PCSO Criticizes Release of Jail Letter in Haleigh Case, WSKY Responds

Posted: Friday, 25 September 2009 7:59AM

PCSO Criticizes Release of Jail Letter in Haleigh Case, WSKY Responds

TJ Hart


The Putnam County Sheriff's Office is changing its tune regarding an alleged jail house letter from a party pal of a missing Satsuma girl's stepmother from "we are not reacting to the letter" before it appeared on radio, internet and national television to "very disappointed, and quite frankly, appalled" after it was made public.

The new reaction from PCSO comes after 97.3 The Sky first sent the agency the alleged jail house letter for comments Tuesday night. 97.3 The Sky then sat on the letter for 14 hours awaiting their first response which, at the time was, "we are not reacting to the letter."

Other inquiries from CNN and 2-time Emmy award-winning investigative journalist Art Harris to PCSO authorities were made hours and minutes before the letter became public knowledge on "The Nancy Grace Show."

97.3 The SKY received the letter in question from private investigator William "Cobra" Staubs from its receipient.

The letter was dated 9/18/09. The draining of a Palatka-area pond in a search for evidence of Haleigh started that very weekend.

The letter from Nay Nay Prevatt, a party pal of Misty Cummings--the stepmother of missing 6-year-old Haleigh Cummings, to her boyfriend Donnie relays the kind of questioning she went through the week leading up to the draining of a pond near Palatka. Prevatt states in the letter the questioning she received was in reference to a signed affidavit by Joe Pytko.

She says in the letter that Pyko's affidavit claims:

"(Pytko said) we were all over at a party at Chad's house and Haliegh (sic) got a hold of some oxycotton (Oxycontin) and died. We suposively (sic) freaked out and Greg put her (Haleigh) in a black bag in my car and we took her to a pond."

WJXT TV Channel 4 asked Putnam County Chief Deputy Rick Ryan about a jail house letter on Thursday and the report on CNN's "Nancy Grace." :

“We know about the letter," Ryan said. "There was some issue about draining of the pond. The pond was drained before the letter. Quite frankly, we feel like it's irresponsible journalism to put this on the air that this letter is the gospel.

"I'm very disappointed, and quite frankly, appalled."

When asked if the affidavit mentioned in the letter is true, Ryan said, "Again, we don't care anything about this letter, and we're not going to waste our time on it. Even if it was our theory, we're just not going to talk about it."
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