Ronald Cummings, Misty Croslin and Hank Croslin Arrested On Drug Trafficking Charges

Haliegh was the case that changed my thinking about LE, newsjournalizm (NG/JVM), well even the mainstream media, blogging, chatting, "blog journalists" and "investigative reporters" in general.

One thing I do still find amazingly similar between Haleigh and Kyron is that the sides became so polarized and aggressive so quickly. This was aided, of course, by LE who zeroed in on one person to the exclusion of all else, and ran with that ball no matter what. Bloggers/chatters actually wormed their ways into the cases: doing private research, calling LE, contacting the people involved/witnesses, scrounging for any scrap of public documents/info info they could find to report on, publishing facebook/myspace info, making friend requests to relatives/suspects. It was freakin unbelievable. The relatives of witnesses/suspects were now chatting, giving interviews, starting (fake) foundations, making TV appearances, twittering, Myspacing, Facebooking! Family feuds where the special de jour! Lines were drawn. Insults were hurled. Splinter chat groups emerged. Moderators shut down their forums entirely or censored them so widely that unless you agreed with "their side" you were the enemy or even banned. After being repeated so many times in so many different venues, speculation became fact.... and these facts were now permantly "on the record."

It was so strange. And scary too.

But look at this one big difference:

One of the most dividing factors in Haleigh's case (there were many) was was the biomom, Crystal Sheffied. A woman who lived quite a distance away and did not have custody of the children nor was she in charge of them that night. Things got so bad for her (an already troubled and struggling young woman and mother with life issues of her own to deal with even if this never happened) that she had to obtain a lawyer and public relations person, of course, screwed her over.

Every excruciatingly intimate detail of her life was dug up on her and published- THE BIOMOM HAD TO HAVE DONE IT! (allegedly because she owed $2000 in back child support...?).. IT HAD TO BE HER! SHE MUST BE INVESTIGATED MORE FULLY! HER HUSBAND TOO! LEAVE NO STONE UNTURNED! (imagine villagers with virtual pitchforks and torches here).

In Kyron's case, though the BIOMOM CAN DO NO WRONG! DON'T YOU DARE BOTHER HER WITH ANY OF THIS! CAN'T YOU SEE WHAT SHE'S GOING THROUGH! SHE'S MODEST, CHASTE, AND TRUTHFUL IN ALL THINGS! AND ALWAYS HAS BEEN! DON'T GO THERE!

Isn't that so bizarre?

kh

hello everybody.

seems like alot has been happening not only with the haleigh case but with the same ol b/s at bnn. i too was banned quit some time ago and have not regreted it one bit.

im not here to put any blog down that is trying to help find haleigh, but imho some have no longer made her a priority.
the rudeness off blog radio has gotten to far out of hand. they say snakes hang with snakes.

enough of that, i will say i like this site for it is fair and equal. the people here are friendly and helpful.

prayers for haleigh.

Hello frankie, welcome to the greatest site in the world!!!

Even when we don't agree on a particular topic, we are all still friends, and we don't call each other names.

I'm sure you are going to really like this site, so jump in and give us your comments on each topic.

frankie...Just watch out for eva and Julie...only kidding!!!! we're all nice folk here and always look out for one another...we usually play our friendly games in the Creative Writing Thread...Come join us for some fun sometime!!!!

Misty Croslin pleads no contest

July 21, 2010

Breaking news: ArtHarris.com is reporting that Misty Croslin will be pleading no contest to drug trafficking charges! Also tonight, we have shocking new information about Ronald Cummings repulsive behavior after Haleigh vanished! Art Harris, prosecutor Donna Pendergast, defense atty Ray Giudice, and profiler Pat Brown are here to analyze!

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/levipage/2010/07/22/levi-page-show

Here is a truly interesting site to visit:

http://papascorner.weebly.com/index.html

It was especially eye opening to read/listen to the info laid out in the "Ronald Cummings and Misty Croslin- Deceptive Acts and Statements"- which includes a lot of info about cousin joe and some other questions about the day Haleigh went missing.

If you're looking for something interesting to read Haleigh-wise, this is the place.

What tangled webs we weave........

Where is Haleigh?

kh

JUST A REMINDER:

If I have this straight, Tommy's court date is this Friday, Ron's is 08/20 and Misty's is 08/23. I don't think Donna goes back to court until September.

kh

Tommy is in court today. kh

Thanks...I can't wait to see what kind of punishment he gets.

Hank Croslin Jr. To Be Sentenced Today
Croslin Pleaded No Contest To Drug Charges

http://www.news4jax.com/news/24534837/detail.html

PALATKA, Fla. -- One of the key figures in the Haleigh Cummings investigation is expected to be sentenced Friday morning on drug charges.


Hank Croslin Jr. pleaded no contest to two trafficking charges after being arrested in January during a drug sting operation. He was arrested in January, along with his sister, Misty Cummings, his ex-brother-in-law, Ronald Cummings, and two other people.

Croslin could be sentenced to from 3 to 30 years in prison on the charges.

Authorities said the drug charges the family members are facing are not related to Haleigh's disappearance. Ronald Cummings' 5-year-old daughter went missing from her Satsuma home in February 2009. Misty Cummings, briefly Ronald's wife, was last person known to have seen Haleigh Cummings before she disappeared.

The kindergartner's body has not been found, but the Putnam County Sheriff's Office said earlier this year it believe she was killed and consider the ongoing case a homicide investigation.

Channel 4 has a crew in the courtroom for the sentencing hearing. This story will be updates as more information is available, with a full report on the local station at noon.

Hank Croslin Jr. Sentenced To 15 Years
Croslin Pleaded No Contest To Drug Charges

POSTED: Friday, August 6, 2010
UPDATED: 11:40 am EDT August 6, 2010

http://www.news4jax.com/news/24534837/detail.html

Hank Croslin Jr. pleads no contest to two charges of drug possession.

PALATKA, Fla. -- One of the key figures in the Haleigh Cummings investigation was sentenced Friday morning on drug charges.

Hank Croslin Jr., who pleaded no contest to two trafficking charges after being arrested in January during a drug sting operation, was sentenced to 15 years in prison, 10 years of probation and a $50,000 fine.......

I'll just betcha that the fine never gets paid and he will have trouble making his probationary fees too...Wonder if he can get early release, and hope that they teach him a trade while he is locked up...For sure I'll bet he doesn't have anyone putting $$ in his commissary account..

Hank 'Tommy' Croslin Jr. sentenced to 15 years
Judge says Haleigh Cummings case not an influence
Posted: August 6, 2010 - 12:14pm

http://jacksonville.com/news/crime/2010-08-06/story/hank-tommy-croslin-jr-sentenced-15-years

PALATKA - Hank 'Tommy' Croslin Jr., whose family became enmeshed in the high-profile case of missing Haleigh Cummings, was sentenced to 15 years in prison for trafficking prescription drugs.

Croslin's parents, jailed on separate drug charges were in the courtroom as witnesses, as was his ex-wife. His father and former wife testified for him during the two hour hearing.

The family has been closely tied to the 18-month-old Haleigh case but Circuit Judge Terry LaRue said the Croslin's offer to help detectives solve the mystery of her disappearance carried little weight in his decision.

The only connection LaRue said he was willing to make was that Croslin would continue to deal drugs as an intense invesigation was going on to solve the disappearance.

"Mr. Coslin is a drug dealer, pure and simple," LaRue said before imposing the sentence. He also sentenced Croslin to a concurrent 5 years in prison in a possession case.

Croslin showed little emotion at the end of the two hour hearing, saying simply, "God's with me," as they took him down the hall from the courtroom.

Croslin, who turned 24 this week, told the judge he has been involved with drugs since he was 12 and became addicted to pills after moving to Putnam County.

He lived with his wife and three children in Satsuma and was a block away from the mobile home where Haleigh was living before she vanished Feb. 10, 2009.

An investigator testified Croslin was with his sister, Misty Croslin, in December when they went with an undercover narcotics agent to buy drugs.

On Dec. 22, the siblings met the undercover detective in Satsuma and drove north, making a couple of stops,
including a pool hall in Palatka where Croslin made several phone
calls to make a drug connection, according to testimony from the task force supervisor and a Putnam County Sheriff's Office report.
Then they drove to a McDonalds restaurant and parked while Croslin crossed the street and met someone in a black pickup.
He returned with 45 oxycodone pills the detective bought for $650. The agent tipped Croslin $100 at the end of the deal, said Florida Department of Law Enforcement task force supervilor Travis Smith. The pills weighed 5.1 grams. The undercover operation in Putnam and St. Johns counties ended
nearly a month later, when the Croslins were arrested along with
Ronald Cummings; his cousin Hope Sykes and Misty Croslin's friend Donna Brock. Sykes, 19, was sentenced in April to 15 years in prison.

Misty Cummings faces seven counts of trafficking in Putnam and has her last chance to make a plea deal in those cases Aug. 16. She faces trial in the eighth case in St. Johns and has an Aug. 23 court date there. Brock, her co-defendant in the St. Johns case pleaded guilty and is scheduled for sentencing Sept. 1.
Cummings is negotiating a deal to drop two of five trafficking
charges against him and will likely get 15 years. His next court date is Aug. 20, three days after Haleigh's seventh birthday

Estee wrote:I'll just betcha that the fine never gets paid.....

I think that was just adding insult to injury. He was dirt poor to begin with and that's not going to get any better anytime soon.

kh

I bet Misty will be shaking in her shoes when she hears about the time he got. She has eight counts, correct? I am curious as if Donna Brock will get a similiar punishment. We know she wasn't around when HaLeigh went missing & if these punishments truly have NOTHING to do with the HaLeigh case....it'll be interesting to see if Donna get the same time as Tommy or Sykes.

Any news on Misty's pretrial??? I think it was to be today..

Estee wrote:Any news on Misty's pretrial??? I think it was to be today..

I dunno, Estee. let me do some checking. kh

As far as I can tell, Misty's next court date is 08/23. kh

Thanks kh...I had checked our calendar...I could have been wrong...

Ok... here's what I found:

Busy month for us and all the players in this case:

1. Still waiting for WBG's results of pre-trial on the 5th.
2. We get tommy's paperwork tomorrow.
3. JO's arraignment 8/12
4. ron = 8/20
5. misty = 8/23
6. donna = 9/1

kh

http://seamusoriley.blogspot.com/

The following is an interesting and lengthy OPINION piece on Haleigh Cummings. While I can't say I endorse everything Seamus has to say, it is an interesting read and at least someone is talking about the crux of the matter, which is:

What happened to Haleigh???

The following is a commentary on what I believe happened to Haleigh Cummings based upon linguistic indicators from the words of Misty Croslin, Tommy Croslin, and Ronald Cummings. The specific analysis of these words can be found at this web page. Within lies, specific words are chosen which are closest to the memory. 90% of lies contain truth. Even in the lies of those involved, we may stich together enough to know what happened to Haleigh Cummings.
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Haleigh Cummings life came to an abrupt end on a February night, in 2009 when her father's teen aged girlfriend had enough of Haleigh's needs, as well as her little brother, Junior's.

Ronald Cummings, a long term addict and violent drug dealer, had himself been a childhood victim of abuse and neglect. He had known neglect as the standard of care in his own family.

Ronald had an attraction for very young girls. Any resistance to this perversion quickly dissipated with the use of substances. Stunted in his own development, he grew into a violent, defensive, and insecure young man; a menace to society. His many involvements with child protective services likely left workers exasperated in attempts to prove that the children were unsafe with him. As a last resort, they had him sign a contract in which he agreed to not strike his children other than a spanking. This would be done due to the reports of physical abuse. A signed contract could then be taken to a judge, once a report of abuse was received, and, perhaps, a judge would sign an order putting Haleigh and Junior into Florida State custody, and out of danger.

It never happened.


Emotional abuse is the most difficult to prove because by the time it is proven (testimony from the intervening professionals) the damage is done.

Ronald also agreed to get a job, which, social services likely had hoped would end his drug trade business. It did not.

A snapshot into the life of those degraded by drugs is visible in the family of Misty Croslin. Both parents addicted to drugs raised children the same way: get high, lay around, and let others pay the bills. The guilt a messianic society feels drives them to intervene and enable parents like the Croslins. Any item given to them could be quickly pawned and turned into the next high. Once high, they would lay on the couch, watch TV, and live of the production of others.

Ronald, without an education, got a job and left his children in the care of an immoral drugged 17 year old Misty Croslin. Their drug business would have to be a side job as he was going to prove to social services that he could be a man and provide for his family.

Misty was out on a sex and drug binge. She was going to prove to him that she could survive without him. He was a violent, explosive man, a danger to himself and others, and had controlled her through violence sometimes, but the threat of violence always.

Misty knew how to make money. Soulless at such a young age, she sold her dignity, along with her body, to the highest bidder. After days on end of endless sexual escapades and sleeplessness fueled by drugs, Misty was in no shape to watch the children while Ronald went to work. Ronald tried to get his mother to watch them, but she refused. Teresa Nieves, Ronald's mother, became the darling of the Nancy Grace show, complete with make-over and plentiful tears, the host brought her back repeatedly. "Miss Nancy", Ronald called her, gave indication of transparent manipulation. Grace loved it and even went as far as to say, through the cameras, that as she looked into his eyes, she "knew" him and "knew" he was a "good man". This infuriated the audience (including other talking heads who quickly labelled Ronald a "sociopath" and a "charmer".

With no one to watch the children, Misty responded with the answer that she had been brought up with; the same answer used to answer any question of inconvenience: drugs.

It is likely that she and Ronald used drugs often to put the children to sleep.

On the fateful night of Haleigh's death, the "business as usual" looked like this:

Ronald would work until 3AM, stop off at a convenience store, pick up beer, and sit down for some alone time with Misty while the kids slept.

This begs the question: Who gets up at 5AM or 6AM with the children when they wake up?

Young children wake up early, even in drug houses.

A terrible consequence is paid by children who disrupt the sleep of drugged or intoxicated adults. I've seen too many toddlers who, at an early age, knew how to make their own breakfast, or hide beneath a bed, quaking, while the drugged parent screams for silence. The violent outburst is something that Haleigh was likely very familiar with, just as she knew well what the backhand across the face meant:

take junior out of the room and keep him as quiet as possible.

Haleigh would have grown up to be an excellent lie detector, as so many abused children learn to read the faces, including micro-expressions, of anger and rage, and learn how to quickly cover up and scoot away to safety.

Ronald, of course, would know that it only takes a small portion of an oxy to put her to sleep. This would explain why, although apparently at work, he did not report what Misty had done that night. He feared being an accessory to the crime and losing junior. Of course, child protective services were even more frustrated in that the mother and her family were just as enmeshed in the drug world as Cummings and Croslins were.

Addicts aren't known for generosity in sharing drugs, but if it meant self interest, it would happen. A small portion of a pill could gain them hours of sleep, and because it is self serving, it is done.

That night, Misty was not able, even with all the pharmacological helps in the world, to stay awake. She could not bear the whining, or asking for a drink, or Haleigh's whimpers for relief from her hurting legs.

At some point, her brother, Tommy Croslin came over.

Tommy, himself, placed his presence at the crime scene. Why did he go there?

The answer would be found in self interest.

What was the allure for Tommy Croslin to go to his sister's trailer? Several theories have bantered about, but no matter what it was, we can be certain that it was something that Tommy wanted.

He may have been there to molest Haleigh, as has been suggested.
He may have come in response to a call from Misty because Haleigh had stopped breathing.
He may have gone there to rob Ronald.

Whatever the reason, what he did there was something so awful that his 15 year sentence for drug trafficking was preferred over telling the truth. This means that he was involved in the death and/or disappearance of Haleigh Cummings. Did he drug her in order to molest her? Or, did Misty demand assistance by blackmailing Tommy, promising to tell what she knew about what he had been doing to Haleigh, as Misty may have been selling Haleigh for drug money.

For addicts, it is difficult to find the bottom. But for a 17 year old who was raised her entire life by addicts, it is almost impossible to know how low she will sink.

"What profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul?"

This means, simply, in life, that there is nothing gained by someone who has obtained the best steak in the world, but has lost the taste buds to enjoy it. The "aristos" is gone and the labor for nothing. When the soul is lost, the dead gaze of the eyes shows no dignity, and addicts are reduced to things that make society chill with fear. I knew one who would sell her own children on the trains in NYC, for cigarettes.

Whatever it was that brought Tommy Croslin into the scene, it is bad enough that he would rather do 15 years in prison and lie to investigators, then to tell the truth and face the consequences.

We also know that when Misty Croslin called 911, the call itself is deceptive. Just as she failed polygraph after polygraph, the polygraphy of Statement Analysis shows that the call was a fake, but within it, contains elements of truth. Misty mentions things in this call that shows what was in her mind when she placed the call; the things most important to her, and things she recalled that had transpired in the hours prior to the call.

For the full analysis of the call, click here:



The basics is simple:

People report what is most important to them in order and for Misty, she reported:

1. She was sleeping
2. The door was open
3. A child was missing.

Later in the call, she was asked the size of the child, but instead answered about her hair color and talked about cinder blocks. Why?
She likely saw, in her mind's eye, Haleigh's long hair dangling as Tommy carried her out, and the blocks would be used to weigh down the body in water. As she struggled with lying, she chose words familiar to what she had just experienced.

90% of lies contain truth.

Tommy and Misty are both so deeply entrenched into the death of Haleigh Cummings that prison sentences of 15 years or more, are preferable to the consequences of having the public, the prosecutors, and other prisoners know the truth of what happened to Haleigh.

But what of Ronald?

Ronald has been deceptive since the beginning. He lied to Geraldo Rivera (see analysis)

http://seamusoriley.blogspot.com/2010/05/ronald-cummings-domestic-violence.html

Ronald knew what happened and helped coach Misty through the 911 call.

Some believe that Ronald was directly involved in her death and was at the scene when her body was discarded, but others believe he was still at work. Regardless, he has had reason, up to now, to keep Misty silent.

What has he done since Haleigh's death?

1. He has consistently lied.
2. He married Misty Croslin
3. He tipped Misty off to Texas Equasearch's attempt to locate Haleigh, so that Misty would not reveal this information
4. Ronald decapitated a rat and put it in his brother in law's mailbox to keep him from "ratting" out what he knew about Haleigh's Ronald's daughter)disappearance.
5. Ronald divorced Misty.
6. He has been video taped along with Misty in drug trafficking, this after his many denials of involvement with drugs in spite of a record of arrests.

The undercover tape reveals a sharper Misty Croslin, confident of the money she and Ronald were going to make in drug dealing. In spite of being followed by media, the Satsuma gang still thought they could cash in on the drug business, after failing to cash in on their 15 minutes of media fame.

Since Haleigh's death, the cast of characters has come and gone with media. Flora Hollars, Misty's grandmother, was hailed as "courageous" by some of the talking heads, but then ridiculed for being a liar (by the same talking heads) but now has made a comeback, of sorts, appearing again on television.

Attempts to blame cousin Joe Overstreet have failed miserably.

Ronald Cummings is now faced with a long prison sentence.

We will know the extent of his involvement shortly.

If Ronald cuts a deal with prosecutors in exchange for precise information on what caused Haleigh's death and where her remains may be found, we may know that his involvement began after the fact.

If he, instead, takes the drug sentencing and remains silent, we may know that he was directly involved in her death, as was Tommy and Misty Croslin.

Better to be in prison as a drug trafficker than a child killer.

Ronald is a violent man, and his daughter met a violent end. She may have been alive when they disposed of her body, which would mean that she put up a fight to breathe, howbeit a short and losing fight.

Haleigh's life was tragic; full of violence, uncertainty, neglect, and horror. Her death was the same.

Police are confident that they have the perpetrators of her death in prison.

If Ronald does not take a plea deal, it is still likely that, over time, the truth of precisely what happened to poor little Haleigh will come out, in small amounts, while the years of boredom set in.

The years between 25 and 40 are considered some of the most productive years in a person's life. For those who caused the death of Haleigh Cummings, these years will be spent in prison.

For the investigators and prosecutors who have poured their own souls into Haleigh Cummings, this is little satisfaction.

They still want justice for Haleigh Cummings.

Thanks kh...yes it was lengthy, but a good read...I went to his site and read an article he wrote about Baez/KC relationship...It was good...have a gander at it...

I do enjoy his writing/site......... it's thought provoking even if you don't agree with him. kh

http://www.websleuths.com/forums/showpost.php?p=5512530&postcount=58

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/levipage

Levi says:

Join Date: May 2004
Location: Tennessee

I'll break some news here, right after Hank and Lisa were arrested I got a telephone call from a crying Chelsea Croslin, where she was basically pimping Timmy for money. Timmy would agree to an interview, as long as I paid for their transportation to Florida to see Hank/Lisa.

She laid on the tears thick! Told a sad story about the family, I mean this woman is a good actor. Very manipulative.

Needless to say, I'm a little suspicious of her. I've always been interested in interviewing her after she went on NG and was discussing the pills laying all over the trailer, but I'm not interested in talking with her or Timmy if they want money in exchange for the interview.
__________________

Well, Levi, somebody's got to buy all those phone minutes! kh

Florida drug sentences too harsh?

A person could end up serving more time for drugs than for manslaughter.

By Cindy Swirko
Staff writer
Published: Saturday, August 14, 2010 at 6:01 a.m.

When 19-year-old Hope Sykes was sentenced in April to 15 years in prison for drug trafficking, she looked stunned. Then she cried.

The Satsuma teenager had pleaded no contest to selling 25 hydrocodone pills to an undercover officer. Her co-defendants - including her cousin Ronald Cummings, the father of missing Putnam County girl Haleigh Cummings - also face terms of at least 15 years under Florida's mandatory minimum drug sentences.

Among the toughest mandatory minimum laws in the nation, Florida mandates strict prison terms - with no time off for good behavior - for convictions of drug dealing, use of a gun during a crime and sex crimes involving children.

Under Florida's sentencing laws, for example, a person convicted of trafficking a weight of oxycodone that amounts to about 44 pills faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 25 years in prison, according to policy analysis done in October for the Florida Senate.

Read more: http://www.gainesville.com/article/20100814/ARTICLES/8141011/1002

If I am not mistaken, it's Ronald's day in court today. kh

http://www.news4jax.com/video/15505198/index.html

THere will be a live update at noon EST on court today. kh

I watched the news at noon and saw that Ron has accepted a plea deal and some of the charges were dropped in lieu of his testimony re: disappearance of Haleigh...New date of September 24 set for court...

I am absolutely sick about this 'deal' for Ron.

Now we all know that Ron takes care of Ron. Always has. Always will. Simple as that.

The only thing he had to bargain with was info that LE needed, which in itself implies they did not have it before. If they had it before why the deal?

A deal also implies tit for tat: You give us this and we will give you that. It was a business transaction pure and simple. Ron took care of himself by trading info he knew but had witheld about the death of his daughter.

What a d!ck. kh

According to

http://www.putnam-fl.com/clk_apps/crim_dkts/frame.php

Tommy's case is reopened.

08/17/2010 62 MOTION FOR MODIFICATION OF SENTENCE

~~~
I am also hearing that Ron's bail will be lowered now...... hmmmmmmm........ kn

khintx wrote:I am absolutely sick about this 'deal' for Ron.

Now we all know that Ron takes care of Ron. Always has. Always will. Simple as that.

The only thing he had to bargain with was info that LE needed, which in itself implies they did not have it before. If they had it before why the deal?

A deal also implies tit for tat: You give us this and we will give you that. It was a business transaction pure and simple. Ron took care of himself by trading info he knew but had witheld about the death of his daughter.

What a d!ck. kh

I have to admit... this really confuses me...

If he was not involved in HaLeigh's disappearance, why wouldn't he have told whatever he knew long ago??????? This is his daughter, for gawd's sake......

And, kh.... you should tell us how you REALLY feel...

It really is a sad day, when a father gets a "deal" because he has information on his own missing daughter! I am completely sickened.

Just another thought....shouldn't Ron be prosecuted as a repeat offender? Three strikes your out? He's been arrested many times for drugs....WTH?

Fysty, was he ever convicted on any of his drug charges? I thought they were all dropped, for one reason or another.

I don't know if this video has been posted yet, but what in the heck happened to Misty? Has she been ordering beef sticks & cocoa too? This doesn't even look like how I remember her.