HALEIGH CUMMINGS - 5 yo - Satsuma FL - The Beginning

Exclusive: Joe Overstreet Behind Bars, Briefly

August 9th, 2010

By Art Harris, The Bald Truth, (c) www.artharris.com, all rights reserved

Excerpt:

Joseph Edward Overstreet, 21, the so called “cousin Joe” Misty Croslin blames for kidnapping a five year old she was babysitting, was jailed Sunday night in Nashville, Tennessee, on an unrelated felony drug charge, manufacturing marijuana, and possession.

At 7:57 pm Sunday,records show Overstreet was booked into the Davidson County Criminal Justice Center (CJC), a medium/maximum facility build in 1982 that can house 807 inmates; bond was at $7,000. Within hours, he had bonded out.

READ MORE: http://www.artharris.com/2010/08/09/exclusive-joe-overstreet-busted-behind-bars/

What a messed up family IMO they should all be sterilized so they don't bring anymore children into this whacked family.

Statement Analysis

Monday, August 09, 2010

Joe Overstreet Arrested

Excerpt:

not that this will surprise many...but where did the tip come from?

Police Swarm Antioch Home Acting On Tip, Investigators Discover Possible Stolen Goods,

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Metro Police swarmed an Antioch home Sunday evening, the same one that was once the center of the search for clues into a nationally-known missing child case.

Acting on a tip, officers search a home in the 1500 block of Antioch Pike. A sergeant at the home said officers found what they believe to be stolen goods and narcotics. Officers detained and questioned two men at the home.

READ MORE: http://seamusoriley.blogspot.com/2010/08/joe-overstreet-arrested.html

today marks 18 months since haleigh was last seen -
snipped
Vigil set for Haleigh
By Kristin Chambers

Published: Thursday, August 5, 2010 12:55 AM EDT
A vigil to commemorate the 18 months
Haleigh Cummings has been missing will be held next week in Welaka.

The paternal side of the family has organized the memorial, which will take
place at the First Baptist Church on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m.

Annette Sykes, Haleigh's great-grandmother, said they are still holding onto
hope that Haleigh will be found and brought home.

http://palatkadailynews.com/articles/2010/08/05/news/news01.txt

Vigil Marks 18 Months Since Haleigh Disappeared

Grandmother
Says Family Is Holding Onto Hope


POSTED: 11:18 am EDT August 10, 2010
UPDATED: 11:40 am EDT August 10, 2010

PALATKA, Fla. -- Tuesday marks 18 months since
Haleigh Cummings vanished from her Putnam County home.Her
father's family will hold a vigil Tuesday night at the First Baptist
Church in Welaka.Haleigh's grandmother said they are holding onto
hope that the missing 6-year-old will still be found.She was
last seen in February 2009 with her father's ex-wife Misty Croslin.Misty
and Haleigh's father, Ronald, are currently in jail on drug trafficking
charges.
http://www.wesh.com/news/24577723/detail.html

The drug investigation into the family of a local missing child continues with a court hearing Monday morning.Misty Croslin is scheduled for a hearing in Putnam County on drug trafficking charges.Croslin was the last known person seen with Haleigh Cummings before the child vanished in February of last year.
Misty's brother, Tommy, was sentenced to 15 years behind bars last week on similar charges.

Misty Croslin Enters 'No Contest' Plea to Putnam Drug Charges PUTNAM COUNTY, Fla. -- Misty Croslin could spend up to 240 years in prison following this morning's plea, but her attorney will likely seek a sentence closer to six years.

http://www.firstcoastnews.com/

Misty Croslin Enters 'No Contest' Plea to
Putnam Drug
Charges
PUTNAMCOUNTY, Fla. -- Misty Croslin could spend up to 240
years in prison following this morning's plea, but her attorney will
likely seek a sentence closer to six years.Croslin, the last person to see Haleigh
Cummings in her home in February 2009, entered a "no contest" plea
to the seven drug-related charges facing her following her arrest in January.
The maximum she could face if all seven charges are given the maximum
sentence and are assigned consecutively would be 240 years, according
to the state attorney's office. Croslin's attorney, though, is trying
to have Croslin sentenced as a youthful offender, which means she
could face up to six years. She will learn her sentence in October.
Her attorney, Robert Fields, told the judge this morning that a
"landslide of evidence" against Croslin, including video of her with the
drugs and several undercover officers as witnesses in the case, led to
the no contest plea. Fields also said he will need about three hours to
present his case at the sentencing hearing, where he will introduce
more evidence and witnesses. Croslin, sporting a new, shorter
haircut that replaces the braided look she wore in court earlier in
the trial, told the judge she understands the charges against her.
She is due in St. Johns County court Tuesday to face a similar
charge, and there's a potential rub. Under Florida law, youthful offender
status can only be granted one time, so if Croslin is sentenced in
Putnam County as a youthful offender, she cannot be given the same
treatment in St. Johns County. The drug trafficking charge against
her there carries a minimum mandatory sentence of 25 years if she is
convicted. A plea is expected in that case as well. Croslin and
four others were arrested in January on drug trafficking
charges unrelated to the disappearance of Haleigh Cummings, though the
girl's father, Ronald Cummings, was also among those arrested.
Earlier in August, Croslin's brother Hank Jr., known as Tommy, was sentenced
to 15 years in prison and 10 years of probation. He was also among those
arrested in January.
http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/local/news-article.aspx?storyid=163192

Report: Misty Croslin heard Haleigh Cummings scream during attack
An attorney for Misty Croslin said the young woman cowered beneath a sheet the night Haleigh Cummings was abducted.
Misty Croslin attorney: She heard Haleigh Cummings being attacked before she vanished
Posted: August 17, 2010 - 10:26am
By Dana Treen

ST. AUGUSTINE — Misty Croslin cowered beneath a sheet and heard the screams of Haleigh Cummings being attacked the night the 5-year-old disappeared, Croslin's attorney said this morning.

Croslin has told investigators she was at the mobile home in Satsuma in Putnam County and heard the attack then heard a van door outside open and close, Robert Fields said following a hearing on a prescription drug charge Croslin faces in St. Johns County.

The five- to six-minute attack happened after Croslin's cousin, Joe Overstreet, who was visiting from Tennessee, came to the mobile home looking for a machine gun belonging to Haleigh's father, Ronald Cummings.

The gun wasn't there, Fields said

"Haleigh was a substitute," he said.

He said Croslin hid beneath the sheet holding 3-year-old Ronald Cummings Jr.

At one point, Croslin saw Overstreet either covering Haleigh with something or putting her in a black bag, Fields said.

Fields said Croslin, who is likely facing 25 years in prison on unrelated drug trafficking charges, has told investigators the story.

This morning, she pleaded no contest to a charge of trafficking in oxycodone at a St. Johns County truck stop. Judge Wendy Berger set an Oct. 8 sentencing date. Monday, Croslin pleaded no contest to seven similar charges in Putnam County.

Croslin family members have said Overstreet, who has returned to Tennessee, was at the mobile home the night Haleigh disappeared 18 months ago. Croslin's brother, Hank "Tommy" Croslin Jr., was also there at some point that night.

Fields said it is not clear if Croslin Jr. was at the mobile home when Haleigh was attacked. He had been there earlier in the night.

Croslin Jr. has said he was at the mobile home that night. He and his sister are telling investigators similar stories, Fields said.

Croslin Jr. has said he delayed telling his part of the story because he feared for the welfare of his family. He relented after he was jailed on the drug-trafficking charges and his family moved from Satsuma.

Investigators questioned Overstreet that February and again this year in Tennessee where he lives. But he has never been charged or named a suspect.

Today, Shawn Sirgo, his attorney in Tennessee, said Overstreet was nowhere near the mobile home and was with another relative when they learned Haleigh was gone.

"I don't know how many times Misty has changed, modified the story," he said. "I don't believe anything she said."

Today marks Haleigh's seventh birthday. A balloon release is scheduled for shortly after 2 p.m. at Memorial Bridge in Palatka.
http://jacksonville.com/news/crime/2010-08-17/story/misty-croslin-attorney-she-heard-haleigh-cummings-being-attacked-she

This is the media release from the Putnam County Sheriff's Office:

Date: August 17, 2010

The Putnam County Sheriff’s Office has received numerous requests for an official comment regarding a statement made earlier today by Attorney Robert Fields. For those outlets not aware, Attorney Fields is legal counsel for Misty Croslin.

Attorney Fields made a statement to media outlets that after Misty Croslin’s arrest, she informed investigators what happened the night Haleigh Cummings went missing, and what happened to Haleigh Cummings.

Since the onset of this investigation, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office has been asked to comment on information obtained during the investigation. The Putnam County Sheriff’s Office has always taken the firm stance that any information obtained in this case is not to be released, and any investigative strategies will not be discussed. The Haleigh Cummings investigation is far too important to be jeopardized by releasing this type of sensitive information.

The Putnam County Sheriff’s Office will not be participating in any formal interviews or providing statements regarding this morning’s events at this time. The main concern of the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office is finding Haleigh Cummings and returning her home to her family.

Lieutenant Johnny Greenwood
Putnam County Sheriff’s Office
http://www.thesky973.com/pages/7930698.php

Haleigh's Grandma: Misty Is Lying
Shadow Of Doubt Has Been Cast Over Misty Cummings Since Girl Disappeared

POSTED: Wednesday, August 18, 2010
UPDATED: 9:06 pm EDT August 18, 2010
Haleigh and Misty Cummings
ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. -- Less than 24 hours after learning Misty Cummings claimed to know what happened to missing Satsuma girl Haleigh Cummings, the girl's family has spoken out.

Haleigh's grandmother, Teresa Neves, told Channel 4 Wednesday morning that she does not know what to believe.

On Tuesday, Misty's attorney, Robert Fields, said Haleigh's former stepmother has told investigators that her cousin, Joe Overstreet, put Haleigh in a black bag and took her away. Fields said Overstreet took Haleigh while Misty was lying in bed and covered herself up with a blanket. He said Misty heard Haleigh scream.

Video: Changes In Misty's Story Raise Concerns
Uncut Video: Haleigh's Grandma Doesn't Believe Misty
Timeline: Haleigh Cummings Investigation

"Why would you hide with a little 5-year-old screaming like that?" Neves said. "How can the neighbors not hear her? Things just don't add up."

Neves said she thinks Misty is lying.
http://www.news4jax.com/news/24674646/detail.html

I hope they find Hailey and bring her home where she belongs. They all need to be ashamed of themselves. I don't know how they sleep at night. Come to think of it, maybe they don't.

welcome to our forum!

I think they may never find her - sad to say.

Attorney: Croslin's Cousin Killed Haleigh


Hank Croslin, Misty Cummings' Attorneys' Accounts Coincide

POSTED: Thursday, August 19, 2010
UPDATED: 8:59 pm EDT August 19, 2010

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. -- The attorney for Hank Croslin Jr. said Thursday that his client told him Joe Overstreet, Croslin's cousin, killed Haleigh Cummings in a Satsuma mobile home in February 2009 because he couldn't find the machine gun he came looking for.
"He took the body down to the dock and then he came back without the body, so there you have it," Croslin's attorney, James Werter, said. "At the dock that night, Joe Overstreet put Haleigh in the (St. Johns) (R)iver."
Werters' statements corroborate what Misty Cummings' attorney, Robert Fields, said Tuesday. He said Misty Cummings, Haleigh's former stepmother, told investigators that her cousin, Overstreet, put Haleigh in a black bag and took her away. He said Haleigh was a "substitute" for the gun.
Werter said Croslin rode in a van to a dock with Overstreet as Haleigh's lifeless body lay in the back seat.
"Haleigh was quiet, limp and not moving, like she was sleeping," Werter said.
Werter said Overstreet threatened to kill Croslin, which is why he went along with the plan.
"(Croslin) stayed in the vehicle in the passenger seat. He didn't drive. He didn't help in any sort of fashion," Werter said. "Joe was ordering him around, 'Come on. Let's go. Come on. Do this.'"
Werter said Putnam County investigators threatened Croslin with accessory to murder charges, which is why Werter will no longer allow Croslin to talk to tell his account. Werter said he wants immunity for his client.


"My advice to him is that he does not talk because they keep threatening him with felony murder charges, which are unfounded and unwarranted," Werter said. "So how can I let him talk in that situation. How can I let him say he even held a door open for Joe as he carried out the body. That would make him, technically speaking, an accessory after the fact. I can't let him talk with even that stupid little threat."
Joe Overstreet and his attorney were unavailable for comment Thursday.
Haleigh's grandmother, Teresa Neves, said she does not believe any of the stories that have come out this week about Haleigh's disappearance.
Marc Mcallister is a law professor at Florida Coastal School of Law. McAllister isn't involved in the Haleigh case, but he has read up on it. McAllister says even if there was probable cause, at this point the biggest hurdle would be proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
"The things I look at in this case are the fact that we have no body and we have no physical evidence and we also have would-be witnesses who are not credible," Mcallister said. He also said, "The story has changed so many times, in the eyes of the law, Misty and Tommy have both lost credibility.