Florida Police Receive New Leads in Abduction of Haleigh Cummings

February 17, 2009

The search for Haleigh Ann Marie Cummings, a 5-year-old girl who vanished from her Putnam County, Fla., home on Feb. 10, has been significantly scaled back; however investigators say they are following up on new leads.

"We were able to come up with several good leads that we are following up on today," Capt. Steve Rose of the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office said at a press conference today. "At this time we cannot discuss the nature of those leads."

Sources close to the investigation have told Investigation Discovery that the new leads revolve around the timeline the girl disappeared and the initial report given to law enforcement. This information reportedly changed the focus of the investigation, which in turn resulted in the search being scaled back. Due to the sensitive nature of the information obtained by ID no further details can be provided at this time.

Among those pulling out of the search for Haleigh is Texas EquuSearch, a search and recovery group from Dickinson, Texas, who was recently involved in the search for Casey Anthony's missing daughter, Caylee Anthony.

According to Mike Ray, a Texas EquuSearch search coordinator who was on the ground during the search effort, the Putnam County Sheriff's Office asked Texas EquuSearch to pull out of the search yesterday. Ray would not discuss the specifics of that request; however he did say they had conducted a thorough search of the area.

"We had 300 searchers at our disposal," Ray told investigation Discovery. "We went out multiple times and cleared all of the wooded areas around Haleigh's home. The terrain was some of the most difficult I've seen compared to other searches I have been on. There was a lot of saw brush and a lot of volunteers came out with cuts on their forearms and legs. No one can say we did not put forth our best effort. We went out of our way to clear every area. The scale of this search could only be matched by the one we conducted for Caylee."

Ray said that while volunteers searched the woods, law enforcement personnel focused much of their attention on a nearby waterway.

"They had about 30 boats in the water," Ray said. "They were conducting sonar searches and they were also dragging the bottom."

Celebrity bounty hunter Leonard Padilla was also present during the search effort; however Ray said he did not actively participate in the search and remained camped out with the media. Last week, Padilla offered a $25,000 reward to anyone who returned Haleigh by Feb. 14.

In related news, volunteers found one area of interest in the woods where someone had constructed a makeshift lean-to and furniture out of tree branches. A shovel and length of rope were found at the location; however it remains unclear if any of the items are of relevance.

Meanwhile, Haleigh's father, 24-year-old Ronald Cummings, reportedly told an ID source that he has a new theory on what might have happened to Haleigh.

Cummings allegedly said that it is possible that Haleigh's abduction was in retaliation for something he did in the past, but he did not clarify what that "something" could be. Cummings also allegedly said that he believes someone gained entry to his home using a "lock bumping" technique. It remains unclear if law enforcement is following up on that theory.

Regardless of how the abduction occurred, the fact remains that a beautiful 5-year-old girl is missing. It remains the hope of everyone involved that a break in the case will occur soon.

Keep checking back with Investigation Discovery for more details in the case.

Haleigh Cummings is described as three feet tall, weighing 39 pounds, with blonde hair and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing a pink shirt and underwear. Anyone with information on her whereabouts is asked to contact the Putnam County Sheriff's Office at 386-329-0808 or Crime Stoppers at 1-888-277-TIPS.

Discuss the case:
http://community.discovery.com/eve/forums/a/frm/f/81919214001

Related Links:
Florida Police Say Haleigh Cummings Was Abducted
Florida Authorities in Desperate Search for Missing 5-year-old Haleigh Cummings

Comments

[Kim]

I hope she is alive.

[Ally]

I have been preying for this little girl to be found. You know, it is so sad. I read updates on this story twice a day, hoping they find her. Is it possible to get finger prints off the homemade chair found? Maybe they can get some kind of possible lead? I will keep preying! My thoughts are with the family. It seems like the mother was treated unfairly, in my opinion, those tiny babies should have been with their mother and the grandmother rather than with a seventeen year old that is not even yet an adult in the first place!!! If i was the mother, i would fight and do all in my power to get her little son with her instead of being home with the seventeen year old child, while the father is at work!

[frogpond]

Kim: I think you mean "praying" Preying is what a predator does.

[BeckyM]

Still searching the wrong place. I'm telling you that history shows they need to be searching the homes and the yards. She close by and being concealed.

David do we know if they have used cadaver dogs in this case?

[Briana]

I pray to God that they find this little girl alive.On that note I have been watching this case pretty closely and I think they really need to investigate the fathers girlfriend a little more,And find out why she has changed her story so many times.Maybe they will get a honest answer ,that she finally will stick too.This little girl is out there somewhere, If she is scared of someone or scared of getting in trouble,she owes it to this little girl to come clean...if I'm wrong I apologize it just does'nt sit right with me.She is the last one to see this little girl,and she cannot remember what she wore to bed???not calling 911 until her boyfriend got home???this is so suspicious..

[Michelle]

David, can you tell me if the pic in this article is the actual chair or a pic of a chair like what they found. Don't want to continue reviewing this pic if it isn't the actual chair. Thanks for your help.

-Edited by David Lohr to add: Yes, it is.-

[Bettttt1]

IT'S
LOOK'S TO ME LIKE THERE IS FIXTURES ON THE BOTTOM OF THE CHAIR WHERE SOMEONE HAS BEEN TIED, DOES ANYONE KNOW IF THEY HAVE CHECKED IT FOR HAIR OR FIBER'S.

[Maria Luisa Fried]

I hate to say it-but something is not right with the whole picture.I do not trust the seventeen years old girl;and I do not even believe that her tears are true.At first-even, she sounded as if she was either crazy the way she kept her eyes shut through the whole ordeal when she was talking or she was not able to open her eyes and look at people straight on the faces (this was the first interview in front of the cameras)May be she was zealous of this little girl and her Father (this happens a lot with step Moms and Dads) and may be she found the way to get rid of this little girl, so she could have the Father all to herself and marry him as she did.I just do not trust her at all!

[Bettttt1]

"""""IF this is the case that misty wanted rid of this child, look out because there is another child in her *CARE*
perhap's she need's to take the time to learn how to take care of her self FIRST!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Melba Tucker]

I think the children should have been with their Mother. Seems like their Dad was too involved with his girlfriend. She seems like she may have been jelous of this little girl. I hope the Mother takes the boy. I think the girlfriend had something to do with this.