2009.06.27 Today's Current News - ***NO DISCUSSIONS HERE PLEASE ***

Capt. Dominic Piscitello of the Putnam County Sheriff's Office said authorities scoured about 40 acres and searched two bodies of water in and around Sheffield's family farm in Glen St. Mary. The search wrapped up about 2 p.m. with no major developments.

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Kim Picazio, a South Florida attorney who is representing Sheffield for free, said her client's family requested the search a few weeks ago to dispel any lingering accusations against Haleigh's mother.

"It was a way to protect the family from any allegations of wrongdoing," Picazio said. "They wanted a proper search on their property to make it clear to the world that Haleigh isn't there," she said.

Piscitello declined to comment if Sheffield and her family had advance notice of the search, but he said they signed a consent form allowing officers to come onto the property without a search warrant.

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The search area encompassed 45 acres and three ponds and work began about 10:00 am.

The property has only been searched once before, two days after Haleigh Cummings disappeared in the early morning hours of February 9.

Det. Piscitello said the five hour and 45 minute effort turned up nothing but animal remains — including those of a horse, goats and cows — which were examined by an anthropoligist from the University of Florida to ensure they weren't human remains.

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