This just in from TJ Hart – Jan Barrett
The list of new leads in the abduction case of HaLeigh Cummings last February is almost non-existent these days. So far, all anyone really knows is that HaLeigh is described as a 6 year old white female. She is approximately 3’0, 39 lbs, blonde hair & brown eyes. Her clothing description is unknown.
HaLeigh was last seen at her father’s home in the Hermit’s Cove area of Putnam County on February 9, 2009 between the hours of 8-10pm.
A statewide Amber Alert has been issued. More than $30,000 in rewards has been posted.
After that, the rest is really up for grabs.
There has been no solid timeline provided by the last person to see her who is Misty Croslin– the child’s babysitter-turned stepmom-turned ex-stepmom all in the last ten months. Investigators say some of what Croslin has told them about the night HaLeigh was taken conflicts with the physical evidence gathered in the case.
Police don’t even know for sure if Croslin was even home at the time the child disappeared.
Beyond that, it has been mostly a job for the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, FDLE and the FBI to chase down and follow up on tips, rumors and agenda-driven information provided by many.
Family members on all sides of this case in which police say is a non-stranger abduction appear to be somewhere between optimistic and doubtful. They say they are optimistic that HaLeigh will be found, but have recently told reporters they don’t know whether or not to completely trust LE with anything anymore.
Then there are the others in the mix who have been taking turns going to jail or acting out in a manner that one would not associate with that of a family who is missing a child—but those stories are a sideshow attraction and have nothing to do with this missing child.
Ever since HaLeigh disappeared, there have been those who have wanted to insert themselves into the story for some reason or another that only they can rationalize. Some are good-hearted well-intended folks with a desire to help while others are simply off the chain looking for their 15 seconds of fame.
The ones I believe who were only trying to help include the list of psychic visionaries who have come up empty so far and those people who have reported the alleged sightings of HaLeigh that have wound up being dead ends.
The rumor starters are not helping:
·        HaLeigh was being held at a safe house in Georgia
·        She was taken by a trucker from Texas, but is now living in the Midwest with a photographer
·        HaLeigh is being held against her will in a bunker
·        The girl was taken away by foreigners
·        She’s living in Mexico
·        Drug dealers are holding her hostage
·        He did it
·        She did it
Neither are those who try to physically participate:
·        The woman who dropped off that “tip†at the St. Augustine newspaper office after leading police on a wild goose chase
·        Unofficial searches
·        Those who willfully distorted and continue to manipulate and rearrange the facts to suit their personal agendas online (this is a very long list….and it continues to grow)
Who to trust and who to disregard can be difficult when you are consumed with only trying to find your child or grandchild.
At the end of the day, the families of HaLeigh Cummings do not care about anything else but finding her.
Most of them have said to those of us in the press on more than one occasion in past several months, “Please, find her! This has gone on too long and whoever did this need to pay, and we don’t care who it is.â€
TJ Hart
19 users commented in " Haleigh Cummings – Reporter’s Notes: Who Do You Trust? "
Follow-up comment rss or Leave a TrackbackThank you, TJ, for all you’ve done. You’ve been a real professional working hard to uncover and report the facts as well as making it clear when something has been said that may or may not be fact. Somehow you’re one of the few who has managed to avoid sensationalizing the situation and always remembered that this is about a lost little girl. Thank you!
Thank You everyone who has kept this story alive.
Unfortunately, we may never know what happened.
My theory is she was abducted by a stranger. Anything more would have been resolved by now.
Thank You everyone who has kept this story alive.
Unfortunately, we may never know what happened.
My theory is she was abducted by a stranger. Anything more would have been resolved by now.
My theory is Ronald did it.
My theory is both Misty and Ronald knows something. Just wish someone will come forward and speak the truth about what really happen to this little girl. Drugs seems to be a problem with everyone in that county. Some day the truth will come out…
Jan, Simon, Tj all those keeping this precious little girls name out there thank you. You dont hear anything about her on the news, nancy grace, jane mitchell either nothing. Not unless someone mention to bring her up or something breaking in the case. Its sad almost a year but look how long it took them to find the other precious little girl Caylee. And found her close to home.
My prayers are with these missing children and miss young adults and adults mothers that are missing.
Ron didn’t do anything to his child.
Beside get involved with a child who knew no better in life. (MIsty)
Thank you for this article & the continued efforts toward locating Haleigh Cummings and other missing, abducxted, or lost children.
I will be glad when all of the information on what has gone on will be made public. We will then know who did what, when, and maybe even why. Till then all we can do is guess and speculate.
Thanks for this aricle TJ and thanks to Jan and Simon for posting it. I dont have a theory anymore.All i do daily is pray for all these kids missing out there. I feel this is all thats left to do is pray.
TJ:
“Then there are the others in the mix who have been taking turns going to jail or acting out in a manner that one would not associate with that of a family who is missing a child—but those stories are a sideshow attraction and have nothing to do with this missing child”
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TJ, thanks as always for you articles, we appreciate you keeping us informed however you can especially when there is no news.
I have to disagree that the acting out by some members of Haleigh’s family have nothing at all to do with her missing. I don’t see it as only a sideshow.
I have my eyes on Hank Jr, I see him as someone whose life is crumbling and he is acting out. He placed himself at the trailer that night. I think the Croslin clan including Lindsy know more than is being let out to the public.
you forgot to mention the rumour she was kidnapped by a retired law enforcement officer whos daughter recently died.
Thank you for the article, TJ. My heart goes out to Haleigh’s family members. Maybe they will find some comfort in knowing, that there are people such as yourself, Jan, Simon and many of us, who truly care.
There are people who know where Haleigh is, or where she can be found. It only takes one, to be that angel of mercy, just one to light the way.
I too agree that how the people surrounding Haleigh before she disappeared & thier behaviors prior to her disappearance and post-disappearance are very relative. I see it as “evidence” a lawyer would use to implicate or exonerate. If it’s being broadcast as News worthy, then why are we to not see it as pertaining to Haleigh even if the article insists that the reported incident has no bearing on Haleigh’s disappearance. Why shouldn’t we apply what we know about other cases to this case or future cases. This being that those closest to the child prior to the abuction should be checked into: lifestyle, where-abouts, associations, dropped associations post abduction, behaviors, behaviors post-abduction, family members, etc. This is always done, then possibly discarded if there is evidence that someone unknown to the family may be the perpetrator.
LE states that this is a NON-STRANGER abduction. This says that Ron Cummings, Misty, or thier friends, family, or neighbors (someone inside their community) is the culprit. So these are the people we SHOULD be looking at as well. SO or not. Family member or not. We have no other leads to go by, so it is what it is.
Also NON-STRANGER abduction could include Crystal, her family, friends & Community members. Someone could have seen her or met her in Baker county then followed or tracked her to Green Ln
“………Ever since HaLeigh disappeared, there have been those who have wanted to insert themselves into the story for some reason or another that only they can rationalize…….”
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Cobra? Kim? Art?
Thank you all for keeping Haleigh’s name in the public eye. I can barely stand to think of this story anymore. What? She’s just gone, that’s it? Life goes on? I can’t accept that. Especially when no one has been held accountable.
My theory is that either Misty’s creepy cousin or her brother did something to Haleigh. I do not believe, unfortunately, that she is still living. I think Misty went to party leaving the kids to sleep…either the cousin or the brother molested Haleigh and either she died from medical issues or they killed her. Misty came home and helped them cover it up either out of fear or because she was told she’d be held accountable too because she wasn’t home. The van was used to get rid of Haleigh’s body…Nothing about Misty’s story adds up and I think someone in her family is involved. She is afraid of Ron and/or being jailed as an accomplice so she isn’t talking. Misty KNOWS what happened. I think Ron has his suspicions but no proof. I do not think Ron had anything to do with this.
There was a time I was hoping Crystal’s family was involved and Haleigh was being kept in hiding. But I don’t think they would take one child and leave Jr. behind. I truly believe something more sinister took place. Haleigh was most likely dumped in the river where gators destroyed the evidence and thus she will never be found. Without Misty, the cousin and/or the brother coming clean we will never know the truth. Obviously not the outcome that any of us hope for but unfortunately, IMO, it is the most likely reality. I pray I’m wrong but my gut tells me otherwise.
JB….Ditto to all
I truly believe what happened to little Haleigh was an accident. Ron would never hurt her. I believe she ingested something, or got into the middle of a fight and died or was dying. Ron and Misty called TN and AS (along with the nurse)to help them. When Haleigh finally did die they called DS (TN’s brother) to come over and dispose of the body. Remember he is the one who said, “I don’t snitch on family.” What a weird thing to say after what happed to Haleigh!!
I don’t believe TN would do that. I also don’t believe she could be so broken and worried about Haleigh if she knew she were already dead. I also think she wouldn’t have done all the NG and interviews if she knew she were dead and wanted it to just die. To me that makes no sense. jmo
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