budmonster
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Some updated news on this information about the party and the body being dumped in the lake.
From the Gainesville sun:
Police call letter alleging Haleigh died of overdose at party a 'farce'
By Karen Voyles & Lise Fisher
Staff writers
Published: Friday, September 25, 2009 at 6:01 a.m.
Last Modified: Thursday, September 24, 2009 at 10:52 p.m.
The Putnam County Sheriff's Office is using the word "farce" to describe a letter allegedly written by a jail inmate claiming another inmate told detectives Haleigh Cummings died at a party and that her body was disposed of in a pond.
Meanwhile, the Sheriff's Office is continuing to assign at least three investigators a day to the search for the 6-year-old girl, who disappeared from her father's home in early February.
"I don't have any reaction to that letter," Sheriff's Chief of Staff Gary Bowling said. "It is a joke that the media is even reacting to this letter. It's ludicrous."
The letter, dated Sept. 18, was allegedly written by Kristina Prevatt, an acquaintance of Misty Croslin Cummings, and released by The Sky 97.3 FM News Talk radio station in Gainesville.
Prevatt is being held at the Putnam County jail on charges including failure to appear in court, a probation violation, stalking, and drug and narcotic equipment possession, according to jail records. She was booked into the jail in mid-August.
The letter, written in pencil on a lined piece of paper to "Donnie," claims Prevatt was questioned by deputies last week and that another of Misty's acquaintances, Joe Pytko, gave deputies a sworn statement claiming Haleigh died after a drug overdose at a party she and her younger brother attended with Misty.
Haleigh and her 3-year old brother, Ronald Cummings Jr., were left in the care of Misty while their father, Ronald Cummings Sr., was at work.
Investigators have said Misty told them she put the children to bed and then did housework around 10 p.m.
However, a few days ago, investigators confirmed that phone records showed Ronald Cummings had tried to reach Misty by phone 20 times. The investigators said Cummings then asked Misty's brother, Hank Croslin, to go to the Cummings home and check on Misty and the children.
Hank Croslin, who is in jail on an unrelated gun theft charge, told investigators the house was dark and that no one came to the door when he went to the house around 10 p.m., sheriff's officials reported.
The person who wrote the letter provided this account: "(Pytko said) we were all over at a party at Chad's house and Haliegh (sic) got a hold of some oxycotton (Oxycontin) and died. We suposively (sic) freaked out and Greg put her (Haleigh) in a black bag in my car and we took her to a pond."
The letter writer denied she was at the party and said she was at another location.
An attorney for Prevatt could not be reached Thursday.
Bowling denied that his agency had the L Pond at Mondex in Putnam County drained on Saturday and Sunday in reaction to the letter.
"That letter was written after the pond was drained," Bowling said. He declined to comment on how he knew when the letter was written.
Instead he said, "The pond was drained, and we walked over every inch of it and never found anything. It seems like irresponsible journalism to be reporting on that letter."
Robert Fields, Croslin-Cummings' attorney, also dismissed the letter.
"That letter carries about as much credibility as toilet tissue. Put a little bit of water on it, and it dissolves," he said.
Fields, however, said the search at the pond apparently was tied to the letter.
The attorney also commented on the different arrests of people related to or acquainted with some of the key players in the investigation, such as Croslin-Cummings' brother.
"Some of these may be legitimate arrests, but one has to consider the fact that there may be some special consideration being given to some arrests and how they fit in with the disappearance of Haleigh Cummings," he said. "They've admitted it's given them more leverage," he said, referring to investigators.
"Her story has been the same without blinking," Fields said about Croslin-Cummings. "She's been questioned by arguably the best for seven months. I don't really know what else they want out of her."
Asked about his client's current whereabouts, Fields said Croslin-Cummings had gone to Orlando to visit a couple of theme parks.
The Sheriff's Office continues to search for Haleigh every day, Bowling said.
After indexing 4,000 leads, Bowling said new leads still are arriving, usually in clusters, and sometimes the leads are duplicated.
"We have three people working on this every day and up to 100 when circumstances dictate," Bowling said. "It varies from day to day depending on what we are working on."
From the Gainesville sun:
Police call letter alleging Haleigh died of overdose at party a 'farce'
By Karen Voyles & Lise Fisher
Staff writers
Published: Friday, September 25, 2009 at 6:01 a.m.
Last Modified: Thursday, September 24, 2009 at 10:52 p.m.
The Putnam County Sheriff's Office is using the word "farce" to describe a letter allegedly written by a jail inmate claiming another inmate told detectives Haleigh Cummings died at a party and that her body was disposed of in a pond.
Meanwhile, the Sheriff's Office is continuing to assign at least three investigators a day to the search for the 6-year-old girl, who disappeared from her father's home in early February.
"I don't have any reaction to that letter," Sheriff's Chief of Staff Gary Bowling said. "It is a joke that the media is even reacting to this letter. It's ludicrous."
The letter, dated Sept. 18, was allegedly written by Kristina Prevatt, an acquaintance of Misty Croslin Cummings, and released by The Sky 97.3 FM News Talk radio station in Gainesville.
Prevatt is being held at the Putnam County jail on charges including failure to appear in court, a probation violation, stalking, and drug and narcotic equipment possession, according to jail records. She was booked into the jail in mid-August.
The letter, written in pencil on a lined piece of paper to "Donnie," claims Prevatt was questioned by deputies last week and that another of Misty's acquaintances, Joe Pytko, gave deputies a sworn statement claiming Haleigh died after a drug overdose at a party she and her younger brother attended with Misty.
Haleigh and her 3-year old brother, Ronald Cummings Jr., were left in the care of Misty while their father, Ronald Cummings Sr., was at work.
Investigators have said Misty told them she put the children to bed and then did housework around 10 p.m.
However, a few days ago, investigators confirmed that phone records showed Ronald Cummings had tried to reach Misty by phone 20 times. The investigators said Cummings then asked Misty's brother, Hank Croslin, to go to the Cummings home and check on Misty and the children.
Hank Croslin, who is in jail on an unrelated gun theft charge, told investigators the house was dark and that no one came to the door when he went to the house around 10 p.m., sheriff's officials reported.
The person who wrote the letter provided this account: "(Pytko said) we were all over at a party at Chad's house and Haliegh (sic) got a hold of some oxycotton (Oxycontin) and died. We suposively (sic) freaked out and Greg put her (Haleigh) in a black bag in my car and we took her to a pond."
The letter writer denied she was at the party and said she was at another location.
An attorney for Prevatt could not be reached Thursday.
Bowling denied that his agency had the L Pond at Mondex in Putnam County drained on Saturday and Sunday in reaction to the letter.
"That letter was written after the pond was drained," Bowling said. He declined to comment on how he knew when the letter was written.
Instead he said, "The pond was drained, and we walked over every inch of it and never found anything. It seems like irresponsible journalism to be reporting on that letter."
Robert Fields, Croslin-Cummings' attorney, also dismissed the letter.
"That letter carries about as much credibility as toilet tissue. Put a little bit of water on it, and it dissolves," he said.
Fields, however, said the search at the pond apparently was tied to the letter.
The attorney also commented on the different arrests of people related to or acquainted with some of the key players in the investigation, such as Croslin-Cummings' brother.
"Some of these may be legitimate arrests, but one has to consider the fact that there may be some special consideration being given to some arrests and how they fit in with the disappearance of Haleigh Cummings," he said. "They've admitted it's given them more leverage," he said, referring to investigators.
"Her story has been the same without blinking," Fields said about Croslin-Cummings. "She's been questioned by arguably the best for seven months. I don't really know what else they want out of her."
Asked about his client's current whereabouts, Fields said Croslin-Cummings had gone to Orlando to visit a couple of theme parks.
The Sheriff's Office continues to search for Haleigh every day, Bowling said.
After indexing 4,000 leads, Bowling said new leads still are arriving, usually in clusters, and sometimes the leads are duplicated.
"We have three people working on this every day and up to 100 when circumstances dictate," Bowling said. "It varies from day to day depending on what we are working on."
