Saturday, August 29, 2009

Case against custodial dad in "disappearance" of daughter continues to grow (Putnam County, Florida)

Suspicions against custodial dad RONALD CUMMINGS continue to grow with additional examinations of the live-in girlfriend/child-wife. Cummings stripped Haleigh's mother of custody amidst accusations of domestic violence. Statistically, that would put the father in a much higher risk group for violence against the child. And that's not even going into other recent allegations against the father, like putting a headless rat in his brother-in-law's mailbox (previously posted about here at Dastardly Dads).

http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/local/news-article.aspx?storyid=144098&catid=3

Expert: Misty Has Doubt About Haleigh's Dad
Jackelyn Barnard
Created: 8/28/2009 4:32:43 PM Updated: 8/28/2009 7:27:12 PM ArticleEmail


PUTNAM COUNTY, FL -- Six months after Haleigh Cummings disappeared, Misty Croslin-Cummings re-lives those last moments with a voice analysis expert and hypnosis expert.

Cummings spent more than 20 minutes under hypnosis. Most of the time was used to describe in detail those moments when Misty woke up and realized Haleigh was gone.
"We just looked and we searched and we couldn't find her," Cummings told the hypnosis expert.

The expert says Misty wasn't totally under and the test was inconclusive.

"I gave you the truth. I gave you everything that I got. If I knew more I would tell you," Misty told the expert.

More telling was the second test Misty did that same day, a layered voice analysis.

"I don't know why I woke up. I just woke up out of a deep sleep. I just woke up," said Misty. The expert, T.J. Ward, asked, "What did you notice?" Misty replied, "The kitchen light was on. All the lights were shut off when I went to bed. That kitchen light I knew was off when I went to sleep. The kitchen light was just glaring in my bedroom. So, I got up and went to the kitchen and that's when I noticed the back door was wide open."

For the next 20 minutes, Misty had a conversation with the expert, who was able to track her stress and movements.

"Do you know of any person that would bother Haleigh?" asked Ward. Misty replied, "I really didn't know a lot of people. I have suspicions, yeah."

Police have asked us not to release that part of the tape.

But it's what Misty did say during that section that raised a red flag for the voice expert. "You have knowledge of the person who has taken Haleigh. You need to think. You need to tell me the truth because I can see changes," Ward told Misty.

While fighting back tears, Misty said, "I've been trying to think. I've been thinking for six months. I don't know. I don't know if I seen something in my sleep. I don't know."

"There's something you are not telling me. Okay, I want you to tell me about it. I can see it. There's things about Haleigh you are not telling anybody," Ward told her.

"There's nothing I'm not telling nobody. I told everybody everything that I know. I don't know what you are trying to get out of me. I'm 17 years old. What do you think, come on how much can a 17 year old take?" Misty replied.

Misty was then asked about Ronald Cummings, Haleigh's dad and her new husband. It was that questioning which puzzled the expert.

"Ronald had nothing to do with his daughter. He loves his daughter more than anything in this world," Misty told Ward.

He then told her, "When I asked you that, it came up and said you are not sure. Why is there doubt in your mind?"

Misty replied, "I don't know. I don't know if there's doubt in my mind, really Ronald didn't have nothing to do with his daughter, I can tell you that."

Ward then asked Misty, "What do you think happened to Haleigh?"

Misty replied, "I don't know what's happened to her. I mean I don't think she's dead, and I don't think she's dead at all. Everyone keeps saying she could be, I don't think Haleigh's dead."

Ward then pressed Misty a little more, asking her if someone has threatened her not to say what happened to Haleigh.

"No, nobody told me nothing to say about Haleigh or nothing. I've never been once told not to tell where Haleigh is. I wouldn't care if someone told me not to tell I would still tell. I don't care if they want to kill me. Go ahead and kill me, they can have my life for her back any day."