FL HALEIGH CUMMINGS: Missing from Satsuma, FL - 10 Feb 2009 - Age 5

Haleigh's photo is shown age-progressed to 15 years. She was last known to be sleeping in her home, in the area of Hermit's Cove in Satsuma, Florida, on the evening of February 9, 2009. Haleigh was discovered missing during the early morning hours of February 10, 2009. She may still be in the local area. Haleigh's ears are pierced.
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Haleigh was last known to be sleeping in her family's trailer in the 200 block of Green Lane in the area of Hermit's Cove in Satsuma, Florida, late in the evening on February 9, 2009. She went to bed at 8:00 p.m. Her father's live-in girlfriend of five months, Misty Janette Croslin (sometimes identified in the media by her later married name, Misty Cummings), went to sleep in the same room at 10:00 p.m. Haleigh's three-year-old brother was also sleeping in that room.

Haleigh's father, Ronald Lemyles Cummings, finished working second shift and arrived home sometime after 3:00 a.m. on February 10. Misty told him she'd just discovered Haleigh was missing from her bed. The rear door to the trailer was several inches ajar and the screen door had been propped open with a cinder block. Ronald and Misty called 911 at 3:37 a.m. to report Haleigh's disappearance.

The police found no sign of forced entry to the trailer, but they are uncertain whether the back door was locked. Ronald and Misty have insisted that it was, and Ronald maintains the trailer was broken into.

Haleigh's younger brother told investigators that a man dressed in black had come to their home that night and taken his sister. Authorities aren't sure how much credence to give to his story, given his age. An extensive search of the area turned up no sign of Haleigh. Her father stated she wouldn't have left home by herself at night, as she is afraid of the dark.


In October 2009, six months into the marriage, Ronald filed for divorce. He cited irreconcilable differences as the reason, mainly the stress caused by Haleigh's disappearance and the subsequent police investigation and media attention. The divorce became final within days; since Ronald and Misty had only been married a short time and they didn't share any property or have any children together, there was little to discuss.

Police repeatedly questioned Misty about Haleigh's disappearance and looked into the possibility that she wasn't in fact at home when the child disappeared. Misty describes herself as a devoted caregiver to Haleigh and her brother and said she had been home the entire night and hadn't left the children alone.

Investigators have been publicly skeptical of Misty's story, stating she failed four polygraphs and one voice stress test, and changed her story multiple times; they described her accounts as "consistently inconsistent."

NCMEC -

Have you seen this child? HALEIGH CUMMINGS

Missing From: SATSUMA, FL. Missing Date: 02/10/2009. Haleigh's photo is shown age-progressed to 15 years. She was last known to be sleeping in her home, in the area of Hermit's Cove in Satsuma, Florida, on the evening of February 9, 2009. Haleigh was discovered missing during the early morning...

api.missingkids.org

NamUs -

The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs)

By bringing people, information, forensic science and technology together, NamUs helps resolve cases.

www.namus.gov

Charley Project -

Haleigh Ann-Marie Cummings – The Charley Project

HALEIGH CUMMINGS is still missing from Satsuma, FL since Feb 2009.

Haleigh was discovered missing during the early morning hours of February 10, 2009. She may still be in the local area.

www.crimewatchers.net

 

[GrandmaBear]

What's the purpose of lying about the door being locked?

In her case, she may have been in a spot when he said it was for sure locked. She may have agreed but then realized herself or on further questioning that how do you explain someone getting in through a deadbolt from the outside...?

I'm with the others, I don't know but it doesn't fly at all.

I understand you have a different opinion but to me this case is the one or the both of them. I waffle on many cases but not this one.

 

[Regina]

To make the detectives look in another direction. There may have been evidence in another part of the house and they didn’t want them to know it.

I’m not saying it wasn’t true, I’m just saying I don’t believe anything they say. It could be true, or it couldn’t be true.

I'm just trying to follow your line of thinking...
You think the circumstance of the cinder block was an effort to make the detectives look away from that back door?

 

[GrandmaBear]

I'm just trying to follow your line of thinking...
You think the circumstance of the cinder block was an effort to make the detectives look away from that back door?

I can't speak for her but I think it was to center on the back door and that it was a stranger kind of abduction. Not to look away from it, to look away from those INSIDE the home. Perps who stage scenes more often than not don't think it through and if it was rushed or an accident, then even more likely not too well thought out. They might think just one or two steps, they aren't thinking about the 30 questions just that door and cinder block would bring from LE and how they would explain it all or answer them. They just wanted to point in that direction imo.

You yourself in reminding me or telling me dad said this was a deadbolt hard to disengage etc. that a child couldn't told me right there that no stranger just entered through a locked door without a key. Let's say it is all Mindy. What was she, 17? Not thought out at all and maybe no clue even that he would say and know for a fact he checked the door that day...

I'm not trying to make it fit what I think. The locked door and the cinder block carried by someone doesn't fit an outside perp. It does fit someone with a bit of time and at their own home base with no one else around when staging...

 

[GrandmaBear]

Mindy kills child or child dies.

Mindy panics. Mindy thinks make it look like an intruder did it.

Mindy thinks what if they don't think that, I have to point away from me. Oh, the back door. Now how do I make cops notice it or say I noticed it. Oh, get a cinder block.

Dad gets home, Child is gone. They call cops. Dad answers honestly that he checked the door and it was locked. Mindy is stuck trying to explain.

This is the simple answer that fits the best.

Now it does of course have other things that need to be answered. Did she call someone to help her remove the body? Was the child in her trunk? Could she manage on her own? I imagine she could, the child was five. Think the Leticia Stauch/Gannon Stauch case. Leticia moved Gannon at least once if not twice or more, with help or without and he was 11. She is a lot older than Mindy was and she thought it out some and she actually did manage some things but she even couldn't pull it off. She had him in the trunk, she switched vehicles and left the one at the airport so it wasn't at home, etc.

This case is far simpler I think. Mindy or dad and Mindy did the above. I lean towards just her at first anyhow because of the locked door remark. But it can be made to work with him as well. It does not fit with an outside perp. And in any scenario, Mindy is in it imo. He is debatable but at a certain point I think he knew...

 

[Guess Who]

What's the purpose of lying about the door being locked?

Same as any other purpose for lying. To either misdirect, or just not wanting to look bad or just out of habit.

 

[GrandmaBear]

Same as any other purpose for lying. To either misdirect, or just not wanting to look bad or just out of habit.

I don't always remember all of the details of following so many cases when it has been awhile but I know this about it, if I remember deciding who it was or likely was, I came to it after thinking about it all and taking in everything. In this one, I knew I felt it was her and/or her and him and so I know I took in everything and came to that conclusion, and I don't always come to one by any means. I now come to the same one again.

I actually have to get back to the real world today shortly but now I am thinking on what she or they did with her. If Mindy alone, she would have had time, even hours possibly wouldn't she? In the probably simple, linear but panicked thinking of a 17 year old it would be I think to get her away from the home and dump her. And a 17 year old would maybe never think twice about involving someone else or calling someone for help, never thinking the person might rat them out later. I guess it doesn't tell me anything but just thinking about it. I would think get the child away from the premises but plenty of young ones and even some older perps have just gotten a baby or a child not too many yards away and dumped them or hid them. But I'm sure they searched well that area.

So either her vehicle if she had one (now I would have to look back into things if they ever even shared much) or she called someone. It opens up one other possibility and that's that the cinder block was to take her out and put her in someone else's car and somewhere other than the front door. And she either intentionally left it open thinking it would help OR she didn't get time or remember to shut it before he came home...

So if someone helped, that person could have then taken Haleigh close or very far... While she was cleaning up or she rode with... If she did it alone, then I don't think she went very far most likely, just far enough in a vehicle and away from the premises.

I reread a recap on this case a few days back but it didn't have a lot. I can't recall, was this the only child in the home at the time? Why do I think there may have been a brother sleeping or am I thinking of a different case with that part?

 

[Regina]

In her case, she may have been in a spot when he said it was for sure locked. She may have agreed but then realized herself or on further questioning that how do you explain someone getting in through a deadbolt from the outside...?

Same as any other purpose for lying. To either misdirect, or just not wanting to look bad or just out of habit.

I think it's doubtful, but still possible that she may have opened the door (for what ever reason) and didn't admit that she forgot to lock it.

 

[GrandmaBear]

I think it's doubtful, but still possible that she may have opened the door (for what ever reason) and didn't admit that she forgot to lock it.

Anything is possible of course. But then what? Some perp is just waiting and hoping she leaves a door unlocked and how would they know it was unlocked? A back door no less. Or Mindy propped the cinder block and forgot and the perp saw this? Did she say she put it there? Or a perp brought one with just on the off chance Mindy forgot to lock the door and he lucked out?

I'm not trying to pick anything apart but I just don't see it. The cops know more than we do by far and most of us don't see it working and the cops don't believe her from the article or two I read recently and her story has changed.

But again, anything is possible but I don't think very likely.

 

[Cousin Dupree]

 

[Regina]

The cops know more than we do by far and most of us don't see it working and the cops don't believe her from the article or two I read recently and her story has changed.

The cops? The way I see it, they don't know anything about what actually happened to Haleigh!

 

[GrandmaBear]

The cops? The way I see it, they don't know anything about what actually happened to Haleigh!

They know she changed her story, do we know what all changed? They know how she answered about the cinder block, door and probably tons of other questions we have not heard the answers to. They know her interviews and I imagine got to interview her. They were inside the home and on the premises. We weren't. They may or may not know what happened to Haleigh but they know a lot more than we do. That's all I meant. And they suspect Misty. And even with our limited information, I can see why, and they have more than we do. That's how I meant it.

They may well know exactly what they think likely happened but not where she is.

 

[Mel70]

I think investigators need to start over because as cold cases are solved, I'm seeing that even in cases where LE believed they had a POI or suspect, DNA shows they were wrong, and in this case, while I try to understand the reasons why LE focused on Misty, I see no evidence that she has any knowledge of who even might have abducted Hayleigh.

I think she is the one who knows exactly what happened.

 

[Mel70]

They know she changed her story, do we know what all changed? They know how she answered about the cinder block, door and probably tons of other questions we have not heard the answers to. They know her interviews and I imagine got to interview her. They were inside the home and on the premises. We weren't. They may or may not know what happened to Haleigh but they know a lot more than we do. That's all I meant. And they suspect Misty. And even with our limited information, I can see why, and they have more than we do. That's how I meant it.

They may well know exactly what they think likely happened but not where she is.

In that muddy river IMO.

 

[GrandmaBear]

In that muddy river IMO.

My first thought is/was water also and that is where they were looking as well but who knows. I forgot about the cousin until I just saw a blip about it earlier. Probably on the Nancy Grace thing that emu posted. I watched part but couldn't watch all.

 

[Kimster]

I'm just trying to follow your line of thinking...
You think the circumstance of the cinder block was an effort to make the detectives look away from that back door?

Just the opposite. They could have wanted LE to focus on the back door when there was another area where HaLeigh might have died.

 

[Mel70]

They know she changed her story, do we know what all changed? They know how she answered about the cinder block, door and probably tons of other questions we have not heard the answers to. They know her interviews and I imagine got to interview her. They were inside the home and on the premises. We weren't. They may or may not know what happened to Haleigh but they know a lot more than we do. That's all I meant. And they suspect Misty. And even with our limited information, I can see why, and they have more than we do. That's how I meant it.

They may well know exactly what they think likely happened but not where she is.

The river to me seems the most likely. I know they searched it, But that river is very muddy. Setiment. I think they just didn't find her. Some cases you know they are in a body of water, A specific one and never found.

 

[GrandmaBear]

The river to me seems the most likely. I know they searched it, But that river is very muddy. Setiment. I think they just didn't find her. Some cases you know they are in a body of water, A specific one and never found.

This one does seem to have that. They also could know a window of time or limited time that we don't know or something more on that order or a known vehicle spotted somewhere, etc.

For me, there is no way she is not involved. I can't see any possible way. I can believe he created dynamics and/or that he was involved too but she definitely is.

 

[Regina]

They may well know exactly what they think likely happened but not where she is.

Just the opposite. They could have wanted LE to focus on the back door when there was another area where HaLeigh might have died.

I don't believe LE has any evidence that Haleigh died in that house.
It sounds to me like LE has no evidence against anybody for anything.

 

[GrandmaBear]

I don't believe LE has any evidence that Haleigh died in that house.
It sounds to me like LE has no evidence against anybody for anything.

You may well be right, they may not. I don't know. I don't think anyone knows what they have. And they may have plenty but are just waiting , I mean after all she is in prison already and there is no statute of limitations on murder if they feel they need more. I don't know that she was killed in the home. I mean how long was Misty with her after dad went to work? For all I know they went to a party or grocery shopping or Misty had people over or maybe she was top babysitter and baked with Haleigh and did crafts and games with her and the girls played house and then she took her for ice cream. I don't recall the fine details of their day, if any.

What I do know is they are not shy about pointing towards her. That isn't that typical. And the facts we do have point right back at her despite efforts to point the cops elsewhere. It doesn't add up.

She apparently was in charge and the last one with Haleigh. She disappeared on her watch. Without a single trace for all we know. And how that came about well that's what we've been talking about the last few days. A locked door with a tough deadbolt...

I've had pet cases too. You clearly want her to be innocent. I'm sorry that I don't think she is, but that's just my opinion. If I saw any reason to think otherwise now or in the future, I'd change my opinion accordingly. I don't. Thus far.

 

[Mel70]

I don't believe LE has any evidence that Haleigh died in that house.
It sounds to me like LE has no evidence against anybody for anything.

She was the last person to see her. Her bed was on the floor 3 ft from the parents bed. Misty knows. Father marries and divorced her 8 months later. That is very telling.