Crystal S., Haleigh's mother #2

[SeriouslySearching]

Published: Wednesday, February 11, 2009 at 6:01 a.m.
Last Modified: Tuesday, February 10, 2009 at 10:32 p.m.

With no evidence of Haleigh Ann-Marie Cummings near her residence in Satsuma, there is no longer any reason to believe the child wandered away, said Putnam County Sheriff’s Office Major Gary Bowling Wednesday afternoon.

~snip~

A young child like Haleigh would be afraid of walking down a dark hall by herself, Bowling told reporters. And, without any history indicating she might have wandered away, the likelihood of an abduction has become increasingly likely. Officers also said they had no reports of a custody issue between the child’s father and mother.
http://www.gainesville.com/article/2...girl_under_way (Bolded and colored red by me)

It would appear the Griffis/Sheffields had not come out with this information yet. Hmmm...Interesting.

 

[Busylady]

I am still bothered with why it took Crystal so long to get there, rumor says 7 hours, reports say she arrived mid morning which fits with the 7 hour rumor. She says she thought it was a prank and her father verified it wasnt at 5 am, so why then several more hours before she shows up? I really would like to see phone logs and pings for her cell phone.

Haleigh's mother, Crystal Sheffield, 23, of Glen St. Mary, arrived mid-morning with her mother.
Marie Griffis said her daughter and Cummings have not been together for about three years but were not at odds. She said Haleigh visited them in Baker County every other weekend. Her daughter and Cummings have a 3-year-old son, Ronald Jr., who was taken to other relatives Tuesday.
http://www6.lexisnexis.com/publishe...4&topicId=100020825&docId=l:925051908&start=6

 

[pirate]

I am still bothered with why it took Crystal so long to get there, rumor says 7 hours, reports say she arrived mid morning which fits with the 7 hour rumor. She says she thought it was a prank and her father verified it wasnt at 5 am, so why then several more hours before she shows up? I really would like to see phone logs and pings for her cell phone.

Haleigh's mother, Crystal Sheffield, 23, of Glen St. Mary, arrived mid-morning with her mother.
Marie Griffis said her daughter and Cummings have not been together for about three years but were not at odds. She said Haleigh visited them in Baker County every other weekend. Her daughter and Cummings have a 3-year-old son, Ronald Jr., who was taken to other relatives Tuesday.
http://www6.lexisnexis.com/publishe...4&topicId=100020825&docId=l:925051908&start=6

Just a thought, but could LE have gone to her house that morning to question her and search to make sure Haleigh wasn't there? That could have held her up.

I don't know much about LE protocol during a missing child investigation but common sense dictates that one of the first people they would investigate is the non custodial parent.

Perhaps she was told to stay there and wait until her whereabouts and such were documented?

 

[DaKittie]

I am still bothered with why it took Crystal so long to get there, rumor says 7 hours, reports say she arrived mid morning which fits with the 7 hour rumor. She says she thought it was a prank and her father verified it wasnt at 5 am, so why then several more hours before she shows up? I really would like to see phone logs and pings for her cell phone.

Haleigh's mother, Crystal Sheffield, 23, of Glen St. Mary, arrived mid-morning with her mother.
Marie Griffis said her daughter and Cummings have not been together for about three years but were not at odds. She said Haleigh visited them in Baker County every other weekend. Her daughter and Cummings have a 3-year-old son, Ronald Jr., who was taken to other relatives Tuesday.
http://www6.lexisnexis.com/publishe...4&topicId=100020825&docId=l:925051908&start=6

Did she have the baby with her? Maybe she had to get a sitter. That could take some time to arrange on short notice.

 

[Aries72]

Just a thought, but could LE have gone to her house that morning to question her and search to make sure Haleigh wasn't there? That could have held her up.

I don't know much about LE protocol during a missing child investigation but common sense dictates that one of the first people they would investigate is the non custodial parent.

Perhaps she was told to stay there and wait until her whereabouts and such were documented?

I agree. I would think LE would tell her to stay put until they could get LE over to her house to investigate.

Crystal is the 3rd one listed under the Witness/Complainant Information on the Putnam County police report and it also states that the investigative time was 6 hrs (3:50 am-9:47am). I may be wrong but it seems to me that either means 1) Crystal arrived there sometime in between those times OR 2) Crystal was contacted and questioned by either Putnam or Baker...maybe both...during that time frame for her to be listed as a Witness/Complainant.

Just throwing this out there....

Has anyone ever looked up to see if there's a police report in Baker County? Maybe Putnam County LE called Baker County LE and sent them over to Crystal's to investigate/question her since it would be in their jurisdiction. Or would there even be a police report for that?

 

[lakelandladi]

Well we know from 3:50 until 5 LE had not contacted her. Remember they called Crystals dad and he called her back at 5 to tell her LE was all over the house and searching. I am sorry....somebody calls and tells me my child is missing, I am grabbing what I need for my other children, grabbing my mother, and beating feet. I wouldn't be waiting for LE, husbands, boyfriends, or more phone calls...I would be in the car and gone.

 

[SeriouslySearching]

I believe the dad was called at 5:00 am then he went over, IIRC.

 

[SeriouslySearching]

I think LE would have waited to talk to her when she arrived in Satsuma. They had no reason to contact her outside of their jurisdiction at that point.

 

[Aries72]

I think LE would have waited to talk to her when she arrived in Satsuma. They had no reason to contact her outside of their jurisdiction at that point.

Could you please elaborate on why you think this? Why wouldn't they have a reason? A child was abducted. Wouldn't the LE want to cover all bases...including whether the child was/wasn't at or around her mother's house & not just take her word for it?

 

[cajun]

I believe the dad was called at 5:00 am then he went over, IIRC.

That's when she called him. So he would have had to get dressed and driven over there and probably not called her back till 5:30-6 somewhere in that time frame..

 

[Busylady]

But why wait almost an hour and half before calling anyone. I would have been out the door before I could get the phone hung up if someone called and told me my child was missing. Just doesnt make sense to me to not show up until 9:30 or 10:00.

That's when she called him. So he would have had to get dressed and driven over there and probably not called her back till 5:30-6 somewhere in that time frame..

 

[txsvicki]

Crystal may have had to round up some funds for extra gas and things she needed for the baby to make the trip. I think it's appropriate for a young woman to get her Dad to go handle things initially since it was all very sudden and shocking. I don't think Crystal did anything and it's only a rumor that Ron backhanded Haleigh knocking her off the porch, but if I had a little toddler and her dad did that, I'd be going underground with her and do whatever it took to get her away for good, safely of course.

 

[Busylady]

I agree. I would think LE would tell her to stay put until they could get LE over to her house to investigate.

Crystal is the 3rd one listed under the Witness/Complainant Information on the Putnam County police report and it also states that the investigative time was 6 hrs (3:50 am-9:47am). I may be wrong but it seems to me that either means 1) Crystal arrived there sometime in between those times OR 2) Crystal was contacted and questioned by either Putnam or Baker...maybe both...during that time frame for her to be listed as a Witness/Complainant.

Just throwing this out there....

Has anyone ever looked up to see if there's a police report in Baker County? Maybe Putnam County LE called Baker County LE and sent them over to Crystal's to investigate/question her since it would be in their jurisdiction. Or would there even be a police report for that?

I do not think Crystal was on the scene when the police report was filed out, I think her info is on there because she is the mom. Employer unknown, wrong birth date, no zip code. I also think in the narrative it would of made mention that they spoke to Crystal if she was there.

 

[TxLady2]

I am really leaning towards Crystal, being scared, young and a past abuse victim. She did admit to drug use on national televison, in order to get everything out that she felt needed to be known. Which, in my book shows honesty. I was one that did Not like the idea of JR being on tv, but i am not living her hell. I also think Geraldo is a sleeze and who knows what he said to the family, with regards to it helping Haleigh. Jmo

i think the family was doing whatever they could, understandably to keep Haleigh in the news. Is mud slinging ever good? No, but i am choosing not to judge it.

I agree with you. Geraldo could have convinced her that putting Jr. on t.v. would help find his sister. She has appeared to be very honest throughout this whole ordeal, and she is hurting as much as Ron is. Definitely more than Misty is. As for saying the things she has said about him, it doesn't look well to some, but she might have a valid reason to feel the way she does, and her family could be encouraging her to get it out in the open.
I cannot see the custody or back child support being a motive. As someone else said, taking Haleigh and leaving Jr. would not solve either issue. She would have to hide Haleigh for a very long time, and eventually be caught, and Jr. would let it slip that his "sissy" was there. And if Haleigh were dead, she would still owe the back support, and still be obligated to pay for Jr. I don't think she is stupid.

 

[TxLady2]

om

The board was divided long before those interviews. Some got tunnel vision from the very beginning and weren't willing to look at other suspects. If the police are worth their salt, they aren't going to depend on what someone says on a TV show but will be using numerous investigative tools. That it upset some of the posters should not make any difference in the long run. These people close to Haleigh are scared, hurting, and have no real guide book on every step they should take, and mistakes will happen. I hope the police are investigating every aspect of this case and everybody who could be involved.

I don't think LE gives a hoot what the families say about each other on t.v., that is their least concern. If they are watching or listening, you can bet they are looking for someone to slip up and it might lead to solving the case. They are used to families fighting and slinging mud, it goes with the job.

 

[TxLady2]

I wonder what kind of services she offers. Cystal is not the victim, Haleigh is.

The families are victims, too, because their pain and sorrow will go on until Haleigh is found, and if it is bad news, it will go on until they die themselves. Listen to Nancy Grace. She talks about herself being a victim, Mark Klass as a victim, Mark Lundsford... many others who lost loved ones. People who go through this are just as much a victim as their family member. Anyone who is directly affected in such a crime is a victim, IMO.

 

[TxLady2]

Good morning teh. No link. I was told by somebody up in Satsuma early on that it took Crystal 7 hours to get there. I came on the board and asked to try and get confirmation of when Crystal got to Satsuma. What I got was...I believe...Crystals mom called the dad to check it out and he called her back around 5ish.

One of the locals that lives in the neighborhood came on the other day and said that it took Crystal 7 hours to get there. It is prob in the basement thread.
So I heard it from 2 different locals and nobody else can confirm exactly when Crystal got to Satsuma that I have seen.

I am still digging though.

This is a rumor, if it can't be confirmed.
I recall her saying that when she got the call around 4 am, she thought it was a prank. I think she then called her dad to check it out for her, and he called her back around 5 am. So 7 hours is stretching it, because they didn't
call her immediately. I think people are exaggerating.
She had to have time to make arrangements for the baby, get dressed, get her to whoever kept her, (I'm assuming she didn't bring her along) and then make the 1-1/2 hour drive. I would say that she only wasted a couple hours, give or take a few minutes.
Also, I read on another board a few days ago that she had never been to the house... she picked up the kids for visitation at another location, so it's possible she didn't even know how to find it. I do know that Ron prevented her from ever calling between visits to talk to them... apparently he did not allow her to even come to his house.

 

[TxLady2]

I am still bothered with why it took Crystal so long to get there, rumor says 7 hours, reports say she arrived mid morning which fits with the 7 hour rumor. She says she thought it was a prank and her father verified it wasnt at 5 am, so why then several more hours before she shows up? I really would like to see phone logs and pings for her cell phone.

Haleigh's mother, Crystal Sheffield, 23, of Glen St. Mary, arrived mid-morning with her mother.
Marie Griffis said her daughter and Cummings have not been together for about three years but were not at odds. She said Haleigh visited them in Baker County every other weekend. Her daughter and Cummings have a 3-year-old son, Ronald Jr., who was taken to other relatives Tuesday.
http://www6.lexisnexis.com/publishe...4&topicId=100020825&docId=l:925051908&start=6

Do the math. She didn't get the call until 4:00, her dad confirmed it was true at 5:00. If she arrived at 10:00, that's only 5 hours... not 7. I doubt that she could have just hopped in the car the instant she heard it, so allow a little time to dress, find a babysitter, and make the drive, while frantic and worried as well. Geez, people are so ready to condemn her for something so simple!!!

 

[TxLady2]

But why wait almost an hour and half before calling anyone. I would have been out the door before I could get the phone hung up if someone called and told me my child was missing. Just doesnt make sense to me to not show up until 9:30 or 10:00.

Which would have made you look suspicious, and there would have been a BOLO issued for your vehicle description, if the other parent suspected you were the one who took the child.
Find out exactly what time she got to the house, and we can put this to rest. To some reporters mid-morning could be anywhere from 9:00 to 11:00. I'm guessing it was around 10:00. Seven hours backward from there makes it 3:00. They didn't even discover Haleigh missing until after 3:00!!!! and they didn't call 911 until 3:30!!! So it COULD NOT have been 7 hours from when SHE got the call.

 

[Busylady]

Im sorry it just doesnt make sense to me, so we will just agree to disagree. You get a call from TN that your child is missing at 3:47 am, you think it is a prank so you call your dad and it takes him an hour to go verify it, then takes you several more hours to leave the house. I just know if it was me I would of been out the door as soon as I heard, no way could I hang around for that long knowing my child was missing.

Do the math. She didn't get the call until 4:00, her dad confirmed it was true at 5:00. If she arrived at 10:00, that's only 5 hours... not 7. I doubt that she could have just hopped in the car the instant she heard it, so allow a little time to dress, find a babysitter, and make the drive, while frantic and worried as well. Geez, people are so ready to condemn her for something so simple!!!