used to provide the dogs with a scent to track, Bowling said.
Officers also were looking at a cinder block that apparently had been used to prop open the back door, according to officers. They were also gathering tips from the public. Authorities urged people to call (386) 329-0808 or 0809 if they had information about the girl.
Fliers of Haleigh and well-wishes for her safe return have gone up around the area, including on U.S 17 north toward Palatka. Her smiling picture beamed from a Burger King drive-through window while a message sending prayers to her was posted on a sign outside another roadside business.
The principal at Browning-Pearce Elementary School, where Haleigh is a kindergarten student, describes the child as "a sweet little girl, a tiny little girl, blond hair, beautiful brown eyes."
Principal Debra Lands-Buckles said Haleigh "always has that smile on her face, just like you see in the flier."
Bowling detailed other efforts to find the girl, from canvassing homes and plans to re-search some residences or get access to others that did not appear occupied to checking on the whereabouts of 44 sex offenders who live within a five-mile radius of the home.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the FBI were assisting in speaking or locating those individuals, some of whom live across the river on the opposite bank from the Hermit's Cove area. Bowling said some of these people have voluntarily come forward to eliminate themselves as suspects.
In interviews with family and others who know Haleigh, officers confirmed that all had been offered the chance to take a lie detector test. He didn't say who had accepted the offer.
Although the focus of the investigation is on an abduction, Bowling said volunteer groups will again be searching the area for Haleigh. Some spots that could be looked at will be areas of thick vegetation, initially thought to be too densely overgrown or difficult for a child to wander into.
Officers called off any overnight searches Wednesday but remained near the home from which Haleigh disappeared to provide security. Another update on the case was scheduled for this afternoon.


http://www.gainesville.com/article/20090212/ARTICLES/902121020/1002/news?Title=Police__5_year_old_probably_abducted

[sarahhod]

Familiar faces in hunt for Haleigh

By Monica Stein @ February 12, 2009 6:39 AM

A massive search continues for a 5-year-old Putnam County girl.
http://wdbo.com/images/2009/02/cummings_m.jpgMany of the same search teams active in the hunt for Caylee Anthony are arriving in Satsuma, offering a helping hand in finding Haleigh Cummings, the Satsuma kindergartener believed abducted late Monday night.
Her grandmother says she's afraid of the dark and would not have walked away.
Also now in Putnam County, California bounty hunter Leonard Padilla.
"By offering a twenty-five-thousand dollar reward for the live return of her by Saturday midnight, that it will trigger something in somebody's mind." Padilla hopes whoever has Haleigh thinks the cash is more valuable than the girl.
As for a suspect, police say they still don't have one, even after questioning dozens of people who have had any recent contact with Haleigh.



http://wdbo.com/localnews/2009/02/familiar-faces-in-hunt-for-hal.html

[sarahhod]

Girl's disappearance was abduction
Originally posted by on: Thursday, February 12, 2009
Last updated on: 2/12/2009 7:36:58 AM

SATSUMA: Investigators say they're treating the disappearance of a 5-year-old north Florida girl as an abduction.
Haleigh Cummings was last seen Monday night in her father's mobile home in Satsuma. The rural community is about 70 miles north of Orlando.
Putnam County Sheriff's Office Major Gary Bowling says there's no longer any reason to believe Haleigh wandered away. Bowling says there's no evidence of Haleigh near her home.
Haleigh was reported missing when her father returned home from work early Tuesday. His girlfriend had woken up and discovered the child was missing.
Authorities have searched Haleigh's neighborhood house-to-house and divers have probed the St. Johns River.
Major Gary Bowling says volunteer groups may begin searching nearby areas of thick vegetation Thursday.


http://www.abc-7.com/Articles/readnews.asp?articleid=25912&z=2

[sarahhod]

Florida investigators say they're treating 5-year-old's disappearance as an abduction

Associated Press
Last update: February 12, 2009 - 6:44 AM



SATSUMA, Fla. - Investigators say they're treating the disappearance of a 5-year-old north Florida girl as an abduction.
The Putnam County sheriff's office says they are assuming she was abducted because house-to-house searches of the neighborhood found no evidence that she wandered away.
Haleigh (hay-lee) Cummings was last seen Monday night in her father's mobile home in Satsuma. The rural community is about 70 miles north of Orlando.
Haleigh was reported missing when her father returned home from work early Tuesday. His girlfriend had woken up and discovered the child was missing.
Authorities have searched the neighborhood and divers have probed the adjoining St. Johns River.



http://www.startribune.com/nation/39486712.html

[PatC]

Matt Lauer just announced that Haleigh's father will appear on this morning's Today Show.

[sarahhod]

Mother: "We Want Her Home"

By Rich Jones, News Director @ February 12, 2009 7:24 AM



Investigators, family and friends say they're no closer to answering the question of what happened to Haleigh Cummings.

"I know what happened. My daughter came up missing out of my house in the middle of the night. Besides that, I don't know", said her father Ronald Cummings.
And pleas are now turning to demands.

"She needs her mother, and she needs her family. She don't need to be out there with strangers if that's where she's at. We want her home", said Haleigh's mom Crystal Sheffield.
As part of the investigation, the little girl's family has also been questioned, and some took a polygraph test.
No one is being held for the girl's disappearance at this time.

http://wokv.com/localnews/2009/02/mother-we-want-her-home.html

[PatC]

I'm just catching up on this case but here's a thought I had. Several people have commented on the brick/cinder block near the open back door which was, reportedly, left locked when everyone went to bed that night.

First, getting in a door locked with a conventional lock as come installed on mobile homes is not really that challenging to a LOT of people. Here's what I'm picturing in my mind:

Perp goes to the house and opens the lock. In order to make sure the door doesn't lock itself when shut again and cause a delay in departing, perp props door open. S/he takes the little girl and leaves through the now unlocked door.

Make sense?


:waitasec:

[sarahhod]

I'm just catching up on this case but here's a thought I had. Several people have commented on the brick/cinder block near the open back door which was, reportedly, left locked when everyone went to bed that night.

First, getting in a door locked with a conventional lock as come installed on mobile homes is not really that challenging to a LOT of people. Here's what I'm picturing in my mind:

Perp goes to the house and opens the lock. In order to make sure the door doesn't lock itself when shut again and cause a delay in departing, perp props door open. S/he takes the little girl and leaves through the now unlocked door.

Make sense?


:waitasec:

Makes total sense to me Pat.

Also maybe it is a local perp who knows the father is home by 3.30am and that there was only the 17 year old alone with the children, so they would be an easy target??

He/She knew that the window of opportunity would be small so propped open the door to make an easy getaway after snatching Haleigh.

[sarahhod]

Amber Alert -- Search For Haleigh Continues

Thursday, February 12, 2009 7:11:38 AM

http://www.cfnews13.com/uploadedImages/Media/Images/Amber%20Alert%20--%20Haleigh%20Cummings.jpg (http://www.cfnews13.com/uploadedImages/Media/Images/Amber%20Alert%20--%20Haleigh%20Cummings.jpg)
http://www.cfnews13.com/uploadedImages/Media/Images/haleigh%20cummings.jpg (http://www.cfnews13.com/uploadedImages/Media/Images/haleigh%20cummings.jpg) (http://www.cfnews13.com/uploadedImages/putnam%20girl%20home.JPG)

SATSUMA, Fla. -- After two days of searching, there are still no signs of a missing 5-year-old girl from Putnam County.
Haleigh Cummings has been missing since Monday night. However, investigators still don't know for sure if she was abducted or wandered out of her home.
Deputies said there were no signs of forced entry, but a back door was open.
On Wednesday, searchers went door to door in the area and also searched a river near the girl’s home to see if she may have somehow ended up in the water.
According to Haleigh's grandmother, she believes her granddaughter is still alive, but is no longer in the Putnam County area.
Crystal Sheffield, Haleigh’s mother, admits the girl has wandered off before and was found in a canal.
"It wasn’t like she wandered out. I mean, we were getting ready to leave. I told her father to get her and put her in the car. I had already put Junior, the baby, in the car. I went back in to get the bags and the baby's stuff. I come out, Haleigh was not in the car, and I ran straight down to the canal, and that's where she was," Sheffield said.
Members of Texas EquuSearch (http://www.cfnews13.com/News/Local/2008/12/2/equusearch_opens_orlando_branch.html), who spent days in Central Florida searching for Caylee Anthony, are also heading to Putnam County to help in the search.
Josh Duckett (http://www.cfnews13.com/News/Sidebar/2009/2/6/whos_who_in_the_case_against_casey.html#Others), the father of missing Lake County toddler Trenton Duckett, was also in Satsuma Wednesday to help with the search.
Meanwhile, bounty hunter Leonard Padilla (http://www.cfnews13.com/News/Sidebar/2009/2/6/whos_who_in_the_case_against_casey.html#Experts_an d_Consultants) is offering a reward of $25,000 for the safe return of Haleigh by midnight Saturday.
Authorities said until they have other evidence, they are treating this as an abduction case.
If you have seen Haleigh Cummings, call the Putnam County Sheriff's Office (http://www.putnamsheriff.org/) at (386) 329-0808 or 911.

http://www.cfnews13.com/News/Local/2009/2/12/amber_alert__search_for_haleigh_continues.html

[chambord]

Makes total sense to me Pat.

Also maybe it is a local perp who knows the father is home by 3.30am and that there was only the 17 year old alone with the children, so they would be an easy target??

He/She knew that the window of opportunity would be small so propped open the door to make an easy getaway after snatching Haleigh.

Excellant point! I didn't think of that. So the perp could be familar with this family.

[TigressPen]

That must have been posted after I lost power. Okay say someone does snatch the child with the blanket and sheet wrapped around her. Are they going to unwrap her out of the blanket and sheet right outside the home instead of just taking her the way she is??

Maybe my thinking will change once I read the article. That is if the story didn't change in the news since then.



I wish LE would have a news conference to dismantle all this misprinted mess the media has put out and let the public know real facts.

[sarahhod]

http://www.cfnews13.com/uploadedImages/vigil.JPG
http://www.cfnews13.com/uploadedImages/putnam%20girl%20home.JPG

http://www.cfnews13.com/News/Local/2009/2/12/amber_alert__search_for_haleigh_continues.html

[sarahhod]

I wish LE would have a news conference to dismantle all this misprinted mess the media has put out and let the public know real facts.

I think I posted earlier that there will be a update this afternoon.

Here it is Tigress


Another update on the case was scheduled for this afternoon.

[sarahhod]

Excellant point! I didn't think of that. So the perp could be familar with this family.

It would be a huge risk for a person unknown to the family to break in. They would not know who was inside unless they had been watching their comings and goings for sometime. Much more likely that it is someone who knows this family's movements and knows who was inside the trailer at that time of night and knew when the daddy was going to be home from work. Just thinking out aloud.

Also IMO trying to tackle a 17 year old with 2 young children is alot easier when you know that no male is in the residence. I think the GF is quite a slight build girl who he/she knew could be easier overcome. (Not saying that is what happened, just possible thinking on the perp's part)

[TigressPen]

I'm just catching up on this case but here's a thought I had. Several people have commented on the brick/cinder block near the open back door which was, reportedly, left locked when everyone went to bed that night.

First, getting in a door locked with a conventional lock as come installed on mobile homes is not really that challenging to a LOT of people. Here's what I'm picturing in my mind:

Perp goes to the house and opens the lock. In order to make sure the door doesn't lock itself when shut again and cause a delay in departing, perp props door open. S/he takes the little girl and leaves through the now unlocked door.

Make sense?


:waitasec:



Perp blocking the door open was my thoughts also. And the sad thing is, LE likely couldn't get a usable print from it. :( I am still thinking Haleigh was taken before GF went to BR and she didn't notice it until after she was more awake after the BR visit.

I just can't imagine how horrified GF is, she is so young and to have this to deal with. I hope her parents seek help for her.

[TigressPen]

I think I posted earlier that there will be a update this afternoon.



Great! Thanks! :) I haven't had a chance to read all the comments this morning. Am trying to catch up with what was said after I last checked thread last night.

[sarahhod]

Day 3 in the Search for Haleigh Cummings: Volunteers Get Ready



Posted By: Patricia Jimenez (http://www.firstcoastnews.com/inside/contactus/default.aspx) http://www.firstcoastnews.com/graphics/bullet1.gif Created: 2/12/2009 8:09:15 AM http://www.firstcoastnews.com/graphics/bullet1.gif Updated: 2/12/2009 8:22:08 AM

PUTNAM COUNTY -- It's a new day and Haleigh Cummings' parents still don't have her with them. The five-year-old was last seen Monday night. She was in bed with her little brother and her dad's girlfriend.
Investigators with the Putnam County Sheriff's Office are now treating this as an abduction.
First Coast News talked with a dispatcher Thursday morning who said tips are coming in. She also told us detectives will be able to focus more on the investigation once the volunteer search gets underway in the small town of Satsuma. Detectives will be able to put more emphasis on a timeline of where Haleigh was before she disappeared and will be able to take some deputies off of the streets.
Tim Miller said deputies called and asked for his help. He is the Founder and Director of Texas EquuSearch, an organization of volunteers that travels all over the country looking for missing people.
Miller told us the first step will be to map out a plan. "There are a lot of woods."
He arrived Wednesday night. He says his team will come to town Thursday. They will see where they need to look and determine how many volunteers will be needed. They will bring in equipment like sonar equipment for dive teams. They will search for Haleigh on foot and on horseback. Miller said despite the rainy weatherhttp://images.intellitxt.com/ast/adTypes/mag-glass_10x10.gif (http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/local/news-article.aspx?storyid=131154&catid=3#) Thursday, he and other volunteers will not lose sight of the main goal - to find Haleigh and bring her home alive.
Miller said the real search for his team will begin Friday. This does not mean deputies will stop their efforts. They plan to continue looking for the little girl.

http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/local/news-article.aspx?storyid=131154&catid=3

[sarahhod]

Perp blocking the door open was my thoughts also. And the sad thing is, LE likely couldn't get a usable print from it. :( I am still thinking Haleigh was taken before GF went to BR and she didn't notice it until after she was more awake after the BR visit.

I just can't imagine how horrified GF is, she is so young and to have this to deal with. I hope her parents seek help for her.

Hopefully he/she may have left a footprint near the door. Don't know what the weather is like there but if wet it would leave good footprints and in their hurry to get out with Haleigh I doubt he/she would be thinking about covering footprints.

[chambord]

Greta is advertising that her show tonight will be covering this case.

[sarahhod]

Investigators think missing Fla. girl was abducted

23 minutes ago
SATSUMA, Fla. (AP) — Investigators were treating the disappearance of a 5-year-old north Florida girl as an abduction and continued searching for the child Thursday.
The Putnam County Sheriff's Office said investigators assume Haleigh Cummings was abducted because house-to-house searches of the neighborhood Wednesday found no evidence that she wandered away.
Haleigh's father Ronald Cummings also said he didn't believe she had left their home in the middle of the night.
"I know somebody took her. I know for a fact she didn't wander off — she's afraid of the dark," Cummings told NBC's "Today" on Thursday.
Haleigh was last seen Monday night in her father's mobile home in Satsuma. The rural community along the St. Johns River is about 70 miles north of Orlando.
She was reported missing when her father returned home from work early Tuesday. His girlfriend had woken up and discovered the child was missing.
The girlfriend, 17-year-old Misty Croslin, told a 911 dispatcher that a back door that was usually locked had been propped open by a brick.
Sheriff Jeff Hardy told NBC's "Today" that searches for Haleigh by air, ground and water would continue Thursday. Investigators also were interviewing the 44 sex offenders living within 5 miles of Ronald Cummings' home.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5h1Nac1XKmGDPZKMEdJOz4f2oHBzgD96A2NTG0

[sarahhod]

Vigils Held For Missing Putnam Co. Girl

Searchers To Focus On Canal On Thursday

http://images.ibsys.com/2009/0212//18697601_200X150.jpg

WESH.com
updated 8:46 a.m. ET Feb. 12, 2009

SATSUMA, Fla. - The search for a missing Putnam County girl will resume on Thursday.
Haleigh Cummings, 5, disappeared from her home in Satsuma early Tuesday morning.
Law enforcement agencies from across the state joined the FBI on Wednesday to search for the girl.
The community gathered Wednesday night for a pair of candlelight vigils in Haleigh's honor.
The girl's parents are separated, so both held their own vigil. Her mother and grandmother said they won't give up hope.
"I don't know where she is or who has her. I just want her home," mother Crystal Sheffield said.
"Haleigh is living and breathing. I don't feel there's anything that's happened to her bad," grandmother Marie Griffiths said.
Investigators said the case is being considered an abduction.
Searchers will focus on a canal behind Haleigh's home on Thursday.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29157929/

[Roamer]

I'm glad TES is there. If anyone can find her, they will.

[chambord]

I'm of the opinion still, that this wasn't random.

[sciencegirl]

I'm glad TES is there. If anyone can find her, they will.

How did TES get there so fast Roamer? Were they already in the area???

I can't believe the day the memorial is held for Caylee; Haleigh goes missing. Poor child sleeping in her own bed. How in the world do we protect our children these days with monsters living among us???

[Roamer]

I don't think so, SG. The articles say some flew and some drove in.

[sarahhod]

I'm of the opinion still, that this wasn't random.

I agree chambord. I think that this family have been targetted for reasons unknown to us at this point.

[chambord]

Megan Kelley on the Fox channel will have an update shortly.

[dega101653]

My feeling is the door was proped open so when he/she left they could get out fast in case someone woke up when he snatched the child. In my experience of raising my kids it was not unsual at all for them to get up during the night. Different reports say it might have been the Haleigh getting up to go to the bathroom. Too many stories to know. But -- they person could have been at the back door watching and waiting.

One thing bothers me is that the 911 dispatcher said is there damage to the door and I am almost certain she checked and said no. Then later the father said there was a dead bolt on the door so Haleigh could not have gotten out. And then he mentioned about tire iron might have been used. If there was no damage to the door wonder what the crow bar was used on? Just really confused. Maybe they were in shock and did not notice damage to the door.

Also the girlfriend said she heard nothing but sometimes when we are asleep we wake up because we "did" hear something but it does not register with us that we did. Just saying maybe a noise did wake her up and she just "thought" she woke up on her own.
Kind of a sub-consious/intuition thing maybe. Also I know when my ex was on shift work I actually woke up at 4:00 am when it was time for him to get home. Our body can become a type of alarm clock.

If feel for all these people and the pain they maybe going through.

[dega101653]

Another thought - if the perp used a crow bar then it is very possible the perp knew about the deadbolt on the back door.

Also saw the Father's interview again and when he said he asked her why she was still up I guess that meant she did not normally wake up or be up when he got home.

[sarahhod]

Day 3 in the Search for Haleigh Cummings: Volunteers Get Ready


Posted By: Patricia Jimenez (http://www.firstcoastnews.com/inside/contactus/default.aspx) http://www.firstcoastnews.com/graphics/bullet1.gif Created: 2/12/2009 8:09:15 AM http://www.firstcoastnews.com/graphics/bullet1.gif Updated: 2/12/2009 9:54:42 AM
http://www.firstcoastnews.com/genthumb.ashx?e=3&h=240&w=320&i=/assetpool/images/090212094903_021209_haleigh_vigil.jpg

PUTNAM COUNTY -- It's a new day and Haleigh Cummings' parents still don't have her with them. The five-year-old was last seen Monday night. She was in bed with her little brother and her dad's girlfriend.
Investigators with the Putnam County Sheriff's Office are now treating this as an abduction.
First Coast News talked with a dispatcher Thursday morning who said tips are coming in. She also told us detectives will be able to focus more on the investigation once the volunteer search gets underway in the small town of Satsuma. Detectives will be able to put more emphasis on a timeline of where Haleigh was before she disappeared and will be able to take some deputies off of the streets.
Tim Miller said deputies called and asked for his help. He is the Founder and Director of Texas EquuSearch, an organization of volunteers that travels all over the country looking for missing people.
Miller told us the first step will be to map out a plan.
"We got a lot of woods out here, we got a lot of water out here," said Miller. "There are a lot of things we're real concerned about."
He arrived Wednesday night. He says his team will come to town Thursday. They will see where they need to look and determine how many volunteers will be needed. They will bring in equipment like sonar equipment for dive teams. They will search for Haleigh on foot and on horseback. Miller said despite the rainy weatherhttp://images.intellitxt.com/ast/adTypes/mag-glass_10x10.gif (http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/mostpopular/news-article.aspx?storyid=131154&provider=top#) Thursday, he and other volunteers will not lose sight of the main goal - to find Haleigh and bring her home alive.
Miller said the real search for his team will begin Friday. This does not mean deputies will stop their efforts. They plan to continue looking for the little girl.

http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/mostpopular/news-article.aspx?storyid=131154&provider=top

[sarahhod]

Story is all-too familiar in Florida

By Anthony Violanti (anthony.violanti@starbanner.com)

Published: Thursday, February 12, 2009 at 6:30 a.m.
Last Modified: Thursday, February 12, 2009 at 6:13 a.m.

This nightmare feels like a rerun. A child disappears in the middle of the night. Then comes an Amber Alert, a media blitz and pleas from anguished parents. There are gritty cops, sympathetic neighbors, Web chatter, billboards and, finally, the cable TV coverage.

Police: missing girl probably abducted (http://www.ocala.com/article/20090212/ARTICLES/902120998)


And at the top of the newspaper page is an angelic picture accompanied by a terrifying headline: Search is under way for missing 5-year-old Putnam County girl.
Her name is Haleigh Ann-Marie Cummings. She is a kindergarten student at Browning-Pearce Elementary School in San Mateo, which is southeast of Palatka.
The names change but the story lines remain depressingly familiar when it comes to missing children in Florida. Recent past cases - Trenton Duckett in Leesburg, Jessica Lunsford in Homosassa, Caylee Anthony in Orlando - have turned into horror shows that play out on the local 6 p.m. news, CNN, Fox, Internet sites and the front page of the newspaper. Only time will tell how this story turns out.
Haleigh has golden hair, dark eyes and a smile to melt your heart. She was reported missing around 3:30 a.m. Tuesday from her home in the Hermit's Cove area of Satsuma, about 10 miles south of Palatka.
Authorities said a rear door at the home had been found ajar and they had no suspects in the case.
Haleigh was "stolen out of my home," said Ronald Cummings, the 24-year old father of the child. "Somebody came in my back door and stole my child," he added before collapsing to his knees in emotion.
A reminder of how horrible these cases can turn out was, coincidentally, playing out on Tuesday, the same day that Haleigh vanished. A memorial service was being held for Caylee Anthony in the First Baptist Church of Orlando.
The 2-year old was reported missing in July, and her remains were found in December. Her mother, Casey Anthony, has been charged with murder.
That story has become a never-ending media circus. But Tuesday, a community took time to honor the memory of one little girl while the fate of another one was precariously uncertain.



http://www.ocala.com/article/20090212/ARTICLES/902121007/1402/NEWS?Title=Story_is_all_too_familiar_in_Florida

[dojewo]

Thanks everyone for your updates, I'm following this and praying that Haleigh comes home safe.

[queenbee]

OHHHH Gosh this breaks my heart this whole story is so very disturbing I pray that the Angels are all around her taking guard over her I pray she is brought home soon :1187603408.CR.Mothe
Bless you Tim miller and the whole TES team :1222423:

[Faith]

Live Breaking News--- Live feed

http://www.wesh.com/video/16128463/

[Pauli]

From Sarah's link above, "Ronald Cummings reportedly took a polygraph test."

They didn't say whether he had passed the test.

He appeared on NG last night and said he passed the polygraph.. the sheriff was also on and he did not dispute it when he could have. Until we hear differently from LE I think we should take Mr. Cummings word for it...

[Faith]

they will not discuss the results of the poly-

TES will do search

the evidence is at the lab- results are pending


several bloodhounds- dogs led to water so they have nothing based on dogs

the lil boy will be 4 this sunday

[Faith]

they are in the process of interviewing all 44 sex offenders

will not talk about Misty's poly

he said a lot of misleading facts about this case

neighbors have fed family and LE

they cant allow volunteers to help at this point

54 1/2 hours in the search.

[Pauli]

How did TES get there so fast Roamer? Were they already in the area???

I can't believe the day the memorial is held for Caylee; Haleigh goes missing. Poor child sleeping in her own bed. How in the world do we protect our children these days with monsters living among us???TES also has a volunteer chapter located in FL now..

[queenbee]

OHHH jumpins I thought she was 19 is she only 17??????????

[texanne]

A lot of misleading facts? I wonder what that means? I can't help but wonder if the GF gave misleading facts. Cases like this make your head spin till you can start getting good info. Just worried sick about that little angel.

[Emyo]

they will not discuss the results of the poly-

TES will do search

the evidence is at the lab- results are pending


several bloodhounds- dogs led to water so they have nothing based on dogs

the lil boy will be 4 this sunday


Did they say what kind of evidence they have that was sent to the lab?

[Faith]

How did TES get there so fast Roamer? Were they already in the area???

I can't believe the day the memorial is held for Caylee; Haleigh goes missing. Poor child sleeping in her own bed. How in the world do we protect our children these days with monsters living among us???


Cummings, Haleigh - Putnam Cty, FL - 02/10/09 - TES Deployed (http://texasequusearch.org/2009/02/cummings-haleigh-putnam-cty-fl-021009/)

Posted on 10. Feb, 2009 by B Tarr (http://texasequusearch.org/author/btarr/).
5 (http://texasequusearch.org/2009/02/cummings-haleigh-putnam-cty-fl-021009/#comments)

02/11/09 - Texas EquuSearch has been contacted by law enforcement to aid in the search for Haleigh Cummings. Tim Miller will be traveling to Florida today, and the mobile command center is leaving Texas this afternoon, enroute to the Putnam County area. More information will be posted here as it becomes available.
02/10/09 - Florida Amber [...]


http://texasequusearch.org/

[Faith]

Did they say what kind of evidence they have that was sent to the lab?

No, they refused to answer anything in that regard.

[annalyzer]

http://www.news4jax.com/news/18698884/detail.html

Volunteers Join Search For Haleigh

POSTED: Thursday, February 12, 2009
UPDATED: 10:31 am EST February 12, 2009

SATSUMA, Fla. -- As family members of missing 5-year-old Haleigh Cummings plead for help on national television and law enforcement officials continue to process evidence and interview everyone who had any connection to the kindergartner, volunteers including a mounted search-and-rescue team from Texas are arriving to join the search.

Haleigh was last seen at 10 p.m. Monday in her father's mobile home in Satsuma, where she went to sleep in a bedroom with her 2-year-old brother and her father's 17-year-old girlfriend.

On Wednesday night and Thursday morning, Haleigh's father, Ronald Cummings, made pleas for the safe return of his little girl on CNN, NBC and other national news outlets.

"I'd like to say if anybody's watching and they've seen the picture of my daughter and they've seen her anywhere, please get in contact with local law enforcement officer or Crimestoppers," Cummings told Channel 4. "I know what happened to my daughter. She came up missing out of my house in the middle of the night. Besides that, no I don't know."

The Putnam County Sheriff's Office said they must assume Haleigh was abducted because house-to-house searches of the neighborhood Wednesday found no evidence that she wandered away.

Haleigh was last seen at 10 p.m. Monday in her father's mobile home in Satsuma.

Ronald Cummings' girlfriend, Misty Croslin, said she woke up at 3 a.m. Tuesday and discovered the child missing and the back door of the home propped open with a concrete block. The father came home from work a few minutes later and both placed frantic calls to 911.

Channel 4 was told that that Cummings, Croslin and other family members and acquaintences were interviewed and offerered lie-detector tests. They would not say who had taken polygraph tests, but Putnam County Sheriff's Office Maj. Gary Bowling said everyone connected with the family was cooperating with authorities.

For the second time in as many days, friends and family said a prayer and lit candles Wednesday night for Haleigh's safe return.
VIDEO:
Family, Friends Light Candles, Say Prayers For Haleigh
Classmates, Parents Hope For Return Of Missing Kindergarten Student


Bowling said everyone, from family members to friends to a repairman who serviced the family's air conditioning unit, is being questioned about in the case.

"We're going to treat everybody, every family member, every associate, every neighbor as a suspect until we can eliminate them," Bowling said.

The missing girl's loved ones have stayed in a tent yards away from Cumming's double-wide mobile home for most of the past two days as they leaned on each other for support.

While Cummings and Haleigh's mother are divorced and their relationship was described as rocky, mother Crystal Sheffield said "We get along."

"I don't know where she is or who has her. I just want her home," said Sheffield.

Haleigh's grandmother, Marie Griffiths, said the little girl would never willing go with a stranger, but she still has hope the 5-year-old is alive.

"Haleigh is living and breathing. I don't feel that there's anything that has happened to her bad," Griffiths said.

Putnam County Sheriff Jeff Hardy said early Thursday that searches for Haleigh by air, ground and water would continue through the day. In addition to dozens of deputies and officers from surrounding counties, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the FBI were also involved in the case.

Texas Equusearch, which helped search for missing Orlando toddler Caylee Anthony last fall, was to arrived in Satsuma on Thursday. Celebrity bounty hunter Leonard Padilla, who was involved in the Anthony case, has offered a $25,000 reward if Haleigh is returned before midnight Saturday.

Authorities ask anyone with any information to call the Putnam County Sheriff's Office at 386-329-0800 or the FDLE's Missing Endangered Persons Information Clearinghouse at 888-FL-MISSING.

[dojewo]

Live Breaking News--- Live feed

http://www.wesh.com/video/16128463/Faith, I can't get the signal, did you hear anything?

[sciencegirl]

TES also has a volunteer chapter located in FL now..

Thank you. I did not know that.

[Faith]

they will not discuss the results of the poly-

TES will do search

the evidence is at the lab- results are pending


several bloodhounds- dogs led to water so they have nothing based on dogs

the lil boy will be 4 this sunday

they are in the process of interviewing all 44 sex offenders

will not talk about Misty's poly

he said a lot of misleading facts about this case-- < in the media

neighbors have fed family and LE

they cant allow volunteers to help at this point

54 1/2 hours in the search.

A lot of misleading facts?

Misleading facts in the media when I am listening and typing I never get everything that was said b/c I can't type as fast as they talk.

Faith, I can't get the signal, did you hear anything?


Note- I did not hear all of the news conference. A video will be available later I'm sure.

[F~M]

What is the breaking news? I guess I missed it. Please tell me this little girl has been found safe.

[dojewo]

Misleading facts in the media when I am listening and typing I never get everything that was said b/c I can't type as fast as they talk.




Note- I did not hear all of the news conference. A video will be available later I'm sure.Thanks Faith, I thought you might have been on another thread, you can disregard the PM

[F~M]

I'm going to turn to HLN.

[Tracian]

What is the breaking news? I guess I missed it. Please tell me this little girl has been found safe.


Sadly she has not been found as of yet.

[chambord]

According to this article, The Department of Children's Sevices has been involved with this family in the past.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,491008,00.html

[F~M]

Here's a link with some additional pictures of Hayleigh.

http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/local/news-article.aspx?storyid=131087&catid=3

[Faith]

Also Wednesday, authorities explained the blanket and bed sheets on a wooden ramp leading from the Cummings' back door. Bowling said the items had been brought out by police so tracking dogs could learn Haleigh's scent.

So the blanket and sheet have nothing to do with the abduction. They were just used for the scent of Haleigh for the dogs to track. Glad that's been cleared up.


This is a rumor put to rest.

[Tracian]

Does anyone know if LE has cleared both parents and the girlfriend? I know LE said they are fully cooperating with the LE..

[chambord]

More on the Family.

http://www.cbs47.com/content/topstories/story/2005-Documents-Claim-Haleigh-Cummings-Wandered-Off/ecfIOIQdpEyY0r9dGW3W-A.cspx?rss=1

[AmyE]

According to this article, The Department of Children's Sevices has been involved with this family in the past.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,491008,00.html

From your link:

Snipped*

"Haleigh told us they’ve been hit, and stuff like that, but to this point, everything was fine," Marie Sheffield said.

Police had never been called to the home in the past — but there have been prior problems with Cummings, Croslin and the children, Putnam County Capt. Steve Rose said.

"There have been some investigations done through the department of children and family," Rose told FOX News on Wednesday. He didn't elaborate.

[Tracian]

More on the Family.

http://www.cbs47.com/content/topstories/story/2005-Documents-Claim-Haleigh-Cummings-Wandered-Off/ecfIOIQdpEyY0r9dGW3W-A.cspx?rss=1



From your link:

Ronald told the judge Haleigh has Turner Syndrome and needs hormone treatments by an endocrinologist. He said Sheffield frequently failed to take Haleigh to her doctors appointments.


Turner Syndrome


Turner syndrome (TS) is a medical disorder that affects about 1 in every 2,500 girls. Although researchers don't know exactly what causes Turner syndrome, they do know that it's the result of a problem with a girl's chromosomes (pronounced: krow-muh-soamz).

Most girls are born with two X chromosomes, but girls with Turner syndrome are born with only one X chromosome or they are missing part of one X chromosome. The effects of the condition vary widely among girls with Turner syndrome. It all depends on how many of the body's cells are affected by the changes to the X chromosome.

Girls with Turner syndrome are usually short in height. Girls with Turner syndrome who aren't treated for short stature reach an average height of about 4 feet 7 inches (1.4 meters). The good news is that when Turner syndrome is diagnosed while a girl is still growing, she can be treated with growth hormones to help her grow taller.

In addition to growth problems, Turner syndrome prevents the ovaries from developing properly, which affects a girl's sexual development and the ability to have children. Because the ovaries are responsible for making the hormones that control breast growth and menstruation, most girls with Turner syndrome will not go through all of the changes associated with puberty unless they get treatment for the condition. Nearly all girls with Turner syndrome will be infertile, or unable to become pregnant on their own.

Other Effects Turner Syndrome Can Have
A number of other health problems occur more often in girls with Turner syndrome, including kidney problems, high blood pressure, heart problems, overweight, hearing difficulties, diabetes, and thyroid problems. Some girls with the condition may experience learning difficulties, particularly in math. Many have a difficult time with tasks that require skills such as map reading or visual organization.

In addition to short stature and lack of sexual development, some of the other physical features commonly seen in girls with Turner syndrome are:

a "webbed" neck (extra folds of skin extending from the tops of the shoulders to the sides of the neck)
a low hairline at the back of the neck
drooping of the eyelids
differently shaped ears that are set lower on the sides of the head than usual
abnormal bone development (especially the bones of the hands and elbows)
a larger than usual number of moles on the skin
edema or extra fluid in the hands and feet
Because Turner syndrome can affect how a girl looks and develops, some girls may have problems with body image or self-esteem.

People with TS are all different. Some may have many physical differences and symptoms, whereas others experience only a few medical problems. With early and appropriate medical care and ongoing support, most people with TS can lead normal, healthy, and productive lives.

Treating Turner Syndrome
Because Turner syndrome is a condition that is caused by a chromosomal abnormality, there's no specific cure. However, scientists have developed a number of treatments that can help correct some of the problems associated with the condition — such as growth problems — and researchers are constantly looking into new forms of treatment.

Growth hormone treatment can improve growth and influence a girl's final adult height. In fact, in many cases, the treatment can help many girls with Turner syndrome reach a final height in the average range, especially if treatment is started early enough in childhood.

Another treatment for Turner syndrome is estrogen replacement, which helps the girl develop the physical changes of puberty, including breast development and menstrual periods. This treatment is often started when a girl reaches about age 12 or 13.

http://kidshealth.org/teen/diseases_conditions/sexual_health/turner.html

[annalyzer]

[B] The names change but the story lines remain depressingly familiar when it comes to missing children in Florida. Recent past cases - Trenton Duckett in Leesburg, Jessica Lunsford in Homosassa, Caylee Anthony in Orlando - have turned into horror shows that play out on the local 6 p.m. news, CNN, Fox, Internet sites and the front page of the newspaper.

In two out of three of the cases mentioned above the parent/caregiver is the one (allegedly) responsible. A young child is much more likely to be murdered by her parents/caregivers than by a stranger.
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?sec=health&res=9B01E0D8153EF936A35752C1A962958260
http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/homicide/children.htm
http://www.ncjrs.gov/html/ojjdp/action_plan_update_2001_10/page1.html

[Faith]

Does anyone know if LE has cleared both parents and the girlfriend? I know LE said they are fully cooperating with the LE..

LE will not discuss the results of the poly-

[AmyE]

From your link:

Ronald told the judge Haleigh has Turner Syndrome and needs hormone treatments by an endocrinologist. He said Sheffield frequently failed to take Haleigh to her doctors appointments.


Turner Syndrome


Turner syndrome (TS) is a medical disorder that affects about 1 in every 2,500 girls. Although researchers don't know exactly what causes Turner syndrome, they do know that it's the result of a problem with a girl's chromosomes (pronounced: krow-muh-soamz).

Most girls are born with two X chromosomes, but girls with Turner syndrome are born with only one X chromosome or they are missing part of one X chromosome. The effects of the condition vary widely among girls with Turner syndrome. It all depends on how many of the body's cells are affected by the changes to the X chromosome.

Girls with Turner syndrome are usually short in height. Girls with Turner syndrome who aren't treated for short stature reach an average height of about 4 feet 7 inches (1.4 meters). The good news is that when Turner syndrome is diagnosed while a girl is still growing, she can be treated with growth hormones to help her grow taller.

In addition to growth problems, Turner syndrome prevents the ovaries from developing properly, which affects a girl's sexual development and the ability to have children. Because the ovaries are responsible for making the hormones that control breast growth and menstruation, most girls with Turner syndrome will not go through all of the changes associated with puberty unless they get treatment for the condition. Nearly all girls with Turner syndrome will be infertile, or unable to become pregnant on their own.

Other Effects Turner Syndrome Can Have
A number of other health problems occur more often in girls with Turner syndrome, including kidney problems, high blood pressure, heart problems, overweight, hearing difficulties, diabetes, and thyroid problems. Some girls with the condition may experience learning difficulties, particularly in math. Many have a difficult time with tasks that require skills such as map reading or visual organization.

In addition to short stature and lack of sexual development, some of the other physical features commonly seen in girls with Turner syndrome are:

a "webbed" neck (extra folds of skin extending from the tops of the shoulders to the sides of the neck)
a low hairline at the back of the neck
drooping of the eyelids
differently shaped ears that are set lower on the sides of the head than usual
abnormal bone development (especially the bones of the hands and elbows)
a larger than usual number of moles on the skin
edema or extra fluid in the hands and feet
Because Turner syndrome can affect how a girl looks and develops, some girls may have problems with body image or self-esteem.

People with TS are all different. Some may have many physical differences and symptoms, whereas others experience only a few medical problems. With early and appropriate medical care and ongoing support, most people with TS can lead normal, healthy, and productive lives.

Treating Turner Syndrome
Because Turner syndrome is a condition that is caused by a chromosomal abnormality, there's no specific cure. However, scientists have developed a number of treatments that can help correct some of the problems associated with the condition — such as growth problems — and researchers are constantly looking into new forms of treatment.

Growth hormone treatment can improve growth and influence a girl's final adult height. In fact, in many cases, the treatment can help many girls with Turner syndrome reach a final height in the average range, especially if treatment is started early enough in childhood.

Another treatment for Turner syndrome is estrogen replacement, which helps the girl develop the physical changes of puberty, including breast development and menstrual periods. This treatment is often started when a girl reaches about age 12 or 13.

http://kidshealth.org/teen/diseases_conditions/sexual_health/turner.html

I did notice that her left eye seems to be a little droopy in her classroom photo. JMO

ETA: Here is the photos I am referring to. http://helpfindthemissing.org/forum/showpost.php?p=532013&postcount=7

[sarahhod]

This is a rumor put to rest.

That's exactly what I said Faith. There is no fact to that rumour. The blanket and sheets were only laid outside for the dogs to smell for Hayleigh's scent for the search.

Quote:
Also Wednesday, authorities explained the blanket and bed sheets on a wooden ramp leading from the Cummings' back door. Bowling said the items had been brought out by police so tracking dogs could learn Haleigh's scent.
Quote:
Originally Posted by sarahhod http://helpfindthemissing.org/forum/images/styles/default/buttons/viewpost.gif (http://helpfindthemissing.org/forum/showthread.php?p=532747#post532747)
So the blanket and sheet have nothing to do with the abduction. They were just used for the scent of Haleigh for the dogs to track. Glad that's been cleared up.

[annalyzer]

http://www.wflxfox29.com/Global/story.asp?S=9833620

Haleigh missing: Investigators going door-to-door

Posted: Feb 12, 2009 10:24 AM EST
By John Bachman email
Posted by Rachel Leigh email

SATSUMA, FL (WFLX) - It's been almost 48 hours since a 5-year-old girl was snatched from her bed; authorities now believe she was snatched.

Little Haleigh Cummings is nowhere to be found. Her family is grief-stricken, the community is rallying, and detectives are working overtime. You get the feeling that with every passing minute that things get more desperate out here.

There is also a lot of attention on this case and also at the command center with local and nation media covering this story. Everyone's working together trying get as much information out as possible.

But, sadly, Putnam County sheriff's investigators are become more sure that this was an abduction.

The candles are burning in hopes that the little girl will eventually be brought home safe; however, the hours keep passing.

Even with plenty of prayer, perhaps all over the world, Wednesday night, there is still no sign of the little Haleigh Cummings.

Family members and friends are clinging to hope, but perhaps fearing the worst out come.

Haleigh's father, 25-year-old Ronald Cummings makes his emotion plea for the child's safe return. He, like many other people, close to the child are being questioned by investigators.

Ronald Cummings' 17-year-old girlfriend was the last person to see Haleigh alive. She told police she noticed the child was missing when she got up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom.

Detectives say there was no sign of forced entry and the back door to Cummings mobile home held open by a brick.

Investigators say Haleigh's father, his girlfriend and the child's mother are all cooperating with the investigation.

Local sheriff's deputies and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement are also getting help from the FBI. While most of this disappearance remains a mystery Wednesday night, one thing is crystal clear, everyone wants 5-year-old Haleigh home safe.

"It's just terrifying not knowing where she's at, what's happened to her, and she's terrified, and I can feel her she's screaming. Somebody's got her, and they got her hidden. I just want my daughter back that's it. That's all I want," said her father.

Investigators say they do not have any suspects, but, at the same time, they have not ruled anyone out.

Each person who is interviewed has the chance to take a lie detection test that includes dozens of sex offenders who live nearby.

The important thing is to try and get as much information out there as possible hope someone sees something and this little girl comes home safe.

But as time passes, hope becomes a little harder to hold onto.

[sarahhod]

Sheriff: 'A lot of misinformation' in search for Haleigh Cummings



(NECN: Satsuma, FL) - "We are now at right over 50 hours in our search and we have still not been able to locate Haleigh," this morning said Putnam County Sheriff Jeff Hardy.
"We've stretched out to at least a five mile area," said Hardy. "We'll expand the investigation as far as it needs to go."
Investigators are treating the disappearance of five-year-old Haleigh Cummings as an abduction. She was reported missing when her father, Ronald Cummings, returned home from work early Tuesday. His 17-year-old girlfriend said she had woken up and discovered the child was missing. Haleigh was last seen Monday night in her father's mobile home in Satsuma. The rural community along the St. Johns River is about 70 miles north of Orlando.
Investigators also are interviewing the 44 sex offenders living within five miles of Ronald Cummings' home.
"There is a lot of misinformation going on around here," said Hardy.

http://www.necn.com/Boston/Nation/2009/02/12/Sheriff-A-lot-of/1234455366.html

Your not kidding there is a lot of misinformation going on!!

Video at Link:-
http://www.necn.com/pix.gif

[annalyzer]

That's exactly what I said Faith. There is no fact to that rumour. The blanket and sheets were only laid outside for the dogs to smell for Hayleigh's scent for the search.

Quote:
Also Wednesday, authorities explained the blanket and bed sheets on a wooden ramp leading from the Cummings' back door. Bowling said the items had been brought out by police so tracking dogs could learn Haleigh's scent.
Quote:
Originally Posted by sarahhod http://helpfindthemissing.org/forum/images/styles/default/buttons/viewpost.gif (http://helpfindthemissing.org/forum/showthread.php?p=532747#post532747)
So the blanket and sheet have nothing to do with the abduction. They were just used for the scent of Haleigh for the dogs to track. Glad that's been cleared up.


Glad that is cleared up. Didn't make any sense to me.

This is about the worst reporting I have ever seen on a case.

[sarahhod]

EquuSearch joins search for Florida girl


http://cdn.necn.com/themes/necn/img/but2.gif Play video (http://javascript<b></b>:void(0);)


(NECN: Satsuma, FL) - Investigators in Florida are treating the disappearance of Haleigh Cummings as an abduction.
The five-year-old was last seen Monday night in her father's mobile home in Satsuma, Florida, about 70 miles north of Orlando.
Haleigh was reported missing when her father returned home from work early Tuesday. His girlfriend says she had woken up and discovered the child was missing.
Misty Croslin, 17, told a 911 dispatcher that a back door that was usually locked had been propped open by a brick.
Tim Miller, founder and director of Texas EquuSearch, a mounted search and recovery team, is in Florida with his team to assist in the search efforts.
Click here to visit the EquuSearch website. (http://texasequusearch.org/)
Miller says it's warm in Florida and if Haleigh had wandered away she would be able to survive in these conditions, on day three.
Miller says "volunteers are extremely important." "There is strength in numbers."

http://www.necn.com/Boston/NECN-Extra/2009/02/12/EquuSearch-joins-search-for/1234452572.html
http://www.necn.com/pix.gif

[Micky_Spill]

I did notice that her left eye seems to be a little droopy in her classroom photo. JMO

ETA: Here is the photos I am referring to. http://helpfindthemissing.org/forum/showpost.php?p=532013&postcount=7



I would not have even noticed that, it is ever so slightly. Which is a good thing for her.

[sarahhod]

Disappearance Treated as Abduction
Police: 'All the World is a Suspect'


By GIGI STONE and LEE FERRAN
Feb. 12, 2009
http://a.abcnews.com/assets/images/showlogos/carousel_gma_logo.gif

Florida police are treating the disappearance of 5-year-old Haleigh Sheffield (http://abcnews.go.com/video/playerIndex?id=6861870) as an abduction, investigators said, after concluding she did not simply wander off alone.

Girl's father returned home from work and found his daughter was gone.

"All the world is a suspect," Detective John Merchant of the Putnam County Sheriff's Office told reporters. "We are going to treat everybody, every family member, every associate, like a suspect until we eliminate them."

As police launched a massive search effort (http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=6854563) that included divers and K-9 units, Haleigh's mother, Crystal Sheffield, begged for her daughter's return.

"Whoever has her, I know you're watching," Crystal told "Good Morning America." "She ain't done nothing wrong. Please bring her back."

Haleigh, whose parents do not live together, disappeared from the Satsuma, Fla., home of her father, Ronald Sheffield, Tuesday. He reported her missing in an desperate 911 call.

"I just got home from work and my 5-year-old daughter is gone," he told a dispatcher. "If I find whoever has my daughter before you all do, I'm killing them. I don't care if I spend the rest of my life in prison."

There are 44 registered sex offenders within a five-mile radius of the home.

Ronald Sheffield had left Haleigh and her 3-year-old brother in the care of his 17-year-old girlfriend, Misty Croslin.
"She was sleeping right next to me," Croslin told the Palatka Daily News. "I can't believe I didn't hear anything."
Ronald Sheffield told police that when he returned from work early Tuesday morning, the back door was propped open and Haleigh was gone.
"Somebody came in my back door, broke into my home and stole my daughter," he said.
On Wednesday night friends and neighbors held a small vigil for the little girl. The search effort has also attracted several volunteer groups that could join the search today, according to The Associated Press.

After a six-month search that garnered national attention, Caylee's remains were found less than a mile from her family's home.
Crystal Sheffield is desperately hoping for a different fate for her little girl.

"I don't know why somebody would take her," the mother said. "I'm scared for her. She is probably scared and cold and hungry."

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Story?id=6862469&page=2

[AmyE]

I would not have even noticed that, it is ever so slightly. Which is a good thing for her.

Yeah, it is very slightly. I noticed it yesterday, but didn't want to mention it, but when I seen the aritcle of what she has, I thought I better speak up.

[sarahhod]

Two Amber Alerts in effect and updates on Haleigh 10:45 am EST

February 12, 10:51 AM
by Trina Hoaks, Everyday People Examiner (http://www.examiner.com/x-3035-Everyday-People-Examiner)

Updates at bottom

In addition to the Amber Alert of Haleigh Cummings, another Amber Alert has been issued for a missing Arkansas boy. Both of the Amber Alerts follow:

http://image.examiner.com/images/blog/wysiwyg/image/Dominick_Arceneaux.jpgThe new alert is for a 3-year-old boy named Dominick Wesley Arceneaux. He is 3 feet tall and weighs 38 pounds. He has brown hair and brown eyes.

The description says he has a dark complexion and short hair.

He was last seen wearing a pair of blue jean shorts with red stitching on the pockets.

He is from Chidester, Arkansas. He has been missing since February 10th at 2:30 pm.

If you have any information on this missing boy, please call 870-837-2200.


The other Amber Alert follows with all the information that is known thus far.

Most recent update at bottom.
http://image.examiner.com/images/blog/wysiwyg/image/amber_alert.jpg
Haleigh Cummings is missing.
The father of the missing Florida girl made a 911 call when he came home from work at 3:30 am to find his daughter missing. Supposedly the back door was open and there was a brick on the floor.

While talking to a 911 operator, he said that if he finds who abducted his daughter before officials do, he will kill him.

An Amber Alert has been issued for a missing girls who was last seen in her bedroom early Tuesday morning.
Haleigh Cummings was last seen wearing a pink t-shirt.

She is five years old. She is a white female with blonde hair and brown eyes.

She weighs 39 pounds and is three feet tall.

She is a resident of Satsuma, Florida - Putnam county.

Anyone having information is asked to call 1-888-FL MISSING.


Following is the transcript from MSNBC of the 911 call. Apparently the father's girlfriend was initially talking to the 911 operator. She reportedly discovered the girl missing right before the father came home.

<LI itxtvisited="1">Caller:I just woke up and my back door was all open, and I can't find my daughter. <LI itxtvisited="1">Operator:Can't find what? <LI itxtvisited="1">Caller:My daughter. <LI itxtvisited="1">Operator:OK. When did you last see her? <LI itxtvisited="1">Caller:We just like, you know, it was about 10 o'clock. She was sleeping <LI itxtvisited="1">Operator:OK. How old is your daughter? <LI itxtvisited="1">Caller:She's 5. <LI itxtvisited="1">Operator:OK. What was she last seen wearing, Ma'am? <LI itxtvisited="1">Caller:She was in her pajamas. She was sleeping. <LI itxtvisited="1">Operator:OK. Alright, you said your back door was wide open? <LI itxtvisited="1">Caller:Yes, with a brick. Like, there was a brick on the floor. Like, when I went to sleep, the door was not like that. <LI itxtvisited="1">Operator:OK. Was your back door locked? Do you know? <LI itxtvisited="1">Caller:Yes. That door always stays locked. <LI itxtvisited="1">Father:I just got home from work. My 5-year-old daughter is gone. I need someone to be here now. I'm telling you, if I find whoever has my daughter before you all do, I'm killing him. I don't care. I'll spend the rest of my life in prison.
Operator:It's OK sir. We got them on the way.
Update Feb 11:
A press conference was just held with officials investigating the disappearance of Haleigh.

Officers are considering that this could be an abduction or that the girl wandered off.

When they were asked if any family members were suspects, an officer said that it is "not safe to say that family members are not suspects." He went on to say that everyone is a suspect right now as no one has been ruled out.

Officers have dogs on the scene as well as divers and helicopters. It was said that they have a large investigative team on the case.

It was said that all family members as well as friends are being cooperative.

Officers have many leads that they are considering. They have asked that if anyone has a lead that they call them at 386-329-0809.
Update Feb 12:

It was reported on MSNBC that officials are now treating Haleigh's disappearance as an abduction.

It was reported that Haleigh was sleeping in the same bed as Haleigh's father's girlfriend when she was abducted. It is being questioned how she could have slept through such a thing.

Officers said that there is no evidence of forced entry.

Police investigators in conjunction with the FBI are questioning the 44 known sex offenders that live within 5 miles of Haleigh's home.

Officer's are setting up a polygraph though they didn't say specifically to whom it would be administered.

They have received many leads... so many that they had to bring in additional staff to help handle the calls. Unfortunately, none of the leads are solid.

Officers say that family members and friends continue to be cooperative.
Update Feb 12 - 10:45 am EST:

Sheriff Jeff Hardy said in a news conference moments ago that evidence has been gathered in the case of Haleigh. He would not comment on what was included in the evidence. He said that the evidence is at a lab being analyzed.

Haleigh's father's girlfriend, Misty, has undergone a polygraph test. Hardy said he would not reveal the results of the test.

They have a dive team involved.

Hardy restated that the family has been extremely cooperative. He also said that the community has been extraordinary in helping organize and participating in voluntary search parties. They have also been opening their homes to investigators and provide them food and drinks.

http://www.examiner.com/x-3035-Everyday-People-Examiner~y2009m2d12-Two-Amber-Alerts-in-effect-and-updates-on-Haleigh-1045-am-EST

[sarahhod]

Florida Sheriff: Girlfriend of Missing 5-Year-Old's Father Took Polygraph

Thursday, February 12, 2009 http://www.foxnews.com/images/foxnews_story.gif


The 17-year-old girlfriend of the father of a missing Florida girl took a lie detector test, a local sheriff said, but he wouldn't reveal whether she passed.
Putnam County Sheriff Jeff Hardy declined to disclose the results Thursday of the polygraph given to Misty Croslin in the disappearance of Haleigh Ann-Marie Cummings, 5.
"Misty has been interviewed extensively and yes, she did take a polygraph," he said.
Croslin was the one who reportedly discovered that Haleigh had vanished from her bed before dawn on Tuesday.
She is one of several people police and the FBI have interviewed in the case. All have been offered the chance to take a lie detector test, according to Putnam County Sheriff's spokesman Gary Bowling.

Detectives believe Haleigh was abducted — and they aren't overlooking anyone, including family members, as suspects.
Haleigh is 3 feet tall with blond hair and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing a pink shirt and underwear.

Hardy said ground and searches continued for a third day on Thursday. Bloodhounds have been used, but haven't turned up any clear evidence.
"We have nothing definitive to say where the child is based on the bloodhounds," Hardy told reporters at a Thursday news conference.
He said evidence has been collected from the mobile home where Haleigh lived with her 3-year-old brother Junior, her father Ronald Cummings and Croslin — but declined to describe it.
"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 child's father, Ronald Cummings, told FOX News' Greta Van Susteren that Croslin was watching his daughter while he was at work as a crane operator.
According to Cummings, Haleigh had gotten up to use the bathroom. When she didn't return, Croslin went to look for her and noticed the back door was open.
"I locked doors before I left for work. My child cannot unlock the deadbolt, you have to force the door shut all the way ... and she doesn’t open door to strangers," Cummings said.
Croslin and Cummings called 911 after discovering the girl was missing, according to the police report. The tapes were released Wednesday.
In addition to Croslin, Cummings and the child's mother, Crystal Sheffield, as well as several others have been questioned in the case.
"It is never safe to say that a family member is not a suspect," Bowling said Wednesday. "However, all the world is a suspect right now."
Police have ruled out the possibility that the girl ran away.
"This child didn't voluntarily walk out of her home. If she did, someone took her," Bowling said.
Cummings, who has custody of Haleigh and her brother, said his daughter was scared of the dark and would not wander off.
"Somebody stole my child," he said. "Trust me when I tell you that I know my child."
Police had never been called to the home in the past — but there have been prior problems with Cummings, Croslin and the children, according to Putnam County Capt. Steve Rose.
"There have been some investigations done through the department of children and family," Rose told FOX News on Wednesday. He didn't elaborate.
Sheffield's mother, Marie, told Van Susteren that the children seemed to be doing well living with their father.
"Haleigh told us they’ve been hit, and stuff like that, but to this point, everything was fine," Marie Sheffield said.
There were still no firm leads in the case. Detectives wouldn't say whether Croslin, Cummings or anyone else in the family were a focus of the investigation.
Haleigh's grandfather, Johnny Sheffield, said he was distraught about the girl's disappearance and characterized Croslin as suspicious, though he admitted he didn't know much about her, according to MyFOXOrlando.com.
Sheffield told van Susteren that her children loved their father's girlfriend, whom he'd been dating for 4 to 6 months.
"She seemed like a really nice person, but I never sat down and had a conversation with her," she said.
Sheffield doesn't live in the area but traveled to Putnam County after she learned of her daughter's disappearance and has been interviewed, according to Rose.
"She is cooperating," Rose told FOX News Wednesday.
Cummings said his girlfriend was awake and frantic after she found Haleigh was gone. But in the police report, obtained by FOX News, Cummings reportedly told officers that his "dumb bitch girlfriend" told him Haleigh was gone when he got home from work.
"Ronald said that he did not know what Haleigh was wearing, and that all he knew was that the back door was standing open. Ronald repeatedly said that someone had taken his child and also said 'When I find him I'll kill him,'" police wrote in the report.
He referred to a 9mm Beretta handgun he owns and said if authorities found his daughter's kidnapper, "he would shoot them through the back window of the patrol car," the police report said.
Detectives wrote that they followed a path that led behind the home and found what appeared to be a child's footprint in the dirt, though Cummings said his daughter's shoes were in the house.
Deputies say they are in the process of questioning 44 registered sex offenders who live within five miles of Haleigh's home, according to MyFOXOrlando.com.
An air conditioner repair man who was at the home on Monday was questioned after police found out about his house call but cleared him of any wrongdoing.
Anyone with information about the girl is urged to contact the Putnam County Sheriff's Office at (386) 329-0800 or 911.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,491485,00.html

[Faith]

That's exactly what I said Faith. There is no fact to that rumour. The blanket and sheets were only laid outside for the dogs to smell for Hayleigh's scent for the search.

Quote:
Also Wednesday, authorities explained the blanket and bed sheets on a wooden ramp leading from the Cummings' back door. Bowling said the items had been brought out by police so tracking dogs could learn Haleigh's scent.
Quote:
Originally Posted by sarahhod http://helpfindthemissing.org/forum/images/styles/default/buttons/viewpost.gif (http://helpfindthemissing.org/forum/showthread.php?p=532747#post532747)
So the blanket and sheet have nothing to do with the abduction. They were just used for the scent of Haleigh for the dogs to track. Glad that's been cleared up.

This case has so many misleading issues in the news. It's very hard to differentiate facts from speculation.

[sarahhod]

Day 3 in search for
Haleigh

Last Edited: Thursday, 12 Feb 2009, 11:34 AM EST

Created On: Thursday, 12 Feb 2009, 11:34 AM EST

Valerie Boey | FOX 35 News

http://media2.myfoxorlando.com//photo/2009/02/12/haleigh_and_dad_20090212094114985_320_240.JPG


SATSUMA, Fla. - Putnam County Sheriff's Deputies are on day 3 of searching for 5-year-old Haleigh Cummings. Haleigh was last seen on Monday night at 10 p.m. in her mobile home on Green Lane in Satsuma. Investigators said she was sleeping in the same bed as her 3-year-old brother and her father's 17-year-old girlfriend, Mistie Croslin. When Croslin woke up around 3:30 a.m., the same time Haleigh's father Ronald Cummings got home from work, they realized Haleigh was gone and called 911.
> Click here for a LIVE Web cam in Satsuma (http://www.myfoxorlando.com/subindex/web_cams/mobile_cam_1)

Sheriff Jeff Hardy says they have been searching for more than 55 hours. They plan to bring in more aviation assets, dive teams, boats and ground crews. They also have a fresh team going back to the house, tracing any steps they can find. Hardy says right now they do not have any suspects.
Hardy said both Cummings and Croslin have taken polygraph tests, but would not say if they passed. When FOX 35 asked if they tested their vehicles for evidence, he could not comment saying it was part of the investigation. He also said they have collected evidence, but could not say what items were taken.
Sheriff Hardy said investigators have been going from home to home searching for the little girl. They are also searching the homes of 44 sex offenders within a 5 mile radius. Hardy says neighbors have been cooperative and so has the family.
Last night Ronald Cummings told FOX 35 that it has been difficult dealing with this. Haleigh's mother Crystal Sheffield says it has been hard controlling her emotions. "I don't know where she is or who has her, I just want her home," Crystal said.
Hardy says Ronald has legal custody of Haleigh and their 3-year-old son.
Meanwhile, Texas Equusearch, the team that helped look for Caylee Anthony is back assisting deputies to help them find Haleigh. Founder Tim Miller says deputies called him for help. He had not planned to be back in the Sunshine State so soon.
"We didn't think we'd be back in Florida this close to where Caylee disappeared in the short period of time so it brings back some painful memories to say the least so we just have to focus on this, the more we stay focuses the better chance we have of bringing her home," Miller said.
He says the cases are very similar. "Too close to Caylee's memorial. Ironic, a matter of hours before Caylee's memorial, Haleigh disappears. The names rhyme and so close. It will bring tears to your eyes," he added.
Miller hopes Haleigh's case will have a different outcome. "We hold on to those good feelings and success stories and hope we can put another one into the successes, but we got to realize we can't sugar coat anything. This doesn't look good at this time, but we'll just do what we do," he said.
Miller says he plans to fly in 9 members of Equusearch from other parts of the country. He has around 200 members in Orlando. "Today's going to be a big mapping day. Planning day and then it appears tomorrow is when the big serach is going to start, but it's important. We try to do something to get her home alive," Miller said.
Scattered rain in Satsuma isn't making it any easier. The Equusearch group said the weather will slow them down but they do not consider it an inconvenience because they are trying to find a little girl.
Miller says he will need volunteers to help search on Friday. However, he hasn't determined where everyone will meet yet.
Haleigh is 3 feet tall and weighs 39 lbs. She has blonde hair and brown eyes. Anyone with information about her whereabouts should call the Putnam County Sheriff's Office. The number is (386) 329-0800.

http://www.myfoxorlando.com/dpp/news/local/021209Day_3_in_search_for_Haleigh

[sarahhod]

Fresh Set of Eyes in Field to Find Haleigh



Posted By: Gary Detman (http://www.firstcoastnews.com/inside/contactus/default.aspx) http://www.firstcoastnews.com/graphics/bullet1.gif Created: 2/12/2009 10:48:30 AM http://www.firstcoastnews.com/graphics/bullet1.gif Updated: 2/12/2009 11:54:06 AM

SATSUMA, FL -- The Putnam County Sheriff's Office is getting a fresh set of eyes in the field in the search for Haleigh Cummings, the five-year-old girl who vanished from her home.
Sheriff Jeff Hardy says his team is working with Texas EquuSearch (http://texasequusearch.org/), a volunteer search team known for helping in missing persons cases across the country, to help find Haleigh.
"A child is missing and that's what we're most concerned about," said Sheriff Hardy.
Haleigh Cummings hasn't been seen since Monday when she went to bed at her father's home in Satsuma.
Sheriff Hardy says boats and divers are in the water, and bloodhounds and crews are searching the woods again, just to make sure they didn't miss anything. The sheriff says air support will also be brought in, but the early morning clouds and drizzle hampered that effort at the outset. The skies are overcast but helicopters are now in the air.
Civilian volunteers are being kept at bay for right now, except for EquuSearch, a volunteer search team out of Texas that has been on the front lines of many high-profile missing persons cases.
EquuSearch director Tim Miller says his crews will focus on the woods behind Haleigh's home sometime Friday and use this day as a day to map out the area.
The sheriff says his teams have collected evidence but would not comment on any of it. Hardy also would not say whether investigators are following up on any leads out of state.
Hardy says the 17-year-old girlfriend of Haleigh's father has taken a polygraph exam, but wouldn't discuss its results.
Haleigh's younger brother has a birthday on Sunday. He turns 4 years old.
The white fence around Haleigh's neighborhood just north of Satsuma continues to be adorned with cards, teddy bears, blankets and notes of support for her family and safe return.
Faculty and classmates at her elementary school are collecting supplies and food to bring to her family as they wait through the ordeal.

http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/breaking/news-article.aspx?storyid=131162&catid=17

[F~M]

Oh no. I don't like reading some of this stuff. Why are there so many missing/abducted children in Florida? I don't get it!

[sarahhod]

Haleigh's father appears on 'Nancy Grace'

By Lise Fisher (fisherl@gvillesun.com)
Staff Writer

Published: Thursday, February 12, 2009 at 8:04 a.m.
Last Modified: Thursday, February 12, 2009 at 8:04 a.m.

PALATKA - The father of missing 5-year-old Haleigh Cummings asked for her safe return in a nationally televised interview Wednesday night.
Ronald Cummings, 24, spoke on CNN's "Nancy Grace" show. He was asked about a cinder block that supposedly had been used to prop open a back door at the home. Authorities reported the door was discovered ajar and, in a 911 call, Cumming's girlfriend said the door normally was locked.
Cummings said he didn't think he had seen the block before but he could have been mistaken. Officers confirmed this week that they were looking at the block.
Cummings also talked briefly to reporters near his neighborhood late Wednesday and said he had taken and passed a lie detector test.
Investigators reported they were offering the tests to anyone they have interviewed but said they would not confirm who took the tests or the results.
Haleigh's case has been receiving national attention from media with local, state and federal officers working to locate the little girl. But authorities have not reported any new leads in the case. On Wednesday, officers announced they were treating the child's disappearance as an abduction after finding no proof the child simply wandered away from her home in Satsuma, located in southern Putnam County about 10 miles south of Palatka.

http://www.gainesville.com/article/20090212/ARTICLES/902120978/-1/magazine?Title=Haleigh_s_father_appears_on__Nancy_ Grace_

[sarahhod]

Missing 5-year-old Florida girl likely was abducted, police say


Helen Eckinger | Sentinel Staff Writer 11:40 AM EST, February 12, 2009
SATSUMA - 11:40 a.m. Texas EquuSearch, which assisted the Orange County Sheriff's Office in its search for Caylee Marie Anthony, has arrived in Satsuma where it will help investigators search for Haleigh.

EquuSearch founder and director Tim Miller told the Orlando Sentinel that a member of the Putnam County Sheriff's Office contacted him yesterday afternoon.

"He said 'We sure could use your help,' and I said, 'Well, we will be on our way," Miller said.

Miller said that EquuSearch members from across the country are on their way to Putnam County, and that the group will be putting out a call for local volunteers after it sets up a staging area.

The group plans to use searchers on ATV, horseback, and foot to search for Haleigh. They will also be bringing in sonar equipment.

"The good news on this one is that it's not a month-plus before Haleigh's been reported missing," Miller said, referring to the Caylee case. "We're certainly optimistic - we have to be optimistic."

11:09 a.m. Putnam County Sheriff Jeff Hardey just wrapped up a news briefing about the search for Haleigh Cummings. He said searchers have focused on 5-square-mile area and will continue looking for the 5-year-old girl. "We'll expand the investigation as far as it needs to go,'' He said. "As far as whether or not Haleigh is still in the area, that is an unknown." He said family members, including the 17-year-old girlfriend who found Haleigh missing Tuesday morning, have cooperated with investigators. He wouldn't provide details about evidence investigators have collected.

10:45 a.m.: Haleigh's father and his family are "hanging in there," according to Josh Duckett, who is acting as a spokesman for the family. "They're doing as well as can be expected," Duckett told the Orlando Sentinel this morning.

Duckett said that he had no qualms about encouraging Haleigh's father, Ronald Cummings, to interview with CNN's (http://www.orlandosentinel.com/topic/economy-business-finance/media/news-agency/cnn-ORCRP000008070.topic) Nancy Grace last night. In 2006, Duckett's estranged wife, Melinda Duckett, committed suicide after filming a interview with Grace, during which Grace grilled her about her missing son, Trenton Duckett (http://www.orlandosentinel.com/topic/crime-law-justice/crimes/trenton-duckett-PECLB002294.topic). Melinda Duckett's adoptive parents have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Grace and CNN, alleging that Grace provoked Melinda Duckett's suicide. Josh Duckett was initially named as a co-defendant in the suit, but he was dropped after a magistrate determined that the family could not establish a claim against him.

"I don't have a problem with Nancy Grace's show," Josh Duckett said. "She does things that need to be done, she asks questions that need to be answered and as long as you tell the truth you won't have a problem."

From today's Orlando Sentinel

The search for Haleigh Cummings turned more desperate Wednesday after officials said someone likely abducted the 5-year-old from her bedroom in rural Putnam County.

"There is no longer any reason to believe that the child simply wandered off outside," said Maj. Gary Bowling of the Putnam County Sheriff's Office.

Family members begged for the safe return of the girl they call Doodlebug on the second day of a massive search in this sparsely populated county about 80 miles north of Orlando.

"Just bring her back," said Haleigh's maternal grandmother, Marie Griffis. "There are plenty of places you can drop off a kid, no questions asked."

Haleigh lives with her father, Ronald Cummings, 25, and his girlfriend in a double-wide in Satsuma, an isolated riverfront community northeast of Ocala National Forest (http://www.orlandosentinel.com/topic/environmental-issues/natural-resources/forests/ocala-national-forest-PLREC000081.topic).

The girlfriend, Misty Croslin, 17, put Haleigh to bed about 10 p.m. Monday while Cummings was working at PDM Bridge.

Croslin woke up about 3:30 a.m. Tuesday, noticed Haleigh was missing and called 911 for help.

"I just woke up and my back door is open, and I can't find my daughter," Croslin told a 911 dispatcher. She said she had been sleeping and the door was not open when she went to bed.

A screen door on the side of the couple's Satsuma home had been propped open with a cinder block. The main door was slightly ajar, but authorities found no obvious signs of forced entry.

Cummings just returned home while Croslin was talking to the dispatcher.

"I just got home from work, and my 5-year-old daughter is gone. I need somebody to be here now, I'm telling you," he told the dispatcher. "If I find whoever has my daughter before you do, I'm killing them. I don't care if I have to spend the rest of my life in prison."

Officials issued a statewide alert for Haleigh on Tuesday, triggering a search that quickly drew as many as 130 officers from several law-enforcement agencies with bloodhounds and helicopters.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement, FBI (http://www.orlandosentinel.com/topic/crime-law-justice/crimes/fbi-ORGOV000008.topic), and Volusia, Marion and Flagler sheriff's offices are helping Putnam County deputies and investigators.



The search continued Wednesday and included divers exploring the nearby St. Johns River.

Bowling said 44 sex offenders live in a 5-mile radius of Cummings' home, but most have been contacted by law enforcement since Haleigh disappeared. Many sought out authorities on their own.

"Right now, we don't have a lot of clues indicating where she's at," Detective John Merchant said. "I'm always positive, though. We want to find her alive."

No suspects have been named, and no one has been ruled out.

"All the world's a suspect right now," Bowling said.

Family members said Haleigh was unlikely to leave on her own.

"Haleigh is a very indoor-type child," said Griffis, her grandmother. "If she goes outside, she wants you to be with her -- she would never go outside by herself in the dark."

Griffis said Haleigh is bright and loves drawing, makeup and playing with gadgets.

Her mother, Crystal Sheffield, 23, was at her home in Baker County near the Florida-Georgia state line at the time of her daughter's disappearance. She was in Putnam County on Wednesday, talking with investigators and waiting for news on her daughter's whereabouts.

She gets custody of Haleigh and her 3-year-old brother, Ronald Jr., every other weekend. This weekend the family was planning to celebrate Ronald's fourth birthday.

Joshua Duckett, father of missing Lake County toddler Trenton Duckett, stepped in Wednesday as a family spokesman.

"I've been through it, and it definitely helps the family to have someone who can say, 'Hey, I know what you're going through,' " said Duckett, whose son was last seen Aug. 26, 2006.

Also Wednesday, bounty hunter Leonard Padilla, who inserted himself in the case of missing Orlando toddler Caylee Marie Anthony (http://www.orlandosentinel.com/topic/crime-law-justice/crimes/caylee-anthony-PECLB004332.topic), joined the ranks heading for Putnam County. At a staging area near Cummings' house, he said curiosity had drawn him to Haleigh's search.

Meanwhile, a volunteer group from Houston that helped look for Caylee in Orlando last year said it is gearing up to help in the search for Haleigh.

Caylee's remains were found in December, and her public memorial was Tuesday.

Tim Miller, founder of Texas EquuSearch, said his organization has been in contact with Putnam County officials. Some volunteers may drive and others may fly to Florida, he said.

"It's pretty ironic. We have another child disappear seven hours before Caylee's memorial," he said.

Anyone with information about Haleigh's whereabouts is asked to call the Putnam County Sheriff's Office at 386-329-0808.


Amber Alert Name: Haleigh Ann-Marie Cummings Race: White Sex: Female Age: 5 Height: 3-feet-3 Weight: 39 pounds Hair: Blond Eyes: Brown

*Have a tip on her whereabouts? Call the Putnam County Sheriff's Office: 386-329-0808.

What is an Amber Alert? It was begun in 1996 as a quick way to broadcast critical information about a child abduction to the public. Ways to get the word out include radio, television, highway message signs, billboards and lottery machines, as well as participating businesses. It's named for Amber Hagerman (http://www.orlandosentinel.com/topic/crime-law-justice/crimes/kidnapping/amber-hagerman-PECLB002351.topic), 9, who was bike riding near her grandparents' Texas home earlier that year when she was abducted and killed. The case remains unsolved.

How does it work? For law enforcement to issue an Amber Alert, the case must meet certain criteria: *The child must be younger than 18. *There must be a clear indication of an abduction. *Law enforcement must conclude the child's life is in danger. *There must be a detailed description of the child and/or abductor/vehicle to broadcast to the public. *Local law enforcement must recommend the alert.

Are there other active Amber Alerts in Florida? No. Haleigh Cummings is the only current Amber Alert in Florida. There are five other Amber Alerts that remain unsolved in Florida, including Trenton Duckett, who disappeared from Leesburg, and Jessica Vargas, who was reported missing from Sanford.Were there successful Amber Alerts last year?In 2008, 10 children were found after Florida Amber Alerts were issued, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. A 15-year-old from Putnam County was with a man wanted in a homicide. A citizen called police after seeing the alert on television to report that the girl was seen panhandling along Interstate 10 in Texas.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/orl-bk-missing-florida-girl-haleigh-021209,0,5779988.story?page=2

[sarahhod]

Volunteers Get Ready in Day 3 of Search for Haleigh



Posted By: Patricia Jimenez (http://www.firstcoastnews.com/inside/contactus/default.aspx) http://www.firstcoastnews.com/graphics/bullet1.gif Created: 2/12/2009 8:09:15 AM http://www.firstcoastnews.com/graphics/bullet1.gif Updated: 2/12/2009 11:53:53 AM
http://pixel.quantserve.com/pixel/p-e4m3Yko6bFYVc.gif?labels=NewsAndReference,CultureA ndSociety[/URL]

PUTNAM COUNTY -- A volunteer search team from Texas is now in Putnam County, with a sense of urgency, to help look for Haleigh Cummings, the little girl who vanished from her bedroom earlier this week.
"It's warm in Florida and a five-year-old would be able, if she wandered away, would be able to probably survive out there," said Tim Miller, the founder and director of EquuSearch. "But we're getting into the danger stage. If foul play is involved it makes it a whole lot tougher."
Investigators are treating the disappearance of Haleigh as an abduction.
First Coast News talked with a dispatcher Thursday morning who said tips are coming in. She also told us detectives will be able to focus more on the investigation once the volunteer search gets underway in the small town of Satsuma.
Detectives will be able to put more emphasis on a timeline of where Haleigh was before she disappeared and will be able to take some deputies off of the streets.
Miller said deputies called and asked for his help. Texas EquuSearch is an organization made up of volunteers that travels all over the country looking for missing people.
Miller told us the first step will be to map out a plan.
"We got a lot of woods out here, we got a lot of water out here," said Miller. "There are a lot of things we're real concerned about."
He arrived Wednesday night. He says his team will come to town Thursday. They will see where they need to look and determine how many volunteers will be needed. They will bring in equipment like sonar equipment for dive teams. They will search for Haleigh on foot and on horseback. Miller said despite the rainy weather Thursday, he and other volunteers will not lose sight of the main goal - to find Haleigh and bring her home alive.
Miller said the real search for his team will begin Friday. This does not mean deputies will stop their efforts. They plan to continue looking for the little girl.

[URL]http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/florida/news-article.aspx?storyid=131154&catid=4 (http://altfarm.mediaplex.com/ad/ck/9083-63299-3840-3?mpt=0.7345657011939208&mpvc=)

[sarahhod]

Weather expected to clear as search for girl continues


By Lise Fisher (fisherl@gvillesun.com)
Staff writer


Published: Thursday, February 12, 2009 at 8:46 a.m.
Last Modified: Thursday, February 12, 2009 at 8:46 a.m.

Cloudy skies and rain was expected to clear by Thursday afternoon, clearing the way for continued searching near the Satsuma home of a missing Putnam County child.

The weather was impacting some plans for search efforts to locate Haleigh Cummings, 5, who was discovered missing from the bedroom where she had been sleeping early Tuesday. But Putnam County Sheriff's Office Capt. Steve Rose said investigators still intend to move forward and cover old ground in the case by going back to homes in the area.
Rose would not discuss reports that some people who know or are related to the child took and passed polygraph tests, saying that information was part of the ongoing investigation.
Officers and others from various agencies involved in the search were set to meet this morning to discuss and organize plans for the day, including how the weather would impact an aerial search or a ground search using volunteers.
A press conference updating the investigation is scheduled for 2 p.m., Rose said.



http://www.gainesville.com/article/20090212/ARTICLES/902120974/-1/magazine?Title=Weather_expected_to_clear_as_search _for_girl_continues

[annalyzer]

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,491485,00.html

Florida Sheriff: Girlfriend of Missing 5-Year-Old's Father Took Polygraph

Thursday, February 12, 2009

The 17-year-old girlfriend of the father of a missing Florida girl took a lie detector test, a local sheriff said, but he wouldn't reveal whether she passed.

Putnam County Sheriff Jeff Hardy declined to disclose the results Thursday of the polygraph given to Misty Croslin in the disappearance of Haleigh Ann-Marie Cummings, 5.

"Misty has been interviewed extensively and yes, she did take a polygraph," he said.

Croslin was the one who reportedly discovered that Haleigh had vanished from her bed before dawn on Tuesday.

She is one of several people police and the FBI have interviewed in the case. All have been offered the chance to take a lie detector test, according to Putnam County Sheriff's spokesman Gary Bowling.

Detectives believe Haleigh was abducted — and they aren't overlooking anyone, including family members, as suspects.

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

Hardy said ground and searches continued for a third day on Thursday. Bloodhounds have been used, but haven't turned up any clear evidence.

"We have nothing definitive to say where the child is based on the bloodhounds," Hardy told reporters at a Thursday news conference.

He said evidence has been collected from the mobile home where Haleigh lived with her 3-year-old brother Junior, her father Ronald Cummings and Croslin — but declined to describe it.

"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 child's father, Ronald Cummings, told FOX News' Greta Van Susteren that Croslin was watching his daughter while he was at work as a crane operator.

According to Cummings, Haleigh had gotten up to use the bathroom. When she didn't return, Croslin went to look for her and noticed the back door was open.

"I locked doors before I left for work. My child cannot unlock the deadbolt, you have to force the door shut all the way ... and she doesn’t open door to strangers," Cummings said.

Croslin and Cummings called 911 after discovering the girl was missing, according to the police report. The tapes were released Wednesday.

In addition to Croslin, Cummings and the child's mother, Crystal Sheffield, as well as several others have been questioned in the case.

"It is never safe to say that a family member is not a suspect," Bowling said Wednesday. "However, all the world is a suspect right now."

Police have ruled out the possibility that the girl ran away.

"This child didn't voluntarily walk out of her home. If she did, someone took her," Bowling said.

Cummings, who has custody of Haleigh and her brother, said his daughter was scared of the dark and would not wander off.

"Somebody stole my child," he said. "Trust me when I tell you that I know my child."

Police had never been called to the home in the past — but there have been prior problems with Cummings, Croslin and the children, according to Putnam County Capt. Steve Rose.

"There have been some investigations done through the department of children and family," Rose told FOX News on Wednesday. He didn't elaborate.

Sheffield's mother, Marie, told Van Susteren that the children seemed to be doing well living with their father.

"Haleigh told us they’ve been hit, and stuff like that, but to this point, everything was fine," Marie Sheffield said.

There were still no firm leads in the case. Detectives wouldn't say whether Croslin, Cummings or anyone else in the family were a focus of the investigation.

Haleigh's grandfather, Johnny Sheffield, said he was distraught about the girl's disappearance and characterized Croslin as suspicious, though he admitted he didn't know much about her, according to MyFOXOrlando.com.

Sheffield told van Susteren that her children loved their father's girlfriend, whom he'd been dating for 4 to 6 months.

"She seemed like a really nice person, but I never sat down and had a conversation with her," she said.

Sheffield doesn't live in the area but traveled to Putnam County after she learned of her daughter's disappearance and has been interviewed, according to Rose.

"She is cooperating," Rose told FOX News Wednesday.

Cummings said his girlfriend was awake and frantic after she found Haleigh was gone. But in the police report, obtained by FOX News, Cummings reportedly told officers that his "dumb bitch girlfriend" told him Haleigh was gone when he got home from work.

"Ronald said that he did not know what Haleigh was wearing, and that all he knew was that the back door was standing open. Ronald repeatedly said that someone had taken his child and also said 'When I find him I'll kill him,'" police wrote in the report.

He referred to a 9mm Beretta handgun he owns and said if authorities found his daughter's kidnapper, "he would shoot them through the back window of the patrol car," the police report said.

Detectives wrote that they followed a path that led behind the home and found what appeared to be a child's footprint in the dirt, though Cummings said his daughter's shoes were in the house.

Deputies say they are in the process of questioning 44 registered sex offenders who live within five miles of Haleigh's home, according to MyFOXOrlando.com.

An air conditioner repair man who was at the home on Monday was questioned after police found out about his house call but cleared him of any wrongdoing.

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

[Micky_Spill]

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,491485,00.html

Florida Sheriff: Girlfriend of Missing 5-Year-Old's Father Took Polygraph

Thursday, February 12, 2009

The 17-year-old girlfriend of the father of a missing Florida girl took a lie detector test, a local sheriff said, but he wouldn't reveal whether she passed.

Cummings said his girlfriend was awake and frantic after she found Haleigh was gone. But in the police report, obtained by FOX News, Cummings reportedly told officers that his "dumb bitch girlfriend" told him Haleigh was gone when he got home from work.

"Ronald said that he did not know what Haleigh was wearing, and that all he knew was that the back door was standing open. Ronald repeatedly said that someone had taken his child and also said 'When I find him I'll kill him,'" police wrote in the report.

He referred to a 9mm Beretta handgun he owns and said if authorities found his daughter's kidnapper, "he would shoot them through the back window of the patrol car," the police report said.

Detectives wrote that they followed a path that led behind the home and found what appeared to be a child's footprint in the dirt, though Cummings said his daughter's shoes were in the house.

.


Pretty bizarre statement that he would shoot them in the back of the patrol car.

I do not think that the news is misprinting statements like that, it would leave them open to libel.

[annalyzer]

Pretty bizarre statement that he would shoot them in the back of the patrol car.

I do not think that the news is misprinting statements like that, it would leave them open to libel.

I also think it is odd that LE won't reveal the lie detector results. If I'm not mistaken Jessica Lunsford's father and grandparents took LDT's and LE told the media they passed them.

[Grande]

Girlfriend explains more about missing Haleigh
"I don't care what people are saying about me because I didn't do it."
By Dana Treen
Story updated at 12:23 PM on Thursday, Feb. 12, 2009

SATSUMA – The 17-year-old girlfriend of a Putnam County man whose 5-year-old daughter has been the focus on an intense three-day search has taken lie-detector tests and passed as far as she and her boyfriend know.

“I took two of them,” Misty Croslin said this morning down the street from where Haleigh Ann-Marie Cummings vanished late Monday or early Tuesday. Haleigh’s father, Ronald Cummings, 25, said he also was tested and believes both he and his girlfriend passed.

“We have all offered to take lie detectors,” Cummings said of his family, who is staying nights mostly huddled beneath a canopy near the Green Lane mobile home that is still roped off by investigators. He said he is willing to do what is needed.

“If you need to draw blood, draw blood,” he said.

His girlfriend also has been under a lot of scrutiny for being the last one to see her.

"I don't care what people are saying about me because I didn't do it," Croslin said.

Croslin said she had little to tell investigators about what happened Monday night. Because Tuesday was a school day, she put the kindergartner to bed about 8:15 p.m. and crawled into the same bed about two hours later.

Cummings' other son, 3-year-old Ronald Cummings Jr., was in the same bed.

Croslin said she did not hear anything or notice anythin amiss until she got up around 3 a.m.

“When I went to sleep she was there,” she said. “When I woke up she was gone.”

She said taking the polygraph in a pair of sessions was taxing.

“I was so shook up that night, I kept moving,” she said. “I couldn’t stay still. I was crying.”

A little more than 50 hours into the search, Putnam County Sheriff Jeff Hardy said efforts are expanding to include horseback searches of the palmetto scrub and pine woods across the south Putnam community.

He said Croslin had taken a polygraph but would not discuss outcomes of any of the tests.

“Misty has been interviewed extensively,” he said. He said neighbors in the area have been helpful and that family has been “extremely cooperative.”

Croslin said a pair of her nephews who are about Haleigh’s age were at the couple’s place about 5 p.m. Monday.

Cummings, who was at work and arriving home just as Haleigh was discovered missing when Croslin woke up to go to the bathroom, said he has no idea who might try to take his daughter.

He said he tends to stay to himself.

“I don’t make friends, I don’t make enemies,” he said.

Hardy said efforts today include more searches from the air and on water. Texas EquuSearch, a group specializing in horseback searches also arrived and is setting up to begin mapping out the scrub.

“We’ll expand this investigation as far as it needs to go,” Hardy said. “We worked late into last night interviewing people.”

Hardy said items have been sent for lab analysis but would not say what those were.

He said no favorite toys or other items of Haleigh’s appears to be missing from the mobile home off Buffalo Bluff Road.

“The best-case scenario is that we find this child alive and well,” he said.

http://www.jacksonville.com/news/metro/crime/2009-02-12/story/girlfriend_explains_more_of_what_she_knows_about_m issing_haleigh

[sarahhod]

Another Little Angel Goes Missing Investigators are treating Florida girl’s case as abduction

By MATT BARTOSIK (http://www.nbcchicago.com/results/?keywords=%22MATT+BARTOSIK%22&author=y&sort=date)
Updated 11:15 AM CST, Thu, Feb 12, 2009
Related Topics: Kevin Fox (http://www.nbcchicago.com/topics?topic=Kevin+Fox)

Police are trying to find 5-year-old Haleigh Ann-Marie Cummings, who allegedly disappeared from her Florida home five days ago.
"She's afraid of the dark," the little girl's father said.
So Florida authorities are finding it unlikely that 5-year-old Haleigh Ann-Marie Cummings wandered away from her Satsuma home.
Haleigh was last seen in bed at 10 p.m. Monday in her father's mobile home.
Misty Croslin, the father's 17-year-old girlfriend, told police that when she awoke at 3 a.m. to use the washroom, Haleigh was missing and the back door of the home was open. Investigators said there was no sign of forced entry.
Authorities are now treating the case as an abduction (http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5h1Nac1XKmGDPZKMEdJOz4f2oHBzgD96A1LHG0).
Haleigh's father, Ronald Cummings (http://www.nbcchicago.com/topics?topic=Ronald+Cummings), told police that he came home from work at 3:30 a.m. and is convinced his daughter was kidnapped (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29152045/).
Over 100 personnel from 25 agencies were involved in the search for the girl on Tuesday. Divers scoured the nearby St Johns River, and bloodhounds have searched the neighborhood.
The case is all too reminiscent of the Riley Fox abduction (http://abcnews.go.com/TheLaw/Story?id=6196896&page=3) from her home in Wilmington (http://www.nbcchicago.com/topics?topic=Wilmington), Ill.
On June 6, 2004, three-year-old Riley went missing sometime during the night.
The entire town of Wilmington helped search for the little girl. Her body was found days later in a creek in the Forsythe Woods, not far from the family's house. She had been sexually assaulted, bound and gagged with duct tape, and drowned.
The Fox residence, like the Cummings', also reportedly showed no signs of forced entry. Detectives interrogated both parents and heavily suspected Kevin Fox (http://www.nbcchicago.com/topics?topic=Kevin+Fox), Riley's father. Fox eventually offered a statement admitting the crime. However, he later said the confession was under duress, a result of 14 hours of heavy interrogation.
Fox was charged with first-degree murder and criminal sexual assault. He spent eight months in jail before he was exonerated on DNA evidence.
After the Foxes' lawyer argued that police deliberately ignored evidence of an intruder (much like the detectives in the infamous Jon Benet case), a federal jury awarded the Foxes $15.5 million in damages.
Last Thursday, a judge sealed Kevin Fox's arrest file (http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-ap-il-missingchild,0,3526439.story) from the public.
Riley Fox (http://www.nbcchicago.com/topics?topic=Riley+Fox)'s murder remains unsolved, as investigators in Florida continue to look for young Haleigh Cummings (http://www.nbcchicago.com/topics?topic=Haleigh+Cummings).

http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/Another-Little-Angel-Goes-Missing.html

[Micky_Spill]

I also think it is odd that LE won't reveal the lie detector results. If I'm not mistaken Jessica Lunsford's father and grandparents took LDT's and LE told the media they passed them.
Believe me if they both passed with flying colors, they would release that.

[annalyzer]

Wow I didn't realize it's been five days since she disappeared.

[Trailblazer]

Wow I didn't realize it's been five days since she disappeared.

It hasn't been 5 days...She went missing Monday nite, early Tuesday morning...and it's only Thurs. today...so it would only be 2 -1/2 days

[Pauli]

Let's not speculate or make something of the polygraph's until LE releases results please.

[annalyzer]

It hasn't been 5 days...She went missing Monday nite, early Tuesday morning...and it's only Thurs. today...so it would only be 2 -1/2 days

From Sarah's link above, "Police are trying to find 5-year-old Haleigh Ann-Marie Cummings, who allegedly disappeared from her Florida home five days ago. "

We have her listed missing as of the 9th so I suppose they are just counting the days, 9th through today.

[Trailblazer]

From Sarah's link above, "Police are trying to find 5-year-old Haleigh Ann-Marie Cummings, who allegedly disappeared from her Florida home five days ago. "

We have her listed missing as of the 9th so I suppose they are just counting the days, 9th through today.

That still only makes it 4 days...but I'm having a real hard time with all these news releases...So many errors in the reporting....

[Pauli]

From Sarah's link above, "Police are trying to find 5-year-old Haleigh Ann-Marie Cummings, who allegedly disappeared from her Florida home five days ago. "

We have her listed missing as of the 9th so I suppose they are just counting the days, 9th through today.

Today is only the 12th.. so that would make it 3 days... the media has a lot of misleading information according to LE...

[chambord]

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,491485,00.html

Confirmed by Fox, the girlfriend did take a LD.

[annalyzer]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29160662/

Search For Haleigh 'Will Expand As Far As It Needs To Go'
Mounted Search-And-Rescue To Assist Efforts


WJXT-TV
updated 47 minutes ago

SATSUMA, Fla. - As family members of a missing 5-year-old Putnam County girl pleaded for help on national television and law enforcement officials followed leads and interviewed everyone connected to the kindergartner, new resources joined the search on Thursday.

After 54 hours of intense searching and investigation, investigators said they still don't know what happened to Haleigh Cummings.

"We'll expand our investigation as far as it needs to go," Putnam County Sheriff Jeff Hardy said Thursday morning. "As far as whether or not Haleigh is still in the area, that is an unknown."

Haleigh was last seen at 10 p.m. Monday in her father's mobile home in Satsuma, where she went to sleep in a bedroom with her 3-year-old brother and her father's 17-year-old girlfriend.

On Wednesday night and Thursday morning, Haleigh's father, Ronald Cummings, made pleas for the safe return of his little girl on CNN, NBC and other national news outlets.

"I'd like to say if anybody's watching and they've seen the picture of my daughter and they've seen her anywhere, please get in contact with local law enforcement officer or Crimestoppers," Cummings told Channel 4. "I know what happened to my daughter. She came up missing out of my house in the middle of the night. Besides that, no I don't know."

The Putnam County Sheriff's Office said they must assume Haleigh was abducted because house-to-house searches of the neighborhood Wednesday found no evidence that she wandered away.

Ronald Cummings' girlfriend, Misty Croslin, said she woke up at 3 a.m. Tuesday and discovered the child missing and the back door of the home propped open with a concrete block. The father came home from work a few minutes later and both placed frantic calls to 911.

Cummings, Croslin and other family members and acquaintances were interviewed and offered lie-detector tests. Hardy would not confirm who had taken polygraph tests or discuss the results.

"Everybody, including the family -- and I want that for the record -- has been extremely cooperative with us," Putnam County Sheriff Jeff Hardy said.

The third morning after an Amber Alert was issued for Haleigh, Hardy said a renewed ground search would begin Thursday of the five miles surrounding the Cummings' home. Low cloud ceiling in the morning prevented helicopters from being used, but boats and divers were still in the St. Johns River, which is only about 1,000 yards from the mobile home park.

Texas Equusearch, a mounted search-and-rescue group which helped search for missing Orlando toddler Caylee Anthony last fall, was to arrive in Satsuma on Thursday.

"A fresh set of eyes and they'll be able to cover some of the terrain that's very difficult to get to and they'll be able to get to it by horseback," Hardy said.

Celebrity bounty hunter Leonard Padilla, who was involved in the Anthony case, has offered a $25,000 reward if Haleigh is returned before midnight Saturday.

The missing girl's loved ones have stayed in a tent yards away from Cumming's double-wide mobile home for most of the past two days as they leaned on each other for support.

While Cummings and Haleigh's mother are divorced and their relationship was described as rocky, mother Crystal Sheffield said "We get along."

"I don't know where she is or who has her. I just want her home," said Sheffield.

Haleigh's grandmother, Marie Griffiths, said the little girl would never willingly go with a stranger, but she still has hope the 5-year-old is alive.

"Haleigh is living and breathing. I don't feel that there's anything that has happened to her bad," Griffiths said.

Putnam County Sheriff Jeff Hardy said early Thursday that searches for Haleigh by air, ground and water would continue through the day. In addition to dozens of deputies and officers from surrounding counties, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the FBI were also involved in the case.

Authorities ask anyone with any information to call the Putnam County Sheriff's Office at 386-329-0800 or the FDLE's Missing Endangered Persons Information Clearinghouse at 888-FL-MISSING.

[Tracian]

http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/breaking/news-article.aspx?storyid=131173&catid=17

[Faith]

UNCUT Video: Girlfriend Tearfully Describes Finding Haleigh Gone

http://www.news4jax.com/video/18700882/

[F~M]

http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/breaking/news-article.aspx?storyid=131173&catid=17

George has said he wanted to do this type of work long before Caylee's remains were found. I hope it's therapeutic for him. I think it will be.

[Trailblazer]

http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/breaking/news-article.aspx?storyid=131173&catid=17

From your link

SATSUMA, FL -- The grandfather of Caylee Anthony, the little girl from Orlando found dead last December, is in Putnam County to offer support to the families of Haleigh Cummings.

Haleigh has been missing since she went to bed Monday night.

George Anthony is now meeting with Haleigh's father, Ronald Cummings. Authorities tell us the two will have lunch together.

Caylee Anthony disappeared last summer. Police found her remains last December. Caylee's mother Casey is charged in her killing.


Good for George...

[annalyzer]

UNCUT Video: Girlfriend Tearfully Describes Finding Haleigh Gone

http://www.news4jax.com/video/18700882/

They cut it off right when she was asked if she left the light on. This is the first I've heard about the gf finding a light on.

[chambord]

From your link

SATSUMA, FL -- The grandfather of Caylee Anthony, the little girl from Orlando found dead last December, is in Putnam County to offer support to the families of Haleigh Cummings.

Haleigh has been missing since she went to bed Monday night.

George Anthony is now meeting with Haleigh's father, Ronald Cummings. Authorities tell us the two will have lunch together.

Caylee Anthony disappeared last summer. Police found her remains last December. Caylee's mother Casey is charged in her killing.


Good for George...

I just posted this link on Caylee's board. I'm proud of George to reach out. Good for him!!

moo

[dega101653]

I don't find LE not releasing the LD test results that disturbing at this point. Sometimes the test are inconclusive thus they won't release them. Maybe a test given so close to the time of dissapearance would matter. Inconclusive means you neither failed nor passed so they wouldn't want the public or media jumping on any one thing or person until LE are sure where the case is leading.

Hence all the "different" and "conflicting" stories out. You usually have LE's view and the victims/victims families view. If you throw in a divorce/custody issue then the points of views given can be swayed by emotion and NOT by the facts.

I have know of innocent defendants failing LD test here and also some guilty passing them. The main reason they are not admissible in court.