Ron Jr.'s Fate

[mysticrose]

I did not vote as I am not certain how things should go for this little guy. Reading Gloryrebel's post above I would have To disagree. For 8 years I have been through he!! and back over a child custody dispute. The father was always throwing things out there as you state above about myself and of course it was never true however I knew there was abuse going on there at his place and numerous times brought it up had eveluations done that showed mental instability with the father etc... The court turned a blind eye ripped my son out of the house for full summers to spend with this man. My son was afraid to come forward and say anything because he was told they would find out and that they knew everything he told his counselor. Long story short about 2 months ago the new wife filed a restraining order against him for her and her children and moved out and then that is when everything came out about the physical and emotional abuse that my son had been exposed to for 8 years along with her son's.
The court does not always know what is in the best interest of the children and if the Judge would have taken me a little more seriously and pushed a little harder to investigate my son would have not been put through this. Yeah and as well the father just sent me a request to reliquish his rights and vacate any visitation imagine that. It was never about my son it was always about getting back at me to hurt me. My son was being abused but the school never said or reported anything because there seemed to be no indication. The GAL assinged to the case did not find anything as well. I am not saying that Ron is an abuser because I do not know but abuser's do and will find ways to hide it...always

 

[Bobbisangel]

I think it unfair to listen to media reports of stories that an ex wife has put out there. I would want the rumors to be investigated if there is any proof. I have seen too many custody battles where one parent just throws things out there to see what sticks. I have more of an uneasy feeling about the mother. The daughter was in school and if there was any abuse they would of reported it as it is the law. All the pictures of the little girl showed a happy nourished child. The accident was answered by the school accident. Other rumors have had no proof or if so why were they not reported before?
I still wonder about the girls mother being so upset about the courts decision if she is not somehow involved in the girls disappearence. People are judging by sticking their nose in the air and saying I am better than them. I have seen this in "middle" class and up (anthony for one). You don't have to live in a trailer park to be "trailer trash" or other names associated with the lower income poor people. I do think the court let TWO children be with the father as he showed a stable job and family. Child services would of went to the home talked to the child and so on.....so they must of decided he was fit at the time. There is no proof that there was any trickery to the court hearing. I am more interested in how much child support is owed by the mother? She made it seem like sour grapes. Boy is the father finding out ones he thought was friends are not.... just my take on things

Crystal owed $4,000 in back child support on the day Haleigh went missing. Ron was taking her back into court over the support...they were due to go to court in a day or two! Of course Crystal had no way of paying the money so her boyfriend would have had to come up with the money. Bet he didn't like that. Makes me wonder if they didn't just decide to take Haleigh and stash her somewhere for awhile and then leave the state with her. Then came her chance to have RJ also. If she was handed RJ in court she would have both kids and off they would go. Who would even be aware? Her mother and stepfather would keep mum I would think.

I don't think Ron is involved in Haleigh missing and I believe if he even thought for a second that Misty was involved there would have been hell to pay. My money is on Crystal and her stepbrother/boyfriend. She never struck me as sincere in her grieving and on Nancy Grace she acted like she was afraid that Nancy was going to come through the camera and grab her. She sure didn't hesitate to talk and talk when ole Geraldo was standing by her side though. When someone says what a wonderful father a person is and how much he loves his daughter, etc, and then does a total reversal a few days later there is something wrong. He either was or he wasn't Crystal

 

[Law_girl41]

As far as the child support being a factor at the time of the "alledged abduction" in Febuary: Chad in no way being a "boyfriend" to Crystal is obligated in any way shape or form to even consider being worried about his wages being garnished ~OR~ his income tax refund check intercepted...You have to be legally married at the time. They still intend to be married, she is still obligated to pay under the law, even tho Haliegh is missing....she still owes the father this money for the prior time period...The courts saw fit to put a freeze on the hearing, WHY? because of the more important matter- Haleigh is missing and alleged child abuse has taken a higher importance over that, that does not mean she's trying to get out of paying the back owed child support. It's pretty sad that it keeps coming up here and its a moot point, she still has to pay it, sooner or later. Chad does not even have to worry about it. SO why would he have any reason to want to harm Haleigh over a lousy $4k? I think everyone knows Haleigh is worth more than that.


As far as the school ... we do NOT know what the school reported or didnt report to DCF. THAT is confidential and hasnt been released to the Public. They may have reported....WE DO NOT KNOW, they are obligated by law to report suspected abuse....they could have......AND it is very possible that DCF turned a blind eye to it. If CS & MG reported abuse to DCF, we do not know for fact what the report said, nor the findings, again DCF could turn a blind eye. They could have taken the report, went and talked to Ronald and what he said could have been enough for them to feel is wasnt worth persuing or making a recommendation......however, we do know for a fact that .....there was an "agreement between daddy & daughter about how she was going to be disciplined" (How many families do I personally know that makes an agreement like this? NONE) Crystal & Haleigh didnt have this type of "agreement" or we would have heard about it. Who does this?? People who are in need of clarification on how to properly spank a child according to DCF.

There are many websites out there with reports and statements made by people who feel DCF fails kids. I think this case is one of them. These situations are heartbreaking...Its bad enough there are judges who make hasty decisions in relations to who gets custody, visitation arrangements and allowing children to be pulled apart for years, then you throw DCF in the mix and it all depends on their personal recommendations how the childs fate is determined....its just sad....a sad reality when in fact it all starts with the parents and how they choose to treat each other & the children when they are no longer able to stay together and raise children. I've seen some cases that the parents get along just fine, but its rare.

I should say, I dont like the fact that Ronald Jr is at the center of this mess. I'm first of all concerned about the welfare of his sister, and secondly concerned about his emotional well being more than his physical safety at the moment, its unfortunate he has become a pawn in all of this. No child should have to be concerned about their fate with either parent. Both parents and the sets of grandparents get a big fat F from me. Because that is where the blame lies, with all of them.

 

[maconrich]

(respectfully snipped)

As far as the school ... we do NOT know what the school reported or didnt report to DCF. THAT is confidential and hasnt been released to the Public. They may have reported....WE DO NOT KNOW, they are obligated by law to report suspected abuse....they could have......AND it is very possible that DCF turned a blind eye to it. If CS & MG reported abuse to DCF, we do not know for fact what the report said, nor the findings, again DCF could turn a blind eye. They could have taken the report, went and talked to Ronald and what he said could have been enough for them to feel is wasnt worth persuing or making a recommendation......however, we do know for a fact that .....there was an "agreement between daddy & daughter about how she was going to be disciplined" (How many families do I personally know that makes an agreement like this? NONE) Crystal & Haleigh didnt have this type of "agreement" or we would have heard about it. Who does this?? People who are in need of clarification on how to properly spank a child according to DCF.

Just a couple of quick things for consideration. First when a child gets close to missing the mandatory number of days allowed per semester, year or whatever, it's common for a note to be sent home telling the parent/guardian that one more missed day will result in the school social worker contacting the family (among other things). At that point it doesn't matter why the student missed school or if the absences were excused. And there's a good chance DCF will be notified by the school social worker if that additional day is missed. Do I think a parent going to jail over absences is the typical penalty? Probably not, but it sure is a way of getting DCF involved - especially if the parents don't stand up for themselves and their child!! -- As in excuse me but if my child has missed school for valid reasons a school social worker had best NOT contact me and try to tell me the reasons my child needs to attend school. It's not my problem if schools receive funding based on student attendance. My first responsibility is the health and well-being of my child! Always!

Second having a child participate in managing their (own) behavior by helping set rules, boundaries and discipline sure isn't anything new. Behavioral contracts involve the child in order to teach appropriate behavior. It is commonly believed that when the child helps determine the rules - including punishment - he/she will feel more invested and will be less likely to break the rules. Clearly the complexity of this type of contract depends on the age of the child, but it is not uncommon for parents of younger children to employ some variation and to find success with it. Does DCF teach this to parents? I don't know, but I do know it's often covered in basic education and parenting booklets and probably by more than a few medical doctors.

Not arguing. Just saying.

 

[SeriouslySearching]

I guess DCF has decided that Rj is fine where he is with his Daddy. It has been way past the 60 days and the 10 day extension.

:woohoo::woohoo::woohoo:

 

[Law_girl41]

Somehow, I dont think Mr. Cummings set the tone in his home to teach his children boundaries. His methodology of boundary setting went out the door when he invited an irresponsible teenager become a live in babysitter. I highly doubt Haleigh or JR have any part of how they are disiplined in the home. And after hearing the 911 phone call and other eyewitness testimony...Oh, he really only verbally abused Misty. I dont think he treated his children any differently.

 

[Law_girl41]

DCF in the case has NOT decided anything. Not formally or in the media. We cant count our chickens before they hatch. We would have that breaking news. The investigation is still ongoing and far from decided.

 

[maconrich]

Somehow, I dont think Mr. Cummings set the tone in his home to teach his children boundaries. His methodology of boundary setting went out the door when he invited an irresponsible teenager become a live in babysitter. I highly doubt Haleigh or JR have any part of how they are disiplined in the home. And after hearing the 911 phone call and other eyewitness testimony...Oh, he really only verbally abused Misty. I dont think he treated his children any differently.

RE what I've bolded above: Since I don't know the family personally I have no way of knowing if that's true or not.

As far as the age of the babysitter, I was taking care of children overnight and weekends by the time I was 13, so I don't see a problem. And since she was living in the home, she would be the logical person to watch the children while Ron worked.

To be honest, based solely on what I've read, I seriously think the man would have been better off to have sat on his behind collecting welfare instead of working!! This type of criticism (in general and not directed to you or to any one person), IMO, is unwarranted, biased and unreasonable. - But, hey, I'm biased too, because I like it when a man works to support his family.

And if my child went missing on my hubby's watch, I more than likely would use a few swear words - and I might even call him some not very nice names. Another flaw of mine = showing that I'm human and get upset, and even angry, if the situation calls for it (and sometimes when it doesn't).

Not meaning to sound harsh, but it sucks to be human. :bang:

 

[SeriouslySearching]

DCF in the case has NOT decided anything. Not formally or in the media. We cant count our chickens before they hatch. We would have that breaking news. The investigation is still ongoing and far from decided.

I disagree. If there was any reason found to remove Rj...it would have been done and made the headlines because KP and Marie would make certain of it! No news means Rj is staying with Ronald and Misty.

 

[stilettos]

And I disagree with you. The case is quite probably under review (if the Family Court and services are like the state of GA) and a Judge is reviewing the new allegations and witnesses in this matter. I am sure we will soon see the results in this situation. Crystal may not get her son right away....there may be stipulations that she would need to comply with. That is based on personal experience in the system here in GA.

 

[SeriouslySearching]

The problem is the allegations were not proven to be true. I hope anyone and everyone who would lie or mislead DCF face serious repercussions from this.

Crystal should make some changes and have to jump through hoops before she takes Rj on weekend visits now, imo. DCF may find there is enough worry about her and her situation that warrants another look after bringing false allegations against Ronald, imo.

I honestly have not seen one thing that KP, Marie, or Crystal have come up with that can be substantiated. It is amazing how all of these so-called abuses went on for years without anyone calling 911! Crystal should be extremely angry with the people who supposedly witnessed it all and did nothing to protect her son.

 

[DotsEyes]

Silly me but I don't think DCF would take 4 months to determine if there was child abuse in such a high profile case. I think the allegations have proved to be unfounded, otherwise Jr. would have been removed from RC's home already.

 

[akashana]

Being in the home of a parent under the influence of drugs and who has known felonious contact with minors who are also under the influence is abuse.

Not in Louisiana. Simply being a parent of a minor child and using drugs does not qualify as abuse. The parental drug use has to impair them to a degree that they are unable to care for the child before CPS will step in. Since this case involves Florida law, the parameters may differ, however.

 

[akashana]

When I worked for an attorney specializing in domestic law, we saw many, many cases where the spouses used questionable tactics (on both sides) to obtain custody, often just to avoid large support payments. One of our clients was a stay-at-home mom to 4kids under five. Soon-to-be-ex-hubby worked offshore, working 14-day shifts with 7 days off. He started an affair with a female co-worker and wanted a divorce. He alleged drug abuse by our client because the woman smoked weed. She didn't smoke it in front of her kids, but she admitted to smoking. He raised such a ruckus with CPS that the kids got taken by the state, separated, and placed with 2 separate family members on the dad's side. The father couldn't care for them solely himself due to his work schedule. The second to youngest had a seizure disorder requiring medication. Aunt So & So forgot to fill the Rx on time, and the little girl went into status epilepticus, where she couldn't stop seizing. She died.

I'm not supporting drug-using parents at all. But I think that it's important to distinguish casual drug usage (especially of marijuana) from full-blown addiction. Selling drugs does up the ante of course. But that hasn't been proven here. We can't simply dictate that drug use alone is indicative of bad parenting, because it's not. It can, however, be a red flag to pay closer attention to a child and what goes on behind the scenes at home. But many parents who occasionally indulge in a toke or two manage to rear healthy and happy children. We must make sure the baby never gets thrown out with the bathwater on these cases where folks want to impose Draconian laws.

 

[radio]

MOO is that Junior needs responsible parents and a home. As far as family goes - Connie seems like the most genuine, responsible, kind and to be a caring person. Based on what I've read, seen/tv and stuff. No independent verification - but she comes across to me as very kind.

 

[elle1919]

I was wondering if we have any new information as to the allegations made by KP. I have been checking daily to see if any new info ON DCF's investigation has been completed but have come up empty anyone know?

 

[BetsyB]

I disagree. If there was any reason found to remove Rj...it would have been done and made the headlines because KP and Marie would make certain of it! No news means Rj is staying with Ronald and Misty.

There is another adult in the household--they are not alone with RJ. I am quite certain that has given child protective services the latitude to take more time with their investigation. The fact that RJ's safe at the moment does not speak, even the slightest, to Ronald and Misty's fitness as parents.

 

[stilettos]

When I worked for an attorney specializing in domestic law, we saw many, many cases where the spouses used questionable tactics (on both sides) to obtain custody, often just to avoid large support payments. One of our clients was a stay-at-home mom to 4kids under five. Soon-to-be-ex-hubby worked offshore, working 14-day shifts with 7 days off. He started an affair with a female co-worker and wanted a divorce. He alleged drug abuse by our client because the woman smoked weed. She didn't smoke it in front of her kids, but she admitted to smoking. He raised such a ruckus with CPS that the kids got taken by the state, separated, and placed with 2 separate family members on the dad's side. The father couldn't care for them solely himself due to his work schedule. The second to youngest had a seizure disorder requiring medication. Aunt So & So forgot to fill the Rx on time, and the little girl went into status epilepticus, where she couldn't stop seizing. She died.

I'm not supporting drug-using parents at all. But I think that it's important to distinguish casual drug usage (especially of marijuana) from full-blown addiction. Selling drugs does up the ante of course. But that hasn't been proven here. We can't simply dictate that drug use alone is indicative of bad parenting, because it's not. It can, however, be a red flag to pay closer attention to a child and what goes on behind the scenes at home. But many parents who occasionally indulge in a toke or two manage to rear healthy and happy children. We must make sure the baby never gets thrown out with the bathwater on these cases where folks want to impose Draconian laws.

I hear you and understand your point. However, my issue is with the purchase of the drug and the element that that can bring into the home. If the parent grows their own weed...someone can find out and want to rob them. Thus exposing the children to danger through the drug. If the drug is purchased...does the dealer ever come to the home? It is well known that the majority if dealers provide more than just one drug. Having that element in the home exposes the children to danger through the dealer. If the parent gets behind paying the dealer...danger introduced that way. It is a slippery slope. Drugs are dangerous. Any drug in the home could be found and ingested by the children...life threatening. Not good all around.

 

[stilettos]

Not in Louisiana. Simply being a parent of a minor child and using drugs does not qualify as abuse. The parental drug use has to impair them to a degree that they are unable to care for the child before CPS will step in. Since this case involves Florida law, the parameters may differ, however.

Should a LE see a parent legally under the influence of ANY drug, CPS, DFCS, DFS will be called by the LE officer. Standard procedure. Pretty constant across the board in the LE areas I have checked. 17 states so far.

 

[amorfati]

There is another adult in the household--they are not alone with RJ. I am quite certain that has given child protective services the latitude to take more time with their investigation. The fact that RJ's safe at the moment does not speak, even the slightest, to Ronald and Misty's fitness as parents.

ITA Betsy, I do not believe that Junior's being at his GGM's house is an indication of RC and MC's fitness as parents.

It is also my opinion that Junior belongs with Crystal, his mother that he adores.