HomeNewsDCF finds no abuse in Haleigh Cummings case
The missing girl's younger brother may remain in same home.
By Dana TreenStory updated at 5:22 AM on Friday, Jul. 17, 2009EMAILPRINTBLOG THISCOMMENTBuzz up! Photos

BOB SELF/The Times-Union
Ronald Cummings and his wife, Misty Croslin, may retain custody of Cummings' son, 4.
BOB SELFThe younger brother of missing 5-year-old Haleigh Cummings will stay with his father and stepmother after a finding by state child welfare workers that neither child was abused, attorneys representing the parents said.

Ronald Cummings Jr., 4, will remain with Ronald Cummings after the state Department of Children and Families concluded an investigation driven in part by the boy's biological mother. Haleigh Cummings remains missing.

"We did not find any indications of abuse," said Children and Families spokesman John Harrell. He said the finding was made several weeks ago.

Harrell said the agency "strongly encouraged" Cummings and his wife, Misty Cummings, to take parenting classes.

He said the agency does not have the authority to order parenting classes.

In the more than five months since Haleigh disappeared from Cummings' mobile home in southern Putnam County, attorney Kim Picazio has said the kindergartner was abused and that her younger brother was in danger. Picazio was speaking on behalf of Haleigh and Ronald Jr.'s mother, Crystal Sheffield, who lives in Baker County and did not have primary custody.

Haleigh lived with her father and his 17-year-old girlfriend, Misty Croslin, who he has since married.

Thursday, Picazio said a new agreement has been reached between Cummings and Sheffield over visitation and other co-parenting issues. She said it primarily clarified standing agreements about those issues and was filed in court this week.

She said she is also withdrawing from the case and will no longer represent Sheffield. Palatka attorneys Greg Kimball and T. Jerry Snider also said Thursday they will no longer represent Cummings. The three lawyers all were working pro bono.

Picazio said an outstanding issue of approximately $12,000 Sheffield owed Cummings in child support has been settled by a donor from Texas.

In a news release, Kimball and Snider said there are no pending legal issues involving Cummings. A Web site dedicated to the case where the attorneys posted releases will remain online, but will not be updated by them.

They were not available for comment Thursday, a representative in their office said.

In the release, Cummings' attorneys said they had provided the Putnam County Sheriff's Office with information they "believe may be beneficial in the search for Haleigh."

Thursday, Sheriff's Office spokesman Johnny Greenwood said detectives had not received any "credible information" from the law firm and had not had contact with them since April or early May.

Picazio said she and Sheffield's family came to a mutual agreement that she step down. She said she has done what she can as a family law attorney but had been unfairly attacked by observers and others in the case.

"I seem to get a lot of criticism for raising family issues which is what I do," she said. "People have really taken sides in this case."

Picazio raised issues regarding both Cummings children and met with Children and Families investigators about what she believes was abuse. Harrell said he could not reveal who brought complaints to the agency, but has said in the past that there have been meetings with Picazio.

Haleigh was discovered missing at 3 a.m. Feb. 10 when Cummings' then-girlfriend woke up and discovered she had disappeared. Immediate searches and subsequent investigative work has not turned

Monday, August 3, 2009 http://www.myspace.com/balloonsforhaleigh


The Family of Missing HaLeigh Ann-Marie Cummings to Hold Balloon Release in Honor of HaLeigh’s Birthday


The Family of HaLeigh Ann-Marie Cummings, Missing From Satsuma Since February 10, 2009, is Asking the Public to Join Them in a Balloon Release on August 17, 2009 at 2:16 p.m. EDT.


Satsuma, FL – Today, the family of HaLeigh Cummings is inviting people across the United States to join them in a balloon release on August 17th to honor HaLeigh’s 6th birthday, as well as to help raise awareness across the country that HaLeigh is still missing. The family is asking the public for their help by joining the family in the balloon release.

Ronald Cummings, father of HaLeigh stated, "I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone that is helping with HaLeigh’s birthday balloon release. Please bring my baby home. I love her and I miss her with all of my heart."

HaLeigh’s family is very thankful to all those that are joining the family in honoring HaLeigh on her birthday, as well as in helping to keep HaLeigh’s picture out in the public eye. Ms. Teresa Neves, HaLeigh’s paternal grandmother said, "I hope that somebody will see HaLeigh’s flier and it will help bring my baby home to the family who loves her and misses her dearly."

To participate, print out a HaLeigh’s flier from the FDLE Missing Child website link below. You can then take the flier to any location where a helium balloon can be purchased – purchase either a red or a purple balloon, which are HaLeigh’s two favorite colors – roll up the flier, insert it into the balloon, and have the balloon inflated.

The family is asking everyone to release the balloons on August 17th at exactly 2:16 p.m. EDT in honor of HaLeigh’s 2:16 a.m. birth time. The family feels that the 2:16 p.m. release time is a perfect time to honor HaLeigh’s birth. "We would be in the middle of HaLeigh’s birthday party if HaLeigh was home with us, so that is the perfect time to release the balloons," stated Ms. Neves.

Please join Ronald Cummings and all of HaLeigh’s family and friends in releasing a balloon on August 17th at 2:16 p.m. EDT, in honor of HaLeigh’s birthday and to help HaLeigh find her way home.

Fliers can be easily printed from the listed website:

http://www.fdle.state.fl.us/mcicsearch/FlyerNewPerson.asp?Case_Id=28474&case_nbr=

(Please remove excess paper on the printed flier so your balloon will fly)

# # #


　

Media Contact:

Penny Lee

863-618-6367

balloonsforhaleigh@gmail.com

Please, pray for her and her family. God bless you Haleigh, it is time to come home baby!!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/user/floodofnoah#play/all/uploads-all/0/XEHt_TZ4qu4[/youtube]

In-Laws Say Haleigh's Dad Put Dead Rat In Mailbox
Hank Croslin Says Neighbor Saw Cummings Do It
POSTED: 4:03 pm EDT August 12, 2009
UPDATED: 4:36 pm EDT August 12, 2009


SATSUMA, Fla. -- The father of a missing Putnam County girl is having more trouble with his in-laws.

Ronald Cummings, father of 5-year-old Haleigh Cummings, stuffed a dead rat into his new father-in-law's mailbox, Hank Croslin told the Putnam County Sheriff's Office.

Croslin filed the report Wednesday, saying that a neighbor saw Cummings put the rodent in his mailbox at about midnight Tuesday.

The Putnam County Sheriff's Office is investigating the claim.

This latest scuffle comes just days after Cummings was booked into the Putnam County Jail on charges that he beat up Hank Croslin and his wife Misty Croslin's brother at the couple's home.

During that incident, the Croslins said Misty called them in the middle of the night asking them to pick her up because she didn't want to live with Cummings anymore -- so they went to get their daughter. The family was finally able to drive away and dialed 911 for help. Deputies eventually spoke with Cummings.

Haleigh Cummings, 5, was reported missing from her home in Satsuma in February, and no trace of the girl has been found. A $35,000 reward remains available for her return.

The Department of Children and Families closed an abuse investigation into Ronald Cummings last month and found no evidence against him in his daughter's disappearance.

Cummings proposed to Croslin in a Palatka Chili's on March 8 and the two wed shortly after.

There will be a very important news release concerning HaLeigh later today. I wish,I could go into more details, but I can't at this time. It is good news and hopefully will help bring HaLeigh home.

I know there have been negative stories about Ronald Cummings in the news recently, but you are only hearing one side of it. Ronald did not put a decapitated rat in the Croslin's mail box. There are 5 witness's who were with him and Misty when this was to have taken place. Also, his truck does not run has been broken down for three weeks.

More will come to the surface concerning his arrest . It is not as it seems to be.

Please, go to " Write Into Action" and read all of the information posted there. It is backed up with facts. I miss you all, but as you will see later today, I have been a little busy.

God bless all of my friends.

Yia Yia

Six months since Haleigh
disappeared
Updated: Monday, 10 Aug 2009, 11:36 AM EDT
Published : Monday, 10 Aug 2009, 9:58 AM EDT

PUTNAM COUNTY, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35) - It has been six months since anyone has seen Haleigh Cummings. The Putnam County girl has been missing since Februrary.

According to investigators in Putnam County, Haleigh was kidnapped early on February 10th.
The last person to see the five-year-old was her father's girlfriend, now wife, Misty Croslin, who placed the 911 call alerting police to Haliegh's disappearance.

Though authorities still have no suspect in the case, police say the Cummings case is not yet cold. A gathering of various law enforcement agencies on June 5 determined that there are still leads to follow up on. If you have any information on Haleigh's disappearance, please call 911.

Art Harris Privately Admits Knowledge of Faked Photographs

(Photo-journalist secretly paid thousands by William 'Cobra' Staubs to provide P/R for Crystal Sheffield and her attorney, Kim Picazio)

August 12, 2009

by Timothy Charles Holmseth

Ft. Lauderdale Private Investigator William 'Cobra' Staubs said Photo-journalist Art Harris, who sometimes appears on CNN, was paid thousands of dollars to follow Staubs around during his search activities regarding the HaLeigh Cummings disappearance. The fact that money had exchanged hands was supposed to be kept secret from the public.

Staubs said he agreed to pay Harris $5,000 (but paid him slightly less.) Whether or not there were subsequent payments is not known.

Thank you for what you are doing for this little girl. I've been following the case since she first 'disappeared and, frankly, much of what has come to light is mind blowing. I am starting to believe that you are the ONLY person out there who wants what really happened to come out. Please continue requesting the FBI take this investigation over. Something is not right in Satsuma, and I feel there is a lot of 'covering up' being done. Someone on a national level with no stakes in the local scene needs to take this over and find out what happened to this poor little girl.
- Reader
William 'Cobra' Staubs

The monetary payment effectively made Harris a public relations agent for Staubs, as Staubs acted as private investigator for Crystal Sheffield and her attorney, Kim Picazio.

The catalog of stories written by Harris and published at artharris.com (The Bald Truth) will provide one with an idea of what Sheffield, Staubs, and Picazio received for the money.

Staubs also said Harris admitted to him that a HaLeigh Cummings photo, which Harris had publicly stated was original and personally vouched for, was in fact re-touched.

Please stay safe - as I don't think anyone who wants this little girl HOME and the truth KNOWN is safe right now. My prayers are with you and your family. Please continue to report any and all threats, as I think this is their MO there... they threaten those who want to expose the truth. So sad, when there is a 5 year old's life in the balance.
-Reader



Art Harris


Staubs recounted by paraphrase what Harris told him in mid-July about the controversial photographs. “Art in as much admitted to me that something was going on with the pictures – he said ‘what if we cleaned up a little acne or something like that?”

Staubs said Harris used the word "we."

The alleged admission by Harris is significant because he had been publicly defending the integrity of the photos on his website.

Staubs said Harris sounded proud of what he had done. “It’s kind of like he gave me an itty bitty smirk out there, you know, maybe we did this (to the photo),” Staubs recounted, explaining how Harris was justifying the deception.

The conversation between Staubs and Harris about the photo was sparked by repeated emails and telephone calls Staubs said he was receiving from Harris. Staubs said Harris kept contacting him and asking him to apply some kind of pressure on Timothy Holmseth (publisher of Write Into Action) to remove his stories that were exposing the fake photos, which had been created to solicit money from the public on a website called haleighbug.com.

On June 24, 2009, Harris instructed his moderator to post the photo with a personal note from him that assured everyone the photo was authentic.

************
This was copied from Writeintoaction.com

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Prominent Orlando attorney Mark NeJame is getting involved in the search for Haleigh Cummings.

Mark NeJame
Mark NeJame
NeJame said the missing girl's family asked him to help, and he then asked missing child advocate Tim Miller of Texas EquuSearch to work with him.

NeJame and Miller also were involved in the search for Caylee Anthony, whose remains were found in December 2008 in Orange County. Caylee's mother, Casey Anthony, is charged with first-degree murder in connection with the death.

Haleigh Cummings, 5, was reported missing from her home in Satsuma in February, and no trace of the girl has been found. A $35,000 reward remains available for her return.

In a news release, NeJame said he plans a news conference on Monday with Miller and the family.