Crystal S., Haleigh's mother #5

[elle1919]

Now that Crystals back child support has been paid current I wonder if she is going to start paying it herself now.
Has has it been confirmed that LE wants to search or have searched recently Crystal's home?

texasmommy......do you know if Crystal is working right now, I know she is running the HBC in Baker County but I have been trying to find out all morning if she or Ronald is currently working? TIA

 

[Facts given]

Yes in cases like these, emotions run high and people are taking sides.

I certainly wish them well, both Cummings and Sheffield families, LE needs to figure out what happened to Haleigh.

They were quick to rule out the SO's in the area though.

 

[atherella]

texasmommy......do you know if Crystal is working right now, I know she is running the HBC in Baker County but I have been trying to find out all morning if she or Ronald is currently working? TIA

I don't believe that the HBC has opened yet. Do you have some verification that it has opened?

 

[elle1919]

I don't believe that the HBC has opened yet. Do you have some verification that it has opened?

No I do not, awhile back I saw in the Daily Update Thread that the HBC was moving to Baker County because the drive was beginning to be too much everyday.

What I was trying to ascertain was what each parent was doing for income at the present time.

 

[Bobbisangel]

Now that Crystals back child support has been paid current I wonder if she is going to start paying it herself now.
Has has it been confirmed that LE wants to search or have searched recently Crystal's home?

Crystal could have been paying her child support for a few years at least as she had no children in her home. The two kids lived with Ron and she didn't have the baby for a few years. She didn't make an attempt to work and be finanically responsible for Haleigh or RJ then and I doubt if anything will change. She is caught up now but will she keep up with it? That will probably depend on her boyfriend/stepbrother, if he works, and if he is willing to start paying the support. He didn't before and that probably won't change.

Wouldn't it be nice if someone with a big heart would step in and pay the back child support for some of these single mothers who have little kids that they are actually raising and who work two or three jobs just to try and keep the rent paid, daycare provided and food on the table for their children? There are a lot of them out there who are struggling because they are getting no help and are not living with a boyfriend who works. Those young mothers who are trying so hard are the ones who deserve the help. Not someone who sat around on her rear end doing nothing for years without any children in the home and someone providing her rent and food. Just because she has a missing daughter doesn't make her a special case in my eyes. She wasn't even raising that daughter.

 

[yosande]

What doesn't make sense to me is that 4 months later, she left this same baby with the person she later accused of using drugs and abusing her. It's not as if she didn't have family to support her leaving with her children, so why would she ever leave them in such a bad situation? Maybe she had post-partum and saw the situation as hopeless - I don't know. But she went back to her parents and other family members, so she wasn't all alone and would have had assistance. This makes me feel that the situation may not have been quite as she has described.

When a person is in an abusive relationship, getting away is not easy. Being chased down the road, being passed on a two lane highway, then slowing down. Attempting to terrify you in every way. Telling you that if you leave, you will not take the kids, if you do, I will get them, and you will never see them again.
I'm not saying this is what happened to her.
It did happen to me.
Sometimes the best solution is leaving the kids with them, and hoping their life is better simply b/c they aren't seeing and hearing what he did to their mom.

I don't know Crystal.
My observations of her are;
She is quiet, she is polite, she looks you in the eye.
She lives next to her mom, which imo, makes her a very passive person.
I could think on negative things about her, since none of us are perfect, but I don't think they are needful to say.
I think she does the best with the ability she possesses.
I do not think she took Haleigh.
I do not think she knows where Haleigh is.
I do think she did try to position herself in Satsuma
for the purpose of finding information about her daughter.
I think the stress as to what has happened to her daughter has taken a huge toll on her health.
I hope with all my heart that Haleigh is found soon, so she can grief, and lay her to rest in the way she deserves.
What has happened to Haleigh is not her fault.
She is not accountable for the actions of others.
She did try to get her kids.
The magistrate paid no attention to the law concerning unmarried women with their children being allowed priority to custody. If a man doesn't bother to marry the mother of his children, he loses leverage in family court, or that's how it's suppose to work, in Florida.
She drove 400 miles every other weekend just to spend time with her kids. She loves them. She is treated with contempt by the Cummings family, and the only reason I can see for this is because she wanted/wants her children with her.

She isn't perfect.
I've seen some pics, that look fairly recent where she looks strung out. But she was in an auto accident, so that could be why.
I do think she has grown from this experience, and treasures her children more than ever.
For as young as she is, and with the actions of going to get them every other weekend 400 miles folks, twice a month, just to be with her kids. That tells me she wanted to be with her kids, and she loved them. She did this for three years.
I got the impression she tried to get Ron to give her more time with them also.
I can't think of any reason to say anything negative about her at all.
moo

 

[Skully]

When a person is in an abusive relationship, getting away is not easy. Being chased down the road, being passed on a two lane highway, then slowing down. Attempting to terrify you in every way. Telling you that if you leave, you will not take the kids, if you do, I will get them, and you will never see them again.
I'm not saying this is what happened to her.
It did happen to me.
Sometimes the best solution is leaving the kids with them, and hoping their life is better simply b/c they aren't seeing and hearing what he did to their mom.

I don't know Crystal.
My observations of her are;
She is quiet, she is polite, she looks you in the eye.
She lives next to her mom, which imo, makes her a very passive person.
I could think on negative things about her, since none of us are perfect, but I don't think they are needful to say.
I think she does the best with the ability she possesses.
I do not think she took Haleigh.
I do not think she knows where Haleigh is.
I do think she did try to position herself in Satsuma
for the purpose of finding information about her daughter.
I think the stress as to what has happened to her daughter has taken a huge toll on her health.
I hope with all my heart that Haleigh is found soon, so she can grief, and lay her to rest in the way she deserves.
What has happened to Haleigh is not her fault.
She is not accountable for the actions of others.
She did try to get her kids.
The magistrate paid no attention to the law concerning unmarried women with their children being allowed priority to custody. If a man doesn't bother to marry the mother of his children, he loses leverage in family court, or that's how it's suppose to work, in Florida.
She drove 400 miles every other weekend just to spend time with her kids. She loves them. She is treated with contempt by the Cummings family, and the only reason I can see for this is because she wanted/wants her children with her.

She isn't perfect.
I've seen some pics, that look fairly recent where she looks strung out. But she was in an auto accident, so that could be why.
I do think she has grown from this experience, and treasures her children more than ever.
For as young as she is, and with the actions of going to get them every other weekend 400 miles folks, twice a month, just to be with her kids. That tells me she wanted to be with her kids, and she loved them. She did this for three years.
I got the impression she tried to get Ron to give her more time with them also.
I can't think of any reason to say anything negative about her at all.
moo

:clap:

I agree 100% with you, well said. There is no reason to look at his woman and try to keep finding fault with her. This doesn't help find Haleigh. When I speculate about family taking Haleigh, I am not talking about her. I have never thought she has had anything to do with this child missing.

Many mothers lose custody of their kids, and they should, but in this case, as I read what went down, they were stolen from her. She was beaten down, and abused and I don't think she was able to fight back. I know many of you post how brave you were and how you fought your abuser to protect your kids, but not all woman and people are alike. We don't all react the same way. She has faults, like the rest of us ladies. We all have faults, but we don't have to defend ourselves on the internet and TV. JMHO

 

[elle1919]

When a person is in an abusive relationship, getting away is not easy. Being chased down the road, being passed on a two lane highway, then slowing down. Attempting to terrify you in every way. Telling you that if you leave, you will not take the kids, if you do, I will get them, and you will never see them again.
I'm not saying this is what happened to her.
It did happen to me.
Sometimes the best solution is leaving the kids with them, and hoping their life is better simply b/c they aren't seeing and hearing what he did to their mom.

I don't know Crystal.
My observations of her are;
She is quiet, she is polite, she looks you in the eye.
She lives next to her mom, which imo, makes her a very passive person.
I could think on negative things about her, since none of us are perfect, but I don't think they are needful to say.
I think she does the best with the ability she possesses.
I do not think she took Haleigh.
I do not think she knows where Haleigh is.
I do think she did try to position herself in Satsuma
for the purpose of finding information about her daughter.
I think the stress as to what has happened to her daughter has taken a huge toll on her health.
I hope with all my heart that Haleigh is found soon, so she can grief, and lay her to rest in the way she deserves.
What has happened to Haleigh is not her fault.
She is not accountable for the actions of others.
She did try to get her kids.
The magistrate paid no attention to the law concerning unmarried women with their children being allowed priority to custody. If a man doesn't bother to marry the mother of his children, he loses leverage in family court, or that's how it's suppose to work, in Florida.
She drove 400 miles every other weekend just to spend time with her kids. She loves them. She is treated with contempt by the Cummings family, and the only reason I can see for this is because she wanted/wants her children with her.

She isn't perfect.
I've seen some pics, that look fairly recent where she looks strung out. But she was in an auto accident, so that could be why.
I do think she has grown from this experience, and treasures her children more than ever.
For as young as she is, and with the actions of going to get them every other weekend 400 miles folks, twice a month, just to be with her kids. That tells me she wanted to be with her kids, and she loved them. She did this for three years.
I got the impression she tried to get Ron to give her more time with them also.
I can't think of any reason to say anything negative about her at all.
moo

I don't talk much about my past because it is a very private thing. I really can understand what you mean though. I think when we talk about escaping from an abuser or how long it takes us to do so, it is quite difficult to compare one situation to another. I would never ever put another woman down or question another womans actions if she stayed with an abuser. Neither would I question how long it took for her to make her escape or whether or not she took children of the marriage with her.

In my position leaving my child(one child) was not...NOT an option, I was pushed into a clothes dryer, locked in my room for days on end with my child and no phone. Beaten bloody, and laughed at then in the next hour made to perform sexual acts. I was married to this man and he was the biological father of my child. He never raised a finger to her but leaving her was not an option. See, back then I lived for her and I didn't care much about my life. Because of the extreme circumstance I was in leaving without my child would never suffice. But, I understand it is different with every woman and every situation. I believe that Crystal did not believe her children to be in danger and thats all. I will not speculate as to the circumstances on the day Crystal left. Every woman is different and every circumstance is different and what worked for me might not have worked for her.

 

[yosande]

I guess I should add that I didn't leave my kids.
I stayed in the relationship until they were grown.
It was my choice.

 

[elle1919]

I guess I should add that I didn't leave my kids.
I stayed in the relationship until they were grown.
It was my choice.

You did what you felt was right for your unique situation and that in itself is commendable.

 

[MADJGNLAW]

I have been thinking about Crystal and her seizers. I wonder if maybe the reason Crystal is not working is due to some type of medical condition. We are not privy to her medical history and just maybe she is on disability? Just a thought. She went for so long without paying child support and Ron didn't push the issue until recently from how I understand it, and I feel there is much more to it that we don't know about. I don't think this had anything to do with Haleigh's disappearance, just curious as to why no child support payments, the history of the payments, was she paying a minimum amount for a while and so fourth?

 

[Busylady]

She had the first seizure a few days before Haleigh went missing. Does not explain the prior 3 years of not working. Based on the amount owed she never made one payment in child support.

I have been thinking about Crystal and her seizers. I wonder if maybe the reason Crystal is not working is due to some type of medical condition. We are not privy to her medical history and just maybe she is on disability? Just a thought. She went for so long without paying child support and Ron didn't push the issue until recently from how I understand it, and I feel there is much more to it that we don't know about. I don't think this had anything to do with Haleigh's disappearance, just curious as to why no child support payments, the history of the payments, was she paying a minimum amount for a while and so fourth?

 

[lil momma]

If CS was on disability, lets just say for a medical condition other than the seizures, the child support would have come directly out of that check before it was sent to her. (same goes when you collect unemployment)

I do feel however, that there is still no excuse for not supporting your child/children financially, regardless if you are the mother or the father.

 

[Patty G]

If CS was on disability, lets just say for a medical condition other than the seizures, the child support would have come directly out of that check before it was sent to her. (same goes when you collect unemployment)

I do feel however, that there is still no excuse for not supporting your child/children financially, regardless if you are the mother or the father.

Normally when a parent is on Social Security disability for a medical condition, the minor child(ren) would also receive a disabilty check. No child support is then paid as the child receives a check automatically every month for as long as the parent is on Social Security Disability or until the child tusrn 18. Now I am not 100% sure of the age 18, but that is what it was when my brother went on disability and had minor children and had paid child support prior to going on disability.

 

[Whisperer]

I was under the impression that when a child is on disability the check goes directly to the custodial parent.

I was unaware that the state could take support payments out of Social Security payments...interesting.

 

[elle1919]

I was under the impression that when a child is on disability the check goes directly to the custodial parent.

I was unaware that the state could take support payments out of Social Security payments...interesting.

Yes, if a CHILD is the one on disability. If the parent is on disability and receiving social security benefits, the child would receive their own social security benefits in the form of a check sent to the custodial parent. Patty G was spot on with her explanation. So in this case, if Crystal were indeed on disability the custodial parent would receive the check for Haleigh and RJ. I really don't think this was the case though. if you look at the back amount of support that was owed it looks as if Crystal herself had very little income.

At this time, it seems that her seizures might actually be disrupting her everyday life and she could qualify for benefits. I hope she has someone advocating for her that will advise her of her rights with things like this. I also want to mention that Ronald could have petitioned the courts AT ANYTIME to disrupt the visitation schedule that he had with Crystal. If she was in default and owing child support, he had every right to do that. It tells me a lot that he didn't choose to do this. He knew it some part of his brain that these children needed a relationship with their mom. I can acknowledge that much.

 

[SCHTown]

IIRC, didn't KP get hired on 3/12? Hard to believe that so many are claiming that CS brought up the custody "with her attorney" so soon after she her abduction. That would have been a month AFTER HaLeigh disappeared. Seems impossible for this to have happened so quickly. JMO

 

[cajun]

Breaking news is that Kim Picazio is no longer Crystal's attorney. Two small miracles today.

 

[atherella]

I am not sure about the actual date Kim Picazio first became involved.

News articles place Kim in town on March 12th. Kim made her first media appearance on Nancy Grace March 12th. That same night -- on her very first appearance -- she started the bashing of Ron.

GRACE: Joining me right now Kim Picazio. She is the attorney for Haleigh..s biological mother. She has just hired an attorney.

KIM PICAZIO, ATTORNEY FOR MISSING HALEIGH..S MOM: Well, Nancy, we have just rolled up in the small town where Haleigh was raised. I..ve just attended a candlelight vigil for Haleigh for the mother..s camp and I am right now holding a candle in my hand that I received at that candlelight vigil, a candle I..ll keep the rest of my life.

(snip)

We..ve had -- we talked to dozens of people today. We feel that dozens of tips and in our search for Haleigh and talking with witnesses, we received credible evidence that we believe that Junior is definitely at risk, remaining in the home of Mr. Cummings

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0903/12/ng.01.html

BBM - there is more in the transcript, but you get the idea.

 

[atherella]

Breaking news is that Kim Picazio is no longer Crystal's attorney. Two small miracles today.

OMG, you don't say?!?! Will wonders never cease!