It’s been a week since 5-year-old Haleigh Cummings disappeared from her home.
The massive, 5-mile area ground search by hundreds of volunteers, including Tim Miller of Texas EqquSearch, has been suspended and the volunteers have pulled out.
"It's frustrating," Chief Deputy Rick Ryan of the Putnam County Sheriff's Department said. Police encouraged the family to remain hopeful little Haleigh will be found alive.
On Monday, the family pleaded for search teams to stay and continue to search for their missing daughter.
"I encourage anyone who wants to help me to look for my daughter to come back and help me look," said Cummings.
Authorities stress they haven’t given up searching for Haleigh. They have received more than 500 tips to follow-up on and that is why the command center has been moved from a trailer in Satsuma to the county offices in Palatka. The move gives investigators greater access to computers, phone lines, and resources.
Many of the leads have been have been investigated, but so far, authorities have come up empty handed.
Haleigh's mother, father, his girlfriend, and extended family members have been re-interviewed.
Authorities are now focusing on reviewing and confirming witness statements as well as establishing a timeline around Haleigh’s disappearance.
Sources
firstcoastnews.com
MSNBC
jacksonville.com
Showing posts with label Misty Croslin. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Misty Croslin. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Haleigh Cummings – The Search Continues
It's been almost a week since Haleigh was reported missing. She was last seen in her father's Satsuma, Florida trailer about 10 p.m. Monday.
Ronald Cummings' 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.
The initial reports indicated the girlfriend, 17-year-old Misty Croslin, had been sleeping next to the girl. Croslin now says that she had been sleeping beside Haleigh's younger brother. Croslin said Haleigh was in her own bed when she went to sleep. Croslin awoke hours later and found Haleigh was gone.
There was no sign of forced entry and the back door to Cummings mobile home held open by a brick.
Haleigh's father, his girlfriend, and the child's mother are all cooperating with the investigation. Investigators do not have any suspects but, 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. Both Cummings and Croslin passed the polygraphs.
Several objects deemed "items of interest" found by searchers on Friday are not related to Haleigh's disappearance according to the Putnam County Sheriff's Office.
Officials have suspended the dive searches in the St. Johns River, but air and ground searches will continue.
Haleigh’s maternal grandmother, Marie Griffis, believes Haleigh is still alive and regrets criticizing Cummings and Croslin earlier during a TV interview.
"I'm too old to be criticizing the two, because they're still babies," she said, referring to 25-year-old Cummings and 17-year-old Croslin. "I feel maybe I've done some damage to Misty's heart, and I can't live with myself for doing that.
"The Lord knows that I want to apologize ... and I want to do it face to face," Griffis said.
Griffis' daughter, Crystal Sheffield, is Haleigh's biological mother.
Every interview with family members show how distraught they are - nothing like what we've seen with Casey Anthony.
Gainesville.com
Orlando Sentinel
Ronald Cummings' 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.
The initial reports indicated the girlfriend, 17-year-old Misty Croslin, had been sleeping next to the girl. Croslin now says that she had been sleeping beside Haleigh's younger brother. Croslin said Haleigh was in her own bed when she went to sleep. Croslin awoke hours later and found Haleigh was gone.
There was no sign of forced entry and the back door to Cummings mobile home held open by a brick.
Haleigh's father, his girlfriend, and the child's mother are all cooperating with the investigation. Investigators do not have any suspects but, 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. Both Cummings and Croslin passed the polygraphs.
Several objects deemed "items of interest" found by searchers on Friday are not related to Haleigh's disappearance according to the Putnam County Sheriff's Office.
Officials have suspended the dive searches in the St. Johns River, but air and ground searches will continue.
Haleigh’s maternal grandmother, Marie Griffis, believes Haleigh is still alive and regrets criticizing Cummings and Croslin earlier during a TV interview.
"I'm too old to be criticizing the two, because they're still babies," she said, referring to 25-year-old Cummings and 17-year-old Croslin. "I feel maybe I've done some damage to Misty's heart, and I can't live with myself for doing that.
"The Lord knows that I want to apologize ... and I want to do it face to face," Griffis said.
Griffis' daughter, Crystal Sheffield, is Haleigh's biological mother.
Every interview with family members show how distraught they are - nothing like what we've seen with Casey Anthony.
Gainesville.com
Orlando Sentinel
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