The Search for Haleigh Cummings Continues

Haleigh Cummings is a 5 year old Satsuma Florida girl who was reported missing on Febuary 10, 2009.
In the 4+ months that Haleigh has been missing more than 4,000 tips have come in , but there hasn't been any confirmed sightings.

When Haleigh was first reported missing an Amber Alert was issued and a major search effort was made
to find her.....but within weeks the search seemed to taper off to what seems is practically nothing along with any of the media coverage Haleigh's disappearance had received.

To learn more about the background of this case and the many side issues that have developed among Haleigh's families and the many "professionals" who have become involved in this case click here. The side issues have really been a distraction in the search for Haleigh so I won't include much about them in this entry. The only good that has come from them is that the media coverage they have garnered has brought attention to Haleigh's disappearance.

I should tell you that Haleigh's parents, Crystal Sheffield and Ronald Cummings, were never married and have been living apart for several years. Haleigh and her brother Ronald Jr. have lived for most of that time in Satsuma with their Ronald Sr. and his family with bi-monthly visitation with Crystal and her family in Baker County, FL.

Most of the searches up to this point in time have revolved around the Putnum County area where Satsuma is located. Today, Friday June 26 the first physical search in months took place in Baker County, on the 30 acre property of Haleigh's maternal grandparents (the Griffis)and after that a search was made of another relative's 25 acre tract of land nearby.

Forensic investigators, a dive team from the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office and deputies from Baker and Putnum Counties were all on the scene. They checked out all of the structures on the farms, investigators dug up various spots on the farms, cadaver dogs searched and a pond was searched by divers.

This isn't the first time law enforcement has searched the 30 and 25 acre properties. The day Haleigh disappeared investigators did a cursory search inside the families homes, as well as underneath them.

The Putnam County Sheriff’s Office has stressed that the search was not prompted by tips. Captain Dominic Piscotello told Action News the Griffis family told detectives when Haleigh first disappeared that they’d buried animal bones on the property in Glen St. Mary. Investigators wanted to verify those claims. So far, they’ve verified that all of the bones they’ve examined belong to animals. Officials said they have no expectation that Haleigh's body is there, but they are conducting a search out of "due diligence."

About 3 weeks ago all of the agencies responsible for looking for Haleigh met to review evidence and found some leads still needed to be followed and some evidence needed to be analyzed. About 40 representatives from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the State Attorney's Office and the Putnum County Sheriff's Office held a round table discussion about the status of the case.

If the case is not solved within 30 days , the group will meet again.

Action News also spoke to Crystal Sheffield and Marie Griffis, Haleigh’s mother and grandmother. They say they welcome the search and they’re glad to have the investigators on the property, so they can be excluded. Sheffield and Griffis also say they’re helping investigators and answering their questions.


At the time of her disappearance Haleigh was 3 feet tall and weighed 39 pounds. She had long blond hair and brown eyes. Haleigh also has a birthmark on her left cheek shaped like a peanut. You can see the birthmark in this picture:

Please keep in mind it is possible that efforts have been made to disguise Haleigh's appearance.

Haleigh's sixth birthday is August 17th.


If you have any information that could help bring Haleigh home, please call:
Putnum County Crime Stoppers at
1-888-277-TIPS.


4jaxnews
firstcoastnews Sphere: Related Content