Sheriff Blasts Misty Croslin Attorney!
Journalist Art Harris on HLN’s Jane Velez Mitchell Show Monday
From Bald Truth Staff, (c) www.artharris.com, all rights reserved
The Putnam County Sheriff’s office took a swipe at Misty Croslin’s attorney Tuesday for revealing what his client told investigators happened inside Ronald Cummings trailer the night she reported his five year old daughter missing: that her Tennesee cousin had come looking for a machine gun and when he couldn’t find it, got angry, “roughed up Misty, sexually groped her,” then tossed Haleigh into a black bag and left.
The black bag was a new detail that Robert Fields described exclusively to The Bald Truth that expanded on earlier public comments.
“Attorney Fields made a statement to media outlets that after Misty Croslin’s arrest, she informed investigators what happened the night Haleigh Cummings went missing, and what happened to Haleigh Cummings,” said Lt. Johnny Greenwood, Putnam County Sheriff’s spokesman in a press release designed to throw water on a media firestorm. He declined all requests for official comments reacting to Croslin’s account, nor would he confirm or deny their accuracy.
“Since the onset of this investigation, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office has been asked to comment on information obtained during the investigation,” said the release. (But) the PCSD “has always taken the firm stance that any information obtained in this case is not to be released, and any investigative strategies will not be discussed. The Haleigh Cummings investigation is far too important to be jeopardized by releasing this type of sensitive information.”
In an exclusive interview with The Bald Truth, Robert Fields elaborated that Misty was so frightened, she clutched Haleigh’s little brother and hid under the sheets, cringing, peeking out for only seconds to glimpse Joe Overstreet, 21, throw the tiny five year old into a black bag before pulling the covers back. She heard Haleigh scream, he said, then a car door slam.
One investigative expert suggested that if Overstreet, say, had indeed used a black bag to transport the child, that detail might have been used to shore up Misty’s shot crediblity as a witness and provide enough probable cause to make an arrest, but only IF Cousin Joe had volunteered seeing or carrying a black bag that night, even if presumably to steal Cummings’ machine gun.
Overstreet has denied any involvement; detectives have interviewed him at least twice, but no charges have been filed in connection with the missing child.
Fields said Misty has been telling that same story since she first told police when they interviewed her following her arrest on drug trafficking charges. But Greenwood declined to address any specific claims; investigators maintain they believe Croslin is holding key information that could solve a murder and bring Haleigh home.
PCSD “will not be participating in any formal interviews or providing statements regarding this…at this time. The main concern of the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office is finding Haleigh Cummings and returning her home to her family,” wrote Greenwood.
—————————————-
PCSD RELEASE:
Date: August 17, 2010
The Putnam County Sheriff’s Office has received numerous requests for an official comment regarding a statement made earlier today by Attorney Robert Fields. For those outlets not aware, Attorney Fields is legal counsel for Misty Croslin.
Attorney Fields made a statement to media outlets that after Misty Croslin’s arrest, she informed investigators what happened the night Haleigh Cummings went missing, and what happened to Haleigh Cummings.
Since the onset of this investigation, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office has been asked to comment on information obtained during the investigation. The Putnam County Sheriff’s Office has always taken the firm stance that any information obtained in this case is not to be released, and any investigative strategies will not be discussed. The Haleigh Cummings investigation is far too important to be jeopardized by releasing this type of sensitive information.
The Putnam County Sheriff’s Office will not be participating in any formal interviews or providing statements regarding this morning’s events at this time. The main concern of the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office is finding Haleigh Cummings and returning her home to her family.
Lieutenant Johnny Greenwood
Putnam County Sheriff’s Office
August 18th, 2010 at 2:01 am
how terrible is it that fields(SCUM ARSE IMO) would release yet more misty's lying crap about haleigh's demise on haleigh's birthday,TO HURTFUL,TO LITTLE,TO LATE,(werter's no freakin better imo)but as far as fields goes,THAT SO CALLED POS!!!!!!! LAWYER REALLY HAS HIS NERVE TO EVEN TALK TO ANYONE ABOUT MISTYS STORY (LIE) # 12,13,14 ???????,I THINK I READ IT IN ONE OF YOUR ARTICLES ART, FIELDS SAYING SOMETHING ABOUT POOR MISTY BEING SO HATED AND BLAMING THE PUBLIC FOR BEING WITCH HUNTERS,HIS STATEMENTS ENRAGE ME,HOW DARE HIM,NOBODY IN THEIR RIGHT MIND SHOULD EVER HIRE EITHER ONE OF THEM UNLESS PRISON IS WHERE THEY'VE ALREADY CHOSEN FOR THEIR NEXT HOME ADDRESS.IMO……..anyway R I P haleigh(YOU DON'T HAVE TO LIVE IN PILLBILLY HELL ANYMORE WITH IDIOTS)IMO. keep up the good work art ,i wish they could clone you,honesty is so hard to find in any of this poor little darlins saga.
August 18th, 2010 at 9:59 am
Moses:
Next time, please tell us how you REALLY feel. LOL, though it's no laughing matter. Art
August 18th, 2010 at 2:07 am
I can understand their anger toward Fields, i don't know what he was thinking releasing that piece of information, especially since Joe Overstreet is finally in a position where he has something to lose and could potentially start talking about the case. Flora said on JVM today that Joe was given a polygraph test and failed it. Sounds like a big setback for LE. I'm trying to understand how it helps his client by releasing the info about the black bag, unless Fields believes his client's time is running out and LE has had the info all this time and haven't done anything with it? Still, holding back that one key factor could have possibly been her ace in the hole. Now Overstreet knows and it's value just dropped immensely. IMO
August 18th, 2010 at 2:21 am
Where does Tommy fit into all of this if it's true (which i believe it is mostly)? Was he there when Joe roughed up Misty, put Haleigh in a "bag"? Was he waiting in the van when Joe came out with Haleigh? Seems like she would have been crying and fighting to get out. If so, how could Tommy not do something??? Sounds like LE believes it too, at the least they hadn't ruled it out. By chance or on purpose they finally got Joe where they want him and this blows the whole thing up. It was a detail he could only know if he had been there. I assume they didn't find the bag when he dumped his things? Maybe they did but didn't know it's significance? I don't know if Fields did that on purpose or it slipped out but i don't see how revealing it helps his client. This is getting ugly, we knew it would be because whatever happened that night had to be horrific. She may as well tell LE every detail if she hasn't already, she should have done it long ago.
August 18th, 2010 at 9:53 am
I'm on the Sheriff's side.. Why is Fields releasing this info? This has nothing to do with Misty's drug trial.. I appreciate you telling us, Art, but IMO Fields is only muddying the waters.. I am shocked a defense attorney would speak in depth about what his client said, especially now…How many more theories will we hear from him? It's entertaining, but does little to help find Haleigh…
August 18th, 2010 at 2:10 pm
The story didn't help Tommy and won't be helpful to Misty either since LE has already heard that crock. Now Flo claims Joe failed a lie detector test. Does LE contact Flo with the latest or does she get her info from the crackheads? I hope that Misty gets life in prison. I think she killed Haliegh herself. And if she didn't and she let Haliegh get beat for 5-6 minutes and just layed there then she contributed to her death. Since Misty and Tommy both admit to being there and watching Haliegh die and then lying about it for a year, I am sure there are more charges that will be filed even if it isn't murder.
August 18th, 2010 at 3:49 pm
Art. I hate to say this but I believe Misty……I think this happened , When Ron got home she told him what happened and the cover up began. Ron being the doper that he was went along in fear that his drug use and dealings would get out…
Imo Joe and Tommy molested this child and got rid of her….This is what happens with people like this. Look at them they are idiots…… all of them..The only sane one is grandma Hollars and Imo she is high on something when I've seen her on JVM recently…
Thanks for your reporting……
August 18th, 2010 at 8:57 pm
If Joe came to the trailer to steal a gun then it makes sense to me that he would bring something to
hide the gun in… maybe a black bag? If he was on drugs then sure, he could have thought Haleigh
could be traded for money for drugs…sorry to say. Maybe Joe owed some money to other dealers. If he couldn't find a gun to trade for drug money then a little girl would do. Joe didn't take the 3 year old brother. Anything can happen if they had no conscience.
August 19th, 2010 at 2:29 am
You would need a bag to hide a machine gun, and a WWII gun at that, I'm told. Art
August 18th, 2010 at 9:39 pm
nice tie on t.v. tonite,sorry my post was so loud 18 hrs.ago,(i did laugh out loud when i read your answer i deserved it),i did want to ask, is it just rumor mill or fact that joe overstreet took a polygraph about haleigh?i really just don't know what to believe from flo hollars,she seems confused sometimes even before her stroke and heavy meds.also i relistened to tommy's supposed confession call to her again and i was wondering if maybe someone else out there thought the same thing,when tommy gets ready to tell the name, flo is the one that said is it joe,he took that and ran with it,i don't think he was gonna say joe.i heard him say in the uncut version( before she said is it joe) he's locked up so he cant get to my kids now,that jus doesn't make sense because joe wasn't locked up.(probably just some other lie he was gonna tell)who knows,i don't think we ever will.GOD BLESS HALEIGH MARIE CUMMINGS.
August 19th, 2010 at 4:24 am
Moses: It was Ron that Tommy was referring to…Ron was locked up. But neither Tommy nor Misty will "rat" on Ron because they take his death threats seriously. I've done a complete 180 on Mr. Cummings since this thing first started. He is NOT the innocent daddy who comes home from the nite shift to find his 5 yr. old missing. He's in this up to his steely eyeballs. I just don't know how it all went down yet. IMHO
August 19th, 2010 at 7:00 pm
blue ,thank you 4 your ans. i'm still tip toeing around on this blog site ,i been on another blog site and there are some very rude peeps ,i would rather be ignored than attacked and called names by other bloggers and made fun of,even the owners (2)husband and wifey jump on innocent peeps.anyway i thought that too bout ron,it really swayed me to think joe didn't do it,i think the overdose theory or accident with physical abuse got out of hand and ron had misty and tommy clean up the trailor and dispose of the body and convinced them the law would believe joe theory,i will say i don't think when ronnie boy gave them their instructions he told them they might be compromising teir freedom 4 many years,they need to tell,another thing is my hubby works in a factory and on the night shift him and the other boys go up town and shoot pool run 2 fastfood places ect.they been doing that for yrs so ronnies time card punches to me doesn't mean he was really there,i just wish everyone could get closure,so sad.
August 19th, 2010 at 12:24 am
All the experts say "their is a little truth told in every story" – well, to me it sounds like the story told in the letter Mistys friend wrote from jail – that night at the party Haleigh was put in a bag and thrown in a pond – except now – Misty is saying Joe put her in the bag and threw her in the river.
August 19th, 2010 at 12:23 pm
Exactly. For me this case is easy. I know Pytko…he didn't lie. He's got some problems, yes…but making up stories isn't one of them.
They dropped the ball when they told Prevatt that Pytko was their source. (I was furious btw) They should have let Prevatt worry & wonder about who came forward.
They really need to get Kristina Prevatt, Greg Page & Chad Elliot in there facing the same kind of charges this bunch had to deal with. Maybe THEN we'd see some results. Misty has nothing to gain by confessing…at least nothing that she cares about.
I've lost all hope for more searches in the Mondex.
August 19th, 2010 at 12:54 am
Art, can u verify a poster's comment about RC mouthing "I love you" to MC at her hearing? if that is true, i think that has to speak volumes to his involvement in this crime. i'll be honest, at this point i don't know what i think anymore! but if it was JO (which Misty did accuse early on) why wouldn't Ron follow thru on any of his threats to "kill whoever did it" ? and, if not involved, upon hearing Misty's "confession" of witnessing his sweet daughter's murder and lying all this time, why would he be telling her he loves her? or not even be angry with her? it just makes it seem like this Joe story can't be true
August 19th, 2010 at 4:01 am
I think they are mixing up Casey Anthony Case with this case.. when Casey's brother got on the stand during her hearing, he mouthed the words "I love you" to her…
August 19th, 2010 at 2:34 am
Joe recovered his gun a month earlier. This wasn't over a gun gone missing. In reality, I think Haley died by overdose of a drug given to her by Misty Cummings. Tommy's borrowed van took little Haley's body to an indisclosed location for burial. Cousin Joe was asleep when this murder of a small child took place. misty is trying to transfer guilt onto cousin Joe, but the real details of the grizly murder were between she (misty) and brother (tommy).
August 19th, 2010 at 2:37 am
Adm: Maybe son, but by Croslin's accounts, Chelsea and Misty found the gun Joe stole at her parents house, a Beretta a week before this; this gun was a machine gun that was Ronald's pride and joy and sources tell me he showed off about a few days earlier over beer with Tommy and Joe, who was visiting and ended up staying at Timmy and Chelsea's the last few days in town…Art
August 19th, 2010 at 3:58 am
I don't believe this story about Joe, I think he is being used as a scapgoat- Misty said she was afraid of Joe and that is why she didn't say anything, but in the very begining she went on TV and accused Joe.. but it is making me think there is truth to my earlier theory that Tommy had something to do with it.-.. it has always bothered me that Tommy was apparently breaking into people's houses stealing stuff.. Tommy has already gotten into trouble for stealing a gun out of someone's house..
October 5th, 2011 at 2:54 am
Looking back, sure looks like you were right on. Art approve
August 19th, 2010 at 3:59 am
If Ronald had been showing his gun off to Tommy then it seems like it would be possible that Tommy would break into the house to try and steal the gun.. If someone were to believe the Man in Black, sounds logical that if Tommy was breaking into people's houses at night he would probably be wearing all black… he was also stealing things like soap, brillo pads, etc… if someone were to believe that Misty did wash the blanket and cops say that there was no laundry soap.. sounds like it possibly could have been one of the things that Tommy would steal
August 19th, 2010 at 3:59 am
the door proped open with a brick, someone would have had to prop that door open that knew that if they didn't it would slam shut.. Tommy had been over there many times, it seems like he would know to prop it open, black bag? well Tommy would need something to put the stuff in that he steals from people's houses. Tommy would know when Ronald wouldn't be home-it just seems like the circumstances lean towards Tommy and the events surrounding it seem to go with what Tommy has done in the past-
August 21st, 2010 at 5:47 pm
Isn't it possible that the children played on that ramp with tricycles and propped it open? Maybe it was hot in the house, as they claim the AC went out that today. Misty didn't throw a party thinking Ron was at work; he works too close to not pop in at any moment! She would be too afraid of her lover. my op
August 19th, 2010 at 3:59 am
I believe that Tommy is scared of Ronald.. I think Jr may have just saw someone in black, but Haleigh could have woken up and saw Tommy- asked something like Uncle Tommy what are you doing here or something like that.. Tommy got scared because he didn't want Haleigh to tell Ronald that she saw Tommy there that night.. so he had to think of something.. and possibly he lead her out of the house-she would have trusted him and prabably willingly left with him
August 20th, 2010 at 5:29 pm
Misty said she was sleeping. Why and how would a person who was working call someone 90 times? Why did she turn off her phone? Oh thats right, Joe and Tommy were there. Wasn't Ron a heavy equipment operator? Easy way to dig a big hole and toss your child. Send some cadavor dogs to the job site and see if they find something. Ron, Misty, Tommy, Joe none of them want to admit to anything. Being in jail for drugs is nothing compared to murdering a child.
August 20th, 2010 at 8:37 pm
Misty & Tommy Croslin said that they didn't tell because they were in fear of Joe, I don't believe that, Ronald cummings said that he would kill whoever took his daughter. Why wouldn't they just tell him it was cousin Joe & let Ronald take care of it, they would no longer have to fear him. I don't belive Ronald was afraid of him, he was twice his size. Ive seen cousin joe, he is so small, Misty & tommy together could have stopped him from taking Haleigh. He is just the scapegoat
August 22nd, 2010 at 9:26 pm
I watched this from day one. Joe raped and killed this precious child. Misty was a child. At that age I would have hid under anything to keep from being harmed. The investigators did not search that river enough to start with, they did not question Joe to the point of putting pressure on him. Grandma Flo has been trying to tell the true story but no one takes her seriously. She would not lie on her own grandson. She knows it is the truth. I pray the investigators will stop dragging their feet and go arrest Joe. He is guilty. He may be a pip squeak but yielding a knife he could scare Misty to death. She kept quiet because of fear knowing he could kill her. She is guilty of not running to the phone as soon as she heard Haley cry out. Ron is a poor excuse for a daddy or he would have never gotten mixed up in drugs he would have found out Joe killed his child and made him talk. Tommy is guilty also. I hope I never have a child missing in Florida because the investigators are poor excuses for finding evidence or making arrest. They dropped the ball from day one.