Misty Cummings Cuffed in Alleged Road Rage Incident

October 08, 2009

Misty Cummings, stepmother of missing 6-year-old Haleigh Cummings, was briefly taken into police custody Wednesday, following an incident in which she and another woman, Donna Brock, allegedly made obscene gestures at a woman while driving on Interstate 4 in Lake Mary, Florida.

In the 911 call the woman told the dispatcher that Cummings and Brock were threatening her and waving something at her.

"I think, like, way back she beeped at me or something, and I just kept driving and ignoring it, and now she's following me," the caller said. "Her and her friend are flipping me off. She rode up next to me and said, 'I'm going to beat your a--,' and they're waving something around. I don't know what it is, but I don't want to find out."

Not long after the call, Seminole County Sheriff's deputies conducted a traffic stop of the vehicle the two women were riding in and handcuffed both Cummings and Brock. Following a search of the vehicle, during which no weapons were found, Cummings and Brock were unhandcuffed and permitted to leave. No charges were filed against either woman.

Interestingly, a woman named Donna Brock has assisted Texas EquuSearch [TES] during searches for Haleigh, Caylee Anthony and Kelly Currin Morris. When asked whether the Brock who was arrested with Cummings is a member of TES, a source within the organization said that they believed they were one in the same.

A spokesperson for the Putnam County Sheriff's Office declined to comment on the incident, other than to say Brock is not affiliated with their department.

Related Link:
Haleigh Cummings Full Coverage

Photo Credit: Haleigh Cummings: Contributed 

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission from Discovery Communications. All quotes must include a link back.

Bounty Hunter William "Cobra" Staubs Wants His Freedom Back

August 07, 2009

One of the people at the center of the Haleigh Cummings case is William Eugene Staubs, aka "Cobra," a bounty hunter from Fort Lauderdale, FL, who has been involved in several high profile cases over the years, including the O.J. Simpson case and the take-down of an alleged terrorist in Fort Campbell, KY.

Despite an impressive record, which, by his count, includes the capture of over 8,000 fugitives – 199 of whom he says were child molesters – Staubs now finds himself at the center of his own criminal investigation – a case which he claims has been manufactured to silence him.

According to Staubs, he got involved in the Haleigh case just weeks after the tot was reporting missing by her father, Ronald Cummings.

"Pastor Richard Grund (father of Jesse Grund – Casey Anthony's former fiancé) got a call from a woman who was involved in the case, and she told him that there was something really wrong going on in this little girl's disappearance," Staubs said in an interview with Criminal Report Daily. "She said 'we need some type of investigator. These people are poor; they don't have any money.' So Pastor Grund contacted me, and we discussed it. I asked him what he thought and he said, 'I will tell you right now; it isn't going to be easy. It is going to be dangerous, so I suggest you prepare yourself.' So I called journalist Art Harris and asked him to come down to Satsuma to go behind the scenes with me, and I headed down there to get started."

Staubs says that within his first week in Satsuma he was able to meet with Haleigh's family and local police, during which time he uncovered a lot of inside information in the case. In addition, he also claims to have actively searched wooded areas in an attempt to find Haleigh.

"I worked an average of 20 to 22 hours a day every day," Staubs said. "Art Harris went with me, probably 5 to 7 days; in some cases, 16 hours a day. I conducted interviews and intense searches on land and in the swamps. I had to do stuff in the middle of the night because, you know, if you are walking around, somebody would shoot you. Also, I wanted to get into the underground, so I checked clients to see who is out on bond, and I got a list of names. I took that list, and I met with the sheriff, FDLE (Florida Department of Law Enforcement) and the assistant state prosecutor for Putnam County. I met with all these people, opened up all these files, laid them out and asked them if they had a problem if I go out for these folks right here. They asked me what I wanted them for, and I told them that some of them are wanted back by the bail bond agent and other ones I wanted to talk to and see where they are and, chances are, we might be revoking a few of them. They didn't have any problem whatsoever. Art Harris also filmed some of that and watched that interview go down."

One of the people Staubs was zeroing in on was a man who was free on bail after being arrested for alleged sex abuse. The individual caught Staubs' attention because of his alleged crimes and his allegations that he had attempted to donate furniture to the Haleigh Bug Center, a place where search volunteers would meet up. According to Staubs, the man's visit to the center – where children are often present – was a direct violation of the individual's bond. Staubs says he contacted the agency that held the bond and then went to the man's house on March 20, to pick him up.

"The insurance company that guaranteed the bond gave me the file," Staubs said. "I am a licensed agent with full arrest powers and everything, so I called the law to tell them I was going. When I got out there, I blew the horn and I heard a shotgun or something go off. I called the police and said 'There's a problem,' and the defendant started screaming at me, so now we are off to a real bad start."

Moments after arriving on the scene, Staubs was joined by two police officers, who stood watch as he threw the man to the ground and handcuffed him (click here to view video of the event as shot by Art Harris) before putting him into his vehicle for transport to the county jail. It was during that trip that Staubs says he received a call from people at the insurance company, who, he claims, said they had changed their mind, and told him to release the man.

Click here to continue reading this story >

Into Thin Air...

May 28, 2009

Some have vanished without a trace while others left a string of mysteries in their wake. Learn more about some unsolved cases and see what you can do to help.

Visit Investigation Discovery's new Missing Person information and resource page at:
http://investigation.discovery.com/investigation/missing-persons/missing-persons.html

Haleigh Who? The forgotten Missing Florida Tot

April 23, 2009

I have received multiple emails in the last few days from readers who are anxious to receive updates on Haleigh Ann Marie Cummings, a 5-year-old girl from Putnam County, Florida, who disappeared in February 2009. It was not my intention to allow this case to fall by the wayside; this has been the case due to the many other missing person cases I have been working on in recent weeks. Nonetheless, it is my intention today to update you on the latest happenings - as slim and far between as they may be.

Before we get into the newest details, I feel that a brief recap is in order for those of you who are not completely familiar with the case.

Haleigh Cummings was last seen in the early-morning hours of Feb. 10, allegedly sleeping in her father's mobile home.

According to John Merchant, a detective with the Putnam County Sheriff's Office, police were first notified of the case at about 3:45 a.m., when they received a call from 17-year-old Misty Croslin, the then girlfriend (now wife) of Haleigh's father, 24-year-old Ronald Cummings.

In the call, Croslin said that when she woke up, she discovered that Haleigh was missing and that the back door to the mobile home had been propped open.

"Like, there was a brick on the floor," Croslin said. "Like, when I went to sleep, the door was not like that."

When police arrived at the mobile home in the Hermit's Cove area of Satsuma, they were greeted by a frantic Ronald Cummings. When deputies were finally able to calm him down, he explained that he had last seen his daughter at about 10:00 p.m. that night before he left for work. When he returned home, at about 3:45 a.m., his girlfriend had told him that his daughter was missing.

According to Misty, she had been alone in the house with Haleigh and the child's 3-year-old brother. She said that Haleigh was next to her in the bed when she had fallen asleep; however, when she later woke up to go to the bathroom - minutes before Cummings arrived home from work - she discovered that Haleigh was missing. Her original story has since varied.

Upon receiving the report, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement responded by activating its Child Abduction Regional Team and, within an hour, over 130 officers from at least 10 county, state, and federal law enforcement agencies were searching for Haleigh.

Misty Croslin … Cat's out of the bag

February 17, 2009

In my last blog post I alluded to new information law enforcement had received in the search for Haleigh Cummings, a 5-year-old girl who vanished from her Putnam County, Fla., home on Feb. 10.

In that post, I informed you that a source close to the investigation had told Investigation Discovery that law enforcement had received new leads "revolving around the timeline the girl disappeared and the initial report given to law enforcement." I also said, "due to the sensitive nature of the information obtained by ID, no further details can be provided on it at this time."

Unfortunately, that information has since been leaked and was reported on tonight by both a local Florida outlet and a national media outlet.

The information I am referring to is a tip that investigators received from a local resident who came forward and told them that Misty Croslin, the 17-year-old girlfriend of Haleigh's father, 24-year-old Ronald Cummings, was not at home the night Haleigh disappeared. It has further been alleged that the night Haleigh was abducted was not the first time Croslin had sneaked out while Cummings was at work and his kids were sleeping. There are further allegations regarding her activities at that time; however that information has not officially been released.

Croslin's inconsistent statements to both law enforcement and the media have been apparent since the start of the investigation. Whether or not these new allegations will cause her to reveal new information to the authorities is yet to be seen.

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 Receive New Leads in Abduction of Haleigh Cummings
Florida Police Say Haleigh Cummings Was Abducted
Florida Authorities in Desperate Search for Missing 5-year-old Haleigh Cummings

Photo Credit: Famiy photo

Florida Police Receive New Leads in Abduction of Haleigh Cummings

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.

Haleigh Cummings Case Discussion

February 13, 2009

Hello Readers,

As you are aware, authorities in Putnam County, Florida, have launched a desperate search for Haleigh Cummings, a 5-year-old girl who was abducted from her home on Feb. 10, 2009.

In response to your requests, Investigation Discovery has created a thread on our message board where you can share your thoughts on the case. To participate, please visit the following link:

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

If there are any other discussions you would like started please let us know.

Thanks!

David Lohr

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

Photo Credit: Haleigh's family

Florida Police Say Haleigh Cummings Was Abducted

February 12, 2009

The search for Haleigh Ann Marie Cummings, a 5-year-old girl who vanished from her Putnam County, Fla., home early Tuesday morning, has gone on for over 50 hours now, and investigators still have no new leads on her whereabouts.

The search effort, which initially involved over 130 officers from at least 10 county, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, was significantly scaled back today to about 60 active searchers. The reason for the scaleback, according to Maj. Gary Bowling with the Putnam County Sheriff's Office, is that investigators believe Haleigh was abducted.

"The evidence that it's an abduction is that there's no reason to believe that the child wandered off," Bowling said during a media briefing last night. "She's a 5-year-old child, and she's afraid of the dark."

According to authorities, polygraph tests have been administered to Haleigh's father, 24-year-old Ronald Cummings, and his 17-year-old girlfriend, Misty Croslin. Cummings has told the media that they both passed; officials will not comment on the validity of his claims.

Earlier today, Putnam County Sheriff Jeff Hardy said that investigators have collected evidence from Cummings' mobile home but would not describe the evidence.

"I can't discuss what evidence was taken into custody," Hardy said. "I don't want to reveal what was found or not found."

The evidence has since been sent to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement Regional Crime Lab for analysis.

Speaking with Fox News, Putnam County Sheriff's Office Capt. Steve Rose confirmed reports that there have been prior problems with Cummings, Croslin, and the children. He refused to elaborate on what the problems were, saying only, "There have been some investigations done through the Department of Children and Families," Rose said.

On Tuesday, Haleigh's mother, 23-year-old Crystal Sheffield, and her grandmother, Marie Griffis, arrived on the scene from Georgia. Griffis initially told the media that there were no problems between her daughter and Cummings; today, however, she told the media that their relationship had been "rocky."

Florida Authorities in Desperate Search for Missing 5-year-old Haleigh Cummings

February 11, 2009

Authorities in Putnam County, Florida, have launched a desperate search for Haleigh Ann Marie Cummings, a 5-year-old girl who was last seen sleeping inside her father's mobile home early Tuesday morning.

According to John Merchant, a detective with the Putnam County Sheriff's Office, police were first notified of the case at about 3:45 a.m. Tuesday, when they received a call from 17-year-old Misty Croslin, girlfriend of Haleigh's father, 24-year-old Ronald Cummings. A partial transcript of that call reads as follows:

Croslin: I just woke up, and my back door was all open, and I can't find my daughter.
Operator: Can't find what?
Croslin: My daughter.
Operator: OK. When did you last see her?
Croslin: We just like, you know, it was about 10 o'clock. She was sleeping.
Operator: OK. How old is your daughter?
Croslin: She's 5.
Operator: OK. What was she last seen wearing, Ma'am?
Croslin: She was in her pajamas. She was sleeping.
Operator: OK. All right, you said your back door was wide open?
Croslin: Yes, with a brick. Like, there was a brick on the floor. Like, when I went to sleep, the door was not like that.
Operator: OK. Was your back door locked? Do you know?
Croslin: Yes. That door always stays locked.

Ronald Cummings then gets on the phone.

Cummings: I just got home from work. My 5-year-old daughter is gone. I need someone to be here now. I'm telling you, if I find whoever has my daughter before you all do, I'm killing him. I don't care. I'll spend the rest of my life in prison.                                                                                                                               

Operator: It's OK, sir. We got them on the way.

When police arrived at 202 Green Lane in the River Villa mobile home community in the Hermit's Cove area of Satsuma, they were greeted by a frantic Ronald Cummings. When deputies were finally able to calm him down, he explained that he had last seen his daughter at about 10:00 p.m. Monday night before he left for work. He said he is employed by PDM Bridge, a company in nearby Palatka that builds steel girders for bridges. When he had returned home, at about 3:45 a.m., his girlfriend had told him that his daughter was missing.

According to Misty Croslin, she had been alone in the house with Haleigh and the child's 3-year-old brother, Ronald Jr. Croslin said that when she had fallen asleep, Haleigh was next to her in the bed; however, when she later woke up to go to the bathroom—minutes before Cummings arrived home from work—she discovered that Haleigh was missing. Croslin also stated she observed that a rear door to the trailer was ajar and that a brick had been used to prop it open. Croslin further said that she observed a blanket and sheets scattered on the wooden ramp leading from the door.

"She's afraid of the dark," Cummings told First Coast News. "She didn't leave my house. Somebody came in my back door and stole my child while I was at work."