The reporter is reporting a statement made by law enforcement. If the LE statement was misquoted, representatives of the sheriff's office could and would make another statement, written or verbal, to correct the record. Both biological parents have been "cleared of suspicion". Reporters lose sources and access to law enforcement information if they misquote, misattribute, or skew information that comes from those sources. It may be that the statement given by LE was not particularly quotable or that LE asked the reporters not to quote the statement directly.
Reporters do make mistakes, and particularly in cases where there is breaking news--but not in a situation in which LE is interested in making public that the parents are cleared. That tells everyone involved in the case that the investigation has moved beyond the innermost family ring (biological parents) and is now moving outward to other family members, friends, neighbors, acquaintances, and strangers. As such, this statement is very significant, not to a discussion over which parent is "better," but to finding out who took Haleigh and why. If LE has moved the investigation past Ron and Crystal, we should, also. And if new information comes to light about either bio parent, everyone can reconsider.
That should be good news as the worst fate imaginable for a child would be to die at the hands of his or her own parent.
