PUTNAM COUNTY, FL -- After Ronald Cummings and his new wife, Misty Croslin Cummings, appeared on The Today Show Friday morning, the Putnam County Sheriff's Office commented on what was said.
For the first time, investigators mentioned their concerns about inconsistencies with Misty Cummings' story about what happened the night 5-year-old Haleigh Cummings disappeared.
Captain Dick Schauland confirmed Friday morning that investigators do have concerns about the timeline Misty has provided.
Schauland told First Coast News, "What happened during that eight-hour time period from 7 p.m. to 3 a.m. when she found the child missing and what occurred during that time is what [investigators] are trying to straighten out."
On The Today Show interview, Misty agreed there were inconsistencies but could not explain why.
Misty also said she felt like she was not a suspect. Ronald Cummings supported her and explained one of the lead detectives told him Misty was not a suspect in Haleigh's disappearance.
When asked if Misty Cummings was a suspect, Captain Schauland told First Coast News Friday, "I would not list Misty as a suspect. We just want to get the timeline straightened out. Our most important thing is finding Haleigh. That's more important than anything else. And Misty's the key to that."
Misty also mentioned on The Today Show that she had taken a polygraph and that she was told she passed it.
Just a couple hours later, Capt. Schauland said the agency was not releasing any information involving the polygraphs. He has said this many times. He did say however, that people who take polygraphs are "normally not told weather they pass or didn't pass."
He added, "I'm not talking about this case; I'm talking about polygraphs in general, but usually there's a line of questioning and it either shows deception or to be inconclusive on question one, two or three. But it really isn't a pass or fail thing."
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19 comments:
She's lying for Ron.
You can't be forced to testify against your spouse. Hence the marriage?
SInce Ron has beaten the kids and Biomom in the past and since Misty also has hit the kids, maybe they went too far that night, threw Haleigh against the wall, and broke her neck? They disposed of the body, Ron went to work as usual the next day or so, then concocted the story about the door being pried open with a brick when he returned home one night. The main reason for the marriage is spousal immunity; husband and wife cannot be compelled to testify against the other. They must have gotten a lawyer to advise them to marry before the courts got involved.
Misty is in for a rough life. A man who beat his children, beat Biomom, and called Misty a Biatch during the 911 call likely beat up Misty many times already. Stupid girl should have run far, far away from this woman-beater and child abuser.
First,this happened before the marriage,does that still apply?Second ?...From whom did they rent from?Someone that rented and /or lived there before. MUST have known that the doors "banged" as they did, and would have to have known to prop the door.
My theory is that the real reason they were married, and quickly, is that she is pregnant and it will make Ron look even worse if this is his fourth illegitimate child and he's only 25. He didn't marry Crystal, he has another little child by a girl named Amber (or was it the child's name, Amber?) and to have Misty pop up pregnant amongst all this...sure is irresponsible to me.
A married person can not be forced to testify against their own spouse, but that does not mean they can't, and does not apply to time before the marriage. I looked that up by googling spousal privilage in criminal trial.
The inconsistancies in what she said don't bother me that much, was Hayleigh on her own mattress or on the big matress/ did she pee or not pee, Ron is screaming he's going to kill whomever did this, the cops are coming, she will make herself sound as innocent as she can, and maybe she is. Dunno.
What glares in my eye is her talking about having washed the blanket from the window and Hayleigh's blanket between 8 and 10 when she put the kids down for bed. Hayleigh couldn't have wet the bed and gotten it just on the blanket--what about the sheet? Was the mattress still damp? Scott Peterson washed his marina clothes after he dumped Laci. Drew Peterson washed his clothes after he killed Kathleen Savio. Given the fact that Teresa Neves says there was always laundry on the floor, I would think the washer and dryer would have some amount of clothes in one, if not both. That's a lot of last minute laundry for someone who doesn't seem to do a lot of laundry.
And just where IS that blanket?
My theory is that after the kids were asleep,
Misty walked the block over to Linsey's house--maybe to get high. I think there was someone there who then knew the kids were at the trailer alone, and left Linsey's long before Misty. Misty may have left out the back door and left the inside door open.
Then whoever had evil in their mind went straight to the trailer, and they WOULD have to know that the door slammed AND that the kids slept in the bedroom with the adults and teenagers. :)
On the other hand, kids don't often just go to bed quietly and without some drama. Could be Misty lost her temper when Hayleigh wouldn't go to sleep and did something to her. The problem with that though, is where could she have hidden the body, and why do the scent dogs do a loop around the neighborhood on the north of the house, then go past Linsey's house and end at the railroad crossing, where police have been focusing this past week?
Did Misty have access to a car? I've never heard.
How does anyone know Chrystal did not tell the LE about the abuse right off the bat?
You know, I think she did. I've been going through the first transcripts because I am SURE that someone on Crystal's side showed that abuse photo fairly early on. The story was that Haleigh had run by Ron, or into him, and he swung at her, causing her to fall on her face. I'll post it when I find it.
p.s. And now we hear about the van!
What if this story was like a twister version of the movie Gone, Baby Gone?
Well, stranger things have happened!!
The infamous Geraldo interview. I found it.
RIVERA: Has he ever hit Haleigh?
SHEFFIELD: Um, my cousin, Candice, told me when we got down here for this incident, that, um, he come to her house — it was Ronald, Haleigh, Junior and Misty. And Haleigh bumped into him or smarted off to him and she said he just backhanded her. And she fell flat on her face on the porch.
RIVERA: Marie, you have a picture of Haleigh.
MARIE GRIFFIS, HALEIGH'S GRANDMA: Yes.
RIVERA: Do you want me to see it?
GRIFFIS: Yes. You get it.
RIVERA: Alright this is a picture, a disturbing picture, that shows Haleigh with an obvious black eye, a cut on her nose and the — a bruise that goes from the top of her left eye all the way down to the left side of her cheek.
Now I understand the school records indicate that she had an accident at school. Are these injuries the result of that accident?
GRIFFIS: Uh, that’s what we were told, that she fell at school...
SHEFFIELD: [OVERLAP] The nurse said that all she had was a scratch on her nose.
RIVERA: So you believe that Ron Cummings hit this child?
SHEFFIELD: I don’t know if he hit her or if she fell down or any other incident happened. But that did not happen at school. The nurse said she had a scratch on her nose.
It was Sunday, Feb 22.
Hayleigh "went missing" on Feb 10.
I hate to say it, but at this point I have to say I fear Haleigh is dead. Why does Ron speak of her in the past tense? Why when married did they say, "This is what Haleigh would have wanted?" What about the tattoo as a tribute to his daughter? Did Casey Anthony not do the same thing before a body was discovered? I believe that Ron has a temper but I can not say for sure what happened to the child because I was not there. There are so many possibilities and we may never know the truth, but I think the community should reach out to help, instead of immediately judge these people. We know little of their pasts, their experiences, and their resources available to help them cope. I fear for Misty, and I hope that she is not involved in any way in the disappearance, although I think she may have tried to help 'cover up' the crime. What I think happened, honestly, is that Ron backhanded the little girl and possibly she hit her head on a table, either causing death immediately or later in the evening when Misty was watching her. Head injuries can either cause immediate death, or, if there is a slow bleed in the brain, it can take hours for the brain stem to be compressed enough to result in death. I imagine that Misty wanted to cover up the death so Ron would not get in trouble or lose Jr., and after disposing of the body, she washed the blanket she used to transport the body. I think she constructed the story of Haleigh missing to cover up what actually happened. I think that she may have shared the truth with Ron after reporting the ‘abduction’ to police; The truth being that later that night after Ron hit Haleigh and then went to work, Misty found Haleigh not breathing and since Misty didn't want Ron in trouble or to lose Jr., she disposed of the body and constructed the disappearance story. In their uneducated minds, I can see someone advising Ron to marry Misty so she can not testify against him for hitting the little girl, and so he would not be required to testify about her disposing of the body. I trust Misty loves and cares for Haleigh, I am sure she thinks she loves Ron, but I feel she is too young to be able to fully understand the lifelong impact of her impulsive decisions. Again, I just hope this family receives help. I would love for Haleigh to be found alive, but I fear that will not happen.
By the way, although I feel both parents need help, I think people should stop attacking Crystal! She is finding the strength to finally get her power back!!! Victims of domestic violence are stripped of their self esteem by the abuser, and it takes time to heal, build self esteem, and take power back from the abuser. Some women become victims of domestic violence because they initially lacked self esteem; they felt worthless to some degree or thought they deserved the abuse. Many of these types of women were either abused as children/teens or witnessed abuse. Women (and men) in abusive situations tend to have a higher incidence of substance abuse; usually as a way to 'escape' their problems. Substance abuse also occurs with depression or mental health issues. The culture of the Putnam county seems to be extremely redneck, with the majority of the community lacking education. I believe it is the lack of education and lack of access to services that makes Crystal look like a bad mother; and I do not see that as entirely being her fault. I do believe in personal accountability, but I also understand the emotional tsunami that victims of abuse are attempting to survive. The children are the losers in this situation. I do not think that most in law enforcement, or even may doctors, fully understand the emotional tsunami victims of abuse are attempting to survive. In situations of abuse, the goal is survival, there is no time to think about anything else. It is difficult to cope on a daily basis, let alone think rationally. Each day is about surviving that day. People need to stop asking victims why they didn't leave earlier, why they didn't fight for their kids, why they use drugs, and instead focus on the fact that something traumatic happened to make a woman react this way!!! It is a mother's instinct to fight for her children, but in cases of extreme abuse the mother (or father, to be fair) can be stripped of her power to the degree that it is all she can do to ensure her own survival. I do not think there is an understanding of the cognitive impairment resulting from abuse because of emotional overload. Some of the cognitive impairment is the result of substance abuse, because victims use substances to 'escape' feeling their pain or dealing with their problems. This should not be blamed on the victim, but be recognized as a coping mechanism. Abused victims are isolated and can not use a social network for support, so it is easier to use a substance to deal with the emotional overload. In many areas victims lack resources to services to help them. Even in areas where services exist, those services are usually overloaded and in high demand. This country has come a long way to recognize that domestic abuse happens and that it is not good. I do not think the country has done a good job providing resources for individuals identified as abused, nor do I think the country comprehends the emotional fragility of an abuse victim. The systems meant to protect victims often revictimize. Until there is proper education about the complexities surrounding domestic violence, there can not be change!!! I just hope that this family being under the spotlight will allow both sides of the family access the appropriate services, all in the hopes of ensuring a better future for the children. Feel free to email me at scparentadvocate@yahoo.com if you have comments. :-)
Misty does not have a drivers license, this has
been confirmed. Misty has driven Haleigh to school, (so she said) in a recent interview, who knows if she thought she was driving a car. She just keeps getting more confused with tales.
Has anyone even approached Misty's developmental status? Honestly, from the first time I looked at her, heard her speak, watched her on interviews, I kept asking, "Is this girl "right"? Is she learning disabled? She is flat as flat can be! Has anyone heard? Am I the only one???
I read but I can't tell you where I read:
That she completed the 7th or 8th grade
Her family moved to four different States
and many addresses. She didn't know what inches where from a foot or the word numerical. chilling
that someone could not know what inches where in
measurement.
Misty Croslin IS guilty .She is forever correcting herself when speaking of Haleigh in the past tense ."That girl loves ...Loved Me" is a common saying of hers .
i thank misty killed that little girl r know what happen
Maybe for disposal-she fed her to the gators! Could that be a possibility???
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