2009.03.13 ~ The Today Show *REVISIT*

[Kimster]

Soon after Ron and Misty got married, they appeared on the Today Show. We've talked about so much of this interview in pieces over the last year and yet I didn't find a thread entirely devoted to analyzing what was discussed at that time.

Here are some highlights that I jotted down as I watched it once again tonight:

- The church where they held Haleigh's vigils wouldn't marry them because they "didn't agree with the union".

- Ron said that Geraldo and Crystal made up what Junior said about the man in black

- Misty said she wouldn't talk to LE because she didn't like the new guy that was added to the case. He accused her of lying.

- Misty's story during this interview was that she put Haleigh to bed at 8PM and covered her with a blanket that she washed. She said she then went to bed at 10PM (She discussed where the kids were placed in bed, but I still can't determine which bed was whose?!?)

- Misty said she knows she made inconsistent statements but she's not sure why

- Ron says he wants the media not to pay attention to his personal life and just pay attention to Haleigh and keep her picture out there

- Ron says that the lead detective, John Merchant, doesn't think Misty is a suspect.

Now I have quite a few comments of my own, but am interested in what you all think first. Please keep this thread more analytical than usual. Thanks!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4KvgPF8cak

 

[Zoe Bogart]

Am I allowed to say the word that popped into my mind was "arrogance"? It envelopes RC and MC. How many times did he mention he "was at work"? How is that an answer to Meredith's question about why he doesn't believe the story of the "man in black"? Why does RC continually look down when he's answering questions about Haleigh? His plea at the end wasn't sincere, imo.

Misty looks to RC when she can't answer Meredith's "tough" questions. We heard from Michelle, the reporter, that LE is satisfied RC doesn't know what happened to the child. Secondhand information, not directly from LE.

The wedding is "what Haleigh would have wanted". :shakehead:

RC and MC claimed they both passed their LDTs. Again, secondhand information, not directly from LE.

RC doesn't like people to pay attention to what he does. He wants emphasis on Haleigh, yet he can't make a plea for her without a smirk, and he doesn't look directly into the camera for more than a few seconds.

I could analyze this thing to death but I won't because I don't want to get into trouble. If I were the pastor of that church, I would have refused to officiate their wedding, too.

 

[Donjeta]

We need a transcript. I've started one out. Everybody please feel free to add, correct and continue this one. The double question marks are where I wasn't sure what they say.

Ronald and Misty Cummings are with us exclusively this morning. Good morning to you both. Thank you for joining us.
(Misty's gaze shifts, blinking, RC looks down, neither smiles in greeting or says anything that I can hear).
Ronald, your daughter Haleigh disappeared a little more than a month ago and since then you have spoken to the media, taken polygraph tests, both of you have, (Misty nods and swallows) opened up your home, what was your home, to us to see where Haleigh lived, to get a better sense of her - none of that could have been easy for either one of you, so why did you wanna come here today, what are you hoping to accomplish, Ronald?

(They stare steadily on Meredith, jaw set, but he looks down when answering.)
RC: To get the focus back on my daughter is missing, my five year old girl is gone (nods) and I wanna find her.

Why do you think the focus has changed, you said get the focus back on her.

RC: I think it changed to my personal life, and being married and everything else when they should be focusing on my five year old daughter. (showing Haleigh's pics, not him)

Do you think the police have done an adequate job searching for her, Ronald, are you comfortable with the job they have done so far? (His leg moving, looks down again)

RC: So far.

Meredith: ??

RC: Yes.

Meredith: Have they said anything to you about any possible leads at all?
(RC looks down, shakes head, mouth moves in a downward motion).
Meredith: Nothing. Uh, Michelle just referenced your son, your four year old son and the fact that he said that somebody, a man dressed in black, had taken Haleigh out of the, the trailer the night she disappeared. (RC's knee movement continues, Misty has her hands in between her thighs, RC arms crossed) Did he say anything to either one of you? Misty you were there at the time, did he say anything to you at the time?

Misty: Uhhuh.

Meredith: Nothing.

Misty: No

RC: Me either. I'm thinking this is just some of that garbage that Geraldo and Crystal, her mother, have made up (?? here he says something else too ??)
Meredith: Oh you don't even believe that Ronald Jr. said this at all?
RC: (shrug, jaw shifts up) I don't know. I wasn't at home, I was at work.

This last shrug unfailingly makes me feel he knows something. He dodges the question and seems a bit smug to me while mentioning his alibi. But his alibi has nothing to do with what the reporter asked him. She doesn't inquire whether he saw a man in black take Haleigh that night, she asks if he believes that Jr said this at some point later.

The opening remark is interesting as well. He wants to get the focus back on Haleigh being missing instead of being married, and what better way to achieve it than to visit the Today show with your newly wed bride on your honeymoon the morning after the celebration? :waitasec:

 

[Kimster]

Yes, I too thought that RC said "I wuz at werk" too many times. I've never doubted that he was werking that night before and after revisiting the interview in whole, I can see why many question it. Why does he feel the need to repeat the issue so many times? It does sound hinky. Or was he high and that's why he repeats it? I tried to look closely at his pupils but with my computer, I couldn't tell if they were dilated or not.

 

[YellowSubmarine]

This interview bugged me the most out of all they did. The body language, the arrogance -- MC looking to RC for answers and, of course, the constant "I was at work". I was always impressed with MV's ability to not throw her papers in the air and say "This is pointless".

RC also used the "I was at work" when asked why he didn't question MC's inconsistencies on NG. He also said it when asked what he thought might have happened. He just doesn't want to touch this with a 10 ft pole, which is odd for a father searching for his missing child.

 

[Kimster]

I'm really not trying to pick on RC. Those who support him please know that as your mod, I will support your opinions.

With that said, however, I was also intrigued by RC quickly dismissing Jr's account of the man in black. They said he never told them about it and it was made up by Geraldo and Crystal. I don't remember Crystal and Geraldo being friends? Was there any kind of relationship between them that anyone remembers?

 

[Kimster]

I found my own answer on the Case Calendar. (THANK YOU BUTTERFLY!!!)

"Ronald Cummings has custody of his two children by Crystal Sheffield. Why? Evidently because Sheffield had used cocaine the year before, and because the missing Florida girl had allegedly missed a dozen doctor appointments while in Sheffield's custody. Haleigh is reported to have Turner's Syndrome."<snipped>

The above comment was written by Geraldo. If I were Crystal, I don't think I'd call him my friend.

http://www.associatedcontent.com/ar...ummings_disappearance_investigated.html?cat=9

 

[Concerned Papa]

I'm really not trying to pick on RC. Those who support him please know that as your mod, I will support your opinions.

With that said, however, I was also intrigued by RC quickly dismissing Jr's account of the man in black. They said he never told them about it and it was made up by Geraldo and Crystal. I don't remember Crystal and Geraldo being friends? Was there any kind of relationship between them that anyone remembers?

Do you mean did she have him on speed dial or something? *cough* I believe that was someone else.....

 

[KSH352]

To me the most "telling" thing about that interview is when Misty looks to Ronald for help on why she lied. I don't think she was ready for a direct question like that and Ronald just let her take the blow. IMO

 

[Kimster]

To me the most "telling" thing about that interview is when Misty looks to Ronald for help on why she lied. I don't think she was ready for a direct question like that and Ronald just let her take the blow. IMO

Whoa! I'd never thought of it that way before! I always thought she was looking at him out of fear to respond, like she didn't want him to get mad and she was scared of him. :doh: Now I don't know what to think. Thanks for weighing in!

 

[Zoe Bogart]

To me the most "telling" thing about that interview is when Misty looks to Ronald for help on why she lied. I don't think she was ready for a direct question like that and Ronald just let her take the blow. IMO

Yep, that's what I thought, too, from the first time I saw it. She wanted him to help, and he ignored her. I like your phrasing, "let her take the blow". That he did.

 

[~greeneyedgirl~]

At the end of the clip when he is asked what would you say to Haleigh, he doesn't look into the camera...that tells me a lot, that plus the fact that he had to think about who to contact if you have information.

I don't quite understand his body language, during the wedding clips, he is very tense and he really looked like he could have hit Misty when she mushed the cake into his face. When I was married and said my vows I looked at my husband not the minister. There are a lot of wonky things going on here

 

[CN2Souls]

If you look really close at the 7:09-7:11 video line you can see MC elbow RC when they ask her about the reason for the change in her story. :waitasec:

 

[suspicious1]

This is one of the interviews that makes Ron and Misty look so guilty, IMO. Clearly Misty was looking to Ron for answers and sometimes Ron chimed in and sometimes he didn't. Why would Misty need Ron help with those questions if Ron, himself, was not there, had nothing to do with Haleigh going missing and was not involved in the cover-up? That tells me that Misty was not fearful of revealing the truth in front of Ron...she was fearful about messing up the script. If you add this interview to the interview by Greta, where Misty is heard screwing up the script and Ron jumping in to correct her. He was correcting her on details that he would not have been known had he actually been at work when they occurred. Ron is definitely involved in this somehow.

 

[Quiche]

Ron seems so uptight and defensive-- angry really, and what really bothers me is the absolute absence of worry about the welfare of his missing daughter. Where is the angst, the fret, the rambling plea for her safe return home? Haleigh is barely the subject...the only urgency he felt compelled to share is his desire to have the media leave his personal life out of the equation. mo

Bah!

 

[Emeralgem]

IMHO... Ron C's arrogance in this video is blatantly obvious when Meredith asked..So you don't believe Ronald Jr. ever said that at all... And Ron C replies.... "I don't know, I was at work so I can't tell you honestly".'And his arrogance is even more blatant when he mentions the name......John Merchant...JMO

 

[maureen718]

Whoa! I'd never thought of it that way before! I always thought she was looking at him out of fear to respond, like she didn't want him to get mad and she was scared of him. :doh: Now I don't know what to think. Thanks for weighing in!

I agree, misty looks to ron for help and it's the way she exhales in that moment that suggests she realizes he's left her hanging and chooses to just say she doesn't know, then she agrees with Meredeth that she's been inconsistent and says again, she doesn't know why, maybe not so much as in fear of ron at this time but scared to deviate from the "script", misty shrugs too and it seems like a shrug to say 'what do you want me say' rather than 'I really don't know'

 

[Emeralgem]

To me the most "telling" thing about that interview is when Misty looks to Ronald for help on why she lied. I don't think she was ready for a direct question like that and Ronald just let her take the blow. IMO

IMHIO.. Ronald's intentions for Misty to take the blow and the fall for him started on day one...Immediately after the incident occurred......JMO

 

[lonetraveler]

Yes, I too thought that RC said "I wuz at werk" too many times. I've never doubted that he was werking that night before and after revisiting the interview in whole, I can see why many question it. Why does he feel the need to repeat the issue so many times? It does sound hinky. Or was he high and that's why he repeats it? I tried to look closely at his pupils but with my computer, I couldn't tell if they were dilated or not.

I noticed Ron's slightly slurred speech and my first thought was that he was a bit stoned. He also appeared to be a bit Pizzed to me. Clenching his jaw a lot.

 

[lonetraveler]

IMHO... Ron C's arrogance in this video is blatantly obvious when Meredith asked..So you don't believe Ronald Jr. ever said that at all... And Ron C replies.... "I don't know, I was at work so I can't tell you honestly".'And his arrogance is even more blatant when he mentions the name......John Merchant...JMO

Ron has thrown out John Merchant's name in several videos and he appears to feel empowered by being able to do that. I've always felt hink at this action of Ron's.