Lawyer for Haleigh’s mom reveals investigation details

Wednesday, 25 Mar 2009,

MATT SAFFER FOX 35 News

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

“Just your typical sex drugs and rock and roll life style that is not conducive to raising children,” said Picazio. “Not one of the things I’ve heard about what goes on in the home would I even consider letting my child watch on TV, let alone exposing him to it.”

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

“I would be committing malpractice if I chose to hold off on bringing those allegations to the proper authorities,” said Picazio. “Conditions of neglect to outright child abuse and to the conditions in the home which would not be conducive to raising any child.”

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

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

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

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

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

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