http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1004/15/ng.01.html
But joining me right now is a very special guest joining us tonight in a primetime exclusive. With us tonight is Misty Croslin`s grandmother. It is also Joe Overstreet`s grandmother. It is Ms. Flora Hollars joining us out of West Nashville, Tennessee. Ms. Hollars, thank you for being with us.
FLORA HOLLARS, MISTY`S AND JOE`S GRANDMOTHER: You`re very much welcome.
GRACE: Number one, Ms. Hollars, let me tell you that not only myself but my staff have become very attached to little Haleigh and have been praying for her and thinking of her ever since we learned that she had disappeared, and our thoughts have been with you and the family.
HOLLARS: I pray for her every night.
GRACE: Ms. Hollars, tell me about Joe Overstreet. Repeatedly, Misty Croslin has referred to him as being responsible for Haleigh`s disappearance. You have been around him from this -- throughout this entire time. How has his behavior changed since he came back from Florida when Haleigh disappeared?
HOLLARS: His reactions are completely different than it was before he went down there. He`s not the same kid that he was when we went down there. He has a different attitude toward life and all. He just don`t care.
GRACE: Ms. Hollars, how does he react when you come into the room wearing a Haleigh T-shirt?
HOLLARS: Well, it`s my daughter that normally comes into the room wearing one, and he`ll normally turn around and walk out.
GRACE: Has he ever talked to you about the night Haleigh went missing?
HOLLARS: No, ma`am.
GRACE: Have you asked him?
HOLLARS: Not really.
GRACE: Why?
HOLLARS: He just throws his hands up and says, "F" it, and then he`ll get up and walk away.
I believe this bit about saying "F"it and walking away.
Why do you think Hollars's daughter wears a Haleigh t-shirt? Is this Joe's mom or another daughter? I doubt they think keeping Haleigh's face out there is going to help Haleigh be found in Tennessee and they didn't know her at all(presumably). Is it just a show of support to Haleigh's family or are they deliberately trying to get a reaction from Joe?
GRACE: Did Tommy Croslin call you from behind bars? And if so, what did he say?
HOLLARS: He told me he was crying. And he says, Nanny, I`ve got to break down. I`ve got to tell somebody. And I told him, I says, Tommy, I know in my heart exactly what you`re fixing to say. He says, Nanny, what do you mean? I said, Are you going to tell me that Joe did this? He says, Yes, Nanny, Joe did.
Firstly, if Tommy had to tell Granny he was crying he wasn't. (MOO). She'd have heard it from his voice. Second, this is not good as far as confessions go because Granny admits openly that she put the words in Tommy's mouth. But it is interesting that she seems very open to the possibility of JDI. Maybe it's just because that's what Misty told her earlier but I think Joe's behavior plays a part in it. She might be biased because Joe's lived with Granny and she has a better opportunity to observe his drinking, drug use and ways of getting in trouble (if any) than those of her grandchildren in Florida.
GRACE: Joining us tonight is a very special guest, a guest who has been through hell. With us is Flora Hollars. That`s Misty Croslin and Joe Overstreet`s grandmother.
Ms. Hollars, you have heard now three different versions of what happened the night Haleigh went missing. What is the most recent version you have been told?
HOLLARS: What I was told by Misty this morning was that Tommy and Joe took Haleigh and wrapped a yellow rope around her and carried her to the dock and tied a brick around the bottom -- the other end of the rope and throwed her into the river. Now, that come from Misty`s mouth into my ear.
GRACE: This morning?
HOLLARS: Yes, ma`am.
She says it was Misty who told her about Tommy and Joe tying Haleigh to a brick. It makes sense to me; I believe Misty wants to blame everyone but herself. What is lacking in this account is explanation as to why Misty was there to observe all this, down to the color of the rope, and why she didn't call 911.
GRACE: Could I ask you why they would have done that? Joe Overstreet and Tommy Croslin, why they would have done that? Had they allegedly molested Haleigh?
HOLLARS: That I don`t know.
GRACE: Why would they just throw her in the water?
HOLLARS: I don`t know. (INAUDIBLE) continue to talk to Misty, she`s going to tell me.
The details are lacking but Misty may come up with new specs given time.
GRACE: OK. What is the second version you were told about Haleigh`s death?
HOLLARS: I was told that Misty had knocked her in the head and killed her and that Joe and Tommy got rid of her.
GRACE: Knocked her in the head with what, a cinderblock?
HOLLARS: No, just a piece of wood or something, is the way that it was put to me. But I didn`t believe that when I heard it.
GRACE: Who told you that?
HOLLARS: It come from one of them in Florida, is all I can say.
GRACE: Did they say why Misty would have struck 5-year-old Haleigh?
HOLLARS: No, they didn`t.
GRACE: OK. Ms. Hollars...
HOLLARS: (INAUDIBLE) overdose.
Why can't she say who told her this one? She could say which story came from Misty. Is this story from someone in Florida but not in jail right now? One of them who are still in Florida or one of them who used to be in Florida when Haleigh disappeared? Why didn't she believe this story? Because it blamed Misty? Because she doesn't trust the source? If Joe told her this I would understand she doesn't believe but she said Joe doesn't talk about it so apparently it's not him.
GRACE: What was the first story you were told about Haleigh`s death?
HOLLARS: First thing that I was told was that Joe had killed her. That was the first words that I was told.
GRACE: Why was -- why did he kill her in the first version?
HOLLARS: That I don`t have any idea. I don`t even know whether she was dead when she hit the water or not.
GRACE: Who told you the first version?
HOLLARS: Oh, that may have came from Misty. I`m not sure.
Serious lack of detail here and she's not sure who told her this.
I don't know about you but I think if I was told that my grandchild killed a person I'd remember who said so. And I'd have asked why.
GRACE: We are taking your calls live. Before we go to the lines, I want to go back to Ms. Flora Hollars, joining us tonight in a primetime exclusive. This is Misty Croslin and Joe Overstreet`s grandmother. Ms. Hollars, again, thank you for being with us.
HOLLARS: You`re welcome.
GRACE: And my question regarding the three versions you`ve been told -- who knows if any of them are true -- that you were told in each of these scenarios, where was Croslin? In the first scenario, the one that Croslin told you this morning, where was Croslin when everything happened?
HOLLARS: She didn`t tell me that.
Of course not... And Granny didn't ask any questions?
GRACE: She just said that Joe Overstreet killed Misty -- killed Haleigh?
HOLLARS: He and Tommy -- she said Joe Overstreet and Tommy wrapped the rope around Haleigh and carried her to the dock at the St. John`s River and put a block around the other end of the rope and throwed her in the river.
Maybe she's just echoing NG but it strikes me as odd she refers to her grandson living with her as "Joe Overstreet" but to TC as "Tommy". There is no other Joe involved so there's no danger of confusion that would necessitate the use of last name.
GRACE: But what, Ms. Hollars, could be their possible motivation for killing a 5-year-old girl?
HOLLARS: That`s something that I don`t know! There`s three grandkids of mine that`s involved in this, and I don`t know why! But I`d sure like to know why. They have no remorse or something. But nobody decided to say anything until I broke Tommy on the phone Sunday. And yes, I`m the one that called the detectives. And yes, I`m the one that sent them to the river!
The way she says "Yes, I'm the one..." makes it sound like she's angling for the reward.
I think there is a problem in her timeline some place. Here she says that nobody said anything until Tommy said something on Sunday but a couple of paragraphs above she said she's not sure who told her the first story but it might have been Misty.
GRACE: Well, God bless you. God bless you for finally bringing some peace to this case. I pray to God in heaven that it does. Ms. Hollars...
HOLLARS: I hope so.
GRACE: Ms. Hollars, when Joe -- excuse me -- when Tommy Croslin calls you from the jail crying, what did he say happened?
HOLLARS: He was crying. And I told him, I said, You failed your lie detector test, didn`t you, Tommy? He says, Yes, I did. And I told him, I says, Now it`s time for it to come to a head. I want to know right now. In my heart, I already know. I said, Did Joe do this? He says, Yes, Nanny, Joe did. But he never implicated himself at that time. Misty`s the one that implicated Joe and Tommy.
GRACE: Did Tommy Croslin...
HOLLARS: Misty is coming clean.
GRACE: Did Tommy Croslin tell you what happened, other than he just killed her?
HOLLARS: That`s all he said.
GRACE: I want to remind everyone that according to police, none of the three -- Croslin, Tommy Croslin or Joe Overstreet -- are persons of interest or suspects in Haleigh`s disappearance.
Again, Granny putting words in Tommy's mouth.
I believe her about Tommy failing his LDT.
The way she inserts "Misty is coming clean" in the middle of NG's question about Tommy makes it look like she might be okay about Tommy and Joe doing it but not Misty. Misty is the honest one. :waitasec:
