There are really only these possibilities:
This case would have been solved a year ago if Ron had lied about his work hours or if those hours didn't provide an alibi for the time after Haleigh was last seen.
What I said was that it
would have been solved a year ago
if Le investigated and found that Ron had lied about his work.
Of course he started out at the top of the suspect pile, along with Crystal, Misty and Crystal's husband, whose name escapes me right now. The bio and step parents and siblings if of age and any other live-in individuals (relatives, friends, boarders, etc.) would be at the top of the list because, sadly, most children are abused or killed by the very people who should protect them.
But LE said Ron and Crystal went from top to bottom. That simply could not happen if Ron had lied about his work hours or the fact that he was at work or the times he arrived and departed. The lie itself would point to guilt--and once again, I am not, not, not talking about statements in the media, which can be misleading because of editing, context, TV nerves or whatever. I mean on the record statements made to LE in official interviews or interrogations. Certainly, there are many instances when LE officers have conducted poor interviews, etc., but they are far, far better at getting people to contradict themselves, to unwittingly give up information, to trap themselves in mutually exclusive explanations, etc. The work hours had to be a primary focus of the investigation because that would either rule in or rule out Ron Cummings, once it was established when Haleigh was last seen. That Ron was moved to the bottom of the list with Crystal is a strong indicator that his story has been corroborated by objective evidence, like the time clock.
It's interesting to note that LE has said on many occasions that Misty's stories contradict each other and the physical evidence collected on the night Haleigh disappeared. I've never heard one word from LE that Ron's account of his work hours or movements on the day contradicts other objective elements or other statements he has made to LE. And as I argued the other day, the 911 tapes show a very deceptive Misty talking about her actions that night but a Ronald whose statements are clear, straightforward and focused on Haleigh. It's clear that Ron has a number of faults and has made many mistakes, one of which was to put his children in harm's way with Misty. That doesn't mean that he killed his daughter or covered up her murder. I give LE enough credit to assume that they did the very easy job of finding out when Ron arrived and work, when he left, and if it was possible for him to leave the premises long enough to cover up a murder.
Frankly, the big conspiracy theories about Ron are puzzling, since he doesn't appear to be a crack critical thinker or strategist. He got caught on tape selling dope. He dated and married Misty. The most reasonable scenario is the simplest. Haleigh was in Misty's custody. Either she killed her and the others (TC, for sure, and who knows who else) helped her cover it up or someone she let into the mobile home did it and they all agreed to dispose of the body. JO wouldn't talk because it would always be his word against Misty and Tommy; the other two wouldn't talk because Misty was always most vulnerable and Tommy had the most to lose. Add Ron to that scenario and it doesn't work. The only person who might cover up for him would be Misty, and that not for long if she was indicted for murder and faced the death penalty. So--Ron was at work.
