Dad Says Misty and Tommy Didn't Hurt Haleigh

Dad: Misty, Hank 'Didn't Hurt Haleigh'

Parents Of Misty Cummings, Hank Croslin Jr. Talk About Haleigh Case

POSTED: Friday, May 7, 2010

PUTNAM COUNTY, Fla. -- Hank Croslin Sr. swears he doesn't know what happened to missing 6-year-old Satsuma girl Haleigh Cummings.

"I know my daughter and son didn't hurt Haleigh," said Croslin, 41, the father of Misty Cummings and Hank Croslin Jr. "My heart goes out to Haleigh's parents, Ronald (Cummings) and all of them. I don't know what happened that day. I still don't know what happened."

The Croslin name has become synonymous with the missing girl now presumed dead by investigators. Croslin Sr. said the case has destroyed his family.

On Friday, he talked to Channel 4 for the first time.

"They didn't hurt that baby. That's the one thing I can tell you," he said of his son and daughter. "They don't have the heart to do that."

"It's like the whole world has condemned us, and we didn't do nothing."

Croslin Sr.'s children remain in jail on drug charges unrelated to the Haleigh case. He said he speaks to them when he can, but they don't like to discuss the case over the phone because they know the calls will be made public.

"She just cries and says, 'Mom, I don't want to be in here forever,'" said Lisa Croslin, the mother of Misty Cummings and Hank Croslin Jr., of her conversations with Cummings. "Like I told her, there's nothing I can do."

For five months, Croslin Sr. and his 40-year-old wife have called a tiny room home. They stay in a board house in Putnam County and are unemployed. They said they don't think anyone will hire them because of their reputation.

"You live one day at a time," Croslin Sr. said. "You just hope you can make it through that day."

When asked how much money they have in their pockets, Croslin Sr. said, "Not a penny."

The parents were asked that when the Haleigh case comes to an end, will their son and daughter be vindicated for the girl's disappearance.

Croslin Sr. said: "I think they'll be found innocent, yeah, of not harming her. I don't know what happened -- what they know or what happened -- but I know either one of them didn't hurt that baby."

http://www.news4jax.com/news/23488043/detail.html

This is such a tragic case, all the way around. And still no Haleigh. There is nothing more I'd love to see than Haleigh come home alive. If that is not the case, I believe there is a child killer out there somewhere. If anything had come of that search of the dock, I feel charges would have already been made. Misty does not know what happened, IMO. Tommy placed himself there, what does he know, I have no idea. I don't even have an opinion on him anymore. I believe the last search was fabricated and all of that Flora Hollars crap was just that, crap. I could be dead wrong about the search, but it all ended up making no sense to me. I don't know what to think anymore.

Hank and Lisa Croslin have criminal records, that's why they are having trouble becoming employed. If they are even looking. How did they make a living before all this happened? I wonder if they've reflected on their parenting through all of this. To be 40 years old and penniless sure is a sorry state to be in.

Correction for myself The search itself wasn't fabricated, they obviously did a search. The reason behind the search is what I question.

Thanks AJ. There is someone, somewhere that hasn't even been looked at and they could be long gone. Or maybe they are sitting there under their nose. That's just my opinion. And as far as the tip to search this dock, we don't know who gave that tip, if there was a tip. So while I think there's something off as to why the search came about, I also have to wonder why they would tell the families Haleigh was dead and start preparing for a funeral if they don't have proof the child is deceased. The search wasn't even complete when they brought the Cummings and Sheffields together for a meeting. How could you do that to a grieving family of a missing child if you actually don't know that to be fact?

And another thing, when Grandma Sykes and Flora Hollars faced off on NG, Sykes said she leaves her light on for Haleigh to find her way home. She believes and hopes she's alive or else she wouldn't have said that. That tells me that LE did not have confirmation that Haleigh was deceased, not enough proof for the family to believe it. They can keep wringing Misty's neck like a wet dishrag, but they will get no new information out of her, because she doesn't know anything. Again, JMO and I only want Haleigh to be found and the truth to come out. LE keeps focusing on her to cover what they may have missed in the very beginning.

In my opinion, I think no one knows their own child like the parents do. Even though Hank sr and Lisa have had their own battles with the narcotics it doesn't mean they don't know their children. I could feel, when listening to all Hank sr. was saying, that his gut tells him both his kids ( misty and tommy) would never have hurt Haleigh but I also got the impression that he just wanted them to "talk" and tell all they know if they know something due to the fact Hank knows his kids will never get out of jail until they do.

I also get the feeling that both parents ( hank and lisa) are staying away from the phone calls with calling Misty or Tommy ( or accepting calls or visiting) and probably for a good reason. Not trying to stick up for these parents but nothing good is going to come out of that. Maybe it could be... that both parents are also trying to help and I say that with knowing, the more Tommy and Misty feel alienated, if by any chance they do know something, its more going to come out that way then for either one of them to look forward to that next phone call from mom or dad. In those jail house recordings, Misty mosty wants to make sure someone takes her calls. she worries about minutes, she worries about Timmy calling or grandma or even mom and dad.. without those calls, maybe it will give her something to think about.

I feel an abduction too took place but I also feel like I have all along that misty had left for sometime thinking both kids will be fine because they were asleep ( the kids). the only reason I say that, is because if Misty really didn't know what happened then somewhere along the line she would have passed at least one test she was given. It has been known in some cases, that a child is abducted while parents are in fact asleep and it shows it does take place but usually when that happens, the person sleeping takes the poly and passes it with flying colors.

I know awaiting Justice I have laid this theory on the table and you had felt that if Misty left, she left with someone and that someone would have told on her by now.. but what if that someone she left with was the person who set her up to take haleigh out.. if that was really the case, I feel no one would be talking. Right from the very get go, Misty has claimed she was "asleep"... and with the way Ron's temper is, it certainly isn't something that Misty would in fact want to reveal by the time Ron got home. Thats why I personally feel Misty is keeping that little secret all to herself and the only ones who knows what happened are going to keep their own mouths shut as well because if they come forward, they will be prosecuted to the fullest. As we know, I as well could be dead wrong but to me, nothing else fits. thats just me however.

back to the parents.. in a way, I do feel for them. in a way mind you. They have 2 kids in jail right now and I'm sure it isn't a great feeling to know that. I feel that all the times Hank Sr. has talked to Misty, it was Hank to bring up Haleighs name, it was Hank to tell Misty she needs to tell the truth.. it was Hank to tell Misty he is concerned with Getting both her and Tommy out when Misty was more concerned with her being first to get out. I just couldn't imagine being the parents knowing this. I have no doubts both parents are feeling guilty for the way they parented their children and the result from it all is what we are seeing today. Sadly, I feel the opiates got the better of the parents that led them into very poor decision making. At one time, Hank wanted to blame the doctors for giving out narcotics freely.. I senced a bit of remorse and Hank reflecting back to his own choice in life style.

I am going with what Lisa and Hank think and although they even thought Misty is holding something back... and I agree, I think they are right with the two of them, Misty and Tommy, hurting Haleigh or any child for that matter. Tommy is a daddy, I certainly don't see that with him and although Misty is young and was put in a situation of taking care of two little ones, I don't see she'd do anything like that either.. Like Misty said in one of her very first interviews " I wished they took me instead of her because she is only 5 and can't fight for herself".. to me, those were words from the heart and not words from someone who saw someone kill or harm Haleigh. So right off, Misty knows someone "they" took Haleigh, what Misty doesn't know is who they are. If misty was really asleep, how was misty able to narrow that down to "they".. why wasn't misty questioning the door being proped open and saying things like " I'm shocked I never heard someone prop open the door".. well, one isn't going to think of that when they know they weren't home to witness or hear that. If Misty was truly sleeping that night and it went the way she is claiming, Misty herself would be more then puzzled and wanting to help solve this crime instead of focusing on other things. Focusing on other things shows she is hiding something. Not wanting to reinact what happened, is hiding something. If anything, Misty would be more into wanting to find out who did it then to shut down and not want to talk. If Misty did leave for any amount of time, wouldn't her actions, the ones we have seen, fit? Just saying.