A year since Haleigh vanished (psych profiles of those who surrounded Haleigh)

[Donjeta]

That's what he said in the article..that he couldn't read either and reading disablities ran in the family.

I'm like you though Dr. Fessel, I don't see how she made it to the 6th grade without knowing how to read. Quite a few people along the way in those elementary school years dropped the ball BIG TIME, imo. 6th grade for Misty would have only been 6 years ago...it's just inexcusable that this day in time a child could move from one grade to the next, not knowing how to read. How can a teacher NOT know that? How in the world was that supposed to work? It's no wonder that she dropped out, if she couldn't read, I don't know how she could possibly do any work in any subject by that time!

It seems to me that there was a simultaneous parenting deficiency going on that probably made . Children can overcome reading disabilities if they get the proper support but even children who don't have serious disability have trouble learning to read if they don't go to school and don't get any help at home either. If Hank Sr. can't read himself he couldn't have helped his daughter much, and they might have been a bit fatalistic about it. "Oh well, Misty can't read, no wonder, it runs in our family, nobody of us can read, that sucks but nothing we can do about it." Instead of, "Oh no, Misty can't read, what can we do to help her, who can we contact to find support?" I'm not sure if they did but clearly whatever support she had wasn't enough.

The school has few opportunities to help a child who does not attend. When Lisa tells about her skipping school she sounds like she is shrugging helplessly. She says she sent Misty to school bus (alone?) but Misty didn't go if she didn't want to, and apparently that was that. Lisa does not mention that anything was done about it. A sixth grader or a younger child is not old enough to skip the school bus and spend her day safely who knows where doing who knows what. The parents should be prepared to set boundaries and walk her personally to the school bus or the classroom if necessary, and if they can't do it themselves, get some help. The article made it sound like the Croslins didn't care or know how. I don't know, maybe they tried but Dana Treen doesn't say. But it could be that educational achievement is not considered a priority in the family if the parents have scraped by without reading and counting etc. and it's just what they're used to, so it's considered normal for the family. What about Tommy and Timmy, did they do better at school?

 

[MADJGNLAW]

:banghead: What the heck was this family thinking? Or are their brain cells fried? GGMS was defending Misty and Ron from the get go. I totally understand why she should would protect her grandson to an extent. But what about the great grandchildren? They were the ones that needed the protection the most.:furious: Why now is GGMS changing her tune about Ron and Misty? I really would like to know if she was honest with LE last year or is she now sharing Ron's erratic past?

"Snip" dana.treen@jacksonville.com
http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2...way_long_ago_0


Misty and Ron now jailed on trafficking charges lived in a world surrounded by drugs and marked by mistrust, family and others recalled in interviews.

Ronald Cummings

Ronald who has fathered three children, was already a volatile man with a drug-related past when he met Misty, a defiant, barely educated. Ron had been arrested on drug charges but escaped prosecution. Anger and a sense of remoteness had marked Ronald for years, said GGMS.


Annette and Kirby Sykes had guardianship of Ronald and his sister beginning when Ronald was 3 years old. Ron was back with, Teresa Neves, by the time he was a young teenager.

After Ronald graduated from high school, he and his girlfriend moved back to Putnam County to his grandparents in Welaka, his girlfriend became pregnant, but Cummings had changed, Sykes said.

"He had a dirty mouth." "He was very disrespectful."

She attributed his ill manners to a bad crowd. Ronald his grandfather "Daddy" - Who has died.

Ronald never saw much of his birth father, Sykes said.

Ronald's most serious arrests started in 2001 he was arrested after a Crescent City man said he was threatened at a stoplight and told he would be killed.
Ron was charged with drug possession in 2002, 2004, both times after drugs were found with him in car and never prosecuted.


Misty Croslin


Misty born in Michigan. Spent time in Tennessee, Colorado before moving to Florida. Quit school in the sixth grade, ran off to New Jersey at 15. Misty bought a bus ticket under a false name and moved with a boyfriend. After several months and with the help of a social worker, she was found and brought back home.


Misty's mother "would send Misty to the bus stop," "She'd never get on the bus. If it was a day she wanted to go, she'd go. If it was a day she didn't want to go, she would hide."

"She can't read," her father said. Reading disabilities run in the family, "I can't read at all," Hank Sr. said.





Sykes' first impression of Misty came from the children.

"The kids adored her and she seemed to adore them back," Sykes said. "I mean they'd cry to go back to her."

Sykes said she saw another side of Misty in after Haleigh vanished, when Ron, Misty and Jr. moved in with her.

"You can't threaten Misty or do anything to her emotionally or mentally that will affect her". "She doesn't have the ability."

Sykes said even repeated interrogations by investigators had little impact.

"When the sheriff's department was threatening her and doing all their doings and stuff, it didn't faze Misty".

Sykes said Misty's childhood may have dulled her emotionally.

"Misty basically was here, there and yonder". "I don't reckon she knew from one day to the next where she was going to be."




Crystal Sheffield

In Leesburg, Cystal and Ron lived with TN.

Crystal 14, mother of Haleigh and Ronald Jr., left school in the ninth grade to be home-schooled but never went any further. Crystal said, drugs including pot and cocaine were part of the lifestyle she and Ronald shared while they were together.
Ron didn't like her family. He just kept me away, Sheffield said. She said Ronald only worked some and the two lived with TN until they moved in with Sykes in Putnam before Haleigh was born.

Crystal became pregnant with Haleigh at 17 and lived with Sykes until Jr. was born 18 months after Haleigh.

Life with Ronald was difficult, he was controlling and could be erratic, sometimes with guns.

"I've watched him put a gun in his mouth in front of me and Haleigh," she said.

Separating in 2005, Ronald was given custody of Haleigh and Ronald Jr. because he had a job with health insurance.

Crystal, now lives in Baker County on a property beside her mother and stepfather.



Marie Griffis

Marie Griffis, said her daughter was supposed to visit Ronald in Leesburg for a weekend but never came home. Mother and daughter were not often in touch for the next two years, and Griffis said she sometimes did not know where Crystal was.

"When Crystal was with him, she didn't have much contact with me," "She never called me. When I called her, she didn't return my calls."

 

[Donjeta]

I am now very curious about TN. There must have been something going on in her life for Annette to get custody. And what's the deal with Ronald's biological father? I wonder if his absence is a factor in Ronald wanting to get the custody of Haleigh and Jr. (as in, I don't want to be a missing dad like my own father...?) Curiously it didn't extend to the third child though.

 

[MADJGNLAW]

Very Interesting!

Just as many of us thought! GGMS (and her husband Kirby) did raise Ronald and his sister for 9 yrs..age 3-12 in Ron's case..not only raised them, but actually had guardianship as well. Dang, I want to know the background on that. GGMS also said that Ron called his grandfather "daddy", I wonder if he called her "mama" at one time and that's why he calls TN "mother" Ron and his sister only went to live with TN because of GGMS husband's Alzheimer's was becoming much worse and by my rough calculations using the dates in the articles he only lived with her for no more than 5 yrs, if that. Then he and Crystal moved back in with GGMS. I wonder how much contact TN had with her children during the years they were with GGMS. Most of all I want to know WHY she didn't have them herself...

I bet TN is terrified that someone is going to open her closet and ALL her skeletons are going to come spilling out..Oh well.. you know what 'they' say..You reap what you sow and I have a feeling TN has done alot of sowing in her time. :wink: ...that's nothing more than my opinion though..:

:waitasec:I'm with ya! I want to know why TN did not care for her own children. Do we know if she goes by a different last name? How many times she was married? I would like to know more about her past as well.

 

[Emeralgem]

On Feb. 9, the night after Croslin returned to Cummings' mobile home from the weekend of partying, Sykes dropped by. She said she was upset that Croslin had gone off and left her grandson without anyone to watch over the two kids.

"I was mad because Ronald let her come back," she said. "But it's his house. There wasn't nothing I could do about it other than be mad."

By the next morning, Haleigh was gone.




Grandma needs to go back and listen to what she told reporters when she was standing in front of that tent a year ago..
Looks to me like Grandma is revving up that bus for Misty, and NOW attempting to cover her and TN's rear ends...

Too late Grandma...JMO

 

[Donjeta]

Does anybody have any ideas as to why the family is coming clean with this stuff now?
I mean, most of this has been out in rumor form from last February or so, but there has been a lot of outraged denying going on. "It's a crock." What has changed now?

Did they decide it was no use trying to sugarcoat things any more once the co-defendants were jailed and nobody would believe them if they continued claiming all things were shipshape anyway?

Have they finally gotten tired of pampering people who have caused them a great deal of heartache during the years?

Were they covering for somebody out of fear and now they are in jail and not a threat any more they can start telling the truth?

Did somebody figure out that if you lie and cover for somebody who looks guilty you make yourself look guilty too?

A changed strategy to cover for him? Poor Ronald, he has had a tough life, but that Misty sure is trouble...

I'm thinking mainly about Annette who seems to have done a complete 180.
Teresa does not appear to have had anything to say for the article, so her stance is a riddle at this point.

 

[tehcloser]

"On Feb. 9, the night after Croslin returned to Cummings' mobile home from the weekend of partying, Sykes dropped by. She said she was upset that Croslin had gone off and left her grandson without anyone to watch over the two kids."

So basically she was mad because, God forbid, her. Teresa or Ron had to watch the kids themselves instead of pawning them off on Misty.

And as far as Kirby being Ron's role model..........well, hmmmmph. Kirby must have not been all that either!

 

[MADJGNLAW]

On Feb. 9, the night after Misty returned to Ron's mobile home from the weekend of partying. (Wonder what time that "Night" Misty returned? I thought TN said she returned Sunday, Feb 8th.)


Sykes dropped by. She said she was upset that Croslin had gone off and left her grandson without anyone to watch over the two kids.[/U] (Wonder who watched the kids that weekend?)


"I was mad because Ronald let her come back," she said. "But it's his house. There wasn't nothing I could do about it other than be mad."[B] waitasec: She could of taken the children herself if she knew what Misty was up to, why only get mad...if a child's life is a risk, would you not do what ever you would have to do to protect the child?)

By the next morning, Haleigh was gone. (The question still remains, who all was there that night, what time did Misty return, did she leave, where was Misty that night, where was Ron? LE has not came out and said what time Ron arrived work or left work. Only that they are satisfied! Which could mean anything, they could be satisfied with what information they found.)

I would really like to know all of TN's AKA-Last Names used in the past and why she gave up her children. What was going on in her life at that time?

 

[Donjeta]

*snip*

Sykes dropped by. She said she was upset that Croslin had gone off and left her grandson without anyone to watch over the two kids.[/U] (Wonder who watched the kids that weekend?)

What was Ron doing that weekend? Didn't he have the weekends off from PDM? IIRC he worked Monday to Thursday. It appears to me that he could easily and happily have watched his precious children himself, allowing them all some much-needed time together when everybody's fully awake. Why did he need a sitter for the weekend anyway? Did he have plans that the kids interfered with or couldn't he just be bothered with them?

Anyway, regardless of Misty's shortcomings as a sitter because of her weekend activities, it seems to me to be completely unreasonable to expect that anybody should commit themselves to babysitting 24/7 without pay and without having the right to some time off occasionally. It's a bit much to expect exclusive parental devotion from a 17 year old who has been in the household for a few months. Stepmother may be a 24/7 job but babysitter isn't.

 

[MADJGNLAW]

TN speaks out. :waitasec: Said Ron is very intelligent person and everybody makes mistakes in life. Ronald straightened out his life. His main focus has mainly been his children." I find that really hard to believe TN.:furious:

Croslin's, Cummings' lives tied to family, misfortune

Misty's 'life spiraled' Grandfather was a mentor to Ronald Cummings
"Snip" http://www.gainesville.com/article/2...S/2071006/1002
By Lise Fisher & Cindy Swirko and Cindy Swirko, Staff writers


Published: Sunday, February 7, 2010 at 6:01 a.m.

( page 1 of 6 )

Teresa Neves is certain of one thing. Before the disappearance of Haleigh Cummings, Misty who cared for the little girl and Junior, was caring and responsible.

"She loved them," Neves, 50, said of Misty Croslin. "There was no doubt in my mind about that."

Today, TN says she doesn't know who Misty has turned out to be. "I feel that somewhere in those two or three days before Haleigh went missing, she took a wrong turn in life, and that brought her to where she is today," Neves said. "I do not feel she is the same person she was when I first met her. It's like night and day."

As for Ronald Cummings, Neves wouldn't talk about the current criminal charges against him, but acknowledged he has made mistakes in the past.



"He was a very, very intelligent person. He has a very high IQ," Neves said of her son. "He has made some mistakes. You know what they say, they that can cast the first stone. I say that


Much more at article link!

 

[Emeralgem]

Donjeta, I don't see grandma as doing a complete 180.

She is in CYA mode..As I see it she is still covering for Ron and planning to throw Misty under the bus..Only difference I see.. She is now trying to cover for both her and TN..JMO

 

[Donjeta]

"On Feb. 9, the night after Croslin returned to Cummings' mobile home from the weekend of partying, Sykes dropped by. She said she was upset that Croslin had gone off and left her grandson without anyone to watch over the two kids."

So basically she was mad because, God forbid, her. Teresa or Ron had to watch the kids themselves instead of pawning them off on Misty.

And as far as Kirby being Ron's role model..........well, hmmmmph. Kirby must have not been all that either!

The funny thing is, she's mad that Misty was gone and she's mad that Misty came back. Darned if you do, darned if you don't.

"I was mad because Ronald let her come back," she said. "But it's his house. There wasn't nothing I could do about it other than be mad."

From jail, Cummings said his grandfather had been a guiding force in his life.

"He taught me the basics, you know, be good to your women and your children," he said. "Work."

He said he learned right from wrong from his grandfather, and the importance of respect.

Maybe he tried...

It goes to show that appearances are deceptive. I would never have guessed that his most important values are being good to his women and children, work and respect. He is, after all, the one who didn't call his employer and may never work again and who calls his woman DBGF.

 

[TxLady2]

Very Interesting!

Just as many of us thought! GGMS (and her husband Kirby) did raise Ronald and his sister for 9 yrs..age 3-12 in Ron's case..not only raised them, but actually had guardianship as well. Dang, I want to know the background on that. GGMS also said that Ron called his grandfather "daddy", I wonder if he called her "mama" at one time and that's why he calls TN "mother" Ron and his sister only went to live with TN because of GGMS husband's Alzheimer's was becoming much worse and by my rough calculations using the dates in the articles he only lived with her for no more than 5 yrs, if that. Then he and Crystal moved back in with GGMS. I wonder how much contact TN had with her children during the years they were with GGMS. Most of all I want to know WHY she didn't have them herself...

I bet TN is terrified that someone is going to open her closet and ALL her skeletons are going to come spilling out..Oh well.. you know what 'they' say..You reap what you sow and I have a feeling TN has done alot of sowing in her time. :wink: ...that's nothing more than my opinion though..:

Maybe someone needs to clue NG in, that TN didn't raise her kids! She seems to have a real problem with moms losing custody of their kids. If the Sykes' had guardianship of them, I wonder how this came about? That would sure be interesting to know!

 

[MADJGNLAW]

What was Ron doing that weekend? Didn't he have the weekends off from PDM? IIRC he worked Monday to Thursday. It appears to me that he could easily and happily have watched his precious children himself, allowing them all some much-needed time together when everybody's fully awake. Why did he need a sitter for the weekend anyway? Did he have plans that the kids interfered with or couldn't he just be bothered with them?

Anyway, regardless of Misty's shortcomings as a sitter because of her weekend activities, it seems to me to be completely unreasonable to expect that anybody should commit themselves to babysitting 24/7 without pay and without having the right to some time off occasionally. It's a bit much to expect exclusive parental devotion from a 17 year old who has been in the household for a few months. Stepmother may be a 24/7 job but babysitter isn't.

You would think that Ronald would of spent his time off with his children, but that seem to be such a burden to him..the grandmother's blame Misty for not being there to take care of the children..when these children were not hers.

:banghead:I just don't understand how Ron, TN and GGMS expected Misty to become these children's mother and care giver. It was Ron's responsibility to care for "HIS CHILDREN", not Misty. The grandparents are supposed to be a support system, so why did they not take matters into their own hands? Why dump all the sitting to a 17 yr old drug addict? Why did they not alert authorities on how these children were being cared for? Why did they not keep the children themselves? If they were to much to handle why not work something out with the mother or the state?

:furious:None of this would of happen if Ronald had been a good father, and if TN and GGMS didn't enable his behavior. I blame Ron, TN and GGMS! Haleigh would not be missing if someone would of stepped up to the plate and taken responsibility for these children!

:furious: Don't get me wrong, Misty is also at fault to an extent, but the problem did not begin with her...IT BEGAN WITH RONALD CUMMINGS THE CUSTODIAL GUARDIAN OF THE CHILDREN.

 

[Donjeta]

TN speaks out. :waitasec: Said Ron is very intelligent person and everybody makes mistakes in life. Ronald straightened out his life. His main focus has mainly been his children." I find that really hard to believe TN.:furious:

Okay, let's see. Ronald has a daughter missing in suspicious circumstances. He has lost the custody of his son. He is in jail for drug trafficking and may face a long prison sentence. If this counts as straightening up his life, I'm REALLY curious to find out what he's done with his life before....?

 

[tehcloser]

Maybe someone needs to clue NG in, that TN didn't raise her kids! She seems to have a real problem with moms losing custody of their kids. If the Sykes' had guardianship of them, I wonder how this came about? That would sure be interesting to know!

If I was a betting person..........I'd bet drugs figured in somewhere.

 

[Donjeta]

TN speaks out. :waitasec: Said Ron is very intelligent person and everybody makes mistakes in life. Ronald straightened out his life. His main focus has mainly been his children." I find that really hard to believe TN.:furious:

I wonder if she's actually talking about herself here...? It sounds like she's trying to be convinced. I made some mistakes but I've straightened up my life and I really really really love those kids, and it's not our fault and everything's gonna be OK, won't it?

 

[TxLady2]

No, Teresa... if his main focus was his children, Haleigh wouldn't be missing and Ron wouldn't be sitting in jail!! He didn't just "make mistakes".... he screwed up big time!
High IQ??? I really doubt that. Well, compared to some of the rest of them, maybe he comes across looking like Einstein, but... he should have been smart enough to finish school, go to college, keep a job and take care of his family.
I'm sorry, but I don't buy these two women's excuses.

 

[Donjeta]

At one point before Haleigh's disappearance, Misty Croslin and her parents, Hank Croslin Sr. and Lisa Croslin, moved in with Misty's brother and his wife after Hank Croslin Sr. was involved in a car accident and the family "lost everything," Lindsy Croslin said. Hank Croslin Sr. was hit by a drunken driver, she said.

As she had since high school, Misty Croslin watched her sister-in-law's children. Meanwhile, Misty Croslin's two brothers and father worked together at an electric company.

I thought Hank had had the drunk driver accident just days before Haleigh went missing. He was still in hospital. Did they have time to lose everything and move in with Tommy and Lindsy before Haleigh was gone?

 

[MADJGNLAW]

If I was a betting person..........I'd bet drugs figured in somewhere.

:waitasec:I really would like to know more about TN background. Anyway we can do some sleuthing on her? Hope it's OK mod's.
Something is very fishy about TN. She gave her children away and I wonder if Ron resents her for that? What was more important to TN that she could not raise her children? What was she doing? Anyone know another last name on her besides Neives? TIA