HALEIGH CUMMINGS - 5 yo - Satsuma FL - The Beginning

Haleigh Cummings' Great Grandmother Annette Sykes: 'We Still Have a lot of Faith'

Taren Reed Monica Landeros Created: 4/15/2010 10:03:14 PM Updated: 4/16/2010 1:13:55 AM

Excerpt:

PUTNAM COUNTY, Fla. -- Haleigh Cummings' great grandmother said she will continue to pray for Haleigh's safe return until police can prove the 5-year-old is no longer alive. Today, Sheriff Jeff Hardy said in a news conference police believe Haleigh is dead.

"We fully believe that until (investigators) can show us proof that Haleigh is dead, she will remain alive (to us)," Annette Sykes said, adding that faith in God keeps them hopeful.

MORE: Authorities on Day 3 in Search for Haleigh Cummings

VIDEO: WATCH THE FULL NEWS CONFERENCE

MORE: Joe Overstreet's Attorney Not Contacted about Persons of Interest


READ MORE: http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/topstories/news-article.aspx?storyid=154830&catid=3

Misty's Grandma: 'I Know What Happened'

Hollars Said Haleigh Was Thrown In The River

POSTED: Thursday, April 15, 2010
UPDATED: 12:09 am EDT April 16, 2010

Excerpt:

ANTIOCH, Tenn. -- Misty Cummings' grandmother said she knows what happened the night Haleigh Cummings disappeared.

. . . . .

According to Hollars, Misty shared details about what happened the night Haleigh vanished. Hollars made it clear, however, Misty was not involved. She said she knows what happened.

"Tied Haleigh up with a yellow rope and tied a bricker block to the rope, and dropped her into the St. Johns River," Hollars said.


READ MORE: http://www.news4jax.com/news/23167951/detail.html

The 14-month search for Haleigh Cummings has turned into a murder
investigation.

In a news conference late Thursday afternoon,
Sheriff Jeff Hardy declared he was "comfortable" calling the Haleigh
Cummings case a homicide after information obtained from investigators
in the past few weeks that has led them to believe she is "most likely
deceased."

As the sun receded toward the St. Johns River where a
search for the missing 5-year-old began three days ago, Hardy said
several persons of interest have been developed.

No names were revealed Thursday.

"We are hoping to make an arrest in this case," Hardy said.
"This case has been going on for the past 14 months - people are
starting to talk. Where that's going to lead us, I don't know, but we
are going to follow it until the end."

A search near the Shell
Harbour Road boat ramp began early Tuesday morning after investigators
received a tip related to Haleigh's Feb. 10, 2009, disappearance. The
search was concluded Thursday at 6 p.m. after the 15 to 30 divers who
searched in the murky waters of the St. Johns River found items that
were sent to independent labs for analysis.

Standing under the
shade of an oak tree to address broadcasters and news reporters, Hardy
said no body or human remains were found relevant to the Haleigh case.

"We will not discuss any items of possible evidence that might have been
located at the boat ramp," Hardy said.

He did say an anthropologist from the University of Florida analyzed all items
recovered on the scene.

Misty Croslin, the last person to see
Haleigh before she disappeared, was driven from the St. Johns County
Jail to the search site Wednesday.


She and four others, including Haleigh's father, 26-year-old
Ronald Cummings; his cousin, 18-year-old Hope Sykes; and Croslin's
brother, 23-year-old Hank "Tommy" Croslin Jr., were arrested in January
on drug trafficking charges after a monthlong narcotics investigation.

Whenasked if Misty Croslin's demeanor had shifted, he answered, "absolutely."

"I think she has come to realize that she's in trouble," Hardy said.

He declined to say whether the tip had come
from someone behind bars, but did say "they had a lot of time to sit
and think about it."

Hardy also continues to believe Croslin is the key to the case.

"People are starting to cooperate. It is going to be just a matter of time," Hardy said.

No one has been taken into custody as a result of the investigation.

On Wednesday, investigators from the Putnam County Sheriff's Office and
Florida Department of Law Enforcement traveled to Tennessee to question
20-year-old Joe Overstreet, who is Croslin's cousin.

Overstreet was staying with family in Putnam County during the time Haleigh
disappeared. He has been questioned several times by local and state
authorities.

Hardy said the tip that led to this week's search did not come from Tennessee.

Hardy said the area near the Shell Harbour boat ramp had not been searched before

"We've searched lots of areas in Putnam County, but to say that we've put divers at this
specific location, the answer to that is no," Hardy said. "This is a
huge river and we searched in areas surrounding the home that we believe
that she potentially could have been put in."

Captain Dominic Piscatello, head of the major crimes unit, later added, "We can't go
search every bottom of the St. Johns River - you have to have a reason."

It could take up to six months for investigators to receive test results
on the items pulled from the river.

Hardy said if warranted, they would search again.

"Just because we are leaving here doesn't
mean this lead isn't going to be followed up any further," Hardy said.

Holding up the same Amber Alert flyer that remains in storefront windows
throughout Putnam County, Hardy said, "We are trying to make an arrest.
We are trying to bring someone to justice for this little girl right
here."

Haleigh's kindergarten portrait waved in the breeze as he
added, "Let's hope and pray that we can bring this thing to a logical
conclusion for the family."

Tom, what do you think we should do about this thread?

Admin wrote:Tom, what do you think we should do about this thread?

---Like so many others we care deeply about I think our "standard" should be to keep it where it is until there is some firm evidence of her demise. Now, all we really have is "belief" and "conjecture"... I believe we should wait a little while longer for something more substantial.
I do, however, believe, like so many that the little girl was, as her Grandma said-"thrown into the river"

TomTerrific0420 wrote:

Admin wrote:Tom, what do you think we should do about this thread?

---Like so many others we care deeply about I think our "standard" should be to keep it where it is until there is some firm evidence of her demise. Now, all we really have is "belief" and "conjecture"... I believe we should wait a little while longer for something more substantial.
I do, however, believe, like so many that the little girl was, as her Grandma said-"thrown into the river"

That was my thought as well. Let's leave it until we have solid evidence.

Admin wrote:

TomTerrific0420 wrote:

Admin wrote:Tom, what do you think we should do about this thread?

---Like so many others we care deeply about I think our "standard" should be to keep it where it is until there is some firm evidence of her demise. Now, all we really have is "belief" and "conjecture"... I believe we should wait a little while longer for something more substantial.
I do, however, believe, like so many that the little girl was, as her Grandma said-"thrown into the river"

That was my thought as well. Let's leave it until we have solid evidence.

I agree with you both. I pray the "solid evidence" is soon found. Sadly, it looks like it is at the bottom of a silty river.

Admin wrote:

TomTerrific0420 wrote:

Admin wrote:Tom, what do you think we should do about this thread?

---Like so many others we care deeply about I think our "standard" should be to keep it where it is until there is some firm evidence of her demise. Now, all we really have is "belief" and "conjecture"... I believe we should wait a little while longer for something more substantial.
I do, however, believe, like so many that the little girl was, as her Grandma said-"thrown into the river"

That was my thought as well. Let's leave it until we have solid evidence.

i agree - i do hope they find solid evidence soon, though.

Has the St. Johns River search ended?

Watch: River search ends for Haleigh Cummings




http://jacksonville.com/video/news/metro/2010-04-15/watch-river-search-ends-haleigh-cummings

Nannie Hollar has more details on JVM than she did on NG . . .

Issues W / JVM 4/15/2010

Police Search for Body of Missing Girl

PART 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7Yhe05yuGE (sierra1947)
PART 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pT9gtWHE_9A
PART 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yB12u1SeoPI
PART 4: [url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4WCoIn9Gog]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4WCoIn9Gog[/url]

Transcript: http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1004/15/ijvm.01.html

The great-grandmother of Haleigh Cummings believes the missing
kindergartner is still alive, despite a public announcement made
Thursday changing the status from a missing-child case to a homicide.

"They've got to show me a body or something that definitely proves that she is
dead or otherwise she'll be alive," Annette Sykes said. "I'm not going
to believe that she's dead. They've got to prove it."

Haleigh was reported missing early the morning of Feb. 10, 2009, from her home in
the South Putnam County community of Satsuma.

No trace of her has been found.

On Thursday, Sheriff Jeff Hardy announced the investigation
had shifted to a murder case and that authorities had identified persons
of interest.

No suspects have been publicly named by investigators and no arrests have been made in connection with the case.

Sykes said the family was informed of the change in the case's status on
Tuesday when they were summoned to the Putnam County Sheriff's Office.

"That was what they called us in the office to tell us," she said. "They
wanted to let us know before they said anything publicly."

Sykes added the family is doing "as well as we can."

"They can say that it's a homicide all they want to, but they've got to prove it to us," she said.


When asked if she thought if Joe Overstreet - a cousin of
Misty Croslin that was questioned by local and state investigators this
week - had anything to do with Haleigh's disappearance, she replied that
she didn't know.

"You've heard all the lies that that family tells, how many stories have they already told, so who knows," Sykes said.

Croslin, 18, was babysitting Haleigh the night she went missing, and has been called the key to the investigation.

Sykes' porch light remains aglow every night to shine Haleigh's way home, she said.

"It's been on since the day she went missing," Sykes said.

Attorney: Tommy Croslin Gave Investigators Tip

Haleigh Cummings Investigation Deemed Homicide
POSTED: 4:11 pm EDT April 16, 2010
UPDATED: 12:14 am EDT April 17, 2010

SATSUMA, Fla. --
An attorney said Friday that his client, Hank
"Tommy" Croslin Jr., led investigators to the St. Johns River in the
latest search for Haleigh Cummings.Attorney James Werter said
Croslin met with investigators for over an hour before leading Florida
Department of Law Enforcement officials and Putnam County deputies to
the river.Croslin is the brother of Misty Croslin who is the
last known person to see Haleigh before the 7-year-old went missing
from her Satsuma home more than one year ago. Croslin is currently
jailed on rug charges.Putnam County Sheriff Jeff Hardy deemed
the investigation into the disappearance of Haleigh Cummings a homicide
Thursday afternoon.Hardy held a news conference at 4 p.m. Thursday, as a search of the St. Johns River neared completion."Over
the past couple of weeks, information has been obtained by
investigators that leads them to believe that Haleigh Cummings is most
likely deceased," Hardy said.He would not disclose specific
details about what led to the change in the status of the case.
However, Hardy said items were pulled from the river and sent to a
laboratory for analysis. Watch The Video
He said no arrests had been made in the Haleigh case, but there were
several people of interest."We're trying to make an arrest. We're
trying to bring some justice for this little girl right here and her
family," Hardy said.The
sheriff said he believes Misty Croslin, Haleigh's father's ex-wife,
holds the key to the case. Croslin was watching Haleigh when she was
reported missing.Investigators re-interviewed her and brought her to the search site. They said she's cooperating."People
are starting to cooperate," he said. "That's why I've told people it's
just going to be a matter of time. We're going to accept any
cooperation
we can get."Croslin's cousin, Joe Overstreet, denied he had anything to
do with Haleigh's disappearance or death."I can't imagine what they're
going through. I didn't do it," he said.Overstreet's grandmother has
her doubts and said she heard that Haleigh accidentally overdosed on
drugs."I
heard Misty supposedly hit her in the back of the head and Joe was
supposed
to have raped her and got rid of the body," Flora Hollers
said.Haleigh's family is still holding out hope that she's alive."(We
feel) Hurt, discouraged. It's not something we wanted to hear," said
Haleigh's paternal great-grandmother Annette Sykes.Sykes said Hardy
delivered the devastating news to the family earlier in the week."We
thought they'd have something more concrete. Until they do, we're not
going to believe she's dead," Sykes said.
http://www.wesh.com/news/23175818/detail.html

-------------------

TomTerrific0420 wrote:The great-grandmother of Haleigh Cummings believes the missing
kindergartner is still alive, despite a public announcement made
Thursday changing the status from a missing-child case to a homicide.

"They've got to show me a body or something that definitely proves that she is
dead or otherwise she'll be alive," Annette Sykes said. "I'm not going
to believe that she's dead. They've got to prove it."

Haleigh was reported missing early the morning of Feb. 10, 2009, from her home in
the South Putnam County community of Satsuma.

No trace of her has been found.

On Thursday, Sheriff Jeff Hardy announced the investigation
had shifted to a murder case and that authorities had identified persons
of interest.

No suspects have been publicly named by investigators and no arrests have been made in connection with the case.

Sykes said the family was informed of the change in the case's status on
Tuesday when they were summoned to the Putnam County Sheriff's Office.

"That was what they called us in the office to tell us," she said. "They
wanted to let us know before they said anything publicly."

Sykes added the family is doing "as well as we can."

"They can say that it's a homicide all they want to, but they've got to prove it to us," she said.


When asked if she thought if Joe Overstreet - a cousin of
Misty Croslin that was questioned by local and state investigators this
week - had anything to do with Haleigh's disappearance, she replied that
she didn't know.

"You've heard all the lies that that family tells, how many stories have they already told, so who knows," Sykes said.

Croslin, 18, was babysitting Haleigh the night she went missing, and has been called the key to the investigation.

Sykes' porch light remains aglow every night to shine Haleigh's way home, she said.

"It's been on since the day she went missing," Sykes said.

(red by me) Kinda like the pot calling the kettle black isn't it?