Print Page - Show transcripts

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0902/11/ng.01.html

NANCY GRACE

Search for Florida 5-Year-Old Missing From Own Bed

Aired February 11, 2009 - 20:00:00 ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

NANCY GRACE, HOST: Breaking news tonight, Satsuma, Florida. A 5- year-old girl tucked into bed, five hours later, she vanishes into thin air, gone, the back door propped wide open. Tonight, the search by land, by air, by water for 5-year-old Haleigh Cummings. And just released, the stunning 911 call. We have the call, that call from the father hysterical. He comes home from the night shift to find his little girl gone.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I just woke up, and my back door was all open and I can`t find our daughter.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This pastor and these friends and family are afraid this is just the beginning, praying it`s not, but preparing for if it is. Haleigh`s dad, Ronald Cummings, says he was working the night shift early this morning and came home around 3:00 AM to this house on Green (ph) Lane in the Hermit`s (ph) Cove area of Satsuma. He tell us the back door was open and Haleigh was missing from her bed, so he called 911.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

RONALD CUMMINGS, FATHER: I just got home from work, my 5-year-old daughter is gone. I need somebody to be here now, I`m telling you.

911 OPERATOR: OK.

911 OPERATOR: Listen to me. Listen to me. We`ve got two officers...

CUMMINGS: If I find whoever has my daughter before y`all do, I`m killing him. I don`t care. I`ll spend the rest of my life in prison, I`m telling you. You can put it on the report, and I don`t care.

911 OPERATOR: OK. It`s OK, sir. We`ve got them on the way. OK, can you give me any -- what kind of description of her pajamas that she was wearing?

CUMMINGS: I don`t (DELETED) know! I was at work!

911 OPERATOR: OK, sir, we`ve got them coming, OK?

(END AUDIO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I just want whoever`s got her to bring her home. That`s all I want is my baby home!

CUMMINGS: I think we got four or five counties` police officers looking for her now, dogs, bloodhounds, K-9s. We can`t find her nowhere. Helicopters. Somebody has her. They have her hidden. I just want my daughter back. That`s it. That`s all I want.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: Tonight, every minute counts in the search for Haleigh. Her father is joining us live.

Breaking news tonight in the desperate search for a beautiful 2-year- old Florida girl, Caylee. Six months of searching culminates when skeletal remains found in a heavily wooded area just 15 houses from the Anthonys` confirmed to be Caylee, manner of death homicide, the little girl`s remains completely skeletonized. This after a utility meter reader stumbles on a garbage bag containing a tiny human skeleton, including a skull covered in light-colored hair. The killer duct tapes the child`s mouth, then finishes off by placing a child`s heart-shaped sticker over the duct tape, little Caylee`s tiny skeleton double-bagged like she`s trash.

Bombshell tonight. As we go to air, local WKMG confirms Caylee has been cremated. This is after the Anthonys` lawyer denied it. Why? Little Caylee`s cremation in direct opposition to the tot mom`s wishes, Caylee`s ashes reportedly not even kept at the Anthony home because of safety concerns.

And have fingerprints been identified on duct tape over Caylee`s mouth? Will duct tape fingerprints be the direct link to tot mom? And how can her team defend against fingerprints? This after tot mom chooses not to watch Caylee`s memorial on TV, instead meeting with her lawyer. And what do investigators make of brother Lee`s secret coded message to tot mom from the memorial pulpit? The sheriff orders all jailhouse visits recorded of the tot mom, but is a private jailhouse memorial out of the camera`s eye in the works?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LEE ANTHONY, CAYLEE`S UNCLE: How are you?

CASEY ANTHONY, CAYLEE`S MOTHER: Oh, man. I don`t want to start crying.

LEE ANTHONY: No, I don`t, either.

CMA, I miss you! I love you. I need you to know this. I will never forget the promise that I made to you!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Lee Anthony, at yesterday`s public memorial for little Caylee, and at this point, using the initials CMA. And we believe he`s -- well, he could be referring to Casey.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The Anthony family attorney, Brad Conway, is telling us for the first time tonight confirming that Caylee was cremated within the last few days. He tells us, quote, "Casey made it clear that she did not want Caylee`s remains to be cremated. This is a decision the family made to protect Caylee. This was a hard choice for them."

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Some day, I want to go and visit her grave and tell her how much I miss her.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We`re hearing there likely won`t be a marked headstone, like Casey wants, because George and Cindy are afraid someone may vandalize it.

CASEY ANTHONY: Come on! I`m so beyond frustrated with all of this that I can`t even swallow right now, it hurts.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: Good evening. I`m Nancy Grace. I want to thank you for being with us. How -- how -- could a 5-year-old Florida girl vanish from her own bed, a bed she was sharing that night with her baby-sitter and her 4-year- old brother?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Haleigh`s dad, Ronald Cummings, says he was working the night shift early Tuesday morning and he came home to find his daughter missing.

CUMMINGS: Gave me a hug and a kiss (INAUDIBLE) told me she loved me, she`d see me when I got home.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She`s a daddy`s girl.

CUMMINGS: She wasn`t there when I got home!

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

911 OPERATOR: OK. When did you last see her?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We just, like -- you know, it was about 10:00 o`clock. She was sleeping (INAUDIBLE)

911 OPERATOR: OK. How old is your daughter?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She`s 5.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Haleigh was sleeping in the bedroom with her 2- year-old brother and her dad`s 17-year-old girlfriend, who says she didn`t wake up or hear anything.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It`s not like that baby just disappeared out of thin air.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Why is why Putnam County deputies are combing the area. Even though there was no sign of forced entry, investigators believe Haleigh`s disappearance is an abduction.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

911 OPERATOR: All right. You said your back door was wide open?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, with a brick. Like, there was a brick on the floor. Like, when I went to sleep, the door was not like that.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

CUMMINGS: I know somebody took my little girl! I`m sorry! Piece of trash that will be wasted when it`s all over!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: How could this little girl just vanish into thin air out of her own bed? The father, working the night shift, comes home to find his baby girl is gone.

I want to go straight to him, everyone. The tip line, 386-329-0808 -- 386-329-386-329-0808. Let me remind you that every minute counts. Every minute that she has been gone counts. One minute could save her life.

With me right now, the father of little Haleigh, Ronald Cummings, is with us. Mr. Cummings, you and your family are in so many prayers across the country right now. Please tell us what happened when you got home from work that night. I believe it was around 3:00 AM.

CUMMINGS: Actually, it was about 3:25, 3:27.

GRACE: OK.

CUMMINGS: And I pulled into the yard, and my girlfriend opened the front door, and I already knew something was wrong because she`s not up at this time. She told me -- I said, What are you doing up at this time? She said, Your back door`s wide open and your daughter`s gone.

GRACE: What is her description -- what scenario took place?

CUMMINGS: She got out of bed and went to use the restroom and came back to find that my daughter was not in bed with her.

GRACE: OK, what time did...

CUMMINGS: And the back door was wide open and she was -- and she was gone.

GRACE: Ronald, what time did she put Haleigh to bed?

CUMMINGS: She puts them to bed every night at 8:00 o`clock.

GRACE: At 8:00 o`clock. When she put...

CUMMINGS: And...

GRACE: When she put her to bed at 8:00 o`clock, did she also put to bed the little 4-year-old boy?

CUMMINGS: Yes, she did.

GRACE: OK. What time did she go to bed?

CUMMINGS: Approximately 10:30, 11:00.

GRACE: At 10:30, 11:00. At that time, was little Haleigh in the bed asleep with the brother?

CUMMINGS: Yes.

GRACE: And they all slept together in the same bed, correct?

CASAREZ: Yes.

GRACE: So sometime between 11:00 PM and 3:30 AM, Haleigh goes missing. Now, did she call 911?

CUMMINGS: No, she did not, not until after I was there. She tried to call me, but I was pulling in the driveway. So I asked her how come she was trying to call me, she needed to call 911. So she immediately called them then.

GRACE: And where does the biological mother live, Ronald? Ronald, where does the mom live? OK, I think somehow -- I think I`ve lost his connection. Liz, see if you can bring Ronald back up. Ronald, where does the mother...

CUMMINGS: I got you. I got you.

GRACE: OK. Good. Everyone, Ronald Cummings is joining us there at the command center in Satsuma, Florida. Mr. Cummings, where does Haleigh`s mother live?

CUMMINGS: In Baker County, in Glenn St. Mary (ph).

GRACE: What is that, about 150 miles away?

CUMMINGS: I would say approximately 90 to 100.

GRACE: Now, have you and your girlfriend both taken a polygraph, right?

CUMMINGS: Yes, I have. Passed it with flying colors. Yes, she has. Passed hers.

GRACE: And you volunteered to do that and you`ve been cooperating with police, right?

CUMMINGS: Yes. Why not? I don`t have anything to hide. I just want my daughter back. Anything that`s going to help them eliminate more people, that`s the best thing.

GRACE: Exactly. Mr. Cummings, you said the door was propped open. Describe to me what you saw when you got home.

CUMMINGS: I came in the house and immediately checked all the bedrooms, the bathroom, everywhere, just to be sure, and walked to the back door, it was wide open. As I walked out the back door, the screen door was propped open with a cinderblock.

GRACE: Everyone, joining me from Satsuma, Florida, is Mr. Ronald Cummings. He was at work as usual when his daughter goes missing. Take a listen to this 911 call.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

911 OPERATOR: What does she look like? How tall is she? Give me some description of her.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She has, like -- like, long hair, curly, like, curls.

911 OPERATOR: Long curled. What color?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She`s white.

911 OPERATOR: OK. What color hair?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She`s got brown hair.

911 OPERATOR: OK. Brown hair?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. Oh, my God! (INAUDIBLE)

911 OPERATOR: OK. How tall is she, about? Or how much does she weigh? Do you know that?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Huh?

(END AUDIO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And if anybody around here that knows me has got my granddaughter, bring her home. Just bring her to my house and drop her off. You know where I live. Just bring her home. Just bring her back to us. She`s my sixth generation grandchild, grandbaby, and we want her back. Just bring her back to us. She`s our heart. She`s my first baby from my first baby. I want her back. Please bring her home. Bring her to somebody. Drop her off somewhere and call 911. Somebody`ll pick her up.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

911 OPERATOR: OK, listen to me. I`m getting this information. I`m not the officer driving out there, OK?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK.

911 OPERATOR: They`re coming out there to handle that situation. I need to gather all her information from you over the phone.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK.

911 OPERATOR: It has nothing to do with me driving out there. The officers are taking care of that, OK? They`re coming out there, OK?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK.

911 OPERATOR: OK. I`m going to stay on the phone with you, OK...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK.

911 OPERATOR: ... until they get there, all right? Tell him we`ve got them coming. He needs to try to calm down a little bit, OK? The officers are going to come out there and do what they can. We can`t have him screaming and yelling at the officers whenever they get there, OK?

911 OPERATOR: OK, was your back door locked do you know?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. The back door always stays locked.

FATHER: I need somebody (INAUDIBLE)

911 OPERATOR: OK, let me speak to her (INAUDIBLE)

CUMMINGS: I just got home from work, my 5-year-old daughter is gone. I need somebody to be here now, I`m telling you.

911 OPERATOR: Listen to me. Listen to me. We`ve got two officers...

CUMMINGS: If I find whoever has my daughter before y`all do, I`m killing him. I don`t care. I`ll spend the rest of my life in prison, I`m telling you. You can put it on the report, and I don`t care.

911 OPERATOR: OK. It`s OK, sir. We`ve got them on the way. OK, can you give me any -- what kind of description of her pajamas that she was wearing?

CUMMINGS: I don`t (DELETED) know! I was at work!

911 OPERATOR: OK, sir, we`ve got them coming, OK?

(END AUDIO CLIP)

GRACE: A 5-year-old Satsuma, Florida, girl vanishes out of the bed she was sharing with her baby-sitter and her 4-year-old brother. Tonight, the father is with us -- he has just passed a polygraph test -- begging for your help. We are taking your calls live.

Back to Ronald Cummings, the father of 5-year-old Haleigh. Mr. Cummings, was the bedroom door open when they went to sleep?

CUMMINGS: Yes, it was.

GRACE: And what kind of a...

CUMMINGS: Yes, it was.

GRACE: OK. And what kind of a lock do you have on your door, the one that was propped open with a cinder block?

CUMMINGS: It`s just a little plastic lock on a -- just a regular screen door plastic lock.

GRACE: Do you know where the cinderblock came from that was propping the door open?

CUMMINGS: Don`t have a clue. I don`t mess with none of that, so I don`t know. I very rarely am in the back yard at all unless I`m washing my car. So it could have came from around my shed. I`m renting. I don`t know if the previous renters had it or what, but I`ve never seen it, I don`t believe.

GRACE: So to your knowledge, you`ve never seen it.

CUMMINGS: Not that I believe. I mean, I may be mistaken and have seen it before, but I know it wasn`t where it`s at now.

GRACE: Joining me right now, Natisha Lance. She`s standing by there at the Satsuma command center. Natisha, what can you tell me?

NATISHA LANCE, NANCY GRACE PRODUCER: Well, Nancy, just as you said, this started late Monday morning. At 3:00 o`clock in the morning, this little girl goes missing. Now, law enforcement has been very heavily involved from the very beginning since the time this little girl went missing. They`ve had helicopters up in the air. They`ve had boats in the water using sonar equipment to look for her. There was a scent that was found that was at the edge of this waterway, which is not too far away from the home.

Now, police have been looking in that waterway. They also have had helicopters up in the air. Eight agencies are involved. A hundred and fifty law enforcement officers were out there the first day. Fifty law enforcement officers are out there today. And these officers are saying that they are pledged to finding this little girl and bringing her home.

GRACE: Back to the father of 5-year-old Haleigh, Ronald Cummings, joining us from the command center. Ronald, the dogs picked up some sort of scent near the water. How far away is that from your home?

CUMMINGS: I don`t know, five or six, eight blocks, somewhere in there. Between five and eight blocks.

GRACE: And has Haleigh ever sleepwalked or left the home in the night before?

CUMMINGS: No way, never. She`s afraid of the dark.

GRACE: And Ronald, I don`t see a 5-year-old little girl picking up a cinderblock and propping the door open. That`s just not going to happen.

CUMMINGS: No.

GRACE: To Joy Purdy standing by there at the command center, reporter with WTLV. Joy, what more can you tell me about her disappearance? I`ve confirmed with Ronald Cummings that he has volunteered and passed a polygraph. What about the girlfriend that was in the bed with the little girl when she goes missing?

JOY PURDY, WTLV: It`s very interesting, Nancy. We have not seen the girlfriend at all today. Police tell us they did interview her thoroughly and that she`s now with family and friends recovering. Look, she`s 17 years old and has been through this traumatic experience. They say that she`s doing fine, under the circumstances.

There are a couple of other interesting points that came out today from the police. One is that -- and you`ll be interested to hear this -- in this five-mile radius of the home, there are 44 registered sex offenders in the area. There`s only 5,300 people in this town of Satsuma, 44 registered sex offenders. So you can imagine police have gone to them or are planning to go to them and find out their whereabouts when little Haleigh disappeared.

Also, you talked about it a little while ago with Ron, the polygraph - - they`re using them on many different people, not just him, other family members, other members of the community. They`re using them at will. The FBI is assisting.

GRACE: And listen, Joy, it ain`t over yet. Remember Jessie Lunsford, not far from there, Homosassa, Florida? She was taken by a registered sex offender. The family came under suspicion, of course, because she was taken from the home in the middle of the night, very similar to this. She was alive for quite a period of time after her abduction.

Out to Marc Klaas, president and founder of Klaas Kids Foundation. Marc, help me.

MARC KLAAS, KLAAS KIDS FOUNDATION: Well, the comparisons to the Lunsford case are absolutely eerie and very well made. And one would hope that they have learned the lessons of the Lunsford case. And from everything that I`ve heard, law enforcement has responded rather magnificently in this by bringing in a multi-jurisdictional task force that absolutely knows what they do, by bringing in the various -- the various search teams that are professionally trained, know exactly what they`re doing.

I think the father, Ron -- I think you`re doing a marvelous job by cooperating with law enforcement, by giving them all the information they need, by taking the polygraph and passing it and eliminating yourself. And you understand now that the important thing is to keep eliminating the various possibilities until law enforcement can hone in on exactly that happened.

So, my brother, I would ask you to stay strong and continue to do what you`re doing.

GRACE: With me, a special guest, Sheriff Jeff Hardy with the Putnam County sheriff`s office. Sheriff, thank you for being with us. Sheriff, what`s your plan how to deal with these registered sex offenders in the area? It is a tall order, Sheriff.

SHERIFF JEFF HARDY, PUTNAM COUNTY: Nancy, thank you for letting us be here. It is a tall order. We do have 44 registered sex offenders within a five-air-mile radius, and we`re in the process now of making contact with all of them. We have agents with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the FBI and our investigators are making contact with all of them.

GRACE: And Sheriff, remember, the dirtbag in the Lunsford case was just visiting and he was a sex offender.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

CUMMINGS: Hello?

911 OPERATOR: OK, sir, let me talk to your wife. Let me get some information from her.

CUMMINGS: (INAUDIBLE)

911 OPERATOR: Can I talk to her?

(END AUDIO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GRACE: A little 5-year-old Florida girl needs your help. She vanishes out of her own bed she was sharing with the baby-sitter and 4- year-old brother, her father at work on the night shift. He`s with us tonight.

Very quickly, back to the sheriff in Putnam County, Sheriff Jeff Hardy. Sheriff, you are even doing an infrared search. Explain.

HARDY: Well, ma`am, we have done infrared searches using aircraft to look at all our wooded areas, our waterways. We`ve actually brought some equipment in to do sonar searches in our river. It`s been pretty extensive.

GRACE: And what did they find on the sonar search?

HARDY That`s the problem, Nancy. We haven`t come up with anything right yet.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CUMMINGS: Somebody stole my child out of my bed. I come home from work and my child was not there.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, the back door always stays locked.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We need somebody to get here now.

UNIDENTIFIED 911 DISPATCHER: OK, let me to speak to him so.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, yes, yes, yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I just got home from work, my 5-year-old daughter is gone.

UNIDENTIFIED 911 DISPATCHER: OK.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I need somebody to be here now. I`m telling you.

UNIDENTIFIED 911 DISPATCHER: Listen to me, listen to me. We got two officers.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If I find whoever has my daughter before you all do I`m killing him. I don`t care. I`ll spend the rest of my life in prison.

UNIDENTIFIED 911 DISPATCHER: OK. OK.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I`m telling you. You can put it on recording, I don`t care.

UNIDENTIFIED 911 DISPATCHER: OK. It`s OK, sir. We`ve got them on the way. OK? Can you give me any -- what kind of description of her pajamas that she was wearing?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don`t (EXPLETIVE DELETED) know. I was at work.

UNIDENTIFIED 911 DISPATCHER: OK, sir. We got them coming, OK?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hello?

UNIDENTIFIED 911 DISPATCHER: OK, sir, let me talk to you wife. Let me get some information from her.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Man. (INAUDIBLE)

UNIDENTIFIED 911 DISPATCHER: OK. Can I talk to her?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED 911 DISPATCHER: OK, listen to me. I need you to answer some questions. Does the door look like it was pried open?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE)

UNIDENTIFIED 911 DISPATCHER: Does it look like you had some sort of someone try to enter into your house?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hold on.

UNIDENTIFIED 911 DISPATCHER: And another thing, make sure you and your husband don`t touch the door anymore. Don`t mess with the door or anything.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, it doesn`t.

UNIDENTIFIED 911 DISPATCHER: It doesn`t look like it is?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No.

UNIDENTIFIED 911 DISPATCHER: OK. Now listen, tell your husband not to touch anything, make sure.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE)

UNIDENTIFIED 911 DISPATCHER: Because we`re going to try and get a canine out there, OK?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK. She said don`t touch anything because they are bringing a canine out here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NANCY GRACE, HOST: I can`t even imagine going home tonight, after this show, and finding my children gone. When Ronald Cummings got home from the night shift, 3:27, 3:30 a.m., his 5-year-old girl Haleigh, there she is on the screen, gone. She was put to bed around 8:00 p.m., everything was fine. She was seen in bed around 11:00 p.m. By 3:30, totally vanished. The 4-year-old brother still asleep in the bed where he had been beside her.

With me is Ronald Cummings, Haleigh`s father.

Mr. Cummings, about the back door, am I correct that you never -- you rarely used the back door that was propped open?

RONALD CUMMINGS, FATHER OF MISSING 5-YR-OLD HALEIGH CUMMINGS: Yes, you are correct. I`ve used it twice to pull the vacuum cleaner down the handicap ramp and vacuum my car with it. And, yes, I did relock the door when I came in. And I checked to be sure that it is still locked every afternoon before I go to work.

GRACE: I want to go back to the sheriff, Sheriff Jeff Hardy.

Sheriff Hardy, I`m sure that you`ve already canvassed the neighborhood, spoken to the neighbors. What did they have to say?

SHERIFF JEFF HARDY, PUTNAM CO. SHERIFF`S OFFICE, ON LOCATION AT COMMAND CENTER: Nancy, we have canvassed this area considerably, again, by ground, by air and by water. And this community has been extremely helpful in wanting to, of course, to find Haleigh. And as you can see, probably behind me, this community has actually opened up their homes and their doors to help feed the numerous law enforcement personnel that we have out here. And this community has had -- been very responsive to trying to locate her.

GRACE: Well, Sheriff, I`m glad to hear that because I keep thinking about the Jessie Lunsford case and she was being held alive catty cornered from her grandparent`s home and police did a cursory search, didn`t see her, little did they know the registered sex offender on the run had her hidden in the bedroom closet, alive. Alive when the cops came there.

Sheriff Hardy, you stated that dogs had hit near water. Has the child ever been down to the water with adult supervision? What do you make of them hitting near the water?

HARDY: Nancy, the -- we had several bloodhounds that went ahead and did several different tracks. They did track down towards the water area. We don`t know, you know. These bloodhounds can track scent for several days. Their noses are very astute. And so as far as tracking Haleigh all the way down to the water, that -- we`re uncertain about whether or not that Haleigh ended up in the water.

GRACE: You know, that would be a very, very unlikely scenario.

Sergeant Scott Haines -- also joining us from Pensacola, Florida, for her to -- on her own walk out the back door, stick a cinder block to prop it open and go all eight blocks down to the water`s edge. I don`t see it. I don`t think that`s what happened.

SGT. SCOTT HAINES, SHERIFF`S OFFICER, SANTA ROSA COUNTY, FL.: I don`t see it either, especially when the father said his young child is afraid of the dark. No girl is going to leave that secure zone of her home in the middle of the night, walk out that door into darkness without the comfort of the girlfriend that was there with her. She`s just not going to do it. It`s not going to happen.

GRACE: Back to WTLV`s Joy Purdy. Joy, I assume everything has been fingerprinted and processed already. That`s done, right?

JOY PURDY, REPORTER, CNN AFFILIATE WTLV, COVERING STORY: It is. But police tell us they are going to retrace their steps two and three times just to be sure. And it`s very interesting. I`m listening to the conversation that you`re having with the sheriff, a lot of our sources out here are telling us they spent quite a bit of time at the water, that there were divers in the water, boats out there.

I`m very interested to know why so much attention there, number one. Number two, Caylee, according to the family members, told us that -- I`m sorry, Haleigh`s family members told me that she was very afraid of the water because there was a scare a couple of years ago where she fell into a nearby creek. She had to be rescued, resuscitated. So she doesn`t even want to go anywhere near the water.

GRACE: We`re taking your calls live. Out to Linda in Florida, hi, Linda.

LINDA, FROM FLORIDA: Hi there, Nancy. First of all, I want to say your twins are the greatest little gift from God and you`re just a wonderful, wonderful person.

GRACE: Thank you.

LINDA: Thanks for being our champion and our hero. I want to tell you that.

GRACE: I don`t deserve that but the twins are a miracle. They`re a miracle. And just listening to Ronald Cummings on his 911 call is just heart breaking. I can`t imagine going home and finding -- you know, because they`re asleep by the time I get home, finding their cribs empty? I just can`t imagine.

What was your question, dear?

LINDA: My question is, all three of them were in the bed together. It just amazes me to think that -- I know being a mother myself, if someone comes into the room, I sense this. And -- but on the child`s part, if a child is picked up when they are dead asleep, they normally have a reaction. It`s a gasp, a whatever, unless they know the person.

GRACE: To Dr. Caryn Stark, psychologist, I -- understand where Linda is coming from, but I think it would depend on the child. Sometimes when you wake a child up, they sleep straight through it. I have fed John David a bottle, and I think he slept through the whole thing before. He ate a whole bottle asleep.

CARYN STARK, PSYCHOLOGIST: And there`s no doubt that she could have been sleeping and also perhaps maybe she was even -- you know, he held his hand over her mouth. You never know what really happened in that situation. But she could have been sleeping. It is, however, Nancy, highly unlikely that she just wandered off, not at 5 years old.

GRACE: No. No. Unleash the lawyers, John Burris, high profile lawyer out of San Francisco, Michael Mazzariello, defense attorney and host of "Closing Arguments," WGNY here in New York.

Thank you, gentlemen, for being with us.

John Burris, I know that you always look at the family first. Why? Because statistically they`re usually responsible for disappearances and even deaths, much less, you know, physical injury. But this dad has passed a polygraph. It could be verified where he was. After that Jessie Lunsford case, never say never. It is entirely possible for someone to come into the home, undetected and leave.

JOHN BURRIS, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Obviously, that`s true. And I think you`re right about the dad. I mean everything I hear about him certainly seems very sincere. I don`t want to throw water on any of this, but I will tell you that it`s so improbable that it could have happened that way. You do must rule out his girlfriend. You have to rule that out.

Now if she passed a polygraph, that`s fine. But until she does, it seems to me that the police have to focus in on her and ask her questions to find out -- because this is so difficult to happen, given all that we know, that -- so I just think that you still have to be suspicious of family members for now.

GRACE: I think you`re right. Michael Mazzariello, Maz, I don`t want to project that especially -- I`m always a light sleeper, but especially since I had the twins, I can hear them down the hall when they cough. So it`s hard for me to imagine not noticing a child gets picked up out of the bed and taken out. But it`s not impossible.

MICHAEL MAZZARIELLO, DEFENSE ATTORNEY, HOST OF "CLOSING ARGUMENTS": Absolutely not. We know it`s not impossible. Look at that little girl in Florida, like you mentioned before, Jessica. They came into her house, took her in the middle of the night, it`s not impossible. They ruled out the girlfriend, they`re ruling out -- they ruled out the father. They took tests. Let`s get on with it and look for the.

GRACE: Everyone.

MAZZARIELLO: . perverts and pedophile houses and check them out.

GRACE: Tip line, 386-329-0808. A $25,000 reward from Leonard Padilla, a $1,000 reward from CrimeStoppers.

We`re going to break. We`ll be back, taking your calls live. And as we go to break, a special happy birthday and thank you to a star Orlando cameraman, Ric.

Ric, happy birthday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I`m going to (EXPLETIVE DELETED) kill somebody.

UNIDENTIFIED 911 DISPATCHER: OK. Well, tell him we understand. We need to get her date of birth.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What`s her date of birth?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (EXPLETIVE DELETED) we need to find her. What`s her date of birth?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE ANTHONY, CAYLEE ANTHONY`S GRANDFATHER: I hope that I am the one that actually taught her "You are My Sunshine." She was my sunshine. I have a locket right now with me and it has "My Sunshine, My Caylee" on it. And when that was placed on me just a few days ago, the warmth inside of me, I felt her, not only every day, but I really felt her more and more.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: On the heels of yesterday`s memorial, nearly 2,000 people in attendance, we learn that little Caylee`s remains have been cremated for several days. This after the Anthony lawyer denies that.

Out to Adam Longo with WKMG, Adam, what`s the latest?

ADAM LONGO, REPORTER, CNN AFFILIATE WKMG, COVERING STORY: Right, Nancy. Well, we have confirmed through two different sources tonight that little Caylee was, in fact, cremated just within the past several days. The Anthony family attorney confirming that to me tonight and also we were the first to get our hands on little Caylee`s death certificate.

Apparently the authorization to have her cremated came down on the 31st of December. Basically in order to perform a cremation in Florida, the medical examiner has to give their permission. That`s what happened at the end of December.

Now we talked about the statement from Jose Baez -- Casey Anthony`s statement through Jose Baez on Monday where it was clear -- made clear that Casey did not want her daughter to be cremated. And I asked the Anthony family attorney that, I said was the family just ignoring her wishes and that -- was certainly, according to him, something that was not done to spite Casey.

The reason this was done, according to him, was to keep the remains safe. They are telling us the remains are not in the East Orange County home. They feel like that they want to keep Caylee safe and that the remains would be a target for vandals. And they felt like if there was a tombstone in a graveyard that that might be subject to vandalism and they`re saying that if the remains, the cremated remains were actually in the Anthony home, they`re afraid that somebody would try to break into the house, Nancy, and steal them.

GRACE: Adam -- with us is WKMG`s Adam Longo. So you`re telling me the medical examiner released the remains for cremation back in December.

LONGO: Actually before that because the remains were at the funeral home when they had to ask permission to have the remains cremated. They got that permission on the 31st. The remains were cleared from the medical examiner`s office sometime prior to December 31st.

GRACE: OK. Adam, it`s my understanding that since the mother, although she`s charged with a murder, is still the closest relative, she would have to be the one to make that decision.

LONGO: Yes. But what we also learned tonight, Nancy, is that she signed a limited power of attorney, giving her parents the rights to be able to deal with -- I know that`s not the best choice of words -- but to deal with, to manage the remains of that funeral home.

GRACE: To Drew Petrimoulx with WDBO -- Drew, what can you tell me about the sheriff giving the jail an order to videotape every one of the tot mom`s visits with friend and family and now the family or the tot mom wants to get out from the camera`s eye to have a jailhouse memorial? Is that happening?

DREW PETRIMOULX, REPORTER, WDBO RADIO, COVERING STORY: It`s still in the works. We`ve heard from the attorney for the Anthony family, for George and Cindy, Brad Conway. He said this is something that he`s looking into.

Normally video visitations aren`t something that are recorded and then released to the public. The only reason why these are released to the public and recorded is because it`s such a high profile case and that they are still collecting evidence. And they -- when these video visitations take place, they want to see what they`re talking about.

The sheriff`s office is the one who makes this decision. And they said that they are considering and they would may -- possibly entertain the idea of letting them have one private meeting. Of course, it would still be over video. It wouldn`t be something where they can meet face to face.

GRACE: To Leonard Padilla, the bounty hunter who helped look exhaustively for Caylee -- Leonard, what are your sources telling you?

LEONARD PADILLA, BOUNTY HUNTER, HELPED LOOK FOR CAYLEE & SPENT TIME WITH CASEY ANTHONY: Lost her.

GRACE: I can hear you. Do we have Padilla?

PADILLA: You can hear me?

GRACE: Yes, I got you. Leonard.

PADILLA: I can hear you. I can hear you.

GRACE: Good to know.

Leonard, what do you know, if anything, about sources reporting fingerprints were lifted off the duct tape?

PADILLA: I heard this morning that there were fingerprints and that the prints are Casey`s on the duct tape.

GRACE: To Adam -- to Adam Longo with WKMG, Adam, we`re, of course, referring to the duct tape across Caylee`s mouth. Her hair had to be cut to get the duct tape from around her face. Do you know anything about fingerprints off the duct tape?

LONGO: Yes, I`ve got to be honest with you, Nancy, that is not something that I have delved into today at all. You`ve had my colleague on, Jessica D`Onofrio, before and she`s the one who really has her hands in a lot of these forensic instances in this case, but that is not something that I`ve dealt with at all today.

GRACE: So, Adam that tells me it hasn`t been made public yet if you don`t know about it.

LONGO: Yes, there are many things that haven`t been made public. I mean we know that there are forensic reports that have been completed but we haven`t seen them because they haven`t been turned over in the course of discovery.

GRACE: To Dr. Joshua Perper, renowned medical examiner out of Broward County, author of "When to Call the doctor." Dr. Perper, who has the right to authorize a cremation?

DR. JOSHUA PERPER, MEDICAL EXAMINER, AUTHOR OF "WHEN TO CALL THE DOCTOR": Well, first the family has to request the cremation to the funeral director. The medical examiner then has to make a determination whether all the evidence has been taken from the body and there is no need for additional investigation. And if he`s making such determination, then the body is released for cremation.

GRACE: Dr. Perper, since this case has not gone to trial yet, do you believe it`s a mistake to cremate the body?

PERPER: No, because in this particular case there were a small number of bones and they didn`t show any evidence of damage. So there was no reason, no reasonable explanation why those bones should be maintained by the medical examiner.

GRACE: Caryn Stark, we know gravesites such as JonBenet Ramsey, even Anna Nicole Smith, have not been violated in any way.

Why are the Anthonys afraid Caylee`s gravesite would be desecrated?

STARK: It doesn`t make a lot of sense, Nancy. I really don`t understand it.

GRACE: But they did get 150 death threats, though, Caryn.

STARK: Yes, well, they`re right there making sure also that they`re right in the public`s attention so -- I don`t know, Nancy. I just can`t imagine that that would happen.

GRACE: Out to the lines, Sheila, Ohio. Hi, Sheila.

SHEILA, FROM OHIO: Hi, how are you, Nancy?

GRACE: I`m good, dear. What`s your question?

SHEILA: I wanted to know -- I have another question, but I think I`m going to ask this one instead about Lee. Do you think maybe when Casey was out on bond, the way her and Lee were inseparable like they were that maybe she told him something and that`s what all that CMA and the promise and call out was about?

GRACE: Good question.

Leonard Padilla, you watched both of them interact. What do you think?

PADILLA: I believe so. I believe there could have been conversations about the child as far back as July the 3rd when Cindy had Lee go looking for Casey.

GRACE: Got it.

PADILLA: And definitely, there was lots of conversations in the home while she was out on those 10 days with bail. There`s.

GRACE: To Michael -- go ahead.

PADILLA: No, no, that`s OK. I`d be sticking my neck out.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEE ANTHONY, CASEY ANTHONY`S BROTHER: Today is the day for this family to unite and display their solidarity and strength. I`ve got to tell you, it is hard to stand up here and be the pillar of strength.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: We are taking your calls. Out to Ana in Texas, hi, Ana.

ANA, FROM TEXAS: Hi, Nancy, I love your show.

GRACE: Thank you.

ANA: I had a question about the fingerprints on the duct tape.

GRACE: Yes.

ANA: If they are Casey Anthony`s, is there any way that her lawyers can defend that?

GRACE: To John Burris and Michael Mazzariello -- what about it, Burris?

BURRIS: I think you can defend it. It means, obviously, she had some contact, but it doesn`t go to the question of what level of homicide this is. Because this -- the tape and all could happen after the homicide, it doesn`t mean.

GRACE: Put Burris up, I`ve got to see his face when he said that.

BURRIS: No, no, I`m telling you that the issue here is still what degree of homicide this is. The fact that it was covered up later, that`s a different question.

GRACE: OK, got it.

BURRIS: But that doesn`t go to the.

GRACE: Got it. So, Maz, Burris` theory would be, yes, I duct taped my child`s mouth, but it was after she died accidentally. How far do you think that will fly?

MAZZARIELLO: Not far at all. But the -- the only thing you have with that, Nancy, is whether or not she had access and touched that duct tape before. But.

GRACE: No, Maz. No, you don`t touch the inside of duct tape and wrap it back up.

MAZZARIELLO: That`s exactly what I was.

GRACE: B.S.

MAZZARIELLO: That`s exactly what I was going to say, Nancy.

GRACE: Yes, it didn`t sound like.

MAZZARIELLO: The criminal defense attorney, the top would be OK, but now how do you explain opening it and having your fingerprints on the adhesive side?

GRACE: Yes, that`s my question to you, Maz. You`re the defense lawyer, not me.

MAZZARIELLO: Well, that`s a tough one, Nancy. Would have to say that she had access to it, she used it before.

GRACE: OK. But.

MAZZARIELLO: She cut it and her fingerprint was at the end where she finished cutting it. That`s what you got, Nancy.

GRACE: Yes, you know what, you`re right, that`s what they got.

Everybody, I want to stop and remember Army Staff Sergeant Kennith Mayne, 29, Arvada, Colorado, killed Iraq on a second tour. Lost his life two hours after speaking with his mom. Requested everyone wear Hawaiian shirts to his funeral.

Loved golfing, fishing, handing out hot wheels, soccer balls, coloring books to Iraqi children, favorite song, "Cheeseburger in Paradise." Dreamed of going to Jamaica with parents. Leaves behind mom Michelle, step-dad Dan, five sisters, two brothers.

Kennith Mayne, American hero.

Thanks to our guests, but especially to you for being with us. I`ll see you tomorrow 8:00 sharp Eastern. And until then, good night, friend.

END

On the Record - Greta Van Susteren - February 11, 2009

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,491368,00.html

VAN SUSTEREN: Since that 911 call, a massive search has fanned out, looking for the toddler by land, by water and door to door, but no results. Joining us by phone is Putnam County sheriff Jeff Hardy. Good evening, Sheriff. And last night, or at least some point after that 911 call was received and sheriffs reported to the home, I understand some tracks were seen, sir?

SHERIFF JEFF HARDY, PUTNAM COUNTY: Greta, are you talking about the bloodhounds and a little bit of the tracking? Is that what you're referring to?

VAN SUSTEREN: Yes, and there was also apparently a footprint in the dirt. I don't know if that was a recent print or whether that was an old one. But what can you tell me about efforts to at least search to see whether or not you can determine where the child may have gone?

HARDY: Greta, we called in a team of bloodhounds, and they -- several different bloodhound units. And they came out. And I'm sure you know these bloodhounds, their noses are very sensitive, and they did follow some tracking, but we don't know exactly how old the tracks could have been. And as far as the footprint that you're talking about, that's news to me. I don't know of any footprint at this point.

VAN SUSTEREN: All right. I think what it was, was some sort of -- at least, there was one report there was some -- some sort of footprint or step in the dirt that might have been the child's, and nothing more. But we're hearing lots of different information. And obviously, Sheriff, you're the one on the story, so I'll defer to you on that. All right, in terms of the child missing, have there been any tips that the child has been spotted in the last 24 hours?

HARDY: No, ma'am, we don't have any tips, but we are following up on all leads that we're receiving. In fact, we're in the middle of conducting several interviews as we speak right now, Greta.

VAN SUSTEREN: One of -- the person who first reported the child missing was the girlfriend to the father. Her name is Misty. She was -- she apparently had gone -- she had last seen the child about 10:00 PM the night before and that the child was sleeping in the same bed with her? Is that correct?

HARDY: That's what she's telling us, Greta, yes.

VAN SUSTEREN: Was any -- was the -- was there another child in the bed, as well? Because I know there's another child in the home.

HARDY: No, there was a brother in the home, a younger brother.

VAN SUSTEREN: But he wasn't in the same bed with the girlfriend and the missing child?

HARDY: No, ma'am. He was -- I believe he was in another room, another bed or another -- another bedding area. I don't believe he was on the same bed, no.

VAN SUSTEREN: All right. So according to least what I hear, and correct me if I'm wrong, she wakes up or something about 3:00 o'clock, notices the child missing, but a phone call is not made for 27 minutes to 911. Is that correct?

HARDY: Well, I can verify the fact that our 911 call did come in at 3:27 AM. As far as exactly the timeline of when she woke up and discovered the child missing, I don't know. She's saying it is some time after 3:00.

VAN SUSTEREN: Is the girlfriend a person of interest to you at this point?

HARDY: Greta, we're not ruling out anybody. You know, we have teams of law enforcement officers out here right now. We've continued our grounds searches by air and by water. We still have dive teams. We had them out here today. Again, the FBI's out here assisting us with other -- just numerous local and state officials and officers from across northeast Florida. So we're not ruling anybody out at this point.

VAN SUSTEREN: Sheriff, thank you, sir. And good luck, sir.

HARDY: And thank you for your time.

VAN SUSTEREN: Joining us live from Florida, Haleigh's mother, Crystal Sheffield, and the toddler's grandmother, Marie Griffis. Crystal, I know you that you're terrible distressed and worried this evening. Do you -- is there any likelihood in your mind that this child simply just got up and walked off?

CRYSTAL SHEFFIELD, MOTHER: No, there is not. She would not do that.

VAN SUSTEREN: Crystal, when was the last time you saw your daughter?

SHEFFIELD: Two weeks ago.

VAN SUSTEREN: Have you spoken to her in the last two weeks?

SHEFFIELD: No, I have not.

VAN SUSTEREN: When you saw her, did she indicate or say to you anything to suggest there were problems in the home? I know that she's living with her father, or staying with her father and her father's girlfriend. Did she say there were any problems in the home?

SHEFFIELD: No.

VAN SUSTEREN: Marie, when was the last time that you saw your grandchild?

MARIE GRIFFIS, GRANDMOTHER: It was two weeks ago when they got their visitation to come stay with us (INAUDIBLE) We pick them up Friday night 6:00 o'clock and we return them Sunday at 6:00 o'clock.

VAN SUSTEREN: Marie, do you live in the area or do you live out of state?

GRIFFIS: We live in Florida, but it's Baker County, Glenn St. Mary (ph), Florida. We live about an hour and 45 minutes from here.

VAN SUSTEREN: Marie, do you know of any problems in that home?

GRIFFIS: In the past, Haleigh and Junior have told us that, you know, they've been hit and stuff like that, but up to this point, everything was fine.

VAN SUSTEREN: Crystal, have you spoken to the father of your child or his girlfriend in the last 24 hours?

SHEFFIELD: I spoke to him yesterday. I have not spoken to his girlfriend.

VAN SUSTEREN: What did he say to you?

SHEFFIELD: He just said that -- he told me he was sorry and that if he would have been home from work that it would have never happened.

VAN SUSTEREN: Marie, what do you think has happened? I know that there are a lot of theories, a lot of sex offenders in the area. What are you sort of -- you know, where is your suspicion tonight, Marie?

GRIFFIS: My suspicions is why is it two children was in the bed with this 17-year-old girl, and somebody comes into the home and picks a child up that's laying right next to you and you don't know where she went. You get up and go to the bathroom and come back and she's not there. Well, was she there when she got up and went to the bathroom? Why don't we have that information? What happened? It don't take but 15, 20 seconds to go to the bathroom, and it's right there in the bedroom, also. So I wonder what role Misty plays in this.

VAN SUSTEREN: Have you ever met her, Marie?

GRIFFIS: I have never officially been introduced to her. I saw her in Ronald's car one weekend when we took Haleigh and Junior back to their dad on a Sunday, and she was sitting in the car. And I don't know who she is, never spoke to her. All I know is Haleigh and Junior told me that they liked her, that she was nice to them.

GRIFFIS: Crystal, do you know the girlfriend at all? I mean, have you ever, like, had any conversations with her in any depth? Do you know what kind of person she is, anything about her?

SHEFFIELD: No, I don't. I've talked to her. She seemed like a really nice person, but I've never sat down and had a conversation with her. And the kids told me that...

VAN SUSTEREN: Marie, I don't mean to...

SHEFFIELD: ... They loved her.

VAN SUSTEREN: How long, Crystal, has she been in the children's lives?

SHEFFIELD: Probably four to six months? I'm not really sure.

VAN SUSTEREN: Marie, I don't want to -- you know, because I'm asking questions about the girlfriend (INAUDIBLE) you know, think that she's the only person I'm curious about. I mean, obviously, everybody -- we're curious about everybody tonight. Do you know anything, Marie, about any neighbors at all, people who live nearby that have shown any particular interest to this child at all, Marie, do you know?

GRIFFIS: The only thing we know about any neighbors is there were some kids that lived next door that Haleigh and Junior played with, and they were seen out playing in the yard around 5:00 o'clock yesterday -- or Monday evening. I guess it was Monday evening. I can't even remember anymore. The days are just running together now.

VAN SUSTEREN: Crystal, the father of your child was at work when, apparently, Haleigh disappeared. What kind of work does he do, Crystal?

SHEFFIELD: I'm not sure. All I know is he runs a crane.

VAN SUSTEREN: Do you know, Marie, why he was out until 3:00 o'clock in the morning? I mean, what kind of work would have him out that late, or that early, depending on how you characterize it?

GRIFFIS: He -- we was ere told he worked from 3:00 to 3:00, so I supposed it's a 12-hour shift. And he's a crane operator working for a place called PDM Bridge (ph).

VAN SUSTEREN: Do either of you know if the girlfriend has a job or does any kind of work at all?

SHEFFIELD: No.

GRIFFIS: No.

VAN SUSTEREN: Crystal, Marie, thank you both very much. And you know, I certainly hope we can find this child. And there's so much publicity being cast on it that maybe someone knows something and will call in maybe we'll have good news on this soon. Thank you both.

SHEFFIELD: Thank you.

GRIFFIS: Yes, thank you very much, too.

VAN SUSTEREN: Up next, more breaking news coverage on the search for little Haleigh. The toddler's father will be here to go "On the Record."

Plus: Do you like pork? Not to eat, but as part of the massive stimulus bill. Well, guess what? A powerful senator says you don't care about pork. What? Is that true? Or is he drinking? We'll see.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VAN SUSTEREN: We continue our breaking news coverage on the disappearance of little Haleigh Cummings. She was reported missing 3:30 AM yesterday morning. Now, here's what we know, is that the father's girlfriend apparently last saw the child about 10:00 PM on Monday night when she went to bed and the child was in the same bed. About 3:00 o'clock in the morning, the girlfriend says that she got up to go to the bathroom, noticed the child was missing. About 27 minutes later, at 3:27 AM, the father in the meantime had come home from work, according to the parents -- according -- has -- was at work and he called 911, and the child has been missing -- or reported missing at that time.

Now, Haleigh's father, Ronald Cummings, joins us live, along with Crystal Cummings, Ronald's sister. Good evening to both of you. And Ronald, I know how distressed you are because everyone has told me. And the only thing I can hope is that we can at least shed more light on it and get more information so that people call in with tips.

So let me -- let's -- let me try to ask you some questions about it. What time did you arrive home, Ronald, on Tuesday morning?

RONALD CUMMINGS, FATHER: Approximately 3:30.

VAN SUSTEREN: And when you walked in the door -- take me through every step. You walked in the door. Was your girlfriend up at that point?

RONALD CUMMINGS: Yes. I never walked through the door. I pulled in the yard. She -- the door was open. She was standing there and waiting on me. I asked her what she was still doing up, and she then told me that the back -- she got up to use the restroom, and the back door was wide open and that my daughter was missing.

VAN SUSTEREN: Was the child -- was your daughter missing when she got up to use the restroom, or between the time she got up to use the restroom and returned to bed? Did she tell you that?

RONALD CUMMINGS: I'm not sure. I never asked.

VAN SUSTEREN: Crystal, when was the last time...

RONALD CUMMINGS: I'm just worried about where she's at.

VAN SUSTEREN: No, I understand that. Crystal, when was the last time you saw this child?

CRYSTAL CUMMINGS, AUNT: A couple weeks ago.

VAN SUSTEREN: Crystal, have you ever noticed the child wanting to wander off or any people wanting -- in the neighborhood, unusual people paying close attention to her that you thought was peculiar?

CRYSTAL CUMMINGS: No. She wouldn't wander off.

VAN SUSTEREN: Ronald, do you agree that she would not just wander off?

RONALD CUMMINGS: Absolutely. I know my daughter like the back of my hand. I've raised her since the day she was 2 years old by myself. I know for a fact she would not wander off alone during in the daylight, much less at night. She's afraid of the dark.

VAN SUSTEREN: Ronald, has anyone ever wandered into your home, any strangers into your home?

RONALD CUMMINGS: No.

VAN SUSTEREN: Ronald, always in every investigation, the person that people focus on are the people who last saw the child, so obviously, your girlfriend has got -- you know, there's a lot of focus on her. Is there any reason that you have any suspicion that your girlfriend knows more than she's saying, Ronald?

RONALD CUMMINGS: No, there is not. And I would like for a lot of the false allegations to be discarded. There's been a lot of false allegations made by the mother and her mother. And I just don't -- I don't appreciate it. It's not a custody battle. This here is about finding a 5-year-old missing child, my daughter.

VAN SUSTEREN: It's unusual for a father to have custody. Why do you -- did you win custody in a battle for this child?

RONALD CUMMINGS: Absolutely, I did.

VAN SUSTEREN: What happened? Explain -- explain -- you know -- you know, usually, the mother gets the custody. Why did the court give you custody of your child?

RONALD CUMMINGS: The only way I can honestly answer you that without being rude to others is they chose the better parent and the one who could provide better for the two children.

VAN SUSTEREN: Crystal, what's your -- what's your -- what do you think in your heart and your mind tonight as to where this child is and what happened? What makes the most sense to you?

CRYSTAL CUMMINGS: I don't -- really can't tell you what happened to her. I mean, I think someone took her. I just want them to bring her back.

VAN SUSTEREN: Ronald, let me ask you the same question. What's your theory tonight? And I realize this is a very fluid situation, but what's your -- what do you think is the trail we should go down to look for this child? What do you think happened?

RONALD CUMMINGS: Somebody broke into my house and stole my daughter. I know because I specifically locked those doors before I left for work, and my child cannot unlock the deadbolt on that door because I have got the hole cut in a specific place where you have to force the door shut to get it to lock all the way. And I know it was locked all the way. I checked it myself. And she does not open the door for strangers or wander alone in the dark, nothing like that. So somebody broke into my home and stole my child.

VAN SUSTEREN: Was the door broken when you came home? Was that lock broken when you came home?

RONALD CUMMINGS: No. Obviously, a crowbar or something was used. I'm not sure. You'll have to speak more with the detectives about what was used or how it was done. I'm not sure.

VAN SUSTEREN: Ronald, Crystal, thank you both very much, and I very much hope that we're going to have good news and that child will be found, your daughter, Ronald, very soon and in good health. Thank you both.

CRYSTAL CUMMINGS: Thank you.

RONALD CUMMINGS: Yes, thank you.

ISSUES WITH JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL. FEBRUARY 11, 2009

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0902/11/ijvm.01.html

Plus, we`ll have an update on the disappearance of another little Florida girl, 5-year-old Haleigh Cummings. An Amber Alert issued and the investigation being treated now as an abduction. I will be taking your calls. Call 1-877-JVM-SAYS. That`s 1-877-586-7297.

First, the desperate 911 call placed by Haleigh`s father, Ron.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RON CUMMINGS, FATHER OF HALEIGH: I just got home from work. My 5- year-old daughter is gone. I need somebody to be here now.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Listen to me. Listen to me. We`ve got two officers...

CUMMINGS: If I find whoever has my daughter before y`all do, I`m killing them. I don`t care if I spend the rest of my life in prison. I`m telling you, you can put it on the report (ph). I don`t care.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It`s OK, sir. We`ve got them on the way. OK. an you give me any -- what kind of description of her? What was she wearing?

CUMMINGS: (EXPLETIVE DELETED)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK, sir. They`re coming, OK?

CUMMINGS: I know somebody took my little girl. Some sorry piece of trash that will be wasted when it`s all over.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: A full-blown investigation under way in the small town of Satsuma, Florida. Tonight, less than 90 miles away from Orlando where little Caylee once lived, another frantic search is under way for a missing child.

Authorities say 5-year-old Haleigh Cummings was snatched from her home on Monday night. Haleigh was last seen by her father`s 17-year-old girlfriend who put the adorable little girl to bed at 10 at night. It wasn`t until after 3 in the morning that this teenage woman discovered Haleigh was missing. She immediately called 911.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I just discovered my back door is open, and I can`t find my daughter.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Ma`am...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She was in pajamas. We were sleeping.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK. All right. You said your back door was wide open?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. [ inaudible ] when I was asleep, it was not like that.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK. The back door -- listen to me. Your back door was wide open. What are you talking about a brick?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What is the brick?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It`s on the back door, on the stairs. Like it has a walkway.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Uh-huh. And there was a brick laying there?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. It`s still there.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Just hours ago, the Putnam County Florida Sheriff`s Department defined this case in no uncertain terms.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are treating this like an abduction. We`ve had several questions about that. All of the world is a suspect. We are going to treat everybody, every family member, every associate, every neighbor, like a suspect until we can eliminate them.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: A warning to one and all.

We have so much to discuss, and I want to hear from you. The number, 1-877-JVM-SAYS. That`s 1-877-586-7297.

And of course, if you have any information at all, anything about Haleigh, please call immediately the Putnam County Sheriff`s Department. We will be giving you the number over and over again.

I am back with my panel, and we are joined my Jennifer Bauer, a reporter with our affiliate WJXT in Jacksonville, Florida. And on the phone is Sheriff Jeff Hardy of Putnam County, Florida.

Sheriff, thank you for joining us tonight. I know you`re busy working furiously to solve this case. So I appreciate you taking the time. Please describe what this 17-year-old woman says happened in and around the time this little girl disappeared, because we`ve been hearing various conflicting stories.

SHERIFF JEFF HARDY, PUTNAM COUNTY, FLORIDA: Yes. And thank you for taking the time to speak with me. I apologize about a poor cell connection out here.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: It`s pretty good.

HARDY: OK. Well, we know just what you heard with the 911 tape. We`re right at over 40 hours now that we`ve been unable to locate this young lady. We did receive the 911 call at 3:27 a.m. Our deputies were here shortly thereafter.

A short time later, we went ahead and dispatched our major crimes unit. They came out. And then, after that, we initiated the child abduction response team, which resulted in over 130 law enforcement agencies across northeast Florida that descended on the area. And we immediately began our -- our search by air, by water, ground searches, and we`ve continued those efforts through today.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Let me ask you this question, because a lot of us have expressed confusion. I`ve heard the story that this 17-year-old woman was asleep in bed with the little boy, who`s younger, and 5-year-old Haleigh. And that at some point in the night, it was discovered that this little girl was missing.

Since the mom was in the same bed, there`s two possibilities, I think. She got up to go to the bathroom, came back and found that the child was missing or she remained asleep while the child was taken. Which is it?

HARDY: Well, what we know is that at 10 o`clock was the last time that the girlfriend saw the child. Approximately 3 a.m., she woke up to use the bathroom, discovered the child missing, and then she observed that the back door of the residence was ajar. It was open. And the child was gone.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, did she discover the child was missing before she went to the bathroom or after she came back from the bathroom?

HARDY: That`s not known at this time, whether it was before or after, but it was within a matter of minutes of her getting up.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Because the thing that occurs to everyone is how do you come into a house -- and I understand it`s like a double-wide trailer - - and take a child out of the bed without waking anybody else when there`s two other individuals in the bed, without disturbing their sleep?

And yet, if she were to go to the bathroom and come back from the bathroom, it would be an odd coincidence that that abduction was timed precisely at the moment that she went to the bathroom.

HARDY: That`s a very good question, and that`s something that we are looking into in detail.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Now, you say that the -- that no one has been eliminated. What are you doing to try to conduct that process of elimination?

HARDY: Well, actually, we`ve actually got the FBI and -- they just sent a special team down from D.C. They were on the ground with us this morning. We`ve been conducting polygraphs with family members. I will let you know that everybody has been cooperative, just so you know.

And -- and that`s the phase we`re in now. We`re interviewing family members. We`re doing polygraphs. The results of those are not available right now.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Were there -- were there any inconsistencies between the 911 call and the stories that you were told when you arrived?

HARDY: Well, you know, we have some of the same questions you and your viewers will. You know, there are some inconsistencies here, but those are thoroughly going -- we`re looking at everything.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right.

HARDY: So, you know, a matter of how upset this 17-year-old was. The father obviously is extremely upset. So, you know, we`ve got a -- we`ve got a bad situation here.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, Sheriff, I want to thank you for taking the time. And I wish you the best of luck. And let`s hope if anybody is watching out there and knows anything, they contact you immediately. Thank you, sir.

Jennifer Bauer, you`re a reporter on the scene. What is this search looking like from the ground? Because I understand it is intense. And ironically, it`s only about 70 miles away from where all the searches were conducted for little Caylee Anthony.

JENNIFER BAUER, INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER: It`s huge tonight. And you know, it`s ironic that a lot of those people from central Florida that were helping in the Caylee Anthony investigation are now here. Volusia County, Flagler County, Marion County from central Florida have all come up here now to northeast Florida to offer their services and support.

As you just heard the sheriff say, they are continuing to investigate. I can tell you, you know, after 7 p.m. here at night, it is not quiet. The command center is behind me. There are investigators coming and going throughout the day. And they`re giving us little bits of information as, of course, they learn it.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: We only have a couple of seconds. What about the biological mother?

BAUER: We were able to talk to the biological mother today for the first time. Her name is Crystal Sheffield. She does not have custody of Haleigh. In fact, the father, Ron Cummings, has custody of the little girl in the home where we think she was taken from.

The mother lives near the Florida/Georgia border, probably about an hour, an hour and a half from here. She has visitation. She talked to us a little bit. It seems like her and Haleigh`s father have a good relationship. Don`t have a lot of information about whether they were married or not.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: OK. Jennifer, we`ve got to leave it right there. But you`re doing a great job. I hope you come back and update us.

All right. Much more to cover in the disappearance of Haleigh Cummings. And we will stay on top of this case. We promise you, we won`t let it go. We have to find this little child.

CRYSTAL SHEFFIELD, HALEIGH CUMMINGS` BIOLOGICAL MOTHER: I just want my baby home. Whoever has got her, I just want them to bring her back.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: That was little Haleigh`s biological mother. When the child disappeared, she was with the biological father`s girlfriend. There you have the information on the Amber Alert. The phone lines are lighting up.

Sheba, Illinois, question or thought, ma`am?

CALLER: Hi, Jane. My question is since this Casey Anthony thing is going on, if they`re going to try to connect little Haleigh with any of this like Zanny the nanny or...

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Oh, fascinating. Paul Callan, thoughts?

CALLAN: You know, except for the fact that they`re both in Florida, I really doubt it. It would be so bizarre if there was a connection between the two cases. But, you know, the names sound alike and everything. So I can understand why the listener would say that.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes. Well, they`re two young children. They`re both very beautiful. They`re both blondish. And the location is just 70 miles` distance. Obviously, there`s a big time span, but it`s a very interesting question. Good point.

Danielle in Illinois, question, ma`am?

CALLER: I was just wondering what is going on with all of the missing children in Florida?

VELEZ-MITCHELL: You know, thank you for that. And I have to say, Jennifer Bauer, obviously there`s nothing about Florida. I love Florida. I actually worked in Ft. Myers for a number of years, and it`s one of my favorite places on the planet. But there does seem to be a lot of these cases popping up. We had the Jessica Lunsford case. We had the Carlie Brucia case. These are horrible tragedies.

BAUER: It`s frustrating, isn`t it? I mean, it`s horrible tragedies that we keep covering year after year after year.

I don`t know what to say. I don`t think people in Florida are more prone to let their children going missing. I know we`re a very populated state, so obviously, your chances of having an incident like this are more likely.

But, you know, it`s frustrating for everybody. It`s frustrating for us. It`s frustrating for the police, and it`s especially frustrating for the parents and the people who live in these communities.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Right. Let me ask Rick Robinson, the operator, the 911 operator told the girlfriend, "Do not touch the door." Because she said there was a door ajar. What do you make of that? Why?

ROBINSON: Well, there`s a number of things. The sheriff, of course, is going to get his CSI guys in there. He`s going to be looking for evidence.

And you know, our hearts go out to these people. I almost hope it really is an abduction so maybe the guy will let her go. But there`s so many -- there`s the inconsistency of -- how many 17-year-olds wake up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom? I`m 57. I wake up in the middle of the night, but that`s just not common.

And she waited by -- just what the sheriff said, 27 minutes before calling the police. That`s just -- that just doesn`t seem like something someone would do. But there are 44 sex offenders, registered sex offenders right in that immediate area. So these guys have got their hands full.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, I want to give Brian Russell the final word. Because certainly, it`s -- this woman has not been charged with anything. She`s not a suspect. And we have to give her the presumption, obviously, that she was just doing the right thing, calling 911. I mean, when something like this happens, people don`t always act rationally.

ROBINSON: Yes. First I`m looking at the family and if I rule out the family -- that`s the problem with the Casey Anthony case. It took so long to rule out the family, because Casey was so uncooperative. And it turns out that family member was ultimately charged.

So I`m looking first at the family. And, if I rule out everybody in the family, then I`m looking to those sex offenders. And as we`ve seen time and time and time again, I`m sure there were plenty around there who should not have been out.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes. And we`re going to stay on top of this case. I want to thank you, fabulous panel. Great job, as always. Come back soon.

NANCY GRACE

NANCY GRACE for February 12, 2009
Aired February 12, 2009 - 20:00:00 ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

NANCY GRACE, HOST: Breaking news tonight, Satsuma, Florida. A 5- year-old little girl tucked into bed, five hours later, she vanishes into thin air, gone, the kitchen light on, the back door propped wide open. The father comes home from the night shift to find not a single trace of little Haleigh. How could a 5-year-old girl vanish from her own bed, a bed she apparently was sharing that night with her baby-sitter and 4-year-old brother?

The girlfriend/babysitter said she`s taken not one but two polygraphs and tells us she passed. Bloodhounds pick up the scent near a nearby river, but an intense sonar scan turns up nothing. The house turned upside down with police fingerprinting, searching and processing the scene. Tonight, the search by land, by air, by water. Where is 5-year-old Haleigh?

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

911 OPERATOR: What`s her date of birth?

RONALD CUMMINGS, FATHER: Y`all are (DELETED) playing games, man! I`m going to (DELETED) kill somebody!

911 OPERATOR: OK, tell him we understand. We need to get her date of birth.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What`s her date of birth?

CUMMINGS: (DELETED) her birthday! We need to find her! (DELETED) her date of birth!

(END AUDIO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A frantic search is under way right now for Haleigh Cummings. She was last seen Monday night with her 2-year-old brother in her bedroom.

CUMMINGS: I don`t know what happened to my daughter, came up missing out of my house in the middle of the night. Besides that, no, I don`t know.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Detectives don`t know, either. Today they officially ruled Haleigh Cummings`s disappearance an abduction. Police believe someone snatched the 5-year-old from her Satsuma home. They say, at this point, everyone`s a suspect.

CUMMINGS: Yes, I have taken a polygraph. Yes, did I pass it.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don`t know where she is or who has her! I just want her home!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Authorities say the back door was wide open, propped open with a cinderblock, but they don`t know whether it was left unlocked.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I put her to bed about 8:00 o`clock. I woke up and she was gone, and the back door was wide open! That`s the last I seen her is when I put her to bed!

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Investigators have ruled out the possibility the child may have wandered off in the middle of the night because she`s afraid of the dark.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If you`ve done something with, her tell us where she`s at, if she`s OK, something. We just -- I want my daughter back.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: Good evening. I`m Nancy Grace. I want to thank you for being with us. How could a 5-year-old Florida girl just vanish from her own bed, a bed she was sharing that night with her baby-sitter and 4-year-old brother? But has that story changed in just 24 hours? Tonight, where is 5-year-old Haleigh?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There`s been no sign of Haleigh Cummings in three days. And as you can imagine, emotions are running really high in that family.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

CUMMINGS: I just got home from work, my 5-year-old daughter is gone. I need somebody to be here now, I`m telling you.

911 OPERATOR: Listen to me. Listen to me. We`ve got two officers...

CUMMINGS: If I find whoever has my daughter before y`all do, I`m killing him. I don`t care. I`ll spend the rest of my life in prison, I`m telling you.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Florida police and the FBI launched a massive search from both the ground and the air. Detectives say they found no evidence that Haleigh wandered away from her dad`s mobile home.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

911 OPERATOR: OK. It`s OK, sir. We`ve got them on the way. OK, can you give me any -- what kind of description of her pajamas that she was wearing?

CUMMINGS: I don`t (DELETED) know! I was at work!

911 OPERATOR: OK, sir, we`ve got them coming, OK?

(END AUDIO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have not stopped our search. We had several different bloodhounds that were brought to the area with the helicopter and the ground forces.

CUMMINGS: I just want my daughter home safe.

We want her back. That`s all we want. We don`t want revenge. I just want my daughter back. That`s it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: Out to Joy Purdy with WTLV at the command center. Also joining us tonight, the mother of the missing 5-year-old girl, Crystal Sheffield. Joy, what`s the latest? Has the story shifted?

JOY PURDY, WTLV: This is very interesting, Nancy. We`ll talk about the search in just a moment, which has been called off for tonight. It`s going to continue tomorrow into a much bigger event.

But you were talking about the father, the father of Haleigh Cummings, his girlfriend, she was the last one to see the little girl. She told us today on camera just a few hours ago that no, Haleigh was not in the bed with her. Haleigh was actually sleeping in her own bed when she disappeared. Whether or not that bed is situated in the same room as the father`s girlfriend, we don`t know. But we have learned -- she has told us that they weren`t sleeping in the same bed, so that opens up all kinds of new questions here.

GRACE: Joy, it certainly does. Let`s take a listen to what she had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I put her to bed about 8:00 o`clock, and I woke up and she was gone and the back door was wide open! That was the last time I seen her, was when I put her to bed.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Were you all in the same bed?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No. She was in her bed in front of the TV, and me and junior were in my bed.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: That is contrary to what we were told last night. We were told last night the 5-year-old girl was in the bed with the girlfriend/baby-sitter and the 4-year-old brother. Now, if they were in the same room, fine, I understand that. But even a slight change in story is highly significant.

With me right now, a very special guest, the mother of missing Haleigh. Crystal Sheffield is joining us there at the Satsuma command center. Ms. Sheffield, thank you for being with us.

CRYSTAL SHEFFIELD, MOTHER: You`re welcome.

GRACE: Ms. Sheffield, where were you at the time little Haleigh went missing?

SHEFFIELD: I was in Baker County, at my house.

GRACE: How did you learn she was gone?

SHEFFIELD: Ronald`s mother, Teresa Nieves (ph), called me at 3:49 AM in the morning and told me that Haleigh was gone.

GRACE: And what did you do?

SHEFFIELD: At first, I thought it was a prank, kind of. And then she was, like, The police are there, and I heard them in the background and then it hit me that it was not a prank.

GRACE: OK. Now, what time did you say they called you?

SHEFFIELD: It was 3:49 AM.

GRACE: And who called you?

SHEFFIELD: Teresa Nieves, Ronald`s mother.

GRACE: When was the last time you saw Haleigh?

SHEFFIELD: Two weeks ago.

GRACE: Was there any problem? Were there any tensions in the home that you knew of?

SHEFFIELD: No.

GRACE: When they called to tell you little Haleigh was missing, Ms. Sheffield, did they have a theory about what had happened to her?

SHEFFIELD: They just said that someone come in there and took her, is what they told me.

GRACE: Ms. Sheffield, were you -- with me, everyone, is little Haleigh`s mother. Crystal Sheffield is joining us. She lives many miles away from the little girl but sees her on a regular basis. Ms. Sheffield, when you were first told about the circumstances of Haleigh`s disappearance, were you told she was asleep in the bed with the girlfriend/baby-sitter and the little brother?

SHEFFIELD: Yes, I was. I was told they was all three in the same bed.

GRACE: You`re sure?

SHEFFIELD: I`m sure.

GRACE: Is there any doubt in your mind that they represented they were all in the same bed together?

SHEFFIELD: That`s what they said, that -- I was told they was all three in the same bed.

GRACE: And now what have you learned?

SHEFFIELD: I`ve heard that Junior was in another room, and it was just her and Haleigh in the bed. And now I`m hearing that they were both in the other room and she was in the bed by herself. Haleigh and Junior was in their own room.

GRACE: OK. Hold on, Ms. Sheffield. Rosy (ph), can you play me back that sound we just heard from the girlfriend? OK, Ms. Sheffield, please go through that with me one more time. First you thought they were all three in the bed together sleeping, waiting on the father to get home. He was at work. Then you were told what?

SHEFFIELD: At first, I was told they was all three in the same bed.

GRACE: Right.

SHEFFIELD: Then it was Junior was in the kids` room in his bed, and it was Haleigh and Misty in their bed, in the big bed.

GRACE: Yes?

SHEFFIELD: And then I heard that Haleigh and Junior were both in their room, in their own room, not Misty`s room.

GRACE: Ms. Sheffield, I know this may sound crazy to you, but let me ask you about this change in story. When you heard the second version, that Junior was in the kids` room and Haleigh and Misty were together, who told you that?

SHEFFIELD: Where did I hear it? I don`t remember where I heard it. My mind`s just...

GRACE: All right. When you heard that Haleigh and Junior were both in the children`s room, who told you that?

SHEFFIELD: Who told me that?

MARIE GRIFFIS, MATERNAL GRANDMOTHER: I don`t remember that. That`s the first story that we heard.

GRACE: Everybody, also, you`re hearing the voice of the maternal grandmother of Haleigh. That`s Marie Griffis. She`s also with us there at the command center, everyone converging there at Satsuma, Florida, to find this little girl.

Let`s unleash the lawyers. Joining us tonight, Eleanor Dixon out of Atlanta, Peter Odom, veteran defense attorney out of Atlanta, and Gwen Lindsay-Jackson, defense attorney out of New York.

But first to Mark Lunsford joining us out of Homosassa, Florida, the father of little Jessie Lunsford, who disappeared under extremely similar circumstances. Mark, what do you make of it?

MARK LUNSFORD, FATHER OF MURDERED JESSICA: Well, I mean, to start off with, I mean, I`d have to say with the work that I`ve been involved with and the things that I`ve done, you know, there`s going to be a lot of things flying through the air...

GRACE: Right.

LUNSFORD: ... miscommunications (INAUDIBLE)

GRACE: So this may be nothing. This may just be a blip on the screen.

LUNSFORD: It could be. But you bring up a good point by bringing it up. And what the family should do is to rely on your victim advocate. They will answer any question, any doubts, any rumors flying. These are the people to get the correct answers.

GRACE: You know, everybody, Mark Lunsford, the father of Jessie Lunsford -- and he is now with Survivingparentscoalition.org.

Back to Eleanor, Peter, and Gwen Lindsay-Jackson. Eleanor, he`s got a point. This could either be an extremely significant change in the story - - because when you`re talking about a missing 5-year-old, where she was the last time she was seen alive is highly probative, and if a story changes even subtly, that casts doubt on who`s telling the story. But on the other hand, I went back tonight before I came to air and re-read all of the wires and all of the notes, and what she said at the beginning, the baby- sitter/girlfriend was, I was sleeping next to her. Did that mean in the next room? Did that mean in the next bed?

Maybe Mark Lunsford is right that this is just a miscommunication. What do you think?

ELEANOR DIXON, PROSECUTOR: I think that could be a possibility, that it`s a miscommunication, and in being so upset and frantic for this missing child, she could have said that. But I think the police are also keeping things very close to the vest.

GRACE: Peter?

PETER ODOM, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: A migrating story can be a sign of guilt, but you`ve got to make sure that it really is inconsistent, as you suggested.

GRACE: Gwen?

GWEN LINDSAY-JACKSON, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: I think that it could be considered an excited utterance. I mean, certainly, she knew where she was when this child was asleep. It`s not a hard question.

GRACE: I`ve got a problem with it.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I got up because I had to use the bathroom, but I didn`t make it to the bathroom. I seen the kitchen light on, and I walked in the kitchen and the back door`s wide open. And I didn`t notice about Haleigh then, until I seen the back door open. Then I (INAUDIBLE) and she`s gone! And that`s all I know!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There`s no longer any reason to believe that the child simply wandered outside, so we are treating this absolutely like an abduction.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE) any one of us and our children. Anyone. Nobody knows whether it`s a psycho or sicko. Nobody knows. Anyone. Anyone. You don`t know.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All the world`s a suspect right now.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I put her to bed around 8:00 o`clock. And I woke up and she was gone and the back door was wide open. The last time I seen her was when I put her to bed.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Were you all in the same bed?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No. She was in her bed in front of the TV, and me and Junior were in my bed.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: Where is 5-year-old little Haleigh? Out to Michelle Sigona with "America`s Most Wanted" why did the girlfriend/baby-sitter take two polys?

MICHELLE SIGONA, "AMERICA`S MOST WANTED": Well, at this point, investigators, you know, wanted to re-question and question her again. And she has been cooperating, from what they tell me. She`s not a suspect at this time, Nancy. Neither is the father of the children.

So I have spoken to the father. I just got off the phone with him about an hour ago, and from what he tells me, is that there were evidently two beds inside of one of the rooms, and from what he says, is that Haleigh was in the smaller bed, and that his son, who they call Junior, who`s 3 years old -- he`ll be 4 on Sunday -- was actually in the bed with his girlfriend.

GRACE: OK. That can clarify some of the inconsistencies, I believe.

Out to the lines. Anne in New Hampshire. Hi, Anne.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi, Nancy. First of all, our prayers are with the family. And this is so scary because it is so like the Jessica Lunsford case, where the father worked a third shift, you know, and in the trailer park. And the fact that there were 44 registered sex offenders in the area -- my first question is, I want to know if, like in the Jessica Lunsford case, they went around in the immediate area where the people lived and checked all the trailers, although Jessica, they believe, was in Couey`s trailer`s closet and they missed her and she was probably still alive. Have they done this really thorough check of all of the trailers in the area where the child lives?

GRACE: To Joy Purdy with WTLV. What do you know, Joy?

PURDY: Well, we talked with the sheriff about that. He was asked that specifically today, the sheriff of the Putnam County sheriff`s office. He said yes, they are checking with every sex offender. They are going into homes and checking. They`re very aware of what happened in that case, so they don`t want that to happen again. So they are tracing their steps again and again and again, and even checking other people`s homes, residents who are allowing them to come in two, three times. So they`re being very thorough.

GRACE: Michelle Sigona, do you know any more?

SIGONA: I can tell you that all 44 sex offenders within a five-mile radius, Nancy, have all been located and questioned. And from what the lead detective on this case told me about three hours ago was that, at this point, all of them have checked out from the time that Haleigh was last seen up until the time she allegedly disappeared around 3:30 in the morning.

Now, that`s not saying that they may not go back and check those particular sex offenders again and also other people in the area. Right now, they`re focussing a lot on the ground searches and also by air, by ground, in the water. They`re bringing in cadaver dogs from Georgia. They have five in from Georgia right now and are expecting 10 more by tomorrow morning. So these investigators are going on day four tomorrow, Nancy, and they`re just not giving up.

GRACE: Last night, the father, Ronald Cummings, was with us for our whole program, and I found him to be extremely sincere.

Out to Dr. Bethany Marshall, psychoanalyst and author of "Dealbreakers." I know you have studied his interviews. What do you think, Bethany?

BETHANY MARSHALL, PSYCHOANALYST: He was sincere, distraught. He immediately offered to take a polygraph. I believe that he is a victim and not a perpetrator in this situation. The 17-year-old -- I have some questions about her. Not to victimize the victim here, but why was she a caretaker of these little children? Was she a willing caretaker? How did she feel about them? Were there other people in and out of the home? Yes, you can pick up a 5-year-old and lug them from one place to another and they will stay asleep. Yes, because she was not the bio mom, it would make sense that she didn`t wake up.

But what doesn`t make sense is that whoever came into this home anticipated that she wouldn`t wake up. So what kind of activity was there in and out of the house? Was there drug activity, I would wonder?

And then finally, those 44 sex offenders -- sex offenders offend on average for 17 years before they`re caught. So these are known sex offenders. What about people in the community who are sex offenders but who have not come to the attention of law enforcement? There are just so many questions in this situation.

GRACE: Back to the mother of 5-year-old little Haleigh. Crystal, Ms. Sheffield, what are the police theories right now? What are they telling you?

SHEFFIELD: They haven`t really told us nothing. Like, they`re just - - they just said they`re going to keep searching. They haven`t found anything or -- so...

GRACE: To Marie Griffis, Ms. Griffis, what do you make of the story about the back door being propped open? And I believe it`s been verified that Ronald Cummings was, in fact, at work.

GRIFFIS: Well, the back door being propped open -- who is going to take time to prop open a back door if you`re going to abduct a child? It don`t make sense.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

911 OPERATOR: OK, was your back door locked, do you know?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, the back door always stays locked.

CUMMINGS: I need somebody to get here now!

911 OPERATOR: OK, let me speak to (INAUDIBLE).

CUMMINGS: I just got home from work. My 5-year-old daughter is gone. I need somebody to be here now. I`m telling you...

911 OPERATOR: Listen to me. Listen to me. We`ve got two officers...

CUMMINGS: If I find whoever has my daughter before y`all do, I`m killing him. I don`t care. I`ll spend the rest of my life in prison, I`m telling you. You can put it on the report, and I don`t care.

911 OPERATOR: OK. It`s OK, sir. We`ve got them on the way. OK, can you give me any -- what kind of description of her pajamas that she was wearing?

CUMMINGS: I don`t (DELETED) know! I was at work!

911 OPERATOR: OK, sir, we`ve got them coming, OK?

(END AUDIO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

911 OPERATOR: What`s her date of birth?

RONALD CUMMINGS, FATHER: Y`all are (DELETED) playing games, man! I`m going to (DELETED) kill somebody!

911 OPERATOR: OK, tell him we understand. We need to get her date of birth.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What`s her date of birth?

CUMMINGS: (DELETED) her birthday! We need to find her! (DELETED) her date of birth!

(END AUDIO CLIP)

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

911 OPERATOR: The officers are going to come out there and do what they can. We can`t have him screaming and yelling at the officers whenever they get there, OK?

CUMMINGS: Give me my (DELETED) phone! I got better people to talk to than a (DELETED) that ain`t coming!

(END AUDIO CLIP)

GRACE: That is the father, hysterical. His daughter is gone when he gets home from the night shift.

Out to the lines. To Adrena in West Virginia. Hi, dear.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hey, I was wondering if, like, the abductor might watch them for, like, weeks, and got their, like, schedule (INAUDIBLE) What if he propped open the door and then, like, he knew that, like, the girl -- he knocked on the door and she might have thought it was her dad and, like, he -- she opened the door, and he, like, snatched her. He thought it would be quicker if he propped open the door.

GRACE: That`s an entirely possible scenario. I want to go back to Haleigh`s grandmother, Marie Griffis, tonight joining us along with the mother of little Haleigh, Crystal Sheffield.

Ms. Griffis, you were mentioning, who would take the time to prop open the door during a kidnapping. What do you mean by that?

GRIFFIS: It would take -- anybody that was going to take a child out of a house, it seems like they would want to get in and out as quick as possible. So who would want to take the time to prop open a door?

GRACE: And -- and...

GRIFFIS: They would want to open it and go through...

GRACE: And turn on the kitchen light.

GRIFFIS: And get the child and leave.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GRIFFIS: It`s never safe to say that someone in the family or an associate of the family is not a suspect. However, all the world`s a suspect right now. We have not excluded the world because we`re focusing on a couple of family members or...

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

911 DISPATCHER: OK, was your, was your back door locked, do you know?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, the back door always stays locked.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We need somebody to get here now.

911 DISPATCHER: OK, let me to speak to him so.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, yes, yes, yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I just got home from work, my 5-year-old daughter is gone.

911 DISPATCHER: OK.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I need somebody to be here now. I`m telling you.

911 DISPATCHER: Listen to me, listen to me. We got two officers.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If I find whoever has my daughter before you all do I`m killing him. I don`t care. I`ll spend the rest of my life in prison.

911 DISPATCHER: OK. OK.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I`m telling you. You can put it on recording, I don`t care.

911 DISPATCHER: OK. It`s OK, sir. We`ve got them on the way. OK? Can you give me any -- what kind of description of her pajamas that she was wearing?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don`t (EXPLETIVE DELETED) know. I was at work.

911 DISPATCHER: OK, sir. We got them coming, OK?

What`s her date of birth?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You all are (EXPLETIVE DELETED) playing games, man, I`m going to (EXPLETIVE DELETED) kill somebody.

911 DISPATCHER: OK. Tell him we understand. We need to get her date of birth.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What`s her date of birth?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (EXPLETIVE DELETED) we need to find her. What`s her date of birth?

911 DISPATCHER: Tell him we got them coming. He needs to try to calm down a little bit, OK? The officers are going to come out there and do what they. We can`t have him screaming and yelling at the officers whenever they get there, OK?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Uh-huh.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Give my (EXPLETIVE DELETED) phone. I got better people to talk to than a (EXPLETIVE DELETED) mother that ain`t coming.

911 DISPATCHER: 911, what`s your emergency?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I just woke up and our back door was open and we can`t find our daughter.

911 DISPATCHER: You can`t find what?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Our daughter.

911 DISPATCHER: OK. What`s your address?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Green Lane. (INAUDIBLE).

911 DISPATCHER: What`s the numerical?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Numerical, what`s that?

911 DISPATCHER: The number, Green Lane?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

911 DISPATCHER: OK. When did you last see her?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We just like, you know, it was about 10:00, (INAUDIBLE), she was sleeping.

911 DISPATCHER: OK. How old is your daughter?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She`s 5.

911 DISPATCHER: OK. What was she last seen wearing? Ma`am?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She was in her pajamas. We were sleeping.

911 DISPATCHER: What, what does she look like? How tall is she? Give me some description on her?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She has like, like long hair, curly, like curls.

911 DISPATCHER: Long curled, what color?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She`s white.

911 DISPATCHER: OK, what color hair? She`s got brown hair?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. Oh my god.

911 DISPATCHER: OK. How tall is she about? Or how much does she weigh, do you know that?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Huh?

911 DISPATCHER: About how tall or how much does she weigh?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Like four something like, I don`t know, like she`s not that tall.

911 DISPATCHER: OK. Tell your husband we got them coming, OK?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK.

911 DISPATCHER: How much does she weigh, do you know?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Huh?

911 DISPATCHER: How much does she weigh?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Um, like, 40, 50 pounds, 60 pounds.

911 DISPATCHER: Forty to sixty pounds?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hello?

911 DISPATCHER: OK, sir, let me talk to you wife. Let me get some information from her.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Man. (INAUDIBLE)

911 DISPATCHER: OK. Can I talk to her?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

911 DISPATCHER: OK, listen to me. I need you to answer some questions. Does the door look like it was pried open?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, I guess.

911 DISPATCHER: Does it look like -- does it look like you had some sort of someone try to enter into your house?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hold on.

911 DISPATCHER: And another thing, make sure you and your husband don`t touch the door anymore. Don`t mess with the door or anything.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, it doesn`t.

911 DISPATCHER: It doesn`t look like it is?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No.

911 DISPATCHER: OK. Now listen, tell your husband not touch anything, make sure.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE)

911 DISPATCHER: Because we`re going to try and get a canine out there, OK?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK. She said don`t touch anything because they are bringing a canine out here.

911 DISPATCHER: OK, listen to me. I`m getting this information. I`m not the officer driving out there, OK?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK.

911 DISPATCHER: They`re coming out there to handle that situation. I need to gather all information from you over the phone.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK.

911 DISPATCHER: It has nothing to do with me driving out there. The officers are taking care of that, OK? They`re coming out there, OK?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK.

911 DISPATCHER: OK. I`m going t stay on the phone with you, OK?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK.

911 DISPATCHER: Until they get there, OK? Tell him we got them coming. He needs to try to calm down a little bit, OK? The officers are going to come out there and do what they can. We can`t have him screaming and yelling at the officers whenever they get there, OK?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NANCY GRACE, HOST: That`s enough to make me leave the anchor desk and run, not walk, run home to check on the twins. The father gets off of the night shift, his little girl, 5 years old, gone out of the bed where she was sleeping.

Joining me, Joy Purdy and Michelle Sigona there at the command center, Crystal Sheffield, Marie Griffis, the mother and grandmother of the little girl.

To Joy Purdy, who was the last person outside the family who saw her and when?

PURDY: Oh, goodness, outside the family we would have to imagine it was some of her schoolmates because it was early Tuesday morning that she disappeared and she does attend school here, but everyone has been focusing on the family because the father`s girlfriend was the last one to see her.

GRACE: Right. And her story is she was last seen around 10:00 with the girlfriend goes to bed, but who can verify the last time she was seen by somebody other than girlfriend, last seen alive? Was it that day when she got out of school at 3:00?

Did anybody else see her after 3 p.m., I guess, when she gets out of school? Do we have any idea? Did she go to school on Monday? I mean do we know that she went to school that day? What do we know, Joy?

PURDY: We don`t know about anything that happened that Monday. Everything has started from that Tuesday morning. You`re going have to ask the sheriff about that.

GRACE: Yes, and see.

PURDY: But we.

GRACE: Where I`m going with this is we have her word placing the girl alive and well at 10 p.m. I want to find out the last person to have seen her.

We are taking your calls live. To Sherry in Connecticut, hi, Sherry.

SHERRY, FROM CONNECTICUT: Hi, Nancy. How are you?

GRACE: I`m good, dear. What`s your question?

SHERRY: Good. I just want to start out by saying really quick that I just absolutely love you to death. I watch your show faithfully. I`m the mother of a 3-year-old and this really touches home.

My question is, real quick is, why is young Haleigh living with the father and not the mother? Does anybody know that? Is there some sort of family dispute going on?

GRACE: Well, I know that the two have been apart. With me is the mother.

How often, Crystal Sheffield, do you see her and why did she end up being with him?

CRYSTAL SHEFFIELD, MOM OF MISSING 5-YR-OLD HALEIGH CUMMINGS: I see them every two weeks. I pick them up on Friday at 6:00 and return them on Sunday at 6:00.

When me and Ronald split up I had the children with me, and I didn`t have the heart to keep them from him, and I let him come get them and he was supposed to return them to me and he never did, and then he went to the courthouse and filed for temporary custody, and the first court date was sent out to an address in Jacksonville, and it was a bogus address.

I never lived there, so I missed that court date, and then when we went for the custody hearing, they just -- I feel like they just blew me off, but they said they gave him custody because it was the best interest for the children.

GRACE: Are you saying the court blew you off?

SHEFFIELD: I just felt like they was all on his side.

GRACE: Do you know if she was in school on Monday?

SHEFFIELD: I have no idea. I know she`s missed a bunch of days because he told me that if she -- I don`t remember what day it was, but he called and was talking -- I was supposed to pick them up and he said I didn`t want to take her out of school because if she missed any more school that they was going to put him in jail.

GRACE: Why was she missing so much school?

SHEFFIELD: I don`t know.

GRACE: Was she sick?

SHEFFIELD: She may have been, but honestly, I don`t know.

GRACE: Well, I`ll be right back. We`re taking your calls.

SHEFFIELD: She does get sick a lot.

GRACE: We are taking your calls live. As we go to break we ask for your prayers for Georgia friend of the show in the hospital, Jimmy Stokes.

Jimmy, please stay strong and get well.

And tonight, at your request, photos of the twins. They`ll be on the Web tonight. Here is John David in mommy`s closet. Lucy making mommy try on dress up shoes with her gym pants and Lucy trying them on herself. These are their pajamas. Yes, they just got these and they still don`t know how to go forward, just backwards.

There`s John David at music class. There`s his instructor Jess singing. Here they are playing on the floor. Oh, at Barnes & Noble, their favorite place in the world. Back in mommy`s closet with a flip-flop and a tennis shoe.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHEFFIELD: I just want whoever`s got her to bring her home. That`s all I want is my baby home.

RONALD CUMMINGS, FATHER OF MISSING 5-YR-OLD HALEIGH CUMMINGS: I just want my daughter home safe. If you have my daughter and you`re watching this, drop her off somewhere safe, call 911, call the local authorities wherever you drop her off. Bring her back anonymous. Give her to someone else to bring back. However she`s back, we want her back safe. If you`ve done something with her, tell us where she`s at, if she`s OK. Something, we just -- I want my daughter back. That`s it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: To former NYPD detective, Michael Sapraicone -- Michael, I can understand confusion if two beds were in one bedroom, and she said we were all sleeping together and she was right beside me. I can understand if there were two beds like that. But according to the mother and grandmother one story was they were in another room, both the children were in another room.

MICHAEL SAPRAICONE, FMR. NYPD DETECTIVE PRESIDENT OF SQUAD SECURITY INC.: Well, I understand your point about the beds in the bedroom, Nancy. But I`m really more concerned over the door. There`s more issues with the door here. I mean.

GRACE: Explain.

SAPRAICONE: You have this -- husband, the boyfriend goes to work every night. He works until 2:00, 3:00 in the morning, so this girl closes this door and locks that door because she`s the caretaker there, for this 3-year-old and this 5-year-old. How does that just so happen to be open that evening? And how does a predator just happen to come to that one particular trailer and find that door open?

I mean is there any indication that somebody tried other doors in the trail park? No, we don`t have that. So he just happens to wander into this one trailer, open that door and sure enough there`s a 5-year-old girl he can take out of that bedroom. That doesn`t add up.

I`d like to look at the inner circle a little bit. And then I`d like to look at the nature under the friends. Something`s going on in that house. As you said before, we don`t know what happens to her after she gets home from school on Monday. We do know the father picked her up at school at 3:00 or 3:30 on Monday. But then we don`t know what happened? What`s the timeline from 3:00 until 10:00 that night when this girl Misty says she put her to bed at 8:00?

GRACE: You know, that`s an interesting point.

Michelle Sigona with "America`s Most Wanted," aren`t police saying that they`re taking the timeline back 30 days now?

SIGONA: Yes, police are definitely taking their time. They`re going back through the timeline. They also have closed off the entire mobile home, Nancy, at this time just in case they need to go back in and secure more evidence. They have collected that cinder block that was allegedly propped -- that propped up the door open and a few other things that have been sent to the crime lab in Jacksonville right now.

And they do have a forensic rush on those materials at this time and if they need to go back into the home to pull more things out at least they have it there readily accessible. So they are looking at a timeline. They are looking at people.

GRACE: Where is the family staying?

SIGONA: Right now -- evidently according to the dad as of just a couple of hours ago, he`s staying in a tent nearby. He described it to me as something, I guess, it`s just sort of a tent out in the open that he and the girlfriend are staying at and they`re not staying at the home.

GRACE: To the Dr. Zhongxue Hua, he`s the Union County, New Jersey medical examiner. Dr. Hua, thank you for being with us.

Dr. Hua, I want to talk to you about the cinder block that apparently had the backdoor propped open. What kind of forensic evidence can you get from a cement block?

DR. ZHONGXUE HUA, UNION CO., N.J. MEDICAL EXAMINER: The first thing is any fingerprints down there, is there any DNA down there? I mean lots of things can be tested and obviously have to be examined very carefully and don`t forget -- I mean one thing is use a cinder block to prop the door open, (INAUDIBLE), you have to touch the door to open the door. I mean there are lots of things you can look at at this point.

GRACE: I want to go back to the mother of little Haleigh and the maternal grandmother. Crystal Sheffield, Marie Griffis is joining us tonight.

Crystal, you have a problem with the door as well. What are your thoughts?

SHEFFIELD: Yes. I just -- it`s just -- if the door was locked like they said it was.

GRIFFIS: By Ronald.

SHEFFIELD: Ronald said he locked that door when he left for work and it`s supposedly high up enough to where Haleigh could not reach it, I just don`t understand how somebody just got in there and nothing was broke on the door.

GRACE: Was it a padlock or a.

SHEFFIELD: Someone had to have a key.

GRACE: A dead bolt or a padlock?

SHEFFIELD: A dead bolt. A dead bolt.

GRACE: To.

SHEFFIELD: It was a dead bolt.

GRACE: To Joy Purdy with WTLV, was there sign of forced entry?

PURDY: That`s another interesting story because we`re getting conflicting reports. We`ve heard, at first, that there was a sign of forced entry. The police here tell us there was no sign of forced entry. So they`re still interviewing, trying to figure out what exactly is going on here.

GRACE: Joy, have you looked at the door even at a distance?

PURDY: We did look at a door. You can`t see -- you do have quite a bit of access. You can go right up to the home even though there`s police crime tape against it.

GRACE: Right.

PURDY: You can see three sides of the home, but you can`t see the fourth side on the back.

GRACE: Got it.

PURDY: You can see a door. You can see a screen door.

GRACE: To.

PURDY: So we don`t know if that`s the actual door.

GRACE: Back to Crystal and Marie. Crystal, have you been in the home since you`ve been there on Monday?

SHEFFIELD: Yes, I have not. No, I have not.

GRACE: You have not? Marie, have you?

SHEFFIELD: No.

GRACE: Do you have any.

GRIFFIS: No, I haven`t been...

GRACE: Do you have any idea what kind of lock was on the backdoor?

GRIFFIS: No, we don`t. All we know is Ronald said there was a dead bolt on the backdoor on the inside that was up high enough that Haleigh couldn`t.

GRACE: OK.

GRIFFIS: . get to it and that he locked and secured that door before he went to work.

GRACE: Dead bolt. All right, back to the lawyers, Eleanor Dixon, Peter Odom, Gwen Lindsay-Jackson.

Eleanor, what do you make of it?

DIXON: Well, the door is important, but you know what else is important is the cell phone records, Nancy. Nobody has mentioned that. Did the mom call anyone that night? Did dad -- I mean the girlfriend, did the dad call anyone at night? Those could tell you a lot as well.

GRACE: What about it, Peter?

ODOM: Nancy, I think that the propped open door adds credence to Misty`s story. Anyone who is abducting this child would want to get out of the house quickly while carrying a child and they would want to prop open that door. So I`m falling on Misty`s side on -- that fact.

GRACE: And to Gwen Lindsay-Jackson, I know that there are inconsistencies right now with the girlfriend`s story. But you got to remember not far from this spot, almost the exact same scenario, Jesse Lunsford was taken out of the grandparent`s home. They were asleep feet away. She was taken out of her bed. Nobody heard a word.

LINDSAY-JACKSON: Yes, that`s certainly the case. But in here my gut feeling is we need to look a little more closely at this 17-year-old. I don`t like the fact that her statement apparently is changing. I sort of think that when she said originally that they were in the bed together, that`s what she said and that`s what we`re hearing, that she was under so much stress that she was making that excited utterance, and that`s what happened.

Now whether or not she left that child unattended after that husband or that boyfriend left and she`s afraid to tell the truth, that`s another story. We know that the child probably couldn`t have unlocked the door? Did she leave and then leave the house unsecure? Was there something else that happened in the home? Did somebody else come? Did she let somebody else into the house? Was there a fight? What happened?

I think they need to squeeze the 17-year-old, Nancy. I`m troubled with her.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are offering opportunities to make free wide open statements, free-form statements. And we`re offering polygraphs to everybody, to give them the opportunity to eliminate themselves as suspects. All the world are suspects right now.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: Now, last night when I spoke to the father, Ronald Cummings, he told me there was just a plastic lock on the door that it would not have been hard to break into.

To Danielle in Ohio, hi, Danielle.

DANIELLE, FROM OHIO: Hi, Nancy. First of all.

GRACE: What`s your question, dear?

DANIELLE: First of all, I want to tell you you`re great. Love the twins. I would like to know if the police are using any type of heat seeking technology on helicopters to search the woods.

GRACE: I believe they are using infrared. What about it, Joy Purdy?

PURDY: They definitely are. We`ve seen the helicopter from the floor.

GRACE: OK.

PURDY: . of Fisher Wildlife Commission all day. They have infrared on it.

GRACE: To Courtney in Colorado, hi, Courtney.

COURTNEY, FROM COLORADO: Hi, I just wanted to tell you that we love your show. We watch it all the time.

GRACE: Thank you.

COURTNEY: Well, the question on my mind is she`s 17 years old.

GRACE: Right.

COURTNEY: The dad is at work.

GRACE: Right.

COURTNEY: Isn`t it possible that she could have friends or, you know, someone else come over during that time and leave the door propped for them to come in and out without disturbing the kids while sleeping?

GRACE: OK. First of all, thank you for watching faithfully and for calling in.

What about that scenario, Michelle Sigona?

SIGONA: Here`s what we do know, Nancy. At this point, from what she has told investigators, no one else was in the home at the time. Whether that door was propped open after the father left for work at 4:00 p.m., he did not get home until 3:30 in the morning, it`s hard to tell. She did not -- the girlfriend did not go to bed until 10:00 at night. She alleged that the children went to bed around 8:00 p.m. at night. So did she have someone there between 10:00 p.m. and 3:30 a.m.? It`s possible but we`re not too sure.

GRACE: Well, we haven`t heard that scenario from any of the law enforcement.

Everyone, I want to give you a tip line, 386-329-0808. There`s $35,000 reward.

Let`s stop and remember, Army Private Jordan Thibeault, 22, South Jordan, Utah, killed Iraq on a second tour. Awarded the Army Commendation Medal. Loved airplanes, military history, math. Leaves behind parents John and Celeste, one sister.

Jordan Thibeault, American hero.

Thanks to our guests but especially to you for being with us. I`ll see you tomorrow night, 8:00 sharp Eastern. And until then, good night, friend.

END

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0902/12/ijvm.01.html

ISSUES WITH JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL
Caylee Confirmed Cremated; Bounty Hunter Claims Casey`s Fingerprints Found on Caylee; Grandfather Speaks about Missing Haleigh

Aired February 12, 2009 - 19:00:00 ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL, HOST (voice-over): Tonight, more Caylee Anthony case craziness. First, bounty hunter Leonard Padilla makes a startling claim.

LEONARD PADILLA, BOUNTY HUNTER: I heard this morning that there were fingerprints and that the prints are Casey`s.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Will this really be the incriminating evidence that ties Casey to the murder of her little girl? We`ll investigate.

Then a Caylee Anthony memorial in a park? That`s what Anthony family representatives plan to do to honor little Caylee.

And the family now confirms they`ve cremated Caylee and stored her remains at a secret location, fearful they would be stolen from the home. Has it really come to that?

And finally, an answer to the CMA mystery.

LEE ANTHONY, UNCLE OF CAYLEE ANTHONY: CMA, I miss you.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Who was Casey`s brother talking to? Who is CMA? We`ll have the answer.

Plus, a desperate family plea for the return of little Haleigh Cummings.

CRYSTAL SHEFFIELD, HALEIGH`S MOTHER: All I want is my baby home.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Meanwhile, investigators are operating on the assumption that Haleigh was abducted and are not excluding anyone as a suspect. The massive search effort expands as teams of search parties descend on central Florida, including some of the very same people involved in Caylee`s search. We`ll have the latest.

And octo-mom, about to octo-pop as the controversy surrounding the single mother of 14 continues to balloon out of control. You`ve got to see this.

ISSUES starts now.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Tonight, breaking developments in the new Florida missing child case the whole nation is watching. Five-year-old Haleigh Cummings vanished from her bed early Tuesday. Her anguished grandfather will join me in just moments.

But first, a look inside the agonizing decision the Anthony family has made regarding little Caylee`s final resting place. After a flurry of conflicting reports, Anthony family attorney Brad Conway now confirms that Caylee`s remains have been cremated.

The shocker: Caylee`s ashes are not at the family home. They fear somebody might steal them. Has it really come to this? Apparently, it has.

Conway also reveals that George and Cindy`s decision to defy their daughter`s wish that Caylee be buried and cremate her instead was not taken lightly. They were concerned that a headstone might be a target for vandals. What a shocking commentary on how ugly this case has gotten. Conway added the family plans to build a Caylee Anthony memorial in a park to honor her memory.

Plus, the question surrounding Lee Anthony`s use of the initials "CMA" at Caylee`s memorial are finally answered. The family attorney says Lee was talking to all of them.

Also tonight, remember the duct tape that was reportedly wrapped around little Caylee`s head. Bounty hunter Leonard Padilla dropped this shocker on HLN`s "NANCY GRACE" last night.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PADILLA: I heard this morning that there were fingerprints and that the prints are Casey`s.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Stunning new evidence, but how will it impact Casey`s murder trial?

And Casey`s attorney, Jose Baez, has reportedly dumped the mysterious three-headed Todd Black and hired a new media rep, Marti MacKenzie. She is known for repping high-profile defendants, like former astronaut Lisa Nowak. She, of course, is the love triangle astronaut who drove cross country wearing a diaper. You cannot make this stuff up.

Let`s go to my expert panel. Wendy Murphy, former prosecutor and law professor at New England School of Law; Drew Findling, Atlanta criminal defense attorney; and Leslie Snadowsky, investigative reporter.

Leslie, what is the very latest?

LESLIE SNADOWSKY, INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER: George and Cindy Anthony`s attorney, Brad Conway, has come out and saying that Caylee Anthony`s remains have been cremated, but no, they`re not at the Anthony home. The Anthonys are afraid someone is actually going to bust in and steal them.

And this type of mentality is leading them to different decisions when it comes to what are they going to do with them eventually. You would think that maybe they would do a regular burial site with a head stone. But no, they`re afraid that might be vandalized. So they`re thinking on a grander scale, maybe a public memorial at a public park.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, it sounds like a good idea. Now, since little Caylee`s remains were found, one of the key forensic questions has been were Casey`s fingerprints on that duct tape that bound Caylee`s head? In fact, it was over the child`s mouth, and it had a heart sticker on it. Bounty hunter Leonard Padilla said this on "NANCY GRACE" last night.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NANCY GRACE, HOST, "NANCY GRACE": Leonard, what do you know, if anything, about sources reporting fingerprints were lifted off the duct tape?

PADILLA: I heard this morning that there were fingerprints and that the prints are Casey`s.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right. Wendy Murphy, I have with me right now some duct tape. Let`s see. We`ve got it right here.

It was so hard, first of all, to get the duct tape off, to peel it off. This was after a couple of minutes. But would it come down to whether it`s on the outside -- if it`s on the outside, there could be an argument, "Well, this was taken from the home by the mysterious Zanny with the nanny or whatever." And along with all the other things, the bedding and yada yada. And that Casey had touched it previously.

But if it were on the inside, OK, especially if it was way on the inside, wouldn`t it be hard to argue that that was something that was put there previously?

WENDY MURPHY, LAW PROFESSOR: Yes, but in this case, the defense has made crazier arguments. It`s a harder argument to make. But, you know, the chance that a jury with a brain would ever believe that her fingerprint just happened to be on the inside of the super sticky part of the tape and it was because she touched it when she was doing lawn work months earlier and it, oops, just happened to also be the same piece of tape that landed around the face of her dead child. Oh, reasonable doubt, I don`t think so.

Look, I`m not shocked to find out that her fingerprint is on the tape. The child`s decomposed body parts were in her trunk.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Oh, yes. It obviously would be the coupe de gras to all the other forensic evidence that has been gathered against her that the prosecutors plan to present when this case goes to trial, whenever that might be. And you just hit on one of them, the smell of death in the car, the hair showing signs of decomposition that reportedly matched the hair taken from the skull. The list is long.

But let me ask you this question, Drew Findling. This is what Leonard Padilla is saying. Now, we know that 300-plus pages of discovery were released just a couple weeks ago. It wasn`t in there. The remains were found in mid-December.

Wouldn`t this have gone through the system and been released to the defense`s discovery and then, by extension, given to the public, this information, at this point, or not?

DREW FINDLING, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Thank you for that question, Jane, because that is the central issue here. You know, this defense team has been fighting for discovery, fighting for the opportunity to conduct scientific testing. The law is very, very specific and strict about that.

If this took place, and if these results are in, and somehow this profiteering bounty hunter has access to that information before the defense, who hasn`t even conducted their own test, you could be assured that the court is going to come in, and they are going to be sanctions flying out of that judge`s chambers like crazy.

MURPHY: This just drives me crazy, that Drew would say, "The defense is going to have lots to say about this." It`s terribly unfair that the truth about the fingerprints might come out when the defense, from one shill to another, from Cindy on every damn talk show she could get on, to make us go chasing these fake Caylee sightings. So the defense can lie with impunity.

FINDLING: Cindy is not a defense attorney.

MURPHY: I don`t care.

FINDLING: And Cindy is a mother without constitutional rights.

MURPHY: The defense has filled the public with nonsense.

FINDLING: Casey has constitutional rights, and her rights are evoked through her attorney.

MURPHY: The defense has no constitutional rights. Nonsense in the court of public opinion. And then forget about it when the truth comes out.

FINDLING: We don`t care about the court of public opinion.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Calm down, everybody.

FINDLING: We don`t care about the court of public opinion. We care about...

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Let me jump in with a question. And you can just ask yes or no -- answer yes or no. Wendy, if in fact it is true that Casey Anthony`s fingerprints are on the duct tape, is it game, set, match for the prosecution?

MURPHY: No, because the defense is entitled to come up with an explanation that they think is innocent. I don`t think it will be a plausible one, but they`re entitled to make that...

VELEZ-MITCHELL: But Drew, I don`t understand how they could come up with an innocent explanation. You could argue that the mystery nanny, which prosecutors say doesn`t exist, took the bedding and took things, the dolls, all the other stuff that was found, like the toy horse, because that`s what a nanny would have.

But duct tape? I mean, a nanny doesn`t walk around with duct tape from the Anthony home.

FINDLING: Well, Jane, as you know better than any of us, from your coverage of O.J. Simpson, there`s a thing called residual doubt. And when you have people make drastic mistakes, like if this were -- is her fingerprints, leaking it to this bounty hunter before the defense team, that`s the kind of thing that kills investigations and kills prosecutions.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: I`ve got to get to this. This is important. Cindy Anthony organized the memorial service for Caylee. And remember, Lee Anthony raised some eyebrow with this. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

L. ANTHONY: CMA, each day, you can continue to teach me about life and about the way it should be lived. Each day you give me the ability to be strong or to be weak. It`s been so long since I`ve been able to see you, or to hug you, or to tell you how much you mean to me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: OK. Wendy Murphy, Brad Conway is now saying that Lee was referring to all of them. Casey Marie Anthony, Caylee Marie Anthony, and there are claims that we haven`t been able to clarify that Cindy`s initials are also CMA.

MURPHY: We know it isn`t Country Music Awards, I`ll tell you that. You know, frankly, I know it`s a sad thing, but as I said on your show last week, this was at least in part just an offensive infomercial for the defense. Between him sobbing around CMA and Cindy...

VELEZ-MITCHELL: You know what? I have to disagree.

MURPHY: I know. I know, Jane. Let me say something.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: This was a beautiful memorial. I cried when I watched it.

MURPHY: There were times -- there were times when the defense exploited a beautiful memorial. When Cindy said, "I know how much you loved your daughter, Casey..."

FINDLING: She`s not a defense attorney. She`s a mother! She`s not the defense attorney.

MURPHY: That was a defense P.R. move.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: I think that -- I agree with Drew. She`s a mother, and a mother has a right to say whatever she wants about a daughter.

MURPHY: She should not have said that out of respect for her grandchild. Shame on her.

FINDLING: You should have stopped at Country Music Awards. That`s my opinion.

MURPHY: Thanks.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: We`ll leave it at that. That`s a good way to wrap it up.

Leslie, Drew, thank you so much. Wendy, stay right there.

Don`t forget, "Nancy Grace" up immediately following this program at 8 p.m. She will have the very latest on the Caylee Anthony case.

And right here on ISSUES we will update the tragic story of another little Florida girl gone missing. The desperate search for 5-year-old Haleigh Cummings. I want to hear your thoughts on this mysterious case. What happened there? 1-887-JVM-SAYS. That`s 1-877-586-7297 for your questions or theories on the mysterious disappearance of little Haleigh.

Caylee Anthony`s grandfather, George, went to the search area to show support for Haleigh Cummings. Just some eerie similarities in these two cases. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE ANTHONY, GRANDFATHER OF CAYLEE: I`m here in support of them. I`m here to bring Haleigh home. Haleigh Marie Cummings.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Haleigh Ann Marie.

ANTHONY: I`m sorry. I apologize for that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MISTY CROSLIN, GIRLFRIEND OF HALEIGH`S FATHER: Three o`clock in the morning, I got up and -- I got up because I had to use the bathroom, but I didn`t make it to the bathroom. I seen the kitchen light on, and I walked in the kitchen, and the back door was wide open. And I didn`t notice about Haleigh then until I seen the back door open. And then I go in her room and she`s gone. And that`s all I know.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: The desperate search for 5-year-old Haleigh Cummings, who disappeared from her bed in the wee hours of Tuesday morning, has now entered its third day. No sign of the adorable little girl known to her family as Doodle Bug.

Haleigh`s Florida home is just 70 miles away from where Caylee Anthony lived, and now her family is getting support from Caylee`s grandfather, George. I`ll have much more on that in just a moment.

Meantime, Haleigh`s father has taken and reportedly passed a polygraph. Just hours ago, he made a passionate appeal to the person who might have abducted her.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RONALD CUMMINGS, HALEIGH`S FATHER: Just bring her back, anonymous, give her to someone else to bring back. However she gets back, we want her back safe. If you`ve done something with her, tell us where she`s at, if she`s OK, something. We just -- I want my daughter back. That`s it. That`s all -- that`s I want. I want my daughter back. I`m not out for revenge.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: I want to hear from you. Give me a call: 1-877-JVM- SAYS. That`s 1-877-586-7297.

Also, if you have any information, and I mean, any information on the whereabouts of little Haleigh, please call the Putnam County, Florida, sheriff`s office.

First, I am joined by Haleigh`s grandfather, Johnny Sheffield.

Thank you so much, sir, for being here. I know this has to be very, very, very difficult for you, and I really appreciate you taking the time. And hopefully, we can help.

Johnny, it`s been more than 60 hours since little Haleigh disappeared. Authorities now believe she did not wander off. They believe she was abducted. What are your possible theories about what happened to your precious granddaughter?

JOHNNY SHEFFIELD, GRANDFATHER OF HALEIGH CUMMINGS: I don`t know, really. I have to go by what the law enforcement`s told me. They said they`ve done searches. They haven`t found her. I know the father said there are signs of forced entry.

The sheriff told me that there was no signs of forced entry, and I heard the girlfriend`s 911 tape. She said there was no signs of forced entry. And I know the father locked the dead bolt, he said, personally. And I know in order to get through a dead bolt, you`ve got to break the door frame. You`re not just going to wedge it open and open the door.

But I`m not doubting the father didn`t lock the dead bolt. I`m just wondering how somebody got in through a dead bolt and took my granddaughter and just vanished when somebody`s supposed to be there watching her.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: And with apparently no signs of forced entry. I think you make a very, very good point.

Now, I want to bring this into the equation. The story we`re hearing about Haleigh being abducted in the middle of the night without anybody hearing her or the predator has been slammed by some skeptics. Some are raising eyebrows at Misty, the girlfriend who was sleeping with the two children the time little Haleigh disappeared from her bed.

Listen to Misty, the teenage girlfriend of Haleigh`s father.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CROSLIN: I just want her home, just have her come home safe. Just drop her off somewhere. I just want her to come home.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She meant a lot to you, too?

CROSLIN: Yes. A real lot. I loved that little girl like she was my own.

(END VIDE O CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: But to the skeptics, I would remind them to remember the terrible Jessica Lunsford tragedy, also in Florida. In 2005, the beautiful child you`re looking at there, Jessica, was sleeping peacefully in her bed when she was abducted by John Couey, a convicted sex offender, who later confessed to murdering her.

Couey lived in a trailer just 150 yards away. He kept Jessica locked in a closet for two or three days. Tragically, when cops first canvassed that trailer, looking for Jessica, it is theorized that that little girl might have still been alive in that closet.

The reason I`m mentioning that, and it`s an upsetting story, and I apologize for that, Johnny, but it has a point. The point is that so many people are like, how could he come in, take a child and leave without anybody waking up? It happened in 2005.

Admittedly, no one was in the bed with little Jessica Lunsford, but she was taken from a house in Florida and removed while she was asleep and abducted. So it does happen.

Your thoughts on all of that, sir?

SHEFFIELD: Well, I know my granddaughter. And I know that when she wakes up, she goes to screaming and crying. She`s going to her mama or her daddy, or she`s at our house, she`s coming to somebody`s door to let us know that she`s up. And if she happens to wake up in the morning, she goes to the couch and watches TV, if she -- if her father`s not up. But usually her father is up by the time the baby`s up.

I find it hard to believe that somebody could just go in there and grab Haleigh, because Haleigh was a solid little girl. She was a close -- she was hard for me to pick up. And for her to -- somebody to reach in the bed and take her out without waking that girl up, I don`t know how it could be done, because most kids, when you pick them up, they have a reaction to either jump, jerk, or say, "Where am I going," or something. But Haleigh, somebody got her out without her saying nothing?

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Now very quickly, only have a couple of seconds, was your daughter`s relationship with the father of Haleigh rocky, as some of have said?

SHEFFIELD: My daughter and him has been separated for several years, so -- I mean, of course, a couple years ago, it was like rocky when they was going through this custody battle. But here lately, as far as I know, everything was, you know, going smoothly.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right. And it turned out that he got custody of the child, and it is a very, very tragic case.

Johnny Sheffield, I want to thank for joining me. I`d love to have you back. We hope that we get a happy ending here. We`re going to do everything we can in our power to find your little granddaughter.

We have much more to get to in the search for Haleigh Cummings, and I want to hear your thoughts. Give me a call: 1-877-JVM-SAYS.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHERIFF JEFF HARDY, PUTNAM COUNTY, FLORIDA: We`ll expand the investigation as far as it needs to go. As far as whether or not Haleigh is still in the area, that is an unknown.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: That is the sheriff presiding over the search for 5- year-old Haleigh, who has been missing since early Tuesday.

Jennifer Bauer, a reporter with CNN affiliate WJXC-TV in Jacksonville, Florida.

Jennifer, tell us what is the very latest in terms specifically of the lie detector test and then the more detailed story now being offered by Misty, the young woman who was sleeping with the children when Haleigh disappeared.

JENNIFER BAUER, REPORTER, WJTC: Well, today we heard from the sheriff, and he told us that the investigation is continuing. They are interviewing people who know the little girl. They`re even interviewing people who don`t know the little girl. The sheriff told us this morning that they have issued lie detector tests. And he said they are willing to offer them to anyone who wants to take one.

The father, Ronald Cummings, Haleigh`s dad, tells us himself he took one. He tells us he passed. We talked to his 17-year-old girlfriend, Misty Croslin. She tells us she also took one. We asked her how she did. She says she believed she passed. We are also told that the mother, the biological mother did not take one.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: What did the sheriff say? OK, what did the sheriff say?

BAUER: The sheriff will not comment. Jane, he`s not giving any details about who took them or who has them. All he will tell us is that they were administered, and he`s telling us that they are being offered to anyone who`s willing to take them. So the only information we are able to get about the polygraph is from the people themselves who took them, and that`s all we`re able to get right now.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Give us a rundown of what Misty is saying specifically. Because the story is getting more detailed. There`s lights that go on. There`s a door that`s ajar. There`s going to the bathroom. Give us the quick lowdown on what she`s saying exactly happened.

BAUER: Well, as you know, Jane, today was the first time that we heard from Misty Croslin. We`ve been out here for three days. And today was the first time that she came out and talked to our station one on one for a very lengthy interview.

She told us, first of all, that the most, I think, alarming piece of information was that Haleigh was in a different bed. Now, we`ve been hearing all along from detectives that the 17-year-old girlfriend, the little brother, and Haleigh were all in one bed. Now we`re hearing that Haleigh was in her own bed.

She also told us that she got up to go to the bathroom, and the light in the kitchen was on. That`s also new information that police have not been able to confirm for us.

And detectives are telling us that they have taken evidence out of that home. They won`t tell us what, but they say they have collected evidence.

She also, Misty Croslin, in her interview, referred to that brick. Remember yesterday when we listened to those 911 tapes, she said on the phone call, "There`s a brick. The door`s propped open. It`s open. Someone took the little girl out the back."

But police tell us that there was a cinder block there and that apparently about 50 feet from their home, there was a pile of cinder blocks and one of those blocks, they believe, was used to prop open that back door.

But again, Jane, we`re getting a lot of conflicting reports. And I asked the sheriff himself, you know, why the conflicting stories? And he said, "You have to remember, you`re talking about a 17-year-old girl. And sometimes there`s issues with young kids when you`re dealing with them and questioning them" as from a detective`s standpoint.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: The grandfather says that he just doesn`t understand how anybody could have gotten out of there without signs of forced entry. We only have a couple of seconds. Any insights on that?

BAUER: All police will tell us is there was absolutely zero signs of forced entry.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: And she said -- she said -- she said she went...

BAUER: Was the door open, was the door closed, was the door locked, we don`t know.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: ... when she went to sleep, the door was locked. That`s what she said, apparently.

BAUER: Police tell us the door was not forced open.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right.

BAUER: Does that mean someone had a key? We don`t know.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: We`ve got more in just seconds, and we`re going to take your calls. They`re lining up. Stay right there.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Here are the latest developments on the Caylee Anthony case. Leonard Padilla, the bounty hunter, claims he has learned cops have collected extremely incriminating evidence against Casey.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LEONARD PADILLA, BOUNTY HUNTER: I`ve heard this morning that they were fingerprints and that the fingerprints are Casey`s.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Will fingerprints put this case to bed? The Anthony family reportedly plans to honor little Caylee with a memorial in a park instead of a headstone they fear could be vandalized. And we now know Lee`s reference to CMA was to both of them -- Caylee and Casey.

And just 70 miles from where Caylee`s remains were found, a massive search effort continues for 5-year-old Haleigh Cummings. We`ll tell you where the investigators are focusing their efforts now.

Back with more on the tragic disappearance of 5-year-old Haleigh Cummings, joining me, my expert panel: Joe Navarro, former FBI agent and profiler; Wendy Murphy, former prosecutor, law professor, and author of "And Justice for Some;" Don Clark, former FBI special agent in charge and Jennifer Bauer from WJXT TV in Jacksonville, Florida.

The phone lines are lighting up Gerry in California, thanks for you patience sir, question or thoughts?

JERI IN CALIFORNIA: Hi, Jane, --

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Oh, it`s a girl ok, hi.

JERI: I love your show.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Thank you.

JERI: I have a comment. Being that there was no forced entry could it be possible that it was a previous tenant who still had a key?

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Very good thinking. Don Clark?

DON CLARK, FORMER FBI SPECIAL AGENT IN CHARGE: Well, yes, it could be possible that anybody could have been. But, Jane, here`s the key to this situation. Is that you`ve got several areas that you`ve got to look at. One happens to be the house, and that`s the original point that has to get some attention.

The other place that`s got to get some attention is that 44 child predators that`s in that area. And certainly, and simultaneously, you still have to look at relatives and friends and people who sometimes have access in and out of each other`s homes.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes, and as a matter of fact, we`ve got some maps here that we`re going to show you in just a second that really outline the problem. Here is a Google map of Central Florida. Haleigh`s home is in the small town of Satsuma, just 70 miles away from where Caylee Anthony lived.

Satsuma is tiny, but with a population of 5,400 people, the street where Haleigh lives is near a lake. You can see it right there and as you can see it`s not very densely populated.

I also have to go to what you also said, Don, and that is the 44 sex offenders who live right in the area. This is absolutely fascinating. We have a map of 44 sex offenders who live within a five-mile radius. This is the map that shows that.

I mean, is that the national average, Don Clark? That`s shocking to me. Why so many sex offenders in this particular neck of the woods?

CLARK: You know what, Jane, I don`t know exactly, but I`ve looked at a lot of numbers and I think that`s actually sadly, slightly below the national average, when you start looking at the larger populated areas. And I would suggest that that 44 is, of course, what the law enforcement community knows about.

And that`s what`s the frightening thing, is the ones that they don`t know about.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right, Elizabeth in Texas, your question or thought, ma`am?

ELIZABETH: Yes, I would like to know why Misty waited to call 911 after the father got home. And the father commented that she had kept calling his cell phone, but he never answered it. I would like to know how many minutes from the time that child was missing until the time the father got home.

And I also think it`s strange, the father commented, he wasn`t aware of any cinder blocks in the backyard and they`re reporting that there was a pile of them 50 feet from the house and he frequently washed his vehicle in the backyard. It does not add up.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, ma`am, you are taking some very careful notes. I think you need to go a detective school because you`d be a good one. Jennifer Bauer, try to fill us in on all those details.

JENNIFER BAUER, WJXT TV, JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA: I think the only thing to say is we are hearing a lot of inconsistencies again. I think yesterday, when we were talking to the sheriff, he mentioned that it was a 27-minute lapse from the time that they discovered Haleigh was missing to the time that they called -- or I shouldn`t say they but rather Misty Croslin called 911.

And the sheriff said, you know, you have to cut people some slack. Because unless you`re in that kind of situation, you never know how you`re going to react. As for the cinder blocks, today was the first time we were hearing about a pile 50 feet away.

Again, the family says they didn`t know anything about the pile of cinder blocks. I have personally myself been back to that home, I have stood on their driveway and taken a look at my surroundings. It is extremely wooded, extremely secluded. It is very possible that there could be a pile of anything 50 feet away and you wouldn`t see it.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Right, the fact that they`re using the sheddies (ph) to try to get through the woods, that`s how dense the wooded areas are there.

I want to play that clip of Misty Croslin again. And like everybody, listen very carefully. She is the girlfriend of Haleigh`s dad. She was with the child at the time of the disappearance.

Listen closely to what she says.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MISTY CROSLIN, GIRLFRIEND OF HALEIGH`S FATHER: I just want her home. Want to have her home safe. Just drop her off somewhere or something. I just want her to come home.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She meant a lot to you too?

CROSLIN: Yes, a real lot. I loved that little girl like she was my own.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: You have to listen carefully Joe Navarro, but she said, I loved that little girl like she was my own. Do we make anything of the past tense? Or is that just a figure of speech?

JOE NAVARRO, FORMER FBI AGENT AND PROFILER: No, we do make something of that past tense. And we shouldn`t let that slip by.

In fact, we had a case here in Tampa, Florida, not that far about seven years ago where the same thing happened. The mother had actually taken the baby, put it in a garbage bag, and put it in a dumpster.

But I`ve got to tell you, Jane --

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, let me say, before we go any further, --

NAVARRO: Yes.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: -- we don`t have any idea that that`s the same thing. I mean, this woman hasn`t been charged with anything, she`s not considered a suspect. And she may very well have simply been asleep when this child was abducted in the same room with her. But go ahead, finish your thought.

NAVARRO: Well, that may be so, but we still have to pay attention to that.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Oh, sure.

NAVARRO: The grandfather said something very significant. In essence, he was saying, this case does not pass the stink test.

He`s been to the house, he knows the family, he knows the situation, he knows how they sleep, he knows what noises are made when you walk in, he knows how the doors work, he knows everything about that. And in his own mind he`s saying, this does not pass the stink test.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, just remember that he is the -- on the mother`s side. And the mother and the father are separated and the father is with this other young woman, Misty.

So you never know what the motivations are. And I`m not saying he has bad motivations, but you know how those disputes are, that it can color your perception.

Linda in Texas, question or thought?

LINDA IN TEXAS: Hi Jane, thanks for taking my call.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Hey, thanks for calling.

LINDA: I`m wondering if the abduction of Haleigh Cummings is not some sort of copycat scenario, because Haleigh and Caylee sound alike, both children are from Florida. And I`m wondering, could this be some sort of way to get attention, in some distorted way?

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, it`s an absolutely fascinating question and I`m going to toss it to Wendy Murphy.

WENDY MURPHY, FORMER PROSECUTOR: I don`t have my Ph.D. in psychology. I don`t know what makes people do things. I do agree with the previous caller that and other panelists, it doesn`t make sense yet.

If there`s still so much suspicion around the circumstances in the home, doesn`t mean it was a stranger.

But here`s what bugs me Jane, a couple of things, even if you`re a dumb criminal, it`s a really super dopey thing to do to pick on a child and to try to take a child out of a home at 3:00 in the morning.

Because it`s a rare chance --

VELEZ-MITCHELL: But criminals are dumb.

Look at the case that we used of Jessica Lunsford who was taken out of her home in the middle of the night in Florida in an area where there were trailer parks.

MURPHY: I understand that --

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes.

MURPHY: But let me make a point. Because I think this is interesting. You`d have to be really dopey, because you can`t predict that the child will be quiet or alone. Unlike Jesse Lunsford, she was alone in her own bed and the neighbors knew it. You can`t predict that this child would be alone. And isn`t it interesting that it happened to be a time in the middle of the night when the father wasn`t home.

Could it have been someone who knew that only this 17-year-old nitwit was going to be there alone without the dad present? You know, it bothers me that there`s a delay in her report. I have a kid that`s 17. She wouldn`t wonder where the kid was.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: But I`m sure your child is a genius.

MURPHY: No, au contraire. Believe me when I say this.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes.

MURPHY: It takes a real low IQ to say, child missing, 911. My turtle could do this.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, I don`t know if you`ve ever been panicked and had a missing any loved one. I will never -- I`ve used this example before of having a pet run away and how panicked you become. And you start running around and you really aren`t acting in a rationale fashion, Don Clark, a lot of the times.

CLARK: Well, let`s kind of get away from the emotions aspect of this and let`s look at the technical investigative aspect and the forensics and so forth and let`s try to dwell on that aspect. Forget about what this young lady did, because the police --

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Ok, Don --

CLARK: -- the police officers ought to be able to identify what her actions were based on other things that they`ve heard.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Ok and I think that the big question is -- we have to leave it right there, but the big question is, how does somebody break into a house where the door is locked and there`s no sign of forced entry. That`s another mystery.

Joe, Wendy, Don, Jennifer, thank you so much. We`re going to stay on top of this case. We are going to do everything we can to find that little child.

NANCY GRACE

Mystery Evidence Recovered in Search for 5-Year-Old

Aired February 13, 2009 - 20:00:00 ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

MIKE BROOKS, GUEST HOST: Breaking news tonight. The desperate search for a 5-year-old Florida girl who vanishes in the middle of the night without a trace, Haleigh Cummings reportedly last seen when she`s tucked into bed for the night. Then five hours later, she`s gone, the back door left wide open. What happened to 5-year-old Haleigh Cummings?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Breaking news in the case of 5-year-old Florida girl Haleigh Cummings, who police say was abducted from her own bed. Police say they found items of interest during their search for the child.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We were very successful in doing the search that we wanted to do. We did discover some items of interest. I can`t go into detail as to what those items are.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: While authorities won`t release details about the items, officials still believe Haleigh was abducted.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We still believe this to be an abduction. There`s no reason to believe that it`s not. Whether she was abducted from her home or she left and Haleigh left on her own and somebody picked her up, of course, that person has no rights to Haleigh.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Even though investigators don`t know if Haleigh is still in the area or not, her grandfather believes whole-heartedly she`s right under their nose.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She could be anywhere, but she`s closer than we think.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A special agent with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement says all lab work on evidence in this case has been moved to the front of the line and given the highest priority.

RONALD CUMMINGS, FATHER: They`re trying to find my daughter and get her home safe. We want her back. That`s all we want.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROOKS: Good evening. I`m Mike Brooks, in for Nancy Grace. The search growing more desperate by the minute, and local, state and federal agencies join forces to find 5-year-old Florida girl Haleigh Cummings.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: New details today in the case of a 5-year-old child abducted from her own bed in the middle of the night. Police continue to search for Haleigh Cummings and now say they have found items of interest in the case.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Whether it`s fingerprints, DNA, lab analysis, we are going to use the full force of the Jacksonville crime laboratory to bring whatever results or leads we can.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It is still unknown what items were found or where. Authorities also expanded the search territory today, with over 100 volunteers and 50 law enforcement officers searching through thick brush and water.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Between 100 and 200 people have come together with Texas Equusearch to aid in the search. They brought horses, ATVs and other equipment, ready to hit the ground running.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Besides collecting evidence, investigators have also been administering lie detector tests. We`re told the father has taken one. His 17-year-old girlfriend has, too. Police say Haleigh`s mother has not.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: As authorities continue to search the area, they`re also talking to sex offenders.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The registered 44 sex offenders who live within five miles of the home have now all been located. Officials are poring through tips, while the Florida Department of Law Enforcement has put all evidence testing in this case as its top priority.

RONALD CUMMINGS: I appreciate all the support and help that I`ve got. Obviously, I want my daughter home safe. If you have my daughter and you`re watching this, drop her off somewhere safe.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROOKS: Good evening. I`m Mike Brooks, in for Nancy Grace. The search continues for beautiful 5-year-old Haleigh Cummings. What happened to Haleigh Cummings? For the latest, right there at Satsuma, at the mobile command center, I want to go out to Joy Purdy, reporter for CNN affiliate WTLV. What`s the latest, Joy?

JOY PURDY, WTLV: The very latest is something that was mentioned in your headline. The Putnam County sheriff`s office very happy with the search and the results found in that search. They have more than 200 volunteers here, both law enforcement and civilians combing like a grid fashion every inch of brush and open field they can find in this area. And that search has now moved from directly around Haleigh Cummings`s home to about a mile out. And there is so much land to cover, so much water, and they`re going step by step, Mike.

BROOKS: Kind of describe the area for us. Is it a mostly rural area? A lot of heavy underbrush? What`s it like there?

PURDY: It`s a very rural area. It`s a third land, a third residential and a third water. That is what makes up Satsuma. Fifty-three hundred people live here. It`s a very tight-knit town, not a lot of people. In this mobile home park alone, the residents -- not everyone really knows each other. They can live right next to each other, not know each other, very quiet.

So all of a sudden, all of us are descending on their neighborhood, so it`s very overwhelming for them right now. And yes, a lot of thick brush. It`s been very warm out here, but the investigators and the people who are helping have had to dress in long sleeves, long pants because as they take machetes and walking sticks through these wooded areas, they`re getting cut by palmetto limbs and vines and all kinds of branches. But you can hear them breathing very heavily, cutting and hacking through as they try to make their way through. And they basically disappear and all you can hear are their machetes swinging through this brush.

BROOKS: It sounds like some really, really tough conditions. Where was the search today concentrated? And where did they find these items of interest that they`re talking about?

PURDY: Well, the search has now -- not been so much concentrated. They are still on the waterways, aerial, and on boats. And they`ve also expanded to about a mile away from the house.

But it`s very interesting that you ask about what exactly they found and where they found it because no matter how many times we asked investigators during their 4:00 PM news conference this evening, they would not tell us, very tight-lipped about what was found, where it was found. But they did tell us it was civilians who found it, some volunteers who found these items. And we don`t even know if they are actual items. They could have been tire tracks that someone took a picture of and then brought that back. So it doesn`t have to be physical anything.

BROOKS: That`s very interesting. We`re going to go out to Jon Leiberman correspondent for "America`s Most Wanted," in New York. Jon, it was a civilian that apparently found this. Now, are they teaming the civilians up with law enforcement so if anything of evidentiary value is found, there won`t be a chain of custody problem?

JON LEIBERMAN, "AMERICA`S MOST WANTED": Yes. You hit the nail on the head, Mike. That`s why they`re doing it. You have Equusearch out there. You have law enforcement out there.

And there are some rather strange circumstances here, too, Mike, as well. And that is that there really didn`t appear to be any forced entry into the home. There`s a screen door there and there was a cinderblock, we`re told, that was placed there to hold the screen door open, and then, of course, the other door was wide open. It doesn`t look like anybody actually broke into the home, though.

So that makes law enforcement, you know, look back a month back to see, you know, who was in contact with this family? Did somebody know that Ronald doesn`t come home from work until 3:30 in the morning? Did somebody prop open that screen door to get easier access inside the home? So there`s really a lot going on here.

BROOKS: Yes. It sounds like there`s a lot going on. It sounds like there`s a lot of questions still to be answered.

But right now, I want to go out to a very, very special guest. She`s there in Satsuma at the mobile command center. It`s Crystal Cummings. She`s Haleigh`s paternal aunt, Ronald Cummings`s sister. Thank you for being with us, Crystal.

CRYSTAL CUMMINGS, HALEIGH`S AUNT: Thank you.

BROOKS: If -- right now, Crystal, if you could say something to Haleigh`s abductor, what would you say to this person?

CRYSTAL CUMMINGS: I would say, Please bring her home. There`s a lot of family members out here, a lot of people that want Haleigh home. No matter where you take her, just bring her home, please. We`re waiting for her and we love her.

BROOKS: I know it`s got to be extremely difficult there with your family, just not knowing what happened to this beautiful little 5-year-old girl. Now, tell us a little bit about Haleigh. Tell us, what is she like? What does she like to do? She looks like such a sweet young girl.

CRYSTAL CUMMINGS: She is. She likes to play with other children. She likes make-up. She likes to dress up. She likes to play on computers and her grandma`s phone.

BROOKS: Now, what was her favorite color? Does she have any favorite toys that are there at the house still?

CRYSTAL CUMMINGS: Her favorite color is purple and pink. She does have a camera that she got for Christmas. That`s probably her favorite toy. I don`t know.

BROOKS: What a gorgeous smile this little girl has, what a gorgeous smile.

I want to go out to the lines right now. Wanda from Tennessee, thanks for joining us.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. Thank you, Mike, for taking my call. You`re so -- just such a competent person. I just enjoy you. I`m just really hurt about this. I`ve got family members, you know, and children in, you know, my family. My question is, if a civilian or someone did find something, how far away was it from the house? Are they expecting to -- Equusearch to come and go into the water again? Or could you give me some more information, please?

BROOKS: I can tell you the search for this little girl is not over and they have not exhausted everything. I want to go out to Joy Purdy, reporter for CNN affiliate WTLV. Can you answer that question?

PURDY: Sure, Mike. That search we know has gone about a mile away from the home. But investigators are not saying where any items were found, where any evidence was found. They`re not saying how it was discovered. We don`t know if it was something that was seen stuck in a tree or if it was something that somebody tripped over or if it was something that was just a little off. We just don`t know. They will not tell us.

But we do know that tomorrow, when Equusearch starts the search again in the morning, they`re going to expand it even father than that mile away from the house. So it keeps growing and growing as they trace and retrace their steps.

BROOKS: You know, and that`s normal. If they find some of these items of interest, if they find something there -- and I can tell you, having been on searches like this myself for evidence -- after finding something there, they will take it and expand it out even more. So I`m -- I`m -- it sounds like they found something significant. Whether it was a tire tread, whether it was a piece of clothing, we don`t know. But it sounds like it`s something very significant.

I want to go back out to Crystal Cummings, Haleigh`s paternal aunt and Ronald`s sister. You had mentioned to one of our NANCY GRACE staff that you wanted to speak for Misty, Ronald`s 17-year-old girlfriend.

CRYSTAL CUMMINGS: Yes, I do.

BROOKS: What would you like to say?

CRYSTAL CUMMINGS: I would like to say that Misty is very responsible, and even though she`s 17, that`s not that young. I know plenty of people that would leave their children with a 17-year-old. And she loves them children, and they love her just as much.

BROOKS: Now, how long...

CRYSTAL CUMMINGS: Misty wouldn`t do anything -- I`m sorry. I know she wouldn`t do anything to hurt them.

BROOKS: Yes. Now, how long have Ronald and Misty been together?

CRYSTAL CUMMINGS: They`ve been together for a while. I`m not sure exactly how long, but it`s been a while.

BROOKS: But it has been quite some time, you say?

CRYSTAL CUMMINGS: Yes.

BROOKS: Now, do you know if they have any neighbors or if they had any enemies at all?

CRYSTAL CUMMINGS: Not that I know of.

BROOKS: Had they had any disputes recently with anyone? Had Ronald had any run-ins with someone, or Misty?

CRYSTAL CUMMINGS: Not that I know of.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Marie Griffis says it`s the kind of anxiety where you can`t eat, you can`t sleep. All you can do is hope.

MARIE GRIFFIS, HALEIGH`S GRANDMOTHER: It`s just emptiness inside.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Feelings expressed by strangers and friends who have left mementos praying for her young granddaughter`s safe return.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We`re now approaching the 80th hour that Haleigh`s been missing. And again, we`re still extremely concerned about her safety and her whereabouts.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Clues. Clues. That`s what we`re looking for. We`re looking for scraps of clothing. We`re looking for little Haleigh, is what we`re looking for, anything that can point to the direction of where that little girl is.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We did discover some items of interest. I can`t go into detail as to what those items are.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have actively investigated and pursued over 350 leads that have come in to date. So we are not just going to limit this search to Putnam County. We`ll go wherever it takes us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

911 OPERATOR: What`s her date of birth?

RONALD CUMMINGS: Y`all are (DELETED) playing games, man! I`m going to (DELETED) kill somebody!

911 OPERATOR: OK. Tell him we understand. We need to get her date of birth.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What`s her date of birth?

RONALD CUMMINGS: (DELETED) her birthday! We need to find her! (DELETED) her date of birth!

(END AUDIO CLIP)

BROOKS: I`m Mike Brooks, in for Nancy Grace. The desperate search for beautiful 5-year-old Haleigh Cummings continues in Florida. We just don`t know what happened to this girl.

Back out to Jon Leiberman, correspondent for "America`s Most Wanted. Jon, do we know how many people have been polygraphed so far in this case?

LEIBERMAN: Well, we know that the little girl`s father, and of course, his girlfriend have each been polygraphed. And police are satisfied with those results, Mike. So at this point, while we can`t say they`ve been ruled out completely, they`re satisfied with the results. They`ve both been extremely cooperative. And as you saw, they`re full of emotion, which is what you would expect when a father`s little girl goes missing.

BROOKS: I want to go out to Pat Brown, criminal profiler and author of "Killing for Sport." Pat, there`s so many different scenarios we`re looking at. What are some of the possible scenarios that may have happened here?

PAT BROWN, CRIMINAL PROFILER: Well, Mike, I think the most important thing is the person had a familiarity with that house. This wasn`t somebody just came in off the street, a trucker going by, seeing a little girl out in the yard and grabbing her. This is somebody who obviously knew that the father was not going to be there, would be able to know what the set-up of the house is like, somebody who`d be willing to open the door, prop it open, somehow get in the house, turn a light on.

This is somebody who would have to be extremely familiar with the house, or it has to be somebody from within the house. So at least the advantage is the police will have a small group of suspects to work with, either somebody was has had -- in the house, somebody who -- a relative, somebody who has had contact, somebody who worked in the house, somebody who was a neighbor. It has to be something -- a very small circle of people that they`re looking at.

BROOKS: Back out to Joy Purdy, reporter for CNN affiliate WTLV. Joy, have they cleared all of the 44 registered sex offenders that live within the 5-mile radius?

PURDY: Cleared? Yes and no. The Putnam County sheriff`s office says cleared, yes, in the sense that they have contacted all 44 in that 5-mile radius and their homes have been checked. However, they say over and over again, quote, unquote, "Everyone is still a suspect at this point." No one is cleared.

BROOKS: I want to go back out to Crystal Cummings. She`s Haleigh`s paternal aunt, Ronald`s sister. Last question for you. If right now, you could say something to Haleigh, what would you say to Haleigh?

CRYSTAL CUMMINGS: I would like to say that your daddy, Misty, your grandma, me and your mama, we all love you and we want you home. Everyone out here is looking for you. And if you`re watching, we love you and we will bring you home. We will find you.

BROOKS: Crystal Cummings, thank you so much for joining us. Our hearts, our prayers and thoughts are with you and your family as you go through this tough time, and we want to make sure that Haleigh comes home alive.

Want to go out to the lines. Donna from New York. Thanks for joining us, Donna.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. I want to know about the brick that was used to pry the back door open. Supposedly, the bricks -- there was a pile of them that was located near the woods. If the father didn`t know that the bricks were there, which he said he did not know, who knew those bricks were there? And is it possible somebody came in through the front door? Was that front door locked?

BROOKS: That`s a great question. Jon Leiberman?

LEIBERMAN: That is a great question. First, as to the brick, that is now at the crime lab. They`re checking it for anything they might be able to get off of it because, clearly, it was propping open that side door. Now, of course, another scenario -- to talk to your caller -- is, did this little girl for some reason wander outside, and then she was somehow snatched or something like that?

We should point out also, Mike, the police report will go into it a little bit more, but we have learned that the canines did sniff a trail from where that screen door was -- was propped open out toward the pond and then back again. We`ll get into more of that later. But we don`t believe -- we believe that all of the activity was at this back door, not at any other entryway.

BROOKS: Very interesting. And when we`re talking about this cinderblock -- I want to go out to Dr. Joshua Perper. He`s chief medical examiner, Broward County, and author of "When to Call the Doctor." Dr. Perper, is there a possibility at all that there could be any possible touch DNA on this particular cinderblock that the father has been talking about?

DR. JOSHUA PERPER, CHIEF MEDICAL EXAMINER, BROWARD COUNTY: Yes, it`s certainly a possibility. But it`s a matter of fact (ph). And if there is a DNA, they will have to determine to whom it belongs -- in other words, to check against the father and the girlfriend and anybody else. But it`s still -- it wouldn`t (ph) identify it with a person because you need a suspect to match it against the DNA present. And so they have what`s called touch DNA. So a few -- just a few, three or four cells, when somebody touches the brick, are sufficient for making -- for doing the test.

BROOKS: Interesting. And should they get some of this DNA, there is a database called CODIS. Now, local, federal and state law enforcement, corrections, probation and parole all feed into this particular database, correct, Doctor?

PERPER: That`s correct. And they are going to do that. If they found, indeed (ph), fingerprint, they would check them against the database, against the national database.

BROOKS: Right. And so, hopefully, if there is any touch DNA on this cinderblock, hopefully, that person has been in the system at one time or another, in the local, state or federal law enforcement, corrections and probation and parole system.

Also tonight, to tonight`s "Case Alert." A full-scale investigation under way in a deadly plane crash near Buffalo, New York. Continental connecting flight 3407 plunges into a home after 10:00 PM last Thursday evening while on approach to Buffalo-Niagara Airport, 50 souls killed, including 4 crew members and one person on the ground. The National Transportation Safety Board says the crew noticed significant ice build-up on the leading edge of the wings and the windshield before the crash. Flight 3407 originated in Newark, New Jersey. Among the victims, a 9/11 widow, an off-duty pilot and New York state trooper.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We will begin a lengthy process, that will take weeks, of DNA matching. And so part of what we`ll need is to obtain DNA from family members and any DNA that may exist from the victims from the past, and we`ll have to match up the DNA.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROOKS: They`ve put up a special family assistance number for relatives at 1-800-621-3263.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There are conflicting accounts in the case of that 5-year-old girl who vanished from her bed 70 miles north of Orlando. Well, Ronald Cummings`s girlfriend is disputing initial reports she was sleeping next to the young girl.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Were y`all in the same bed?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No. She was in her bed in front of the TV, and me and Junior were in my bed.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROOKS: I`m Mike Brooks, in for Nancy Grace, and we`re taking your calls live. I just want to remind our viewers, if you have a question of me or one of our expert panel, remember that number is 1-877-NANCY-01. But if any of our viewers know anything at all about this case of the beautiful missing girl, Miss Cummings, I want you to call the Putnam County sheriff`s tip line at 1-386-329-0808.

And with that, let`s go out to the lines. Lynn from Nebraska, you have a question?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. Hi, Mike. I love your show. And I come from Washington, D.C., myself.

BROOKS: You have a question?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. I`d like to know, does the 17-year-old go to school or have a job? And what kind of work does the father do?

BROOKS: Joy Purdy, reporter with CNN affiliate WTLV, do you know if she`s...

PURDY: Well, we don`t know a whole -- we don`t know a whole lot about the girlfriend. She`s been kept out of our reach, family-wise. The husband we do know works for a company that makes big parts for bridges, is what we understand.

BROOKS: Got you. And on the police report, apparently, it says she`s unemployed, so she must be -- she must watch the children full-time.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Come home to us. I know you are watching over her and protecting her and keeping her.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: For the second time in just as many days, friends and family say a prayer and light a candle for little Haleigh`s safe return.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: All things work unto you.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Family members and loved ones have been sitting under a tent yards away from the home for much of the day as they lean on each other for support.

CRYSTAL SHEFFIELD, MOM OF MISSING 5-YR-OLD HALEIGH CUMMINGS: I don`t know where she is or who has her. I just want her home.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Haleigh`s grandmother insists the 5-year-old would never willingly go with a stranger but she still has faith the little girl is alive.

MARIE GRIFFIS, GRANDMOTHER OF 5-YR-OLD HALEIGH CUMMINGS: Haleigh is living and breathing. I don`t feel that there`s anything that has happened to her bad.

RONALD CUMMINGS, FATHER OF MISSING 5-YR-OLD HALEIGH CUMMINGS: Somebody stole my child out of my bed. I come home from work and my child was not there.

911 DISPATCHER: Tell him we got them coming. He needs to try to calm down a little bit, OK? The officers are going to come out there and do what they can. We can`t have him screaming and yelling at the officers whenever they get there, OK?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Give me (EXPLETIVE DELETED) phone. I got better people to talk to than a (EXPLETIVE DELETED) mother that ain`t coming.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MIKE BROOKS, GUEST HOST: I`m Mike Brooks in for Nancy Grace.

We`re hearing those 911 calls, those frantic 911 calls, and I`d say if someone had taken my little girl I would be hollering and screaming and cursing, too.

I want to go right out to the attorneys. Paul Batista, defense attorney and author of "Death`s Witness," and also joining us at Atlanta, Randy Kessler, defense attorney.

First to you, Paul, this girl is 17-year-olds old, the girlfriend. Now, for a police to question her, she is technically a juvenile. Is there something special they have to do or if she -- since she`s so close to the case and -- circumstances, they don`t have to?

PAUL BATISTA, DEFENSE ATTORNEY, AUTHOR OF "DEATH`S WITNESS": There`s nothing really special way they have to do, Mike. So long does she has -- there`s no age cutoff, there`s no threshold. So long as she has the maturity to focus on the questions, the ability to answer them, no impediment to the police asking her questions.

Like anyone else, she can decline to answer questions from law enforcement. But apparently he or she`s spoken to police and is prepared to continue to cooperate.

BROOKS: Now, now, Paul, all 44 of the sex offenders within a five-mile radius have apparently been interviewed and for the most part -- we heard from Joy Purdy for the most part have been cooperative and have been cleared. Now, as a condition of their release, once they`re released from jail, is there something that if law enforcement comes to your door and knocks on your door to check on you, you have to cooperate?

BATISTA: There is. You know, the registered sex offender statutes in most states, and most states have them, Mike, make it a mandatory condition usually for life that when a registered sex offender is approached by law enforcement with questions, that person has to answer those questions unlike an ordinary citizen.

It`s one of the disabilities that really persists through life for people who fall into the category of registered sex offenders.

BROOKS: Now someone comes -- if an FBI agent or someone comes to their door, knocks in their door, and says, hey, we want to come in, do they have to give consent?

BATISTA: Again, Mike, it`s the terms of the statutes in most states make it mandatory on the registered sex offender that that person allow the FBI or other law enforcement into the home and respond to the questions. And there will be consequences for them should they refuse to cooperate and respond.

BROOKS: Yes. Well, I`m -- again, we`re also hearing that some of these sex offenders were coming forward saying, hey, I had nothing to do with this. Clear my name right now. I`ll do whatever you want.

BATISTA: It`s the race to the confessional, Mike. And one really can`t blame them.

BROOKS: No, no, especially in a case like this, you know, no, absolutely not.

I want to go to Randy Kessler. Randy, we hear that the FBI and other law enforcement involved in this are interviewing and now re-interviewing some of the relatives and other people close to this case. Is that uncommon?

RANDY KESSLER, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: No. They need to interview and interview and interview until they get to the bottom line. You know, there`s no reason they should stop until they see everything, everywhere, everyone. I mean, and everybody should be documenting what`s said.

I`m glad that the police are being tight lipped so that when a witness does make a statement, it`s not because they heard it on our show or they heard it somewhere else. It`s got to be independent and it`s got to be original. And so they need to ask all the questions and then they can piece it together and see what makes sense and what doesn`t make sense.

BROOKS: Absolutely. You know, I think they`re doing a great job. OK, we found some items of interest. We`re not going to tell you because once you get a suspect, a possible suspect, you bring them in, you start interviewing them and they`re only going to know certain things if they -- if they were actually involved in that case.

Right now, I want to go out to a very special guest at the command center there in Satsuma, Florida. Marie Griffis, she`s Haleigh`s maternal grandmother, She`s Crystal -- the mother`s mother.

Thanks for being with us, Marie.

GRIFFIS: You`re welcome.

BROOKS: Now, your daughter, was she interviewed or re-interviewed today by the FBI?

GRIFFIS: Yes, she -- the FBI -- they had her around somewhere here in the command center for a few hours this morning.

BROOKS: Can you tell us anything at all about the meeting? What she was asked?

GRIFFIS: No, I can`t. She hasn`t told me anything about it. She said she just -- she had looked at some pictures and I suppose it was some pictures that we had given access to the media from her MySpace page of Haleigh so that they would have new, fresh pictures, you know, to show of Haleigh but as far as that -- that`s really all I got from her.

BROOKS: Now was Crystal -- has she been polygraphed by the FBI or anyone else as of right now?

GRIFFIS: No. She hasn`t been polygraphed and any one of in our immediate family has not been polygraphed. We have been asked to be polygraphed and we all agreed. The only thing we have done is given them a written statement from the day before up until Tuesday morning.

BROOKS: Yes.

GRIFFIS: . as to what we all done that day.

BROOKS: Yes. Did they say when they were going to ask you to take a polygraph?

GRIFFIS: Today is Friday.

BROOKS: Right.

GRIFFIS: This was yesterday morning. I do believe that they asked us to take that test and we`ve done our paperwork but we haven`t yet received the polygraph.

BROOKS: Right. Now have you ever been inside of the house where Ronald and Misty were living?

GRIFFIS: No, I haven`t. No, I haven`t.

BROOKS: Do you know if anyone has access to that house or anyone else besides Misty and Ronald have a key to that house? Anything at all like that?

GRIFFIS: I have no -- I have no idea if anyone has a key or if Misty or Ronald has given anyone a key.

BROOKS: Now your daughter apparently was taken to a doctor today. How is she doing and what happened?

GRIFFIS: She`s doing good. She just got a little dehydrated and it was -- it was really, really hot and, you know, she hasn`t eat a lot and she hasn`t drank a lot and, you know, she is like, mama, I can`t eat because I don`t know if my baby`s eaten. I don`t know if.

BROOKS: Yes.

GRIFFIS: . they`re feeding her and you know, we just -- we try to get her -- she eats a little bit because we tell her, you know, you got to keep your strength up for Haleigh and she just -- I think she didn`t have enough fluids in her body but they got her fixed and sent her back and we got Junior tonight for her visitation and we went ahead and sent her to where we`ll be staying tonight and I talked to her and her fiance a while ago and she`s there with Junior by her -- just them two with Junior.

And she really sounded great. She -- she sounded like she was very, very happy even though Haleigh`s not there with her, just having Haleigh`s brother with her, I figured she would draw strength from that.

BROOKS: Yes. No, I -- I think it`s good. Tell her to keep hydrated. You got to eat a little bit of something because, you know, when you`re under so much stress, your body does very, very strange things so tell her to keep hydrated and I`m glad she`s there with junior.

I want to go back out to Jon Leiberman, "America`s Most Wanted" correspondent.

Jon, can you kind of set the stage for us on the whole timeline? How this whole thing started. Just kind of give us a reader`s digest version of that.

JON LEIBERMAN, CORRESPONDENT, AMERICA`S MOST WANTED: Yes, well, I mean you`re talking about around 3:00 in the morning, you know, the timeline is actually very simple in terms of the actual events. It turns out little Haleigh was in her own bed and at some point she apparently -- the girlfriend woke up from her bed sleeping with Junior have -- that`s how he`s been referred to -- and notices that Haleigh isn`t in the bed.

She sees that the side door is open apparently. Within minutes Ronald comes home, Haleigh`s father, and everything goes from there. 911 is called and it`s a pretty tight timeline there on Monday but something that`s interesting, Mike, is we have our hands on the police report now.

BROOKS: Yes.

LEIBERMAN: Which actually talks about the moment police get there, they begin assessing the situation as you know. And in this particular situation, they call the canine unit out. This is extremely, extremely important. The canine unit actually initiates the trail that leads out the back door, gets the little girl`s scent, and out towards a wooded path and then they see a small child, what they believe a footprint in the dirt also.

BROOKS: We`ll talk more about that and we`ll be joined by Patrick Saunders, clinical psychologist, and Marc Klaas, president and founder of KlassKids Foundation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The last time little Haleigh Cummings was with her mom and her mom`s fiance was at this home in Baker County nearly two weeks ago. It is the place where we met the fiance, Chad Griffis. Griffis says he prays the 5-year-old is all right. Just thinking about her brings him to tears.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just bring her home safe please.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: All the world`s a suspect. We are going to treat everybody, every family member, every associate, every neighbor like a suspect until we can eliminate them.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The Putnam County Sheriff`s Office says it, with the FBI, have interviewed everyone thoroughly in the immediate area about the girl`s disappearance including Haleigh`s family.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Investigators tell us Haleigh could have been taken anywhere since she disappeared from her Satsuma home early Tuesday morning. Her dad who came home to find her missing has been questioned and polygraphed and passed.

CUMMINGS: Somebody stole my child. It`s not like a bicycle or a -- somebody stole my child from me.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Along with his 17-year-old girlfriend who says she was sleeping in the same room and heard nothing.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I mean I didn`t notice about Haleigh then and saw the back door open and then I go in the room and she is gone.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Detectives say they will search, research and then search again any place there might be evidence.

911 DISPATCHER: OK, listen to me. I`m getting this information. I`m not the officer driving out there, OK?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK.

911 DISPATCHER: They`re coming out there to handle that situation. I need to gather all information from you over the phone.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK.

911 DISPATCHER: It has nothing to do with me driving out there. The officers are taking care of that, OK? They`re coming out there, OK?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK.

911 DISPATCHER: OK. I`m going t stay on the phone with you, OK?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK.

911 DISPATCHER: Until they get there, OK? Tell him we got them coming. He needs to try to calm down a little bit, OK? The officers are going to come out there and do what they can. We can`t have him screaming and yelling at the officers whenever they get there, OK?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROOKS: I`m Mike Brooks in for Nancy Grace.

Sybil from Florida, thank you for joining us.

SYBIL, FROM FLORIDA: Yes, I watch your show every night and you know, no one has said anything about the fact that this girl is 17 living with the older man and knowing how teenagers like to party?

BROOKS: Well, you know, Sybil, there are a lot of theories out there right now, but.

SYBIL: Yes. You know, the teenagers like to party, especially when they get a house to themselves. Some other teenagers around there and left that door open, you know.

BROOKS: Yes.

SYBIL: . or did something with this little girl because she woke up and found the party going on but we enjoy your show and watch it every night.

BROOKS: Well, thank you, Sybil, and thanks again for calling in. You know, we heard from Crystal Cummings who said that Misty was a very responsible 17-year-old girl so there`s a lot of theories out there but we don`t want -- rush to judgment on Sybil, the father -- I mean on Misty, the father or anyone else. So, as the facts evolve, I`m we`ll hear more.

Right now I want to bring in Marc Klaas, president and founder of KlaasKids Foundation. He, too, has been a crime victim. As you know, you recall, Marc`s daughter Polly was kidnapped from a slumber party and murdered back in 1993.

Marc, thank you for being with us.

MARC KLAAS, PRESIDENT AND FOUNDER, KLAASKIDS FOUNDATION: Sure.

BROOKS: What do you make of the 17-year-old babysitter/friend -- girlfriend story?

KLAAS: Well I -- you know, I have no idea. Here`s what I think about the story.

BROOKS: OK.

KLAAS: If, in fact, what she says is true, that somebody came in and stole that little girl while the three of them were sleeping in a room, and the police report is very clear that at least the two children were in a bed together, that if that happened then we`re dealing with a very desperate and dangerous individual who is committed a very brazen and high risk crime.

One that, had he woken up the other people in the room the choices he would -- or he or they would have had to make at that moment could have -- could have resulted in -- homicide. That`s number one.

Number two, I`d like to speak very quickly to the whole idea of the searchers finding evidence. I can assure that you that Tim Miller briefed his volunteer searchers that if they were to find anything relevant to the case that they would identify it and step back and call in the authorities so that it could be properly and professionally processed. He`s the -- the last thing he wants to do is involve himself in something that`s going to compromise evidence.

And number three, as far as the -- as far as who has keys to the house, have the locks been changed? I think is an important question because Ron just recently moved into that trailer and the possibility certainly exists that past tenants may very well still have keys to the trailer so there are an awful lot of things that have to be taken into consideration as they move forward with this investigation.

BROOKS: No, you -- and you make some great points, Marc, especially the ones with the locks and the evidence. I know Putnam County sheriffs are taking great, great lengths to make sure that there`s no issues when it comes to chain of command, chain of custody of this evidence so I know that for a fact that they`re looking at this.

I want to go back out to Jon Leiberman with "America`s Most Wanted," correspondent.

Jon, we talk about the report. If you noticed in the report -- initially, it says foul play suspected. And it said -- Rose Marie, we got that? There it is right there. Right on the top right corner. Foul play suspected, no. What changed that?

LEIBERMAN: Well, you know, this was obviously an initial report taken right away. That could even be a misprint or things of that sort but I think once police got there and they began investigating, they clearly saw that the little girl was missing and they clearly changed this to thinking an abduction did take place.

BROOKS: Right.

Right now I want to go out to clinical psychologist, Patricia Saunders.

Patricia, thanks for sticking with us. Now, as this goes on, what is the family going through? We just saw Crystal, the mother, has gotten ill. I mean, could all this stress make you actually physically ill?

PATRICIA SAUNDERS, CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST: Absolutely, Mike. This is about the worst thing that can happen to anybody. The -- threatened loss, the loss of their baby that initially people respond to a traumatic event with a certain kind of numbness but terror sets in and this kind of a rollercoaster between rage and fear and not feeling much of anything. The stress on the body is enormous and people will have to take extra good care of themselves or they`ll get seriously ill.

BROOKS: You know we heard the whole thing when Ronald came home and found out that she was missing and the call to 911 and the anger there, then we saw him the next night right there, that next night, on the NANCY GRACE show, and it looks like the stress was really taking a toll on him. I mean he looked, he looked fatigued. I`m sure he hasn`t slept. I`m sure she hasn`t eaten. It`s just an unbelievable case.

I want to go out to the lines. Barbara from New Jersey, do you have a question?

BARBARA, FROM NEW JERSEY: Yes, I actually wanted to ask you what Mr. Klaas had said about locks on the door. I do live in this mobile home. And the next door neighbors were thrown out where I live -- I`m in New Jersey.

BROOKS: Right. Right.

BARBARA: And they did come back to the trailer a month or so after. That`s why I wanted to know about who owned that trailer? Or rented it before them? Because that to me.

BROOKS: OK.

BARBARA: . would have been a very good point of interest.

BROOKS: Yes.

BARBARA: Mr. Klaas -- and I do know for a fact you cannot put a dead bolt which was stated on a screen door.

BROOKS: OK. OK, quickly, 10 seconds, Jon Leiberman, do know if the locks have been changed when they moved in? Quickly.

LEIBERMAN: We don`t, but we do know this is one thing that investigators are looking into, in addition to whether the enemies of this -- of his family, if they owed money to anybody. All of that is being looked at right now.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BROOKS: And now a look at the rest of the stories making headlines this week.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE ANTHONY, CAYLEE ANTHONY`S GRANDFATHER: I`m hoping that I am the one that actually taught her "You are My Sunshine." She was my sunshine.

NANCY GRACE, HOST: On the heels of yesterday`s memorial, nearly 2,000 people in attendance, we learned that little Caylee`s remains have been cremated for several days. This after the Anthonys` lawyer denies that. 150 threats. Were they threats on the Anthonys themselves?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, they were life threats.

GRACE: Oh, good lord. At a time like this what nut job would be making threat on a grieving family? This while we learn the tot mom chose not to even ask to watch the memorial behind bars.

911 DISPATCHER: What`s her date of birth?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You all are (EXPLETIVE DELETED) playing games, man, I`m going to (EXPLETIVE DELETED) kill somebody.

911 DISPATCHER: OK. Tell him we understand. We need to get her date of birth.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What`s her date of birth?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (EXPLETIVE DELETED) birthday. We need to find her. (EXPLETIVE DELETED) her date of birth.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A frantic search is under way right now for Haleigh Cummings. She was last seen Monday night with her 2-year-old brother in her bedroom.

CUMMINGS: I know what happened, my daughter came up missing out of my house in the middle of the night. Beside that, no, I don`t know.

GRACE: When they called to tell you little Haleigh was missing, Miss Sheffield, did they have a theory about what had happened to her?

SHEFFIELD: They just said that someone come in there and took her. That`s what they told me.

CUMMINGS: Somebody stole my child out of my bed. I come home from my work and my child was not there.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BROOKS: Tonight, let`s stop to remember Army Sergeant First-Class, Daniel Sexton, 53, from Wentzville, Missouri, killed in Iraq. A military police officer, he also served in the Persian Gulf War. He loves skiing, snow boarding, playing video games with his teenage sons. He leaves behind widow Tory, sons Shane and Corey.

Daniel Sexton, an American hero.

Thank you to all our guests at home and especially to you. See you tomorrow night, 8:00 sharp Eastern. Until then, stay safe.

END

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0902/13/ijvm.01.html

ISSUES WITH JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL

Grandmother Weighs in on Haleigh`s Disappearance; Search Continues for Girl, 5, in Florida; Search Continues for Haleigh Cummings; Crash of Continental Flight 3407; Octo-Mom Outrage

Aired February 13, 2009 - 19:00:00 ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL, HOST (voice-over): The desperate search continues for missing 5-year-old Haleigh Cummings.

SHERIFF JEFF HARDY, PUTNAM COUNTY, FLORIDA: The world is a suspect. And we really haven`t excluded anybody.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Police expand the search area as shocking questions emerge. What`s the significance of reports that Haleigh wet the bed the night before she vanished? And was she in the same bed as her father`s girlfriend that night? We`ll examine some conflicting reports.

Were there visitors at the home shortly before Haleigh`s disappearance, including an air-conditioner repairman? Haleigh`s father, Ron, and girlfriend, Misty Croslin, both took lie-detector tests. Both say they passed. So why haven`t the results been released?

Plus, George Anthony, Leonard Padilla, Tim Miller. These key players in the Caylee case are joining the search for Haleigh. I`ll examine the eerie similarities between these cases.

And just a few short weeks after the heroic landing of a U.S. Airways flight in the Hudson, 50 die as a commercial jet nose-dives into a home near Buffalo. No mayday call, no sign of distress moments before the crash. What went wrong? A 9/11 widow is among the dead in the first fatal commercial plane crash in the U.S. since 2006. I`ll have the very latest on the tragedy.

And more octo-mom drama. The LAPD investigating death threats reported by Nadya Suleman`s publicist. Meantime, octo-doc reportedly has a patient expecting quadruplets. What`s with this guy? I`ll have all the bizarre details.

ISSUES starts now.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Today, stunning new developments in the search for Haleigh Cummings. The adorable little girl, called Doodle Bug by her family, disappeared from her own bed sometime between Monday night and Tuesday morning. Now, just hours ago, the Putnam County sheriff made a major announcement about the investigation`s progress.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HARDY: Yes, ma`am. All the sex offenders have been interviewed, and their residences have been searched.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are they cleared?

HARDY: They`re cleared. They`re cleared as far as us contacting them and speaking to them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Remember, there are more than 40 registered sex offenders who live near little Haleigh`s home in the small town of Satsuma, Florida.

Also, shocking inconsistencies are now coming to light in the accounts of Haleigh`s disappearance from the 17-year-old girlfriend of Misty`s father. Here is one version.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MISTY CROSLIN, GIRLFRIEND OF HAYLEIGH`S FATHER: I put her to bed about 8 o`clock, and I woke up and she was gone. The door was open. That was the last time I seen her, when I put her to bed.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Were y`all in the same bed?

CROSLIN: No. She was in her bed in front of the TV. And me and Junior was in my bed.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Meantime, more frightening echoes of the Caylee Anthony case. Caylee`s grandfather, George Anthony, volunteers from Texas EquuSearch and even bounty hunter Leonard Padilla arrive in Satsuma to help in the desperate search for little Haleigh.

Joining me right now is Haleigh`s maternal grandmother, Maria.

Thank you so much for joining me, Maria. I know this has to be so very difficult for you right now. And we hope this interview helps somehow in finding your precious grandchild.

This is the fourth day of this search. Knowing what you know now, what are your questions about this case? What is troubling you as you process all the information that you`re getting?

MARIA GRIFFIS, HALEIGH`S GRANDMOTHER: Just the fact that there`s so many conflicting stories about where the children were sleeping at that night. Once they`re all three in the bed together. Then once Junior is in a bedroom by himself and Haleigh is in her room. And now both of them was in their bedroom and she was in her room. And it just makes me more suspicious.

And the back door, how did the back door -- it`s secured by the father. On an interview, he said he secured that door, and the deadbolt was up high enough, Haleigh could not reach it and open the door. So it leads me to believe somebody had access with a key from the outside or either someone was in the house or either Misty unlocked the door for someone.

It -- it just makes the stuff come tighter together on the girlfriend, to me.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: And, of course, we`re just learning information as it comes in, and there are conflicting accounts. But our understanding from authorities is there were no signs of forced entry.

So the door is closed. She says she went to sleep with the door locked. And when she wakes up, the door is open. Do you know, Marie, who else might have had keys to that home? Sometimes people leave keys with -- with neighbors in case they get locked out. Sometimes they leave keys with friends who want to come over. Do you have any information about other people having keys to that house?

GRIFFIS: No. The only people I would think that -- the father, Ronald, would give a key to would either be his mother, Theresa, or his grandmother, Annette. I don`t see Ronald trusting anybody else with the key.

And as for Misty, I mean, who knows? I don`t know the girl. I`ve only saw the girl. I`ve never spoke with the girl. I know she has family that lives right on this same street. Maybe she could have give some of her family members a key. Maybe she could have give some of her friends some keys. It`s just -- it`s question upon question. Question upon question. And we`d like to have some answers.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Now, according to Misty, she says her older brother came over with her nephews, and the AC guy. Authorities have told us that the air conditioning guy has been interviewed, the repairman and he`s been cleared of any wrongdoing. And we`re not to suggest in any way that the older brother is any way involved. That`s not my suggestion.

But my suggestion -- my question to you is what about the older brother and the nephews? Have you ever met them?

GRIFFIS: No, I haven`t. I just learned that there was possibly one or two brothers of Misty`s. I haven`t heard of any nephews. This is the first time I`ve heard of them. But if her older brother was over that day, why hasn`t he took a polygraph test? And why hasn`t he been grilled yet as to what he was doing there and how long he was there and if he returned that night?

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, we certainly don`t know everything that the authorities are doing. They may very well have conducted a polygraph and interviewed him. They`re keeping very tight-lipped at this point.

Now, Misty appears to have offered up a number of differing accounts, as you mentioned, when it comes to these details about the night Haleigh vanished. There is the matter of the blanket. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CROSLIN: We had a blanket hanging on the window. And I had to wash that. And her blanket was -- she had peed on her blanket the night before, I guess. And I took it and put it on there, but it smelled like pee. So I washed the blanket and gave her little sheets to cover up with. And she fell asleep. And I put a blanket on her and then I laid down.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Was -- was Haleigh a bed-wetter?

GRIFFIS: No. She -- at my home, Haleigh hasn`t wet the bed in my home in at least two years.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: So you hear Misty saying that the night before Haleigh disappeared, it would appear that she wet the bed, because she was going to put the blanket on and she smelled pee, as she said. And then she cleaned the blanket and put a sheet on the little girl instead and then later put a blanket on her.

So what is your reaction? What -- what thoughts occur to you as you hear that story?

GRIFFIS: That`s not like Haleigh. Haleigh has wet the bed previously when she was a couple of years younger. But when she spends time with me and her mother, her mother would tell me if she was wetting the bed. She hasn`t wet the bed at my house. So why would she wet the bed at their house? Maybe they`d give her too much to drink or maybe she was in a stressful situation and wouldn`t go to the bathroom before she went to sleep.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, the thing that occurs to me is that, when a child wets a bed, you also change the sheets and even clean the mattress underneath. It would appear that the blanket itself on the top is -- is not what would be the wettest.

GRIFFIS: Yes. The whole -- the whole bed and mattress would be wet. I mean, you`d want to flip the mattress over and wash the sheets also underneath it.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Let me get back to what you said at the very beginning of this interview about the conflicting reports about where they were all sleeping. And remember, some of those conflicting reports could be inaccuracies in reporting.

What I heard first, and what everybody reported first, was that they were all sleeping in the same bed, and then we heard different stories. The last story that I`ve heard is that she was sleeping with Junior in one bed and little Haleigh was sleeping in another bed next to the TV. That`s from the mouth of Misty.

Does that mean they were in separate rooms, because that would be very significant? Have you ever been inside the house? Do you know whether the bed near the TV is near the main bed that Misty would sleep in?

GRIFFIS: I don`t know anything about the TV. My daughter, Crystal, has been in that house, and she said Haleigh and Junior have beds set up in one room and then there`s a big bed in the room that, I guess, Ronald and Misty would sleep in, and that`s the one that we understand that they were all three in.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: But, again, we`re hearing now that that`s not the case...

GRIFFIS: Yes.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: ... that Junior and Misty were in one bed and Haleigh was in another. And I think that`s so significant because the whole -- everybody just wondered how could somebody come in and abduct a child while two people are asleep and not wake up either one of them or the child. But if they were in separate rooms, that might be easier.

Marie, I want to thank you so much for joining us. We`re going to do everything in our power to find your little granddaughter. And we`d love you to come back as we continue to focus on this story. We`re going to do everything we can.

GRIFFIS: Yes, ma`am. I thank you for all the coverage y`all are giving us on this so that we can find Haleigh.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Let`s pray we find her. Thank you, ma`am.

All right. A quick reminder. Nancy Grace will have the very latest on the search for Haleigh. She is up after this program at 8 p.m. Eastern. And right here on ISSUES, we will have much more on the disappearance of Haleigh Cummings. Some of the key players from the Caylee case are now joining the search for Haleigh, including George Anthony.

Here he is showing support for the Cummings family. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE ANTHONY, GRANDFATHER OF CAYLEE ANTHONY: This is not about guys. This is not about me. This is about Haleigh Ann Marie Cummings, age 5, that needs to be found and brought home to this beautiful family. They need prayer; they need hope. And they need -- and they need me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Does the door look like it was pried open? Does it look like -- does it look like you had someone try to enter into your house?

CROSLIN: Hold on.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And another thing. Make sure you and your husband don`t touch the door anymore. Don`t mess with the door or anything.

CROSLIN: No, it doesn`t.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: That was Misty Croslin`s call to 911 at 3:30 a.m. on Tuesday.

I am joined by my fantastic panel tonight. Don Clark, former FBI special agent in charge; Jennifer Hurtz, the clinical psychologist; Darren Kavinoky, attorney; Michelle Sigona from "America`s Most Wanted"; and joining us by phone, T.J. Hart, news director at WSKY 97.3 in Gainesville, Florida.

T.J., what`s the very latest?

T.J. HART, NEWS DIRECTOR, WSKY: Now, the very latest is that we had some more people going out on the search today. More interviews of relatives and others today. And that is going to include some re- interviews today.

Each of the 44 registered sex offenders who live within the five-mile radius of the Cummings home have either been interviewed or had their whereabouts confirmed.

Getting back to the search, they`re using horseback to get into some tough areas, especially around some marshy areas. There were more than 100 volunteers on the ground and at least 50 law officers out today, as well. And these are veterans of these kinds of searches from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

We also have Tim Miller and his Texas EquuSearch folks, who are also positioned and ready to go in the search endeavors.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Are they doing one of these grids where they keep expanding it and expanding it so that it`s very systematic, where they start at the location where the child vanished and then they just move out in sort of a grid pattern?

HART: They`re going out in a grid pattern at this -- at this point. They did that initially with the five-mile radius search. But now they are closing in with probably about 100 or so people today spaced out a couple hundred feet, and they`re going right into this very thick vegetation and into this marshy area. They seem to be concentrating on that area.

We`ve not heard any results on this. In fact, Sheriff Hardy has been a bit close-lipped on a lot of questions that were posed to him.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: OK. One last question about the search, and we do have a Google map that really absolutely reveals how thick and how wooded this area is. So let`s go to the Google map when we can. There is a huge forest near the home of this child. What about the search in that forest?

HART: Well, like I said, people are only a few feet apart when they`re going through there. They`re going through that real thick vegetation with sticks. And they are -- that was one of the first places they looked. And, of course, that`s one place that, of course, is going to be searched and re-searched as well.

That`s indicative of the area around the St. John`s River in that area, as a matter of fact. You have houses that are kind of spread out. You have a lot of thick vegetation and a lot of heavy forest and some very, very soggy, watery canals in that area, too.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes. And we`re looking at video of people just hitting the grounds with sticks and, apparently, they were also using machetes. This has to be an extremely grueling search.

I want to go to our panel now and talk a little bit about the evidence that`s coming in. Darren Kavinoky, particularly the conflicting reports. We heard that all three, Misty, Haleigh, and the 3-year-old, Junior, were in the same bed. Now we`re hearing that Misty and Junior were in one bed and Haleigh was in another bed, possibly in another room. What do you make of these inconsistencies?

DARREN KAVINOKY, ATTORNEY: Well, those kinds of conflicting reports can be very, very telling. And that`s something that law enforcement often focuses on as they narrow their search for the perpetrator.

And of course, in any case involving a missing child, the parents or whoever the child is in the custody of are often under that first focus. So those conflicting reports can be very, very meaningful, because it will only heighten the scrutiny that will fall upon those folks.

Of course, now we`ve got conflicting reports. We`ve got possibly lies about the lie detector. There are all sorts of issues. And in the absence of any further evidence, it seems like anybody`s best guess is like saying Colonel Mustard in the kitchen with the night stick. I mean, it`s -- it`s just terrible.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes. Well, Don Clark, let me ask you about this whole polygraph. Both Misty and Ron say they`ve taken polygraphs and they`ve passed. The authorities are not saying anything. When authorities administer polygraphs, do they tell the people who have taken the polygraph, hey, you passed, you didn`t pass?

DON CLARK, FORMER FBI SPECIAL AGENT IN CHARGE: Not really. That`s a process that they`re going to keep to themselves. They may make some conversation with it, but it`s not going to be sitting up there and saying, "OK, you passed, you`re free to go." Unless, of course, at some point later now -- because the polygrapher who takes the test, Jane, that person doesn`t give out any information. It has to be the investigators, because they have to assess that with all of the other things that`s going on.

And with the inconsistencies, Jane, that`s gone on that we hear about in this case -- I mean, I heard the grandmother just a few minutes ago, and she`s right on the money, is that how can you rule anybody out, from the 44 sex offenders that`s out there to neighbors that`s close by to the people that`s living in the house. Nobody can be ruled out yet, because there are just too many inconsistencies. I can`t imagine someone saying, "Yes, I`m clear of the polygraph."

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, in fact, Michelle Sigona, the authorities said everybody is a suspect. Now, would they announce, we have -- they start of did announce that they have tentatively eliminated the 40-plus sex offenders who live in the area. But will they come out and say, "OK, now we`ve eliminated this person and now we`ve eliminated that person," so that the media can sort of keep track of the direction in which this investigation is going?

MICHELLE SIGONA, "AMERICA`S MOST WANTED": Well, here`s what I can tell you. I just got off the phone again with the lead investigator on this case, Jane. And what he tells me is that, look, the 44 sex offenders, we have gone around, we have searched their homes. We have talked to them. We have verified their whereabouts from the time that Haleigh was allegedly, you know, went to sleep, up until the time she allegedly went missing, up until that point.

So that`s where they are as far as the sex offenders.

As far as the neighbors and the friends and the family go, right now as we speak, they are pulling in more family members and more friends and interviewing them and going over timelines and going over more information about this case.

So as far as coming out and saying, "We`re going to rule this person out, we`re going to rule this person out," I don`t think that`s going to come as of right now. I think what they`re focusing on at this point are the ground searches that will continue over the weekend along with keeping that house roped off.

There is no one allowed back inside of the home where Haleigh went missing from. That is so -- in case they need to go back in as they pull information from these people to pull out more evidence to send to the lab in Jacksonville with a lot of the evidence is right now. They`re waiting for a lot of the forensic tests to come back.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right. Well, stay right there. We are just getting started.

And Nancy Grace will have the very latest on this case coming up at 8 p.m. immediately following this program. It`s absolutely astounding. ISSUES, we will have much more on the disappearance of Haleigh Cummings.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CROSLIN: I put her to bed about 8 p.m., and I woke up and she was gone. (UNINTELLIGIBLE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RONALD CUMMINGS, FATHER OF HALEIGH: Bring her back anonymous, give her to someone else to bring back. However she gets back, we want her back safe. If you`ve done something with her, tell us where she`s at, if she`s OK. Something. We just -- I want my daughter back. That`s it. That`s all I want. I want my daughter back. I`m not out for revenge.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: That was Haleigh`s dad, Ronald Cummings, making a plea to the public for whoever has Haleigh to just return her.

Michelle Sigona, have you ever seen a plea like that work?

SIGONA: Well, here`s the thing. Yes, of course. Whenever -- I mean, I`ve covered just hundreds of missing children cases throughout my career. And a lot of times in the cases, the parents will come out. They will make pleas.

I mean, if you listen to that 911 call, which we will also have up on AMW.com, you can really hear the sincerity in his voice and how he just wants to have someone there to help find his daughter. And this is very common with parents, I mean, especially when their child comes up missing and/or abducted in this particular case.

And so getting the word out there and doing whatever he can, and that is what the dad is doing. And investigators say at this point the dad is not a suspect. The girlfriend is not a suspect. But that they`re...

VELEZ-MITCHELL: What about ex-boyfriends of Misty? Are they checking into that? I mean, they have been going out approximately six months, Ron and Misty. So what about other people in their sphere?

SIGONA: Well, at this point, what investigators are saying, they`re not really going into a lot of detail as to every single person that they`re targeting. But, of course, as you know, Jane, I mean, you`ve covered hundreds of these cases, as well. They will go as far -- you know, as far back as six months to a year. They`ll start bringing people in from everyone`s past. You know, as the -- the immediate attention kind of makes its way out. Sort of like the search.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Haleigh and Caylee are joined now by more than just the similarities in their stories and their names. Now their families are starting to come together. Caylee`s grandfather, George, came to Satsuma to offer his support to Haleigh`s dad. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANTHONY: They need to eat. They need to sleep. They need the community support. They do not need to be judged. They do not need to be scrutinized. They need your help. The community needs to come together to help this family to bring this beautiful little girl home. I understand it. Some of you might not, but I understand it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: George speaks from experience, Darren Kavinoky. I mean, this is a man who, as we both discussed, has become so despondent in the past about the tragedies in his own life that he reportedly attempted suicide less than a month ago. Now he`s out helping others. Good idea for him, good idea for the case?

KAVINOKY: I think it`s fantastic. He understands what`s going on in a way that few other people do. And while he may receive criticism from some who would suggest, look, he just got over his own problems, as you mentioned, this -- this suicide attempt. He was in a mental institution, in a lock-down facility. He should just stay home and get better.

The real truth of the matter is that he can help, and by helping this other family, he`s really helping himself. He`s got something unique to give, unique experience to share. He`s going to help this other family, and this will be extremely therapeutic for him.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Don Clark, Leonard Padilla is offering a $25,000 reward, but my understanding is there`s a time deadline of Saturday on it. Good idea?

CLARK: Well, often there`s an award. That`s fine, if somebody takes it. Jane, you and I know that frequently those things don`t come to fruition that takes place. What has to take place, though, is that, look, law enforcement is going to come together and continually to revisit these issues. And I think that`s what`s going to develop the evidence out there.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right.

CLARK: Once they do that, then forget about the award.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Thanks so much. Don, Jennifer, Darren, Michelle, thanks for the insights.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,492185,00.html

ON THE RECORD - GRETA VAN SUSTEREN, FEBRUARY 12, 2009

Missing Haleigh's Dad and His Girlfriend Address Polygraph Test Questions 'On the Record'
Friday, February 13, 2009

This is a rush transcript from "On the Record ," February 12, 2009. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

GRETA VAN SUSTEREN, FOX NEWS HOST: Now we take you live to Florida, where the intense search for Haleigh Cummings continues. Haleigh's father Ronald and his girlfriend Misty are both here.

Here's what we know: At 3:00 a.m. Monday morning, Misty says she found Haleigh missing from the bed they were sharing. At about 3:25 Ronald returns home from work.

Two few minutes later, at 3:27 a.m., Misty calls 911 and reports Haleigh missing. Since then, nothing. The toddler is gone.

Ronald Cummings, Haleigh's father, joins us live, along with his girlfriend Misty Croslin. Welcome to both of you, and, Ronald, is there any update in the last 24 hours in the search for your daughter?

RONALD CUMMINGS, HALEIGH'S FATHER: No.

VAN SUSTEREN: Have there been any sightings and tips coming in, Ronald, anything at all like that?

CUMMINGS: Plenty of tips. Most of them are bogus. The law enforcement agencies are doing everything they can. I think they got approximately 50 horses coming in. They will start doing a ground search with horses and dogs.

They are doing everything they can. Federal agents, numerous different county sheriffs are out here. They're really trying to help us.

VAN SUSTEREN: Misty, what is Haleigh like?

MISTY CROSLIN, AT HOME WHEN HALEIGH DISAPPEARED: She is a real big girl. She is fun to be around. She is always happy. She's real smart, intelligent.

VAN SUSTEREN: Misty, is she the type that would walk off with a stranger?

CROSLIN: No.

VAN SUSTEREN: Ronald, is she the type that would wander off with a stranger at all, or is she a shy child?

CUMMINGS: Absolutely not. She is definitely shy. She would never walk off with a stranger for no reason. Besides, it was dark, and she is afraid of the dark.

VAN SUSTEREN: Misty, the other night, Monday night, you saw her about 10:00, Is that correct?

CROSLIN: What was that?

VAN SUSTEREN: You last saw Haleigh at about 10:00 Monday night when she was in bed? Is that right, Misty?

CROSLIN: Yes, ma'am.

VAN SUSTEREN: Was anything going on with her? Did she fall asleep easily? Was she at all anxious, getting up and leaving the bed?

CROSLIN: No. She had school, so I put her to bed about 8:00 because that is her bedtime so she can get up and go to school, so she's not tired.

VAN SUSTEREN: Were you in the same bed with Haleigh, Misty?

CROSLIN: No.

VAN SUSTEREN: Were you in the same room?

CROSLIN: Yes.

VAN SUSTEREN: So, tell me what happened. Tell me, did you hear anything between the time you saw her it 10:00 and the time that you woke up and notice she was missing? Did you hear any noises?

CROSLIN: No, ma'am. I did not hear anything.

VAN SUSTEREN: Have you been drinking or anything so you would be in a heavy, deep sleep all that night?

CROSLIN: No.

VAN SUSTEREN: So, tell me what happened. You got up to use the bathroom, is that right?

CROSLIN: Yes. I got up to use the bathroom. I did not make it to the bathroom. I walked into the living room and noticed the kitchen light was on. And I saw the back door open. And when I saw the back door open, I ran back into the bedroom, and that's when I noticed she was gone.

VAN SUSTEREN: And so, Ronald, you came home about 3:25 a.m. from work?

CUMMINGS: Yes.

VAN SUSTEREN: Did you come in the front door or the back door of that double wide, Ronald?

CUMMINGS: I came in the front door. I pulled into the driveway. She was standing at the front door, and I wanted to know what she was doing up, first, at that time of night. Usually, she is in bed asleep.

And she told me that she just got up to use the bathroom, and that she saw that Haleigh was not in her bed. She went to find her, and the back door was wide open, and she was nowhere to be found. She was gone.

VAN SUSTEREN: Misty, had you been the one to block that back door?

CROSLIN: No, I did not lock the back door because the back door is always locked. We really do not use the back door.

CUMMINGS: Absolutely.

VAN SUSTEREN: What kind of lock is on that back door? Is it a deadbolt? Do you need a key, or is there a know on the inside? How do you work that back door lock?

CUMMINGS: There is a lock on the knob on the inside, and it has a deadbolt also. The deadbolt is very hard to get unlocked once you get it locked. You have to push in hard on the door, and a child would never get that unlocked.

VAN SUSTEREN: Misty--go ahead. I'm sorry, Ronald.

CUMMINGS: I do keep it locked. I do check it every afternoon before I leave for work. It is always locked, always.

VAN SUSTEREN: Misty, do you ever use that doo yourself, go in and out that door?

CROSLIN: I mean, once in awhile I will take the garbage out through the back door, or leave through the back door and take a vacuum and vacuum the car out. But that is the only time we use the back door.

VAN SUSTEREN: Misty, did anyone come over to the house that evening while Ronald was at work? Any friends come over?

CROSLIN: No. My older brother had come over with my nephews, and the AC guy.

VAN SUSTEREN: What time did they leave?

CROSLIN: They got there about 5:00. And they stayed for about 30 minutes until about 5:30, 5:45.

VAN SUSTEREN: Ronald, I understand that there does not appear to be any forced entry into the home in that back door. So how do you think it got open?

CUMMINGS: I honestly don't have any clue. I don't have any clue. Somebody, maybe a locksmith, picklock artist, I do not know. But it was definitely locked, and somebody came in through it. So I cannot explain it.

VAN SUSTEREN: Misty, let me ask you this same question. Misty, how do you think that door got open?

CROSLIN: Someone had either picked the lock, they would have had to pick the lock. That is the only way that anybody could have gotten in our back door is if they picked the lock.

VAN SUSTEREN: In terms of where you were sleeping, Misty, and Haleigh was sleeping, who was closer to the back door?

CROSLIN: Haleigh would have probably been closer to the back door. She was on the side of the wall closest to the kitchen.

VAN SUSTEREN: How far was Haleigh physically sleeping from you?

CUMMINGS: Probably not three or four inches away. She was in front of the TV, not that far away at all.

VAN SUSTEREN: Did you say three or four inches away?

CROSLIN: I mean, I am not sure. It was not that far away.

VAN SUSTEREN: Can you hold up your hands and show how far away she was sleeping?

CROSLIN: Probably from both of these chairs put together from my bed.

VAN SUSTEREN: About as far as Ronald is from you?

CROSLIN: Yes.

CUMMINGS: No.

CROSLIN: No?

CUMMINGS: I know where the beds were at. They are about four feet apart from the edge of the bed she was in to the edge of the bed Haleigh was in.

CROSLIN: I was not measuring or anything like that, so--

VAN SUSTEREN: I know you both took a polygraph today. Did they say you were deceptive or not on the polygraph. Did they tell you how your results were? How were yours, Ronald?

CUMMINGS: Absolutely, they did. And it was not today that we took a polygraph. We took the polygraph yesterday. And, yes, we both did pass.

VAN SUSTEREN: Misty, what did they say about your results?

CROSLIN: You mean that I passed?

VAN SUSTEREN: Did they use the word "pass," or did they say there was no sign of deception?

CUMMINGS: They told me that I passed.

CROSLIN: They really did not say much to me.

VAN SUSTEREN: Well, we are hopeful that putting the spotlight on this, people will call in tips if they know anything at all about this child, because I know that you both want her back very badly.

Ronald, Misty, thank you, and let's hope we get some good news soon. Thank you both very much.

CUMMINGS: Thank you.

CROSLIN: Thank you.

VAN SUSTEREN: We have more information about little Haleigh. George Anthony, the grandfather of murdered Caylee Anthony, has something to say about this new child's disappearance. Why is George Anthony speaking out? You're going to hear that next.

Plus, "The Best of the Rest." Britney Spears is back in the headlines. The headlines involve an angry ex-boyfriend, a car, and an alleged hit and run.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VAN SUSTEREN: At this hour there remains grave concern about five-year-old Haleigh Cummings. George Anthony, the grandfather of murdered toddler Caylee Anthony, has some advice for the family of the missing girl.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE ANTHONY: They need to be in support of each other. They need to be there no matter what. They need to reach out.

And things get tough. There are tough days and hours and minutes. To know that they can reach out to me, to Josh, to my wife Cindy, to my son, other families that understand.

This is not about me. This is about Haleigh Anne Marie Cummings, age five, that needs to be found and brought home to this beautiful family.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAN SUSTEREN: Joining us live is WOFL reporter Cheryl Getuiza. Cheryl, thank you for joining us.

And Cheryl, I want to just first get this lie-detector, polygraph thing settled. Do you know who has taken a polygraph and whether or not anyone has been found to be deceptive or not, with the understanding that they're not perfect tests?

CHERYL GETUIZA, REPORTER, WOFL: Greta, investigators told us so far two people have taken the lie-detector test, and that is the girl's father, Ronald Cummings, and his girlfriend, Misty Croslin. As to the results of the test, they would not let us know, Greta.

VAN SUSTEREN: What is the working theory of the police? Is it that someone invaded that home? Is there any sign that there is any forced entry, or not?

GETUIZA: Greta, they are now calling this an "abduction." They are going by what Misty Croslin told them, is that she got to go pee, and when she went back into the bedroom to see the kids, Haleigh was missing and the back door was open. And it was propped open by a cinderblock. So they're testing that cinderblock right now. They also took a whole bunch of other evidence. As to what evidence they took, they won't tell us. They told us, though, it is now being analyzed at a lab.

VAN SUSTEREN: I understand there are a number of registered sex offenders in the area they are looking at.

GETUIZA: Greta, 44 registered sex offenders within a five mile radius in this family's neighborhood. They said they have talked to a majority of those sex offenders. So far, none of them are suspects.

And, really, right now they have no suspect information. They're just trying to gather some information from the family. They interviewed them day in and day out, and still nothing.

VAN SUSTEREN: What is that community like? Do the people tend to know each other in the immediate area of their home?

GETUIZA: Greta, this is a very small community. It is very tight knit.

They have been having vigils every night since Haleigh disappeared. This is the third night in a row. These are neighbors and strangers coming together to help this young family.

It is an older retirement community, but Haleigh's father and his girlfriend with the two kids have lived in the home for some time.

VAN SUSTEREN: And in terms of neighbors, has anybody seen anybody stalking or doing anything peculiar? Has the child been out in the yard in the weeks past and anyone has been hanging out? Anything weird like that?

GETUIZA: Nothing to note, Greta, but the investigators have gone door to door to every single home in this mobile park, talking to every single person who is staying in those homes.

And no one has any information. Nothing suspicious has come onto the radar for investigators. But, again, they will continue talking to these neighbors to see if anything has come up.

VAN SUSTEREN: We only have 20 seconds left. There's a body of water close by, right--a pond or something?

GETUIZA: Yes, it is the St. Johns River.

Near the family's home, there is one mobile home next to them. And on the other side of the family's home is a very extensive wooded area. And just past that, 500 yards, is the St. Johns River. For the past three days, divers have gone into that river and done grid searches, and so far, they have found nothing, Greta.

VAN SUSTEREN: How about relatives of Misty who were over there that afternoon? Have they looked at them?

GETUIZA: Relatives--Misty's parents have not come out and said anything. Ronald's parents were here this afternoon, and they are here supporting Ronald and Misty.

But we did hear from Misty, and you talked to her earlier.

VAN SUSTEREN: I am sorry. I have got to go, Cheryl. Thank you.

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0902/16/ijvm.01.html

ISSUES WITH JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL

Search Continues for Haleigh Cummings; Does New Evidence Spell Trouble for Amanda Knox?

Aired February 16, 2009 - 19:00:00 ET

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL, HOST (voice-over): Tonight, stunning new twists in the frantic search for little Haleigh Cummings. It`s day seven since the 5-year-old disappeared from her Florida home. Today, 60 cop cars descend on a grassy area ten miles away.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is not "CSI." We can`t wrap this up in an hour. We wish we could.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: What exactly brought them there? Could it be a break in the case?

And a child molester from a nearby county is reported missing. Could there be a connection to little Haleigh?

Plus, more fall-out from Octomom, Nadya Suleman. As the unemployed single mom pleads for donations, reports flood in about her spending on manicures and video games. Now Octograndma tells the media how her eight new grandchildren are melting her heart and her wallet.

And I`ll examine the strange Angelina Jolie connection. Now even Brad Pitt is weighing in.

Then new testimony in the case against the suspected co-ed killer known as Foxy Knoxy. A housemate claims Knox had scratches on her neck hours Meredith Kercher`s body was found dead after what prosecutors are calling a drug-fueled sex game. I`ll have the latest on Italy`s sensational trial of the century.

ISSUES starts now.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: A flurry of brand-new developments tonight in the desperate search for missing Florida girl Haleigh Cummings. The sheriff`s department expressing the frustration everyone is feeling. Quote, "This is not `CSI.` We can`t wrap this up in an hour."

But authorities today were wrapping up their ground search after almost a week of systematic grid searches for the 5-year-old known to her family as Doodlebug. The sheriff`s department says it has turned up, quote, "nothing of significance."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHERIFF JEFF HARDY, PUTNAM COUNTY, FLORIDA: I explained it to them with my staff. We`ve not abandoned this search. And as you`re aware, we had a contingency of officers out there again searching the location today that we received a tip on.

The fact is, is that we will be recovering some areas that we`ve already covered. And, you know, the family knows that we had to move logistically. We had to move our operations to a facility that better suited our needs to find Haleigh.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Officers will now focus their time on a tactical search, meaning they will follow up on more than 500 leads that have poured in this past week.

Meantime, we are learning that a local sex offender is also missing. Twenty-five-year-old Chad Eugene Reynolds went missing about a week before Haleigh vanished. There is no evidence that Reynolds is involved in little Haleigh`s disappearance, but authorities do want to talk to him.

Also tonight, inconsistent stories about the night of Haleigh`s disappearance are under close scrutiny. What exactly happened that evening? And where was little Haleigh actually sleeping?

Do you have a thought or question? Call me at 1-877-JVM-SAYS. That`s 1-877-586-7297.

But first, I want to turn to a very important guest, Crystal Sheffield, the mother of missing Haleigh Cummings.

Crystal, thank you so much for joining us. I cannot imagine what you are going through right now. And we hope by focusing on your daughter`s case we had somehow help out, help find her and get her home safely. That`s our hope.

As we approach the week anniversary of your daughter`s disappearance, what concerns you most about what you`ve heard? What are your most nagging questions about everything that you`ve been told?

Can you hear me?

CRYSTAL SHEFFIELD, MOTHER OF HALEIGH CUMMINGS: I`ve just been -- yes. I`ve been told so many things. I just -- I don`t know what to think. My mind`s just blank. I don`t know what could have happened.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: I can understand that. And you`re holding up, and you`re maintaining your strength, and I think we all applaud you for -- for having the gumption to -- to do these interviews and to stay out there. I know it`s got to be -- it`s unimaginable what you`re going through.

You know, your family and Haleigh`s father held separate vigils this past week. But both families put aside their differences Saturday night, and you held one vigil for young Haleigh together. I understand another prayer service is scheduled for tonight.

Now some people have described a riff between you and the father`s family. Is that accurate, or have you gotten some new piece of information or something that has healed that reported rift?

SHEFFIELD: No, we just -- I just feel like we should all be together for Haleigh.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: There are a lot of discrepancies that your mother was concerned about, and one particularly the sleeping arrangements. The latest that we`ve heard was that in the home at the time of little Haleigh`s disappearance, Misty, the father -- your ex`s girlfriend, was sleeping in bed with Junior, your son, and that Haleigh was in another bed in the same room. But originally, we heard all three were sleeping in the same bed.

Do you know why we`re hearing these different stories, Crystal? I mean, do you know why the story keeps changing?

SHEFFIELD: No, I don`t. I`ve wondered myself, because I -- I was told that at first they was all three in the same room. And then I heard that Haleigh and Junior were both in their own room. And then I heard it was Misty and Junior in Misty and Ronald`s room. I mean, I -- I`ve heard so many different things, I -- I don`t know.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Have you talked to the authorities about it and said, "Hey, I want to straighten this out?" Who`s changing the story? Is it the reporters getting it wrong, is it you getting it wrong, or is it Misty changing her story? Have you had that conversation with authorities?

SHEFFIELD: No, actually, I haven`t. I haven`t even thought about that. I`m just worried about my daughter.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: How do you regard Misty? I mean, as -- you`re the biological mother of this precious child who is missing, and you hear that this 17-year-old girl was in the bed with your -- your youngest -- the son, Junior. And she was also the sole caretaker while Ron, the father, was at work. What are your feelings about this 17-year-old being in charge of your children?

SHEFFIELD: I didn`t really approve of it, but there was really nothing I could do about it. I mean, that was his girlfriend and, I mean, I would not prefer a 17-year-old -- I don`t know. I know I`m young, and I don`t want to put her down for being 17, because I was that young when I got pregnant. But those are my children. And I don`t feel comfortable with them being with a 17-year-old. Just -- that`s just me. I mean...

VELEZ-MITCHELL: I understand. I think you answered that very well. Now, the authorities talked today about re-interviewing the family and doing polygraphs. What can you tell us about that? How many times have the authorities interviewed you? And have you volunteered to take a polygraph just to help the investigation proceed and to -- to help the authorities do their job?

SHEFFIELD: Yes, I have. Me and my whole family have agreed to take one. But they have not come got us or anything.

I`ve -- I`ve talked to everyone who`s come up to me here lately, the past -- yesterday I didn`t talk to nobody because I was just -- I couldn`t. And it`s -- it`s hard for me right now to do it. I`m trying to hold myself together the best I can. And it...

VELEZ-MITCHELL: How are you doing that? Through prayer? Prayer?

SHEFFIELD: Yes. And I have my other two children I`ve got to be strong for, too. And I`ve got to be strong for Haleigh for when she comes home.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: I just -- I honestly -- my heart goes out to you. I know al of our viewers feel the same way. Everyone here, we just feel your pain. And it`s impossible for us to really feel your pain, but we -- we want to do what we can, Crystal, to help find your child.

And we really do pray that little Haleigh comes back safe and sound. And I thought it was very encouraging that the authorities today said that they still had hope that your daughter is alive.

SHEFFIELD: I do, too.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Thank you so much.

SHEFFIELD: I feel -- I feel she`s out there.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Let`s pray we find her. Thank you so much, Crystal. And please come back...

SHEFFIELD: Thank you.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: ... as we continue to focus on your child.

Wow. That`s tough. What that mother is going through.

I want to bring in my panel of experts to analyze the latest in this really, really heart-wrenching case. Brenda Wade, clinical psychologist; Stacy Honowitz, Florida prosecutor; plus Steve Cardian, former criminal investigator; and James Fox, a criminologist at Northeastern University; as well as Jennifer Bauer, a reporter with CNN affiliate WJXT-TV.

Jennifer, what`s the very latest?

JENNIFER BAUER, REPORTER, WJXT-TV: Well, today, Jane, police told us they spent the afternoon following up on leads, more than 500 of them.

They were taken to an area near the family`s home, but an area that hadn`t really been extensively searched before. They tell us they went through that area today. They went through it again. It turned up nothing.

They`ve gotten some other leads, they tell us. They will be taking them tomorrow to another area here in Putnam County to be searched. But again, investigators tell us more than 500 leads. They are following up on them. They are continuing to search, they say, and they are continuing to interview family, friends, people who know the little girl, even people who don`t know the little girl.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: I want to talk about the 44 sex offenders who live in this area where little Haleigh lived. You know, authorities are now saying that they finished questioning all of them, but one sex offender has not been found. He is 25-year-old Chad Reynolds. He disappeared on February 1.

Now, one reporter actually asked about him earlier today. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We`d like to find him like any other predator. Today, he is not a person of interest in this case today. But he, like any other unknown predator in our community, we want to find him. And if your TV viewers know where he`s at and can give us lead, we`ll take those, too.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Stacy Honowitz, there`s a warrant out for Reynolds. He`s not listed as a person of interest, but how worrisome is his disappearance and the timing with Haleigh`s disappearance?

STACY HONOWITZ, FLORIDA PROSECUTOR: I think everybody is going to try to put two and two together, because he is a sexual offender or predator, and this little girl is missing, but I don`t think we can jump to that conclusion right now.

There`s probably a warrant out for his arrest because he failed to re- register. When you`re a sexual predator or an offender down in Florida, you have an obligation to register four times: once during your birth month and then three other times during the year. Obviously, they see he`s missing. He`s failed to re-register. So it will be extremely important to talk to him, but first they have to find him.

STEVE CARDIAN, FORMER CRIMINAL INVESTIGATOR: Do we know the details on what kind of sex offender he is? Because there`s all kinds of sex offenders who have done all sorts of things.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, it was lewd and lascivious molestation of a child under 12.

CARDIAN: Pardon?

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Lewd and lascivious molestation of a child under 12. And there was also armed burglary. So it was a combination. And that`s kind of scary, because -- and I`m not saying -- he`s not a person of interest, but it`s kind of scary because somebody got into that house, too.

CARDIAN: Right.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right. Everybody stay right there.

Just a quick reminder: Nancy Grace is up immediately following this program at 8 p.m. Eastern. She will have a special presentation on the Caylee Anthony case tonight.

And right here on ISSUES, we have much more to cover in the disappearance of Haleigh Cummings. Has the search gone cold, or are cops building a case against somebody? Call 1-877-JVM-SAYS. That`s 1-877-586- 7297. And tell me what you think.

But first, here is Haleigh`s dad begging for his daughter`s safe return.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RON CUMMINGS, FATHER OF HALEIGH: Bring her back anonymous, give her to someone else to bring back. However, she gets back, we want her back safe. If you`ve done something with her, tell us where she`s at. If she`s OK. Something. We just -- I want my daughter back. That`s it. That`s all I want. I want my daughter back. I`m not out for revenge.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HARDY: I say don`t lose hope. In fact, right now, hope is -- is probably the best thing that we have. And all the people that you see working and searching, and the people you see standing in this room, don`t give up hope. We`re asking the family, do not give up hope. And we need to have hope if we`re going to find Haleigh, and we hope to bring her home alive.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: That was the local sheriff, Jeff Hardy, at today`s news conference, emphasizing the power of hope for Haleigh`s safe return.

I`m back taking your phone calls on all of the latest developments in the missing Haleigh Cummings case. Give me a ring to join the discussion: 1-877-JVM-SAYS. That`s 1-877-685-7297. The phone lines totally jam- packed. This is such a heart-wrenching case.

Doreen in New Jersey, your question or thought, ma`am.

CALLER: Hi, Jane.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Hey.

CALLER: Love your show.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Thank you.

CALLER: My question is they reported seeing a child`s footprints on a dirt path. So if this is little Haleigh, then obviously, she`s walking of her own accord. Were there any adult prints around those child`s footprints?

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, let me go to Jennifer Bauer. But obviously, child`s prints, there were kids playing in that area, other kids. So I don`t know the significance, necessarily. And I hadn`t heard anything about child`s prints. Bring us up to date.

BAUER: Jane, those prints were reported in the initial incident report, the night that the Cummings called 911 and called police out to their home, when the investigators came and wrote their report. They reported seeing some child`s footprints. The canine unit picked up Haleigh`s scent behind the home, along with the footprints.

But keep in mind, this is the home where the little girl lived. This is the back yard where the little girl played. So police said don`t read too much into it. It`s probably just a footprint that was there from days before.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Got it.

Pam, North Carolina, question or thought, ma`am.

CALLER: Yes. I just wanted to say I`m just so proud of George Anthony. And my heart goes out to the Cummings family, as well. But I wanted to know if it was possible that, after Ronald went to work, that somebody came by to visit Misty and was able to unlock the door without her seeing it.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, we want to get to the rest of our panel, but Jennifer, I do understand that there was an air conditioning repairman who was there earlier in the day, as well as some kind of relative of Misty`s.

BAUER: That`s right. What we`ve heard from police is earlier in the afternoon, there was an air-conditioning repairman who was in the home there to fix the family`s air conditioning. He had asked Misty about that earlier. And she said that she let the air conditioner man in the home, and then the family went outside to sort of let the kids play and socialize and let the air-conditioner man do his work.

We talked to police about this man. He said that the person has been identified and he has been cleared.

JAMES FOX, CRIMINOLOGIST: Can I say here that part of the problem is that there`s so many leads. And that`s a blessing and a curse. With a very high-profile case like this, all sorts of information will come forward in the investigation.

The problem is trying to figure out what is -- what are the really useful leads, to pursue those, and what`s the dead ends? And a lot of times can be wasted with trying to follow up on leads that are worthless.

And so it`s a whole problem of managing this investigation. There`s lots of people involved. There`s lots of information. Trying to stay on top of every piece of detail is incredibly difficult.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes.

FOX: But incredibly important.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: You`re absolutely right.

Brenda Wade, you`re the psychologist. I heard that the authorities said some of the 500 leads were women who wanted to get their ex-husbands in trouble. In other words, using this as an excuse to kind of implicate them, to create problems for their ex-husbands. That struck me as absolutely mind-boggling.

BRENDA WADE, PSYCHOLOGIST: It`s shocking. And it`s sad because, at the end of the day, the one thing that anyone who really cares about other people would want to do is to see this little girl get home safely. So what a terrible time to try to wreak vengeance on someone you`re angry with.

And I do want to emphasize that hope is an important element, because it`s hope that keeps people energized. It keeps them trying. It keeps them wanting to move forward. So I do hope the family doesn`t give up hope. Nor do those who are searching for the child give up hope.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: What do you make, James Fox, of the idea that the authorities now are scaling back the grid search and going to a tactical search, meaning following up on the leads? What does that tell you in terms of where the direction of this case is headed?

FOX: Well, with seven days gone by, it is very unlikely that the abductor would be in the close neighborhood of -- of the house. The grid search would perhaps show if a body was found. And obviously, there was no body found. That`s a good thing.

At this point, if she is still alive, she`s miles and miles away.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right. Let me jump in.

FOX: With whom, we don`t know. And that`s the problem. A grid search will only be good for a certain area. We need to go far and wide to try to identify where she is.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Steve Cardian, in terms of where this direction is headed, the fact that they -- the authorities said today they have hope that little Haleigh is still alive, what does that tell you in terms of the forensic evidence that they`ve gathered?

CARDIAN: Well, Jane, they`ve exhausted their search -- or not exhausted. They`re still going to maintain a presence at the crime scene, but they have to categorize the leads that they have and put them in a venue of importance, with the hot topics, the highly probable -- high- probability evidence or leads that they have. And they`re going to have to file them right through.

The fact that they have evidence that they`re believing that she`s still alive, I`m not quite sure what they mean by that. But that would be a good -- a good indication that they have something that they`re not leading us on with.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right. Stacy, James, Brenda, thanks so much.

Steve, Jennifer, stick around.

Coming up, shocking new testimony in Italy`s trial of the century points the finger at Amanda Knox. Did she kill her roommate in a drug- fueled sex game as prosecutors contend?

And Casey Anthony`s legal team shifts their focus to Zanny the nanny and that lawsuit. The very latest on that controversy coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0902/17/ijvm.01.html

ISSUES WITH JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL

What Happened the Night Haleigh Disappeared?

Aired February 17, 2009 - 19:00:00 ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL, HOST (voice-over): Tonight, have investigators reached a turning point in their frantic search for 5-year-old Haleigh Cummings?

CAPT. STEVE ROSE, PUTNAM COUNTY SHERIFF`S OFFICE: We were able to come up with several good leads that we are following up on today.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: What exactly did they find this might shed light on this perplexing mystery? How is the sleeping child whisked away from a locked home with no apparent forced entry? And the search now focuses on a flood of tips as Haleigh`s family struggles to stay positive.

RON CUMMINGS, FATHER OF HALEIGH CUMMINGS: It is not time to give up. It`s time to -- there`s still time to look.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Tonight, I`ll speak to the Cummings family pastor.

Then breaking developments in the Caylee Anthony case, as mountains of evidence are turned over to mom Casey`s defense team. But now conflicting reports about a crucial piece of evidence. Were Casey`s fingerprints on the duct tape that was found on Caylee`s remains? Original reports said yes, but now at least one source says no. I`ll have the very latest.

Plus more fallout from Octomom Nadya Suleman. Famed psychiatrist Carol Lieberman files a complaint with the city of Los Angeles, charging the octuplets will be endangered unless they`re adopted immediately. I will speak to Dr. Lieberman tonight.

ISSUES starts now.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Major breaking news, just in moments ago, involving the desperate search for missing Florida girl Haleigh Cummings. A flurry of conflicting reports about 17-year-old Misty Croslin, the last person to see Haleigh before she vanished. Was she even at home?

CNN affiliate WJXT now reporting that authorities are looking into the possibility, based on a lead, that Misty was not at the trailer with Haleigh, but the lead investigator in the case says, quote, "We have no evidence to believe that she, Misty, was not home."

If the girlfriend, however, wasn`t home, this is a huge development that casts a totally new light on this very mysterious case.

Misty herself says she was sleeping in the home with Haleigh and Haleigh`s 4-year-old brother, and police have said she is cooperating fully with their investigation.

Also tonight, authorities previously believed Haleigh had been wearing a pink shirt. Earlier today they dropped this shocker.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHIEF RICK RYAN, PUTNAM COUNTY SHERIFF`S OFFICE: We obtained information through our investigation that young Haleigh was in fact not wearing a pink shirt as reported at the time of her disappearance.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: What`s the significance of all of these developments? We will examine that.

Meantime, authorities say they have been flooded with 1,200 new tips. They also say they`ve gotten significant new leads that came from neighborhood interviews.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROSE: What we did last night, we utilized a source of federal, state and local officers to conduct an area canvass, a neighborhood canvass of Haleigh`s neighborhood and the adjacent neighborhoods. We were able to come up with several good leads that we are following up on today.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: So what does that say? That this is perhaps not a stranger abduction?

Also Haleigh`s family has some theories of their own as to what might have happened. Haleigh`s paternal grandmother, Theresa Nevis, said this to the CBS "Early Show" earlier today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Teresa, where do you think she is?

THERESA NEVIS, HALEIGH`S GRANDMOTHER: I think that somebody has her, I hope inside a house where they at least feed her.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you think it`s someone that she knows, that your family knows or a complete stranger?

NEVIS: I don`t really know. My son works nights, you know, and we`re thinking that it would be somebody who would know that. They wouldn`t come to the house with my son.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: So many developments. I am going to take your calls: 1-877-JVM-SAYS. That`s 1-877-586-7297.

But first my expert panel, Drew Findling, Atlanta criminal defense attorney; Dr. Gaby Cora, psychiatrist; Joe Navarro, former FBI agent and profiler; and Jennifer Bauer, a reporter with WJXT-TV.

Jennifer, what is your station reporting tonight?

JENNIFER BAUER, REPORTER, WJXT-TV: We are reporting that more than 1,200 tips so far have come in to the Putnam County Sheriff`s Office, Jane, about this investigation.

And we have learned that one of those leads that they are looking into as a possibility is that 17-year-old Misty Croslin, who is Haleigh Cummings` father`s girlfriend, was not home the night the 5-year-old disappeared. Now, again, in the same breath when we talked to investigators about this, they remind us that they have gotten 1200 tips and this is one tip that they are looking into as a possibility.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: And I wonder if that is, Jennifer, when they are referring to the significant new leads that they got after talking to people in the neighborhood, if that was the tip that they`re referring to.

BAUER: Well, you know, Jane, up until this point we are on day eight. Police have not gotten specific with us about those tips and leads. And when I called investigators just about 25 minutes ago and talked to them about this new information, they said, quote, "It is a possibility. It is something we are looking into."

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Drew Findling, this is a 17-year-old girl. And again, the investigators are saying at this point they have no reason to believe she wasn`t there, but apparently somebody is claiming that she wasn`t there and they`re investigating it, but at this point does this young lady need to get lawyered up? She`s not considered a suspect, I want to stress that, but it`s a 17-year-old girl, the center of a national storm.

DREW FINDLING, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Well on the one hand, she has a concern if she misled officers and there`s a variety of misdemeanors that you can be charged for making a false statement. On the other hand, hey, she`s 17 years old. That`s in my estimation an 11th grader. We have another strange issue. What is she doing with an adult man living there?

Really, she has no custodial issues regarding caring for this child. She`s not really looking at criminal charge if she wasn`t there. She may have problems with her much-older boyfriend. But in terms of criminal conduct for taking off and going to a party, it`s very different than going to a party, like Casey Anthony when your child -- it`s your child is missing and you`re the adult that`s responsible for her.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: What I`m hearing you say, Drew, is that even if this is true it leads more to a conclusion of negligence or irresponsibility not that she is responsible for the disappearance of this child in terms of her doing something to the child.

FINDLING: That`s exactly right.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes. Let me ask you this question, Joe Navarro. We also hear that they originally thought little Haleigh was wearing a pink shirt and now we`re hearing she was not wearing a pink shirt. They have found the pink shirt they thought she was wearing.

Does that dovetail with the idea that perhaps somebody wasn`t there watching the kids, because if you were there you would know exactly what the child was wearing when the child went to sleep?

JOE NAVARRO, FORMER FBI AGENT: Well, you know, that`s a good question. And a lot of times parents will because they`re nervous, the tension and so forth may not remember exactly what they were wearing.

But, you know, I go back to that interview you did a few days ago of the grandfather who said -- basically, he said, you know, this doesn`t pass the stink test. There`s so many things that are weird here.

Why are we getting information that, you know, that doesn`t match up? There were -- everybody seemed to have been in that room, and yet somehow this child was magically abducted, and nobody heard it. The doors were locked. Nobody seems to know the complete story. There are so many things here that are irregular which really makes you wonder, what is the true story? Why is it constantly being changed?

And why is it being parsed out? It seems like it`s being parsed out on a daily basis. Usually, when you get a complete and truthful story, it all comes out together at once. You don`t get it in these small packets.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, Joe, precisely to that point, Misty Croslin, Ronald Cummings` girlfriend, has given many different accounts of where Haleigh was sleeping the night she went missing. Now, first I want you to listen very carefully to Misty on the CBS "Early Show" this morning.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You were the last person to see Haleigh alive. She was sleeping in the same room as you when she vanished. How far away was she sleeping from you, Misty?

MISTY CROSLIN, GIRLFRIEND OF HALEIGH`S FATHER: Like, four feet away.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And how is it that she could have disappeared without you waking up?

CROSLIN: I don`t know. She just -- she wasn`t there when I woke up.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: She looks like a child in that video. Now she said Haleigh was four feet away. I want to play you now two clips of Misty from last week.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Were you all in the same bed?

CROSLIN: No. She was in her bed in front of the TV, and me and Junior were in my bed.

I gave a little sheet to cover up with, and she fell asleep. And I came in there to put a blanket on her and then I lay down.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CROSLIN: Gaby Cora, these are not necessarily completely conflicting stories. It`s just a totally different description of the same event.

However, there have been conflicting stories out there. We heard at one point that all three were in the bed together. Then we heard that she and the little boy, Junior, were in the bed and Haleigh was in another bed in the same room. I mean, it keeps changing, and that`s one of the reasons why there is suspicion about whether she`s being 100 percent truthful.

GABY CORA, PSYCHIATRIST: Jane, there seem to be very conflicting story around this one story, but the bottom line is that parents are responsible for the safety of their children. And if they leave anyone in charge of their children, they should really be trusting them with their dearest treasures. So this is a very sad and complex story where kids are taking care of kids.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: And I ask you a question, Jennifer. Have you heard this new report that I read? And remember, we get stacks of reports from all sorts of different sources, so I don`t know the source of this and it`s certainly not confirmed.

But there`s a new report now claiming that Ron said Haleigh, little Haleigh, got up to use the bathroom and when she didn`t return Misty went to look for her because originally we heard that it was Misty who went up to use the bathroom and never got there because she saw that the light was on and realized the child was missing.

BAUER: That`s right. I have not heard that story, Jane, but I can tell you we have asked numerous times whether or not it was a possible they Haleigh got up herself or if maybe she walked out the backdoor. I even asked investigators if the kid sleep walks, but they kept saying over and over, she will not leave and she will not get up and get out of bed, because she is extremely afraid of the dark. That is what investigators and the family have told us numerous times.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Drew Findling, why doesn`t the sheriff and the people who have been speaking twice today, just come out? Why don`t they just come out and clarify this all? I mean if Misty passed the lie detector test, why not say she passed the lie detector test? She says she passed it.

FINDLING: I think right now they are trying to determine who is a suspect as one issue, but where is the child is another, and I think, you and I have to be convinced. I just am totally convinced that they`re also treating Misty as a 17-year-old.

I listened to what she said and you know what she sounded like? She sounded like my 17-year-old daughter when I said, "So who was at the party last night." I can ask it three different times, and every child 17-year- old is going to give you a different explanation.

And I think these detectives know that they`re dealing with that. Remember, it is not her that has the custodial issue here. It is the parents. The other thing they`re looking into is what kind of behavior did she exhibit during the child in the past?

VELEZ-MITCHELL: And we`re going to get to that right after the break. Hang tight, we have so much to get to.

Don`t forget: Nancy Grace is up immediately following this program at 8 p.m. Eastern. She will have the very latest on the search for Haleigh.

And right here on ISSUES, my expert panel will weigh in on the shocking new developments in the disappearance of little Haleigh Cummings. Do you think police are closing in on a suspect? Call 1-877-JVM-SAYS. That`s 1-877-586-7297, and let me know.

But first I want you to listen to the desperate 911 call from Haleigh`s father.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CUMMINGS: I just got home from work and my 5-year-old daughter is gone. I need somebody to be here now, I`m telling you.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Listen to me, listen.

CUMMINGS: If I find whoever has my daughter before you all do, I`m killing them. I don`t care. I`ll spend the rest of my life in prison. I`m tell you, you can put it on record and I don`t care.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK. It`s OK, sir. We`ve got them on the way. Can you give me any -- what kind of the description of the pajamas she was wearing?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don`t (EXPLETIVE DELETED) know, I was at work!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

DOMINICK PAPE, FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF LAW ENFORCEMENT: It`s been a national man hunt from day one. We will take any lead, any place any time. I don`t know where this investigation is going to take us, and every lead is critical. So we will take anyone that will lead us to her recovery or lead us to a subject (ph).

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: The special agent in charge of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement emphasizing that the search for Haleigh Cummings has been a national manhunt from the very start.

I`m back taking your phone calls on this case. Give me a holler to join the discussion: 1-877-JVM-SAYS. That`s 1-877-685-7297. Phone lines totally jam-packed.

Carrie in Florida, your question or thought, ma`am.

CALLER: Yes. I remember Casey Anthony`s fiance saying that Casey was jealous because she believed he cared more for Caylee more than her. So I`m wondering, did Misty also have issues with jealousy regarding her boyfriend`s daughter? Was there friction between Misty and Haleigh?

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Wow! That, I have to say, I didn`t know where that question was going, but that is a pretty fantastic question when you think about it, Gaby Cora, because we can never forget about the psychological underpinnings of any kind of criminal case and what the conditions are leading up to something like this.

CORA: And you know, this is -- this is a great question and could hypothetically this be an issue. And yes, it could, but we have to remember that we do not really know if there was that kind of a motivation. On the other hand, we do know that there was a 17-year-old taking care of two young children.

But Drew Findling, by the same token, published reports are indicating the Florida Department of Children and Families is confirming that the agency was involved with this family, indicating a possible investigation involving the children.

Now, this was a published report that we haven`t been able to independently confirm, but we have reached out to the authorities to try to get it confirmed. If it`s true, if the Department of Children and Families was involved in some way, shape or form, and remember, Ron has complete custody, full custody, what does it say?

FINDLING: Well, let`s -- let`s start by addressing the caller, and that is there were two children there. So that`s really not resolving any jealousy issue by one child disappearing.

I think more importantly the reason why you`re going to see child services involved is what we`ve talked about, and that is you have a family where a dad is working through the night and has the equivalent of an 11th grade girl, who`s apparently his girlfriend, caring for two little children, who in my best definition, had she been the mother, which she`s not, would have had them at 12 and 13. Which just indicates she`s not ready to care for children through the night like this.

That`s a statement as to why you need the Department of Family and Child Services from time to time to look into a family like this or, unfortunately, it doesn`t seem at this point possibly to be a good ending to this.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Right. Stephanie, California. Question or thought, ma`am.

CALLER: Hey, I was wondering if they have thoroughly checked all the neighbors within that mobile home park, because we had a case in San Diego County with little Danielle Van Dam.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Oh, yes. I remember her.

CALLER: And it was the neighbor, and he was able to see the schedules of the mom and dad and the kids, and he was able to see the daughter.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, interesting that you should say that, because Jennifer Bauer, the paternal grandmother, says that she feels it`s somebody that had to know that Ron was at work at night, because they wouldn`t come in and want to confront a man.

BAUER: Yesterday -- yesterday, local, state and even federal investigators were back out into that mobile home neighborhood, going door to door. They tell us they knocked on some 300 homes and interviewed homeowners.

A lot of people who live in this area don`t live here full time. A lot of what we call snow birds, people who live up north most of the year and then come down to this part of Florida for the winter may not have been here last week. So investigators told us today some 300 homes, they`ve gone back and re-interviewed and talked to neighbors.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Wow!

Debbie in Michigan. Question or thought, ma`am.

CALLER: Yes. Jane, I enjoy watching your program.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Thank you.

CALLER: I have a comment and a question. My comment is I had heard on one of the previous programs that Misty was molested by a cousin, and I can understand if that happened to her by a cousin why would she allow him in that house with that little girl? Unbelievable.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: There have been so many different stories and again, the key is to verify them, Jennifer?

BAUER: Yes, you know, we have not heard anything about that or not been able to confirm anything about that. Of course, we are getting the majority of our information from investigators here on the scene.

And, as you know, for eight days they have been extremely tight- lipped, and not because they necessarily want to be, but because they feel it is just Heard anything about that or not been able to confirm anything about that. Of course, we are getting the majority of our information from investigators here on the scene.

And as you know for eight days they have been extremely tight-lipped and not because they necessarily want to be, but because they feel it is just crucial to this investigation and crucial to bringing the 5-year-old back home.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: You are absolutely right. We have so much more to cover. Stick around. Much more to come on the Haleigh Cummings` case. I want to hear your take. Call 1-877-JVM-SAYS. That`s 1-877-586-7297.

But first, how did the abductor get into the home? Here is the 911 call placed by Haleigh`s father`s girlfriend regarding the crucial backdoor. You`ve got to listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Does the door look like it was pried open?

CROSLIN: Um...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Does it look like you had some sort of -- someone tried to enter into your house?

CROSLIN: Um -- hold on.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And another thing, make sure you and your husband don`t touch the door anymore. Don`t mess with the door or anything.

CROSLIN: No, it doesn`t.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We obtained information through our investigation that young Haleigh was, in fact, not wearing the pink shirt as reported at the time of her disappearance.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: So much in question tonight. Little Haleigh not wearing a pink shirt at the time of her disappearance as previously reported.

Back with my panel and the phone lines lighting up. Sharon in Florida, question or thought, ma`am.

CALLER: yes. Is Haleigh`s father going to be charged with having sex with a minor when this is all over? If he were a coach or a teacher he would be in jail already.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, Drew Findling, you hinted at this issue earlier.

FINDLING: Well, he -- there is not going to be a charge for that, because she is of majority at 17 years old. The difference between a teacher and a student is that that is considered sexual assault upon a person in custody, even though they`re not really in custody. That`s what we consider the student/teacher relationship.

So you may be disturbed by the fact that he`s 25 and she`s 17 and he`s leaving her in the care of a 5- and a 4-year-old. It`s disturbing but not illegal, just uncomfortable for all of us.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Listen, I`ve been thinking about everything, because there`s been so much breaking news. And again, this is only one person`s claim. It`s a tip that police got that they`re checking out a claim that Misty left the house. They say they have no reason to believe that it`s true at this point.

But, if you think about it hypothetically, Joe Navarro, if you`re baby-sitting, let`s say kids, you`re not going to leave them when they`re up. You`re more likely to leave them after they`ve fallen asleep. Hypothetically, to account for the open door, would it be possible, if this is true -- and again, I`m just totally speaking hypothetically -- that the kids fell asleep, she left, left the door open, went outside for whatever reason -- to see a friend or get a smoke or something innocent -- comes back and at that time is when she finds little Haleigh missing?

JOE NAVARRO, FORMER FBI AGENT: Well, it`s certainly possible, and like I said, we don`t know all the facts. It is possible.

But look at it this way. If she was in the house, you know, and they live in a trailer. And if you`ve ever been in one of those trailers, they`re very noisy. When you walk through those things the floors vibrate. It just seems inconceivable to me that she was not aware that someone was, you know, inside that residence and has no explanation for the...

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, you know, every morning I wake up and I tiptoe around getting coffee, and I don`t necessarily wake up the people in the house. I mean, you can be quiet. And people are asleep. They call it dead asleep because they`re asleep. I don`t think that`s necessarily significant.

Let me get to this, though. Sometimes it`s really hard to know what the police are saying when they come out and they give press conferences in the midst of a search. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ROSE: The investigation, we feel pretty confident, as to the general timeline when the girlfriend last saw Haleigh to the time when she reported it on the 911 call. That`s the timeline we`re focusing on. But there again, as far as the timeline prior to and afterwards, we`re not releasing that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Gaby, I have ten seconds. I didn`t understand what he was talking about.

CORA: Well, I`m not particularly clear about that either. But I think -- I think there are so many things about this case that we need to try to figure out and, you know, someone -- an adult wouldn`t know when a child is walking around.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: It doesn`t make sense.

Jennifer, Gaby, thank you so much. Drew, Joe, stick around. Coming up, breaking developments in the Caylee Anthony case. New inconsistencies, bombshell evidence could be revealed tomorrow.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0902/17/ng.01.html

NANCY GRACE

Police Pursue New Leads in Missing Florida Girl

Aired February 17, 2009 - 20:00:00 ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

NANCY GRACE, HOST: Breaking news tonight, Satsuma, Florida. A 5- year-old little girl tucked into bed, five hours later, she`s gone -- gone, vanished into thin air, the back door propped wide open. The father comes home from the night shift to find not a single trace of little Haleigh.

Bombshell. Literally in the moments before we go to air tonight, local WJXT reports the girlfriend/baby-sitter was not -- repeat, not -- sleeping in the home with the children when little Haleigh disappears, what the girlfriend first told police, a bed she was reportedly sharing with the girlfriend/baby-sitter and her 4-year-old little brother. Where was she? What was the scenario that night? After claiming she passed not one but two polygraphs, the girlfriend`s apparent lie at the least costing police invaluable hours at the get-go in the search for Haleigh!

And in another major development, police announce they have in their possession the pink shirt little Haleigh reported wearing the night she disappears. Turns out she wasn`t wearing it at all. How -- how -- can you not know what your child`s wearing after you bathe and dress them for bed? This leaves us with no clothing description, information critical in bringing Haleigh home!

And tonight, police on the search for a nearby and unaccounted-for sex offender. Offense? A 2002 break-in of a trailer in the middle of the night to molest an 11-year-old little girl. Sound familiar? Tonight, with the investigation turned upside-down, where is 5-year-old Haleigh?

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

911 OPERATOR: OK. What`s your address?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, Green Lane (INAUDIBLE)

911 OPERATOR: What`s the numerical?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The numerical? What`s that?

911 OPERATOR: The number. Green Lane?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

911 OPERATOR: OK, when did you last see her?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We just, like -- you know, it was about 10:00 o`clock. She was sleeping (INAUDIBLE)

911 OPERATOR: OK. How old is your daughter?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She`s 5.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

RONALD CUMMINGS, FATHER: Hello?

911 OPERATOR: OK. What was she last seen wearing?

CUMMINGS: (INAUDIBLE) the middle of the night.

911 OPERATOR: Ma`am?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She was in her pajamas. We were sleeping.

RONALD CUMMINGS, FATHER: I just got home from work, my 5-year-old daughter is gone. I need somebody to be here now, I`m telling you.

911 OPERATOR: OK. Listen to me. Listen to me. We`ve got two officers...

CUMMINGS: If I find whoever has my daughter before y`all do, I`m killing him. I don`t care. I`ll spend the rest of my life in prison, I`m telling you. You can put it on the report, and I don`t care.

911 OPERATOR: OK. It`s OK, sir. We`ve got them on the way. OK, can you give me any -- what kind of description of her pajamas that she was wearing?

CUMMINGS: I don`t (DELETED) know! I was at work!

911 OPERATOR: OK, sir, we`ve got them coming, OK?

911 OPERATOR: What`s her date of birth?

CUMMINGS: Y`all are (DELETED) playing games, man! I`m going to (DELETED) kill somebody!

911 OPERATOR: OK, tell him we understand. We need to get her date of birth.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What`s her date of birth?

CUMMINGS: (DELETED) her birthday! We need to find her! (DELETED) her date of birth!

(END AUDIO CLIP)

GRACE: I agree with the father. Who cares about the date of birth at a time like that? Good evening. I`m Nancy Grace. I want to thank you for being with us. Bombshell tonight. As we go to air, local WJXT reports the girlfriend/baby-sitter was not -- was not -- sleeping in the home with the children the night little Haleigh disappears out of her own bed. And in another major development, police announce they have the pink shirt Haleigh reported wearing when she goes missing. Police losing critical hours at the onset all because of a single lie?

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I just woke up, and our back door was open, and I can`t find my daughter.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I laid down (INAUDIBLE) I mean, I`m not positive what time. It was, like, 3:00. You know, it was (INAUDIBLE) 3:00 o`clock in the morning. I got up. And I got up because I had to use the bathroom, but I didn`t make it to the bathroom. I seen the kitchen light on and I walked in the kitchen, and the back door`s wide open. And I didn`t notice about Haleigh then until I seen the back door open. And I (INAUDIBLE) and`s was gone. And that`s all I know, is when I woke up -- when I went to sleep, she was there, and then when I woke up, she was gone!

(END AUDIO CLIP)

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

CUMMINGS: Hello?

911 OPERATOR: OK, sir, let me talk to your wife. Let me get some information from her.

CUMMINGS: (INAUDIBLE)

911 OPERATOR: Can I talk to her?

CUMMINGS: (INAUDIBLE)

911 OPERATOR: OK.

CUMMINGS: How the (DELETED) can you let my daughter get stole (DELETED)!

(END AUDIO CLIP)

GRACE: There we see at the very beginning if we had only understood then what we know now. As we go to air, local stations reporting the baby- sitter not at home the night little Haleigh goes missing.

Out to Jennifer Bauer at the command center with WJXT. What`s happening?

JENNIFER BAUER, WJXT: Well, Nancy, I`m going to be very clear. We are reporting, WJXT out of Jacksonville, that so far to date, police have received some 1,200 tips and leads. One of those leads is that Misty Croslin, the baby-sitter, may not have been home the night Haleigh disappeared. And police tell us they`re looking into it as a possibility. They have not confirmed she was not in that home, but they tell us they are looking into it as a possibility.

GRACE: What is the alternative? Where is the tipster saying she was?

BAUER: That we don`t know. Police are telling us they`ve received 1,200 tips. Yesterday, they had 500. They have more than doubled the amount of tips in just one day. And they`re coming in from everywhere. They`re coming in by phone. They`re coming in by e-mail. People are faxing. People are calling. So you know, police are trying to make sense of all of this.

We got this information late today. And when I called detectives just about an hour ago to confirm all of this information, they said, We`ve gotten a lot of information, but we can confirm that it`s something we`ve heard. We are looking into it as a possibility.

And considering we have been here for eight days, police have not gotten very specific to this point about some of those leads that have been coming in. So this is definitely a development. This is definitely new information that we didn`t have yesterday, or we didn`t even have this morning.

GRACE: And Jennifer Bauer, joining us tonight from WJXT, what can you tell me about the description of what little Haleigh was wearing when she was last seen? That`s wrong, too?

BAUER: Well, we have to be very careful, too. Police are not telling us how they got it or where they got it, but they are telling us that they have in their possession that pink shirt they originally thought Haleigh was wearing the night she disappeared. To me, that opens up a lot of questions. But detectives are being very tight-lipped because, again, they keep telling us they keep reiterating they do not want to compromise this investigation at this point.

So the only information they`re willing to say is that that pink shirt they thought Haleigh was wearing that night, they have with them. We don`t know where they got it. We don`t know where they found it. We just know they have it.

GRACE: Let`s talk about what the scenarios are. Let`s unleash the lawyers. We`re taking your calls live. Susan Moss joining us out of New York, child advocate, Raymond Giudice out of Atlanta, defense attorney, Greg McKeithen, former prosecutor, current defense attorney also out of the Atlanta jurisdiction. Susan Moss, what do you say?

SUSAN MOSS, FAMILY LAW ATTORNEY: This 17-year-old is no Rip Van Winkle. Her story makes no sense. Her argument that she was sleeping in the bed and then she wasn`t woken up when a door was opened, when a cinderblock was placed by the door, and when this child was taken -- I don`t buy it.

GRACE: What about it, Ray? Could both scenarios be true?

RAY GIUDICE, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Sure. Sure.

GRACE: Could she -- let`s just give her the benefit of the doubt for a moment. Could she have, if this tipster`s correct, left the home to go out -- partying, I don`t know, go somewhere -- and someone come in the home while she`s gone? Just because she wasn`t there does not necessarily mean she`s responsible for the disappearance.

GIUDICE: Absolutely. I think we need to separate the question of whether she made an irresponsible act and wasn`t there at the time, as opposed to any involvement in the actual disappearance and potential harm to the child. There`s no allegation and no evidence of that. And I think everyone should stay on that track for now.

GRACE: But of course, Greg McKeithen, you know, when you`re trying to find a missing girl and you find out someone may have lied at the very beginning, that`s serious.

GREG MCKEITHEN, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: That is, I agree. And that is an issue that has to be explored. And whether or not she...

GRACE: Explored?

MCKEITHEN: ... intentionally misled the police.

GRACE: Explored? That`s putting perfume on a pig, McKeithen!

MCKEITHEN: That...

GRACE: If this girl is lying about what happened that night, I want to do more than a little exploration.

MCKEITHEN: Well, I think we must examine the totality of the circumstances in the statement, Nancy, to find out exactly what did she say and what did she not say. Maybe there`s a simple omission of information.

GRACE: You know what? You`re right. It could be. And right now, Ms. Bauer is reporting it as a tip that police are following up onto.

T.J. Hart, the news director at WSKY, 97.3 Fuhrman. T.J., thank you for being with us. Did we ever get any clarification regarding where everybody was sleeping? Let`s say the girlfriend was home. First of all, they were all three in the bed together. Then the story shifted. The children were in another room. Then the story shifted again. She was in bed with the little 4-year-old boy and the little girl was sleeping in another room. Has that been clarified?

T.J. HART, WSKY: No, that hasn`t, as a matter of fact. And in fact, it is a topic of discussion just about anywhere you go in this part of Florida. And you know, people are discussing this story at all hours of the day and night, and it all centers on the inconsistencies of this story and the bedroom situation as to where the kids may or may have been and where Misty might or might not have been.

GRACE: Well, Mr. Hart, I can tell you, unless there`s been a drastic change since I left home, I know what pajamas the twins have on. I can tell you exactly what they`re wearing.

HART: Yes, you would know, if you`re a parent, and you are.

(CROSSTALK)

GRACE: I know every single button that they`ve got on tonight. So how can you be confused about a pink T-shirt?

On the other hand -- back to Giudice -- both things could be true. The baby-sitter may have put her in the pink T-shirt and then later finds the T-shirt on the floor.

GIUDICE: That`s right. And we don`t know where the police found the pink T-shirt. Was it outside the home?

GRACE: That`s what I`m telling you, Ray.

GIUDICE: I agree. Oh, absolutely, both alternatives are true. So before we start accusing this young lady of serious crimes...

GRACE: OK, you know what?

GIUDICE: ... she has inconsistencies...

GRACE: Hold it for a moment. Thank you. Joining me right now, Teresa Neves, the paternal grandmother of little Haleigh. Ms. Neves, thank you for being with us. What do you make of this scenario? Was the baby- sitter at home that night in bed with the little girl or not?

TERESA NEVES, PATERNAL GRANDMOTHER: I believe that she was. To the best of my knowledge, she was there. I had a family member there that night checking on the children, dropping off some clothes. So I know up to a point that she was definitely there. There`s no doubt in my mind that she was there, you know?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, that`s -- I just didn`t hear it. And I wish I did because I wouldn`t let no one take her.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Are you blaming herself?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I just know, like -- I feel like that, you know, I wish that they would have took me instead of her, you know, because I could have fought. You know, she`s only 5. She can`t really do anything. And I just wish they would have took me instead of her! What do they want with a little 5-year-old?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He`s feeling helpless, not knowing if his daughter, Haleigh, is a few miles away or a few thousand. Today Ronald Cummings was adamant that he`s never giving up hope.

CUMMINGS: It`s not time to give up. It`s time to (INAUDIBLE) It`s still time to look. You know, my daughter is still gone somewhere, and we want her home.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Whoever has her (INAUDIBLE) just bring her back. And Haleigh, if you`re watching, Mommy loves you. And I miss you! And I want you to come home!

CUMMINGS: Please bring her home. Please bring her home safe. And if she`s watching, baby, I love you. I`ll never give up on you!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: We are taking your calls live. But first, to Teresa Neves, the paternal grandmother of little Haleigh. Ms. Neves, again, thank you for being with us. In light of the recent reporting by WJXT on a tip that police have received that Misty was not in the home when the little girl, Haleigh, goes missing, you believe she was. Explain.

NEVES: I do believe she was at home. I believe she`s a very responsible girl. I believe -- like I say, I had family members there that night, dropping off clothes, and so I know she was there up until a point. And I don`t believe that she left after that.

GRACE: OK. Good to know. And Ms. Neves, what do you make of the confusion about who was sleeping in what bed?

NEVES: I believe that`s a big misconception caused by the media. When she made the report, they were all sleeping together, and they were. They may not have been in the same bed, but they were all in the same room.

GRACE: OK. You know what? That makes sense. And I hope that you`re correct because it`s shifted and changed, but it may have been just been a manner of phrasing that made the inconsistency. And I also...

NEVES: Absolutely.

GRACE: Yes. And I also noticed that even though they are now exploring, investigating, whether or not she may have been home that night, they are still saying -- police are saying, anyway, that they don`t have information suggesting she wasn`t there. So unless they`re flat-out lying, they believe she was there, as well. Although...

NEVES: Absolutely.

GRACE: ... the tip is being explored. Also, Ms. Neves, while I`ve got you on the phone -- with me is the paternal grandmother of little Haleigh, who goes missing out of her own bed -- Ms. Neves, what about the pink T-shirt she was reported to be wearing the night she goes missing by Misty? Now we find out the police have that pink T-shirt. She wasn`t wearing it.

NEVES: We still say she was wearing it when she was put in bed.

GRACE: OK. So how did it reappear?

NEVES: I cannot answer that. I was not there when someone came in and took her. I don`t know.

GRACE: OK. Do you have any idea how they -- where they found the pink T-shirt?

NEVES: No, ma`am.

GRACE: OK. Ms. Neves, has anyone gone through her clothes to determine what`s missing, what she may be wearing, as a way to help find the little girl?

NEVES: That home is now considered a crime scene. No one is allowed in there.

GRACE: Well, do you think that someone -- you know, let`s go to Detective Lieutenant Steve Rogers. Shouldn`t someone go through the clothing with police to determine what`s missing? I mean, that`s kind of a tough thing to determine. You`ve got a 5-year-old little girl. She`s probably got a ton of T-shirts that she wears. It`s going to be tough to determine what`s missing, what one outfit may be missing.

DET. LT. STEVEN ROGERS, NUTLEY, N.J., POLICE DEPARTMENT: You`re absolutely right, Nancy. The police would take a relative in, perhaps a mother in, to look through the belongings. I got to tell you...

GRACE: No, the mother lives 150 miles away. It`s not going to be the mother.

ROGERS: I`m sorry.

GRACE: The grandmother says it`s a crime scene. She hasn`t been back in. So where does that leave me?

ROGERS: Well, it leaves us at ground zero, where the police are going to begin, meaning the person closest to this child. Look, Nancy, we`ve been through this a dozen times. And I`ve got to tell you that the police are going to start at ground zero, closest people to the child. They`ll probably end up there. And then we have a sex offender.

GRACE: You know, you`re right. Let`s go back to Jennifer Bauer with WJXT. Jennifer, what can you tell me about Chad Eugene Reynolds?

BAUER: The police are calling Chad Reynolds a sexual predator, Nancy, and he`s missing out of Marion County, which is the county just below Putnam here. He apparently, we`re hearing, failed to check in with his probation officer, and he was reported missing at the beginning of this month. Forgive me, but I believe it was February 3rd. Police have not been able to locate him since.

We did ask investigators about him, whether they`re concerned, whether they`re trying actively right now to locate him, and detectives here on this case tell us, at this point, he is not a person of interest, but of course they are actively trying to locate him. There is a warrant out for his arrest and they do want to talk to him. Again, he is considered a sexual predator, missing out of Marion County, which is one county south of Putnam County, which is where we are right now.

GRACE: You know, I`m noticing that the incident back in 2002 took place in Putnam County. It dealt with breaking into a trailer -- I`m looking right at the police report in my hand -- in the middle of the night to molest an 11-year-old little girl sleeping in her bed. Sounds extremely familiar.

Out to the lines. To Wonder in Massachusetts. Hi, dear.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi, Nancy. How are you?

GRACE: I`m good. What`s your question tonight?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My question is, you know, everyone`s saying that -- how responsible this girl is. And when she noticed that the little girl was missing, your first instinct is to call the police, call 911. Why would she wait for her boyfriend to pull up in the driveway? Even the boyfriend says, Why are you telling me this? You should be on the phone calling 911. Why wouldn`t a responsible person call 911?

GRACE: To Teresa Neves, the grandmother of little Haleigh. What was the cause of the delay?

NEVES: Misty was trying to find Haleigh herself. She was going through the house, looking, you know, through closets, their playroom, what have you. She was looking for Haleigh herself when my son came home.

GRACE: Everyone, we are taking your calls live. With me, the grandmother of little Haleigh.

But another case, still no answers tonight in the murder of a 13-year- old Georgia boy, Chuckie Mauk. On this day, 1987, Chuckie riding home on his bicycle, Warner Robins, Georgia, stopped to talk to a man in a car. As Chuckie got back on his bike, the unknown driver fatally shooting Chuckie near a local convenience store. Please look at little Chuckie. If you have any information, call Houston County sheriff`s 478-542-2125. Tonight, we still remember Chuckie Mauk.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

CUMMINGS: Hello?

911 OPERATOR: OK, sir, let me talk to your wife. Let me get some information from her.

CUMMINGS: (INAUDIBLE)

911 OPERATOR: Can I talk to her?

CUMMINGS: (INAUDIBLE)

911 OPERATOR: OK.

CUMMINGS: How the (DELETED) can you let my daughter get stole (DELETED)!

(END AUDIO CLIP)

GRACE: We are taking your calls live. Back to Haleigh`s grandmother. Teresa Neves is joining us tonight there from Satsuma. Ms. Neves, again, thank you. And you probably have no idea how many people are praying for Haleigh and for your family tonight. What do you believe, Ms. Neves? What do you believe happened to Haleigh?

NEVES: I believe that someone came in that house and took her. I believe that they either know my grandchildren and my family or Haleigh`s mother`s family, or they had to watch for a while because my son`s on the night shift. And you know, anybody who knows my son knows that he is very protective of his children. So no one would dare to come in when he is there. So you`ve got to be talking about somebody who knew my son wouldn`t be there.

GRACE: And tonight, Ms. Neves is standing by the girlfriend/baby- sitter, Misty, saying she was in the home and was sleeping there in the room with the children. We are taking your calls live. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Authorities have received over 1,200 tips in the search for 5-year-old Florida girl, Haleigh Cummings.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The original AMBER Alert say she was wearing a pink t-shirt when she disappeared. Well, investigators now said that`s not the case.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We obtained information through our investigation that young Haleigh was, in fact, not wearing a pink shirt as reported at the time of her disappearance.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Law enforcement officials say they`re investigating new leads in the case. Leads obtained after canvassing the neighborhood where Haleigh lives with her father Ronald Cummings.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It`s been a national manhunt from day one. We will take any lead any place, any time that we have mentioned earlier in press conferences. I don`t know where this investigation is going to take us. And every lead is critical.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Police believe Haleigh was abducted in the middle of the night last week, taken from her own bed.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We`re doing everything we can to recover this child. That`s still number one. We will not leave a stone unturned or lead not followed up.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The Putnam County Sheriff`s Office say they will continue to investigate until she is found, saying they will re-interview family and their associates.

RONALD CUMMINGS, FATHER OF MISSING 5-YR-OLD HALEIGH CUMMINGS: It`s not time to give up. It`s time to -- there`s still time to look.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hello?

911 DISPATCHER: OK, sir, let me talk to you wife. Let me get some information from her.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Man. (INAUDIBLE)

911 DISPATCHER: OK. Can I talk to her?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How the (EXPLETIVE DELETED) can you let y daughter get stole, bitch?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NANCY GRACE, HOST: We are taking your calls. Live out to Mary Jo in Mississippi. Hi, Mary Jo.

MARY JO, FROM MISSISSIPPI: Hi, Nancy. You`re so precious to all of us. We love you, your family and all of your staff.

GRACE: Thank you.

MARY JO: I have a question and a comment. I notice on the close-up of the young girlfriend that her eyes were very dilated, which it would indicate that maybe she`s on some medication or drug of some type, which could actually explain why she`s so confused with her answers.

Has anybody thought about giving her a drug test?

GRACE: To Dr. Bethany Marshall, psychoanalyst and author of "Dealer Breakers," what about it, Bethany?

BETHANY MARSHALL, PSYCHOANALYST, AUTHOR OF "DEALBREAKERS": Well, Mary Jo is correct. This is one of many things that the investigators are going to be looking at, and especially those who do the forensic psychological examinations. Was she on drugs? Was she a partier? Or was she a really responsible young woman? Because past behaviors are a predictor of future behavior.

When that 911 call comes in, Mary Jo, she identifies herself as the mother of the children and the little girl is her daughter. Was that confusion, panic, or was she exaggerating the nature of her relationship with the child to make it -- herself look like a better caretaker?

The hysteria, I`m very interested in that. Was she hysterical because the child was gone, or was she hysterical because she was terrified of getting into trouble with her boyfriend? I feel that perhaps her fear of Ron Cummings might be one of the biggest obstacles in this investigation, because a 17-year-old could be more afraid of the boyfriend than of the actual legal authorities.

And the final question was, predators are so cunning. Was there a child predator who was grooming her as well as the children, endearing himself to her in order to have access to the children?

GRACE: I want to go back to the grandmother of Haleigh, Teresa Neves is with us. Miss Neves, I don`t know what to make of the call. And it`s a legitimate call from Mary Jo in Mississippi. I can`t tell whether Misty Croslin`s eyes are -- look that way because she`s been crying so much.

She`s probably hasn`t slept a wink since all of this occurred. Or was there any drug history?

TERESA NEVES, GRANDMOTHER OF MISSING 5-YR-OLD, HALEIGH CUMMINGS: There is no drug history that I know of. And I would like to say that Misty has cried. The reason that Misty calls Haleigh, my daughter, my daughter, should be evident. I mean, Misty loved those children like they were her own.

GRACE: And Miss Neves, how long has she been taking care of them at night while the dad had the night shift?

NEVES: My son has not been on the night shift that long. So, I mean.

GRACE: So not very long.

NEVES: She was taking care of them. She has taken care of them -- well, pretty much since they`ve been together. I mean my mom and I are here. You know?

GRACE: How long have they been together?

NEVES: Five months. That.

GRACE: Miss Never.

NEVES: The night shift is only -- he`s only been on that like -- I mean I can`t give you an exact date, but I`m going to say he hasn`t been on that night shift four or five weeks.

GRACE: Miss Neves, the other evening I was told that Haleigh had missed a lot of school because she`s been sick. What has been wrong with her? Why has she been missing so much school?

NEVES: OK. I don`t know where your medical experts are, but Haleigh has Turner syndrome. And Haleigh has been sick a lot in her life. I mean, I personally have stayed in the hospital with her three times. Her immune system is not what it should be.

GRACE: We know for a fact, Miss Neves, that she was at school the day that she went missing.

NEVES: Yes, ma`am, she was. I picked her up from the bus stop.

GRACE: Let`s go out to Marc Klaas, president and founder of Klaas Kids Foundation.

Marc, weigh in.

MARC KLAAS, PRESIDENT AND FOUNDER, KLAAS KIDS FOUNDATION: Well, first of all, I don`t think for one second that this young girl is going to be able to finesse law enforcement. Remember, there`s a multi jurisdictional task force that goes from highly trained FBI agents all the way down to the local authorities.

And if, in fact, she`s not telling the truth, which quite frankly, it seems like she`s not, because there are many inconsistencies, not only the ones she mentioned, but did she get up to go to the bathroom or did she get up to get a drink that night. Those are very, very different scenarios of their own.

But she`s not going to be able to finesse them if she`s lying. Right now her story is incredibly self-serving. It -- answers nothing but her own personal issues as to, she slept through the deal, she didn`t call 911 because she woke up at the very last minute. The clothing is miscalculated. There are -- there are many, many things wrong here.

Now, what law enforcement is going to do, they have 1,200 tips, but they`re not all of equal value. They have hard tips, they have soft tips, and a lot of them might even be a theory. They`re using a piece of soft where something like rapid start to help them prioritize those tips.

And for whatever reason, and I think it was calculated, they let this information out tonight that this little girl may not have been home. And they did that for a very specific reason. They`re probably leaning on her. They probably want to find out exactly what did happen and deal with all of these inconsistencies.

Because this is a search for the truth. And if people are not telling the truth in this effort to recover this little girl, it`s going to hinder that investigation, and it`s going to slow down that process and there is no time to slow down here.

Misty has to come clean with whatever happened, whether she`s involved, or whether she`s not involved. If she was not in the house, where was she, who was she with? If she was in the house, then why are these stories so inconsistent and why do they seem to shift a little bit here and a little bit there with the different tellings?

The truth is consistent. The truth does not change. Misty`s story is inconsistent at this point.

GRACE: You know, Marc Klaas, you said something that I found to be true during all the years that I prosecuted. The truth doesn`t change. Now, as you retell and retell and retell your story, you may remember details that you didn`t say the first or the second or the third time, small details may be added. Your story may become embellished as you tell it. You may remember something else.

But it`s very rare that it actually changes, that the story of the truth changes. It can be embellished, it can be added to, but not significantly changed.

I want to go back to the grandmother, Teresa Neves.

Miss Neves, do you mind just going over with me one more time where everybody was sleeping that night?

NEVES: Not a problem.

GRACE: OK.

NEVES: As I stated before, Misty, I believe, said that they were all sleeping together. And that was true, because they were all in the same bedroom. OK? Haleigh has a small toddler`s bed. And she was on the mattress on that toddler`s bed in the room with Misty and Junior.

GRACE: OK. And that leaves Misty and the little brother in the big bed?

NEVES: Yes.

GRACE: Everyone, with me tonight, Teresa Neves, the grandmother of little Haleigh. We`re going to break. We`re taking your calls live.

As we go to break, I want you to know about the Joan Gaeta Lung Cancer Foundation. Joan Gaeta Lung Foundation treats the number one cancer killer in the world, lung cancer. Claiming more lives than breast, colon, prostate, melanoma and kidney cancer combined. 450 Americans die every day.

PS, you don`t have to smoke to get lung cancer.

Joan Gaeta, a beloved wife and mother of five, a teacher who lost her battle with lung cancer. In her honor, the second annual Dancing for Joan fundraiser for lung cancer research. It`s this Saturday, February 21, Marietta, Georgia.

For info or to make a donation, go to DancingForJoan.org.

And happy birthday to Florida friend of the show, Elyssa.

Elyssa, happy birthday.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Phyllis Bard has watched from her front porch as cops pull into the Hermits Cove neighborhood one by one Monday afternoon in this otherwise quiet and sleepy little town. What was once her mother`s home is now the center of the investigation into Haleigh Cummings` disappearance.

PHYLLIS BARD, NEIGHBOR: She was really a delightful little girl, (INAUDIBLE) hugged me when I`d be taking clothes off my line.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She says she knows the home where Haleigh lives inside and out. And yet even so, she says she couldn`t tell you offhand exactly where the light switches are located in the kitchen. The light 17- year-old, Misty Croslin, noticed were on when she saw the back door was wide open, making Bard wonder if the person who took the little kindergartner out of her bed perhaps may have been someone who had been in the home once before.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: With me right now is Reverend Jesse Smallwood, who previously lived in the home from which Haleigh disappeared.

Reverend, thank you for being with us. Describe the home.

REVEREND JESSE SMALLWOOD, PREVIOUSLY LIVED IN THE SAME HOME WHERE HALEIGH DISAPPEARED: Well, it`s a typical mobile home. It was (INAUDIBLE) when we looked at it then it was not quite as sturdy as we expected.

GRACE: Reverend, let me ask you about the bedroom. The bedroom in which the little girl was sleeping along with.

SMALLWOOD: Would you mean the master or one of the two children`s rooms?

GRACE: To Grandmother Neves, weren`t they in the master bedroom?

NEVES: They`re in the master bedroom, yes.

GRACE: Reverend, it was the master bedroom.

SMALLWOOD: OK. Well, what would you like to know?

GRACE: Well, how big is it? Because we know the babysitter did not hear someone when they took the little girl.

SMALLWOOD: Well, it was 10 by 10, if I`m not mistaken, with a room tarp, with a huge garden tub in the corner. Left-hand corner of the room as you enter into the door. Because we had a queen size bed, and I`m 6`5", pretty big guy.

GRACE: OK.

SMALLWOOD: And I had bypass surgery, and so I could not get around in the room.

GRACE: Were you surprised when you heard that the babysitter did not hear someone take the little girl?

SMALLWOOD: Well, if they came in the back door, because it`s a long ways, because you had to come through the washroom, the kitchen, the dining room.

GRACE: So were you surprised?

SMALLWOOD: The double living room. Yes, I was.

GRACE: To Dr. Marty Makary, what can you tell me about the Turner syndrome the little girl suffers?

DR. MARTY MAKARY, PHYSICIAN, PROF. OF PUBLIC HEALTH, JOHNS HOPKINS: Yes, Turner syndrome affects specifically young little girls, about 1 in 3,000 girls have it. And they have webbing of the neck. They have a somewhat shortened stature. Low setting ears.

And their mental capacity is normal, but their immune system is suppressed because their heart, essentially, does not pump as efficiently as most -- most young girls. And their hands and feet can sometimes be swollen. So expect their coordination to be a little off.

GRACE: That sounds exactly like what the grandmother, the paternal grandmother Neves was telling us. So not only has this child been taken from the home, she`s also suffering from this syndrome.

Please, everyone, the tip line, 888-277-8477. There is a reward. Please help us find Haleigh.

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0902/19/ng.01.html

NANCY GRACE

Sex Offender Arrested Near Missing Haleigh`s Home

Aired February 19, 2009 - 20:00:00 ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

NANCY GRACE, HOST: Breaking news tonight, Satsuma, Florida. A 5- year-old little girl tucked into bed, five hours later, she`s gone, vanished into thin air, the back door propped wide open. The father comes home from the night shift to find not a single trace of little Haleigh.

Bombshell tonight. In the last hours, a sex predator -- repeat, a convicted sex predator -- living less than one mile from Haleigh in custody tonight. But is he connected to Haleigh`s kidnap? We also confirm investigators seize a car, possibly a Toyota Rav-4 SUV, processing that vehicle for evidence as we go to air.

This as girlfriend/baby-sitter Misty Croslin, with Haleigh the night she was taken, has now been taken into custody for questioning, taken in a police car. Despite a tip to police Croslin was not home when Haleigh disappears, the entire family standing behind her. We are hearing she is now through with questioning. And tonight, detectives plow ahead with more polygraphs and another round of questioning for family members. Has Haleigh been spotted in Knoxville, Tennessee? The reward climbing tonight as the search goes on. Tonight, where is Haleigh?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Breaking news in the case of missing 5-year-old Haleigh Cummings, who police say was abducted from her own bed in the middle of the night. Police have arrested a sexual predator that lives about a mile away from where Haleigh Cummings was last seen.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: An arrest was made on a sexual predator here in Putnam County. However, this particular person does not have any direct link to Haleigh Cummings as far as being able to put him anywhere near her residence.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Florida investigators say there is no direct link between the sex offender just arrested and Haleigh`s disappearance. Authorities say they are still not ruling anyone out.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I`m not going to exclude anybody from not being involved. This man is a sex predator.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Over 1,30- tips have come in as investigators continue to search for Haleigh`s abductor.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I`m looking for Haleigh wherever she`s at. I do not have her. So I am looking and I`m looking for the information that will get to her recovery.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Officials confirm they have seized a vehicle in this case but would not specify who the vehicle belonged to or where it was recovered. The reward has now increased to $16,000 as the family waits in tents, hoping for Haleigh`s safe return.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We`ll be right here, waiting.

RONALD CUMMINGS, FATHER: I`ll be here every day until my child returns.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: That entire family living in tents while they`re looking for their little girl.

And breaking news tonight in the desperate search for another beautiful 2-year-old girl, Caylee. Six months of searching culminates when skeletal remains found in a heavily-wooded are just 15 houses from the Anthonys` confirmed to be Caylee, manner of death homicide. This after a utility meter reader stumbles on a tiny human skeleton, including a skull covered in light-colored hair. The killer duct tapes the child`s mouth and then finishes off by placing a heart-shaped sticker over the child`s mouth, then triple bagging her like she`s trash.

As we go to air, reports emerge tot mom doubles over, hyperventilating, demanding medication when she is purposely shown live TV coverage of the discovery of Caylee`s body, the entire thing caught on jailhouse video. And just released, hundreds of police investigative files, literally over 1,000 crime scene photos taken by land, by air, tot mom`s personal diary, duct tape, stickers, diapers, laundry bag, garbage bags and clothing -- it`s all part of state`s evidence.

And tonight, did grandparents George and Cindy Anthony`s private eye change his story again? He`s caught on video in the same wooded area just weeks before Caylee`s found. Now we learn he made three -- that`s right, one, two, three -- separate trips to that very same spot beforehand. Why?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Breaking developments in the case of 2-year-old Florida toddler Caylee Anthony. Newly-released documents detail evidence collected at both the crime scene and later the Anthony home during the execution of two search warrants. Items including duct tape, a laundry bag and clothing all found at the crime scene appear very similar to items found inside the home of George, Cindy and tot mom Casey Anthony.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When investigators collected the evidence from the house after Caylee`s remains were found, they say in the documents that Cindy Anthony told them a Winnie-the-Pooh blanket was missing from Caylee`s bed. Caylee`s remains were found with a Winnie-the-Pooh blanket.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Meanwhile, the Anthony family private investigator`s interview with police is being released by the judge`s order, even though the defense argued the information could be privileged.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This chilling video, which has been given exclusively to channel 9, shows the Anthonys` private investigator, Dominic Casey, in November, searching and ramming a metal rod into the ground here at the crime scene, mere feet from where Caylee Anthony`s remains were later found.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: PI Dominic Casey telling police why he was at the crime scene a month before Caylee`s skull and bones were found. Dominic Casey told investigators, at first he tried (ph) to determine if the location was a teenage hangout, as he had heard from the tot mom`s friends. But on his way there, Dominic Casey says he got a call from a psychic suggesting this could be where Caylee`s remains were located.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: Good evening. I`m Nancy Grace. I want to thank you for being with us. In the last hours, a sex predator living less than one mile from little Haleigh in custody tonight. But is he connected to Haleigh`s kidnap?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The search continues for missing 5-year-old Florida girl Haleigh Cummings, who police believe was kidnapped from her own bed last week. Authorities announce they`ve arrested a sexual predator who lives about a mile from Haleigh`s home for violating the terms of his probation.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The man`s name is Timothy Randolph Loucakis. He`s a 50-year-old white male, and he does live within about a mile from Haleigh`s residence. This man is a sex predator. That means he`s a very dangerous individual. I mean, there`s no getting around that.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Putnam County officials say there is no evidence linking the sex offender, Timothy Loucakis, to Haleigh`s abduction, but say they will continue to treat everyone as a suspect.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We`re questioning a lot of people and family members. We have polygraphs going on as we speak.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Police confirm they are re-interviewing girlfriend Misty Croslin today and have also seized a vehicle as part of their investigation.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don`t have any suspicions of anybody. Anybody could have done anything. I don`t know what`s what.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We`re thinking the worst not for Haleigh because I still feel she`s alive. But I just -- everybody`s a suspect.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A $16,000 reward is now being offered as tips continue to pour in, over 1,300 so far, Haleigh`s family holding out hope Haleigh will be brought home to them, even staying in tents near the home where the 5-year-old was taken in the middle of the night.

CUMMINGS: I`d ask that you please, please bring my daughter home. She`s not yours. It`s not property. You know, it`s not something that you just take and say, It`s mine, or whatever. This is my daughter. This is blood, and I would like to have my daughter back. Please, please bring my daughter home.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: Straight out to T.J. Hart with WSKY 97.3 FM. He`s standing outside the family tent. And it breaks my heart to say the "family tent." Their home is still deemed to be a crime scene, where the little girl was taken. They have nowhere to go. They are living in tents while the search for their little girl goes on.

T.J., what can you tell me about a convicted sex offender -- I`ve seen his photo, he looks to be about 50 -- living less than a mile from little Haleigh? What can you tell me?

T.J. HART, WSKY 97.3 FM: Fifty-year-old Timothy Loucakis does indeed live about a mile away from the home, and he was picked up here just last night with -- he was away from his home zone. He violated the order of his release. He had his GPS device on. Not only did he violate curfew, but he also got outside of his home zone. He was taken in not only for arrest, but also for further questioning today.

GRACE: Uh-uh. Uh-uh. Uh-uh. Listen, T.J. Hart, I`m sure you remember the recent case, Jennifer Hudson, "American Idol," the guy was taken into custody for a parole violation, for not reporting in. That is a technical violation. It is extremely rare to be arrested for a technical violation such as breaking curfew. Tell me what this guy`s history is.

HART: This history -- he did have a history of performing a sex act on a youngster and -- excuse me here, we`re being interrupted here by a train (INAUDIBLE)

GRACE: Hold on! Hold on! Hold on, T.J. I`ll go to our producer, Matt Zarrell, standing by. Matt, what can you tell me about this guy`s history quickly?

MATT ZARRELL, NANCY GRACE PRODUCER: Well, in 2001, he was convicted of trying to make a video of porn and distribute it over the Internet. Now, apparently, what happened...

GRACE: Wait a minute! Wait a minute! Wait a minute! Everybody and their half-brother is selling porn and distributing porn on the Internet. What does that have to do with a child molestation? Matt, you`ve got to be more specific.

ZARRELL: OK. What happened was, is that there was a 10-year-old girl that he was trying to set up a "meet and greet" with. And what he did was he sent child pornography pictures to who he thought was the child`s father. Turns out the father is an FDLE agent. So he was arrested before the meeting ever took place.

GRACE: OK. And he`s convicted of that, of trying to send porn to -- did you say to the child or to the father?

ZARRELL: He tried to send it to the father, who he thought was the child`s father.

GRACE: So he -- OK, wait. He was sending porn to the child`s father? He thought he was sending porn to the father?

ZARRELL: He thought he was sending porn to the child`s father in order to set up his "meet and greet."

GRACE: And that`s the way he thought he was going to get to see the child?

ZARRELL: That`s our understanding, according to reports.

GRACE: Good Lord in heaven!

OK, back to T.J. Hart, I think we`ll be able to hear you now, joining us from WSKY. He`s standing outside the family tent. OK, T.J., you`re saying he was picked up on a technical curfew violation. Yes, no.

HART: Yes, he was, and he was brought in for questioning, and they had him in there until this afternoon. I don`t know if he`s been released at this point in time.

GRACE: OK, to Michelle Sigona with "America`s Most Wanted." What more can you tell me about this guy, Timothy Randolph Loucakis? I`ve got his rap sheet, his information right here in my hand. What more do we know, Michelle?

MICHELLE SIGONA, "AMERICA`S MOST WANTED": I can tell you, Nancy, based off of what an investigator just told me about 15 minutes ago, that Timothy did, in fact, have a GPS tracking device on him. That GPS tracking device was checked around the time that Caylee went missing, and he was around his home. He was nowhere where Haleigh went missing. So that is what I can confirm to you at this time. And yes, he is being questioned by authorities.

GRACE: Of course, Michelle, that depends on what time Haleigh went missing. It all depends on that timeline reported by Misty Croslin, the 17-year-old girlfriend/baby-sitter.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CUMMINGS: I would like to tell my daughter, if she`s watching, baby, I love you and we will find you. I love you.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Another tough day, another desperate plea.

CUMMINGS: I just want my daughter home. That`s it.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Today investigators brought in Misty Croslin for more questioning. She`s Haleigh`s dad`s girlfriend and the last person who saw Haleigh when she tucked her into bed. Investigators now say Haleigh wasn`t wearing the pink T-shirt they originally thought she had on the night she disappeared.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We still think she was wearing it when she was put in bed.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Deputies say they`ve interviewed a cousin of Misty`s who was visiting from Tennessee before Haleigh`s disappearance.

CUMMINGS: (INAUDIBLE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you suspect she did anything?

CUMMINGS: I don`t have any suspicions of anybody. Anybody could have done anything. I don`t know what`s what. Obviously, if I knew what was going on, I`d have my daughter.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

DISPATCHER: Green Lane. The complainant (INAUDIBLE) she cannot find her 5-year-old daughter. The back door is open at this time.

DETECTIVE: I got the age on this kid. Is it a boy or a girl?

DISPATCHER: Whiskey Foxtrot, last seen wearing her PJs.

DETECTIVE: 10-4

DETECTIVE: 1256.

DISPATCHER: 1256?

DETECTIVE: There`s a railroad track that runs right through there. Can we find out from CSX when the next train comes through?

DISPATCHER: 10-4.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

GRACE: Whiskey Foxtrot -- white female. That is police radio communications that we are now hearing the night little Haleigh was found missing from her own bed.

I want to go straight out to a special guest joining us there outside the family tent. This is Teresa Neves, the paternal grandmother of Haleigh. She is preparing to head to a vigil for little Haleigh. Ms. Neves, thank you for being with us. I understand that the girlfriend/baby- sitter, Misty Croslin, was taken in a police vehicle for questioning today. What happened?

TERESA NEVES, PATERNAL GRANDMOTHER: Well, to my knowledge, they took her in and questioned her. I couldn`t tell you what happened. I have not spoken with Misty. I`m assuming that they needed to talk to her, you know? And we want them to talk to as many people as they have to talk to to find the truth about where our Haleigh is. I don`t care who that is or when they do it.

GRACE: Tell me, how is your son holding up? We`re on day 10 now.

NEVES: Ronald`s having a hard time. She`s his little girl. He loves her. He`s having a very hard time.

GRACE: And you know what, Ms. Neves? They`ve been through so much with Haleigh and her medical problems with the Turner syndrome, and he has been there by her side throughout all of this and I know his heart is breaking. They have got a very special bond after all of her illness that she has suffered, and now this.

I want to go back to Misty Croslin. Did she volunteer to go in to speak to police? Did she request to go speak to police, or did they want to see her themselves?

NEVES: Today I believe that they wanted to see her. Misty has made herself open to them at any time, and they came to see her.

GRACE: I understand we are now hearing that she was, in fact, the one who alerted police that she had discovered the pink pajama top that they found outside the back door.

NEVES: I`m not exactly sure where they found it. They`re not telling us where they found it, only that they did find the shirt that she was supposed to be wearing.

GRACE: What more can you tell us? What are police -- what information are they sharing with the family?

NEVES: That they have leads that they`re following. We don`t get a whole lot more information. We usually get an update right before they go in to media, but we don`t get much more information. And I understand that because we want them to do whatever it takes to bring Haleigh home. We don`t want to interfere with anything that they`re doing.

GRACE: So your son is having to live in a tent right now. There`s nowhere else for him to go because his home is still deemed a crime scene?

NEVES: His home is still a crime scene, but I don`t think if they opened it, my son would ever be able to go back in there. And I don`t believe that he wants to leave from right here where they took his baby until she comes home.

GRACE: Ms. Neves, did he tell you that?

NEVES: Did he tell me that? He told me he would not leave unless they make him. He will not leave until somebody brings his baby back to him.

GRACE: Ms. Neves, what does he believe happened to Haleigh?

BREMNER: You know, if he had any -- any kind of clue, he would be wherever he thought they had Haleigh. You couldn`t stop him.

GRACE: I see that there are a lot of people there with candles. Is that the vigil happening right now?

BREMNER: No, ma`am. No, ma`am. Those candles burn for Haleigh every day.

GRACE: Ms. Neves, what is your day -- what is the day of your son, Ronald, like during all of this search?

NEVES: He gets up every morning and he goes and he finds somebody who will search with him. He searched with Equusearch for two or three days, and he searched with volunteers. He spends his day looking for Haleigh.

GRACE: What about his job?

NEVES: You know, they`ve been good, I guess. He really is not going to worry about his job right now. He`s not worried about anything but Haleigh. All he wants is for Haleigh to come home. He can always find a job.

GRACE: What have police told you, if anything, about an alleged sighting of Haleigh in Knoxville, Tennessee?

NEVES: A sighting? I heard it on TV. I haven`t heard that from the police. No law enforcement has told me that.

GRACE: When you said that Ronald, your son, is not taking it very well, what did you mean by that?

NEVES: He`s lost without his little girl. He holds onto his little boy and he prays for that little girl every night and every day. He searches however he can.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I`m trying to do everything to find her, you know, answer any questions I have to because I know I didn`t do anything to that little girl. I would never hurt her. They love me. They love me. They look at me like their mom, you know? You ask little Junior. He`ll tell you. You know, they talk lovely (ph) about me and I`m so good to them kids.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: We are taking your calls live. We are live outside the family tent, the family of little Haleigh now living in tent. They don`t have anywhere they can go. They refuse to be far away from the scene where little Haleigh was taken. There you are seeing a live shot of what is happening right now.

We just spoke with the paternal grandmother. I want to go now to Marie Griffis, the maternal grandmother of little Haleigh. Ms. Griffis, along with Crystal Sheffield, Haleigh`s mother, also joining us there outside the family tent. Ms. Griffis, what do you make of the developments today, the baby-sitter/girlfriend taken away in a squad car for questioning?

MARIE GRIFFIS, MATERNAL GRANDMOTHER: I don`t know what to make of it. They`re taking her in so many times, it`s like they know she might know something.

GRACE: How many times do you believe she has been questioned?

GRIFFIS: I`ve -- I`ve known of three different days they`ve taken her out, including today.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hello.

911 OPERATOR: OK. Sir, let me talk to your wife. Let me get some information from her.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Man, (INAUDIBLE)

911 OPERATOR: OK.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (expletive deleted)

911 OPERATOR: Can I talk to her?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE)

911 OPERATOR: OK.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (expletive deleted) (INAUDIBLE).

911 OPERATOR: What`s her date of birth.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (expletive deleted) (INAUDIBLE) (expletive deleted)

911 OPERATOR: OK. Tell him we understand. We need to get her date of birth.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What`s her date of birth?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (expletive deleted) we need to find her, (expletive deleted) her date of birth.

911 OPERATOR: Tell him we`ve got them coming. He needs to try to calm down a little bit, OK? The officers are going to come out there and do what they can. We can`t have him screaming and yelling at the officers whenever they get there, OK?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Give me the (expletive deleted) phone. I`ve got better people to talk to than (expletive deleted) that ain`t coming.

911 OPERATOR: Can we check with St. John (INAUDIBLE) and see if they can put a chopper in the air for us?

DISPATCHER: 10-4.

911 OPERATOR: Also if you can contact Tenner (ph) at home and tell him I need to get him a boat prepared that would go into canal areas, one of the smaller ones, and get activated and head down this way.

DISPATCHER: 10-4.

DEPUTY #2: When you all make contact with Deputy Tenner, advise him it`s going to be east of the Hermit Cove Marine and (INAUDIBLE) south- southwest of the railroad track.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

GRACE: Tonight, the babysitter/girlfriend, 17-year-old Misty Croslin taken back in a squad car for more police questioning. All this as a local convicted sex offender, a 50-year-old guy trying to meet a 10-year-old girl via child porn also taken into custody, but is it connected to Haleigh`s kidnapping?

In the middle of all of this tornado, we have got an alleged sighting of the little girl in Knoxville, Tennessee. We are taking your calls, live to Cassandra (ph), North Carolina. Hi, dear.

CALLER: Hi, thanks for having me on.

GRACE: Thank you for calling. What`s your question, dear?

CALLER: I just wanted to know, did anybody check out the family for drugs in the house?

GRACE: Excellent question. To Crystal Sheffield, this is Haleigh`s mother who is joining us right now outside the family tent. As you know, the family is estranged. Haleigh is living with her father right now. The mother lives about a hundred miles away. She is joining us today there at the scene.

Crystal Sheffield, thank you for being with us. Was the family checked out for possible drug use, anything, cocaine, methamphetamine, anything?

CRYSTAL SHEFFIELD, MOTHER OF MISSING 5-YEAR-OLD HALEIGH: I have no idea.

GRACE: What can you tell me, back to.

SHEFFIELD: I haven`t heard anything about it.

GRACE: OK. To T.J. Hart with WSKY, also joining us there at the family tent, what can you tell us about that?

T.J. HART, PROGRAM & NEWS DIRECTOR, WSKY: We`ve not received any information, nor I have been able to independently verify any information pertaining to drugs in the house the night of the disappearance or any time prior.

GRACE: To Michelle Sigona, "America`s Most Wanted," I haven`t heard a word about any drugs being in the home, have you?

MICHELLE SIGONA, "AMERICA`S MOST WANTED": No, I haven`t either, Nancy, but I can tell you that investigators, you know, again, have taken a lot of evidence out of that house. They have sent it out to a crime lab in Jacksonville where they`re awaiting some DNA results to come back.

Those results have not come back yet, along with the car that was seized earlier today. They will not say whose car that belongs to, but that car is there as well as investigators continue to comb through the vehicle, through the inside of the house, and also re-questioning a lot of the family members today.

As you mentioned, they did bring back in Misty. She did go willingly, not in handcuffs. She was picked up in an unmarked car, she was dropped back off in an unmarked car. And what investigators tell me even within the last hour, is that Misty, along with Ronald are in 100 percent cooperation with investigators.

Any time they want to be brought in for questioning, they are there. They are willing to do whatever it takes to help find Haleigh.

GRACE: OK. Right there, Mike Brooks, something is wrong. It has been 10 days. It doesn`t take 10 days to get a DNA result. I can just tell you that right now. Unless -- wait a minute, unless they don`t have anyone to compare the DNA to.

Say they`ve compared it to the father, the girlfriend, family members, X, Y, and Z. It`s not theirs, they`ve got to have somebody to match it up to. You see where I`m going?

MIKE BROOKS, CNN SECURITY ANALYST: Absolutely, Nancy. And if it was a child predator, registered sex offender, that would be in that codice (ph), the national database of people from local, state, and federal who have been through the system.

One thing I just want to point out, Nancy, that 911 call we were listening to with Ronald Cummings, something struck me when I was listening to it just this last time. When they were talking -- the dispatcher was talking to him, he said, you all are F-ing playing games. If he`s talking to Misty, who is "you all"? "You all" is plural. Who is he talking about?

GRACE: Well, why would you think he`s talking to the girlfriend? Because my interpretation of that call was he was PO`d at the 911 operator, and I don`t blame him. They`re screaming, my daughter`s gone, my daughter`s gone, and they`re going, what`s her DOB?

BROOKS: Right. Now -- but -- exactly, but -- that`s OK, but they`ve got cars on the way. That`s the way they do, they can type it in while cars are going. In fact, from the dispatcher, it was -- the call was received at 3:27, dispatched at 3:28.

GRACE: You know, Brooks, Brooks, save it. I`ve been in the dispatch office. I`ve seen.

BROOKS: Did you see the police report, too, Nancy?

GRACE: Yes.

BROOKS: When he called his girlfriend?

GRACE: Yes. And? And?

BROOKS: OK. Well, there has got to be some reason why he was calling -- when he told the police "my dumb `B` girlfriend," and he called her that on the dispatch tapes. There was something else going on there, Nancy, I guarantee it.

GRACE: I hate to shatter your illusions, but that type of language amongst live-ins, married people, boyfriend-girlfriend, is not all that unusual, especially in a pressurized situation, right?

BROOKS: Oh, OK. I don`t know what -- no, whatever you say. You must have experience, because apparently, I don`t.

GRACE: I`m going go back to Crystal Sheffield, the mother of little Haleigh.

Ms. Sheffield, I understand that the girlfriend has been taken back for police questioning at least three times. What do you make of it?

SHEFFIELD: I don`t know what to make of it. It bothers me, but I really don`t know what to make of it.

GRACE: What do you mean it bothers you?

SHEFFIELD: I mean, her story has changed several times and now she`s the one that supposedly found the shirt. I mean, it just -- it doesn`t make sense, and I know my kids did love her. They told me that, and I just hope she would not have nothing to do with this.

GRACE: Explain to me the circumstances under which the pink pajama top was found. What do you know about that because that was a description Misty Croslin gave police and then suddenly she found the shirt. What happened?

SHEFFIELD: I was down talking to Ronald, me and my cousin drove down there. She was giving my son some birthday presents and a detective was down there and Ronald called me over there and the detective told me that they had found a shirt Haleigh was wearing.

And I broke down and then I walked away and Teresa (ph) walked over to me and was talking to me and the detective walked over and he was, like, did you know -- do you know what happened?

And she was, like, yes. And he was, like, you know that we found the shirt in the house. And that bothered me. And then today, this morning, I do believe it was, I got the paper from the store and it says that Misty found the shirt in the house, I guess, by the back door in the dirty clothes pile.

GRACE: So that`s near the back door, the back door that was found propped open with a cinder block?

SHEFFIELD: Yes.

GRACE: Crystal, do you know if any other items of clothing of Haleigh`s are missing?

SHEFFIELD: I wouldn`t -- I`ve never been in that house. I wouldn`t know.

GRACE: OK. And back to Marie Griffis, the maternal grandmother of Haleigh Cummings. Were you also aware that Misty Croslin was the one that found the pink T-shirt? Of course, she found it, which is a little suspicious, but she also pointed it out to police.

MARIE GRIFFIS, MATERNAL GRANDMOTHER OF MISSING 5-YEAR-OLD HALEIGH: Not until Crystal told me she had read in the paper that Misty found it by the door. I had -- we had heard that an officer had found it. But if they found it by the backdoor in the dirty clothes then somebody evidently put Haleigh in fresh, clean clothes before they took her out of that house.

GRACE: Everyone, we are going to break, we are taking your calls live. With me little Haleigh`s mother and grandmother there outside the family tent. These people are having to live in tents while the little girl is being searched for.

The Joan Gaeta Lung Cancer Foundation is fighting the number one cancer killer in the world, lung cancer, claiming more lives than breast, colon, prostate, melanoma, and kidney cancer combined. You don`t have to smoke to get lung cancer. Joan Gaeta, a beloved wife, mother of five and teacher lost her battle with lung cancer, and in her honor, the second annual "Dancing for Joan" fundraiser for lung cancer research, this Saturday, Feb. 21, Marietta, Georgia. For info or to make a donation, go to dancingforjoan.org.

And tonight, a heartfelt happy birthday to veteran New York trial lawyer Richard Herman. And please, I`m asking for your thoughts and prayers for Richard in the fight of a lifetime, battling leukemia. Richard, we are thinking of you right now. Happy birthday, friend, and please stay strong.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

>>END OF HALEIGH COVERAGE<<

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0902/20/ijvm.01.html

ISSUES WITH JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL

New Evidence Released in Caylee Anthony Case; Where is Haleigh; Full House

Aired February 20, 2009 - 19:00:00 ET

>snipped to only include parts pertaining to Haleigh<

Coming up, breaking developments in the desperate search for 5-year- old Haleigh Cummings. New questions surrounding Misty Croslin. Stunning, shocking new developments just in.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL, HLN ANCHOR: Shocking new developments in the search for little Haleigh Cummings: more questions surround Misty Croslin`s, the father`s girlfriend. Following up on tips of a possible Haleigh`s sightings in Tennessee, cops reportedly questioned Croslin`s relatives who lives there. Too many leads, too few answers -- where do investigators go from here?

Then, I`ll have the latest on octo-mom Nadya Suleman. Did she really buy a million-dollar home?

And shocking twists in the alleged beating of pop superstar Rihanna. I`ll tell you about it.

Stunning new developments coming in fast and furious in the search for missing Florida girl Haleigh Cummings: now the story has crossed state borders. Police today questioned Misty Croslin`s cousin, now referred to as Joe, hundreds of miles away in Tennessee. Reports suggest that it was this cousin who got into a fight with father, Ron Cummings hours before little Haleigh disappeared and that he had taken off to Tennessee afterwards.

All this made more compelling by a tip that a girl matching Haleigh`s description was seen in a Knoxville, Tennessee Carrabba`s Restaurant in a red Toyota RAV-4 with Florida license plates and that her face was shielded by a man.

Haleigh`s family held a news conference today and answered the many questions about this mysterious cousin, Joe, who Misty says she doesn`t trust.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I bet you don`t trust him?

CRYSTAL CUMMINGS, HALEIGH`S AUNT: We don`t either.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why don`t you trust him?

NEVES: Well, from the newspaper clips that we have and what we`ve heard, he might not be a very good person for Haleigh to be with. We`re just hoping that if he does know something that he tells someone so we can bring her home safely.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you feel comfortable with this man who you consider potentially a pedophile in a home with Haleigh? He was in the home at one point.

TERESA NEVES, HALEY`S GRANDMOTHER: You know, you trust your friends and your family to bring in people that you can trust. He did not carry a sign that says "I`m a sexual offender and I`m going to steal your child." He carried nothing like that.

As far as the cousin, I mean, Ronald wants Haleigh home and he doesn`t care who has her, how they got her. He wants her home.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Also in the mix, a car impounded and a sex offender at large. Could any of this lead to a major break in the case?

I want to go straight to my expert panel to examine all the various leads.

Don Clark, former special agent in charge in Houston FBI. And Drew Findling, Atlanta criminal defense attorney. Plus, Lisa Bloom, anchor on the legal network "In Session" and T.J. Hart, program and news director at WSKY 97.3 FM, on the scene.

T.J., what is the very latest, particularly as regards this Joe person?

T.J. HART, WSKY 97.3 FM: This Joe person has become a person of interest. We`ve been hearing lots about a man who may be a relative up until late yesterday who lives in Tennessee and who may have been here during the time frame when young Haleigh disappeared.

Now he has a name. He goes by Joe. At least that`s how he`s being identified today. Misty Croslin was on morning television today, and she spoke a bit about this character Joe, this cousin, and she said she doesn`t trust him, she doesn`t trust him at all. She doesn`t think he`s a good person.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Is there any confirmation that he indeed has some kind of record as a pedophile because that`s what the family was referring to in the news conference.

HART: That`s the suggestion that`s being made, and that`s the lead that we`ve been following for a couple of days now. One, who is this cousin? What is this person`s full name? What is his age? And I`ve been looking through the sexual predator registries on just what I have. And of course, you`re not going to get much with what I`ve told you already.

But in the press conference yesterday at 3:00, with Putnam County Sheriff Jeff Hardy, he said I`m not going to answer that question. So he just declined to answer; very tight-lipped about the situation and the status of this cousin.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right, so much to talk about.

The girlfriend of Haleigh`s father, Ron Cummings, appeared on "The Today Show" this morning. When asked about this cousin in Tennessee, here is what Misty said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MISTY CROSLIN, GIRLFRIEND OF RONALD CUMMINGS: He`s -- you know, he`s a criminal pretty much. He`s been in trouble his whole life. I don`t trust him. No, I don`t.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Lisa Bloom, this is such scary information. And then you dovetail it with this tip about a child that looks like Haleigh being spotted at a restaurant with a white male and, according to some reports, a mystery woman as well.

And my thought is why didn`t we know about this a long time ago? I mean, if this guy had had a fight with the father of this missing child, wouldn`t that be the very first person they would go to find since he would have some kind of motive?

LISA BLOOM, ANCHOR OF "IN SESSION": Jane, you are putting your finger on the most important development in the case over the past couple of weeks, and that is Misty, 17 years old, having the presence of mind to say on television, you know what, I don`t trust this guy. I don`t trust my cousin.

And you would expect her to say, well, he`s my family member, I`m sure everything`s fine. She doesn`t say that. And we know that when a child is missing it`s about a 95 percent chance that somebody in the family or somebody she knew is the one who abducted her. It`s the stranger abduction that gets all of the attention, but usually it`s a family member or somebody who knows her.

So I agree with you. Look, I`m sure Misty knows her cousin`s real name and they doesn`t just call him by Joe. I`m sure she knows where he lives.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes.

BLOOM: And I hope that she`s given that information to the police and they are following this as closely as you are because this is a very significant development.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: I`m just wondering, we`re in day 11 now, why this didn`t happen sooner.

New reports suggest that it was Misty`s cousin Joe who was fighting with Haleigh`s dad, Ron, the night before she disappeared. But when asked about that fight yesterday, here`s what Ron had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RONALD CUMMINGS, FATHER OF HALEIGH CUMMINGS: There was no fight with no cousin over a gun. I don`t know where people are getting information from. But you know, people say -- people say a lot of things, and they don`t know what they`re talking about.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You didn`t have an altercation with anybody verbally, physically at all before --

CUMMINGS: I don`t have any enemies.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: But that report claims came from a relative, Don Clark. Now if this fight in fact did occur, wouldn`t it be in the father`s best interest to come clean with it immediately to help police?

I mean, wouldn`t he want to say to the cops, "Check this out, I got into a fight right before Haleigh disappeared and he might be seeking revenge?"

DON CLARK, FMR. SPECIAL AGENT, HOUSTON FBI: Absolutely. The two adults involved here, number one, the young lady who was there, that person has to be continually talked to in my opinion if her defense attorney`s going to allow. Or hopefully a defense attorney would allow it.

But also the father too. They can`t be playing these games if that`s a good person, and that is a good person. The key is here let`s get the information that`s going to give the police some leads to try to find this little girl.

And it doesn`t make any difference about whether this was a good person or not. Now, if there`s an issue there, let`s spell it out right now.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: T.J. Hart, was this cousin at the trailer hours before little Haleigh disappeared? Because I remember a week ago hearing that there was an air-conditioning repairman there. He had been questioned and cleared. And there was also a report at the same time, I can`t remember the source, that Misty`s cousin had stopped by the trailer earlier with some of her nephews.

Is this the same person, this Joe because that would explain everything? I mean, it could account for how this door was mysteriously opened that was supposed to be locked. If somebody`s in a trailer, they can unlock the door when nobody`s looking.

HART: Well, Jane, this right now is having this person of interest, Joe as he`s being referred to, being in this area, this tight little area, during the time of the disappearance. But no one has said anything about cousins, and no one has said anything about nephews, rather, at the time.

This is something I`ve not been able to confirm at this point. But it is something that my other reporters are working on.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, girlfriend Misty was re-questioned yesterday and was reportedly at the sheriff`s office for five hours. Misty was also asked on "The Today Show" about finding the pink shirt that Haleigh was supposedly wearing when she disappeared. This was her response.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CROSLIN: I was looking by the dirty clothes for the clothes that she was wearing earlier that day for school, and I found that shirt, and found that shirt and I showed it to the detectives. If I was hiding something, why would I show the cops the shirt?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Lisa Bloom, another part of this puzzle is that there have been inconsistencies in Misty`s story. There were various stories about where she was sleeping vis-a-vis the two kids, and there were some claims, according to one tip, that she left the trailer that night, possibly after the kids went to sleep.

BLOOM: Right.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: I`m starting to see a picture. It`s almost like a portrait is sort of emerging of what possibly could have happened. If this cousin had been in the trailer home and then had gotten either -- unlocked the door or had gotten into a fight and had come in there and then she puts the kids to sleep, then she leaves, then he could come in and possibly take the child.

BLOOM: Right. And the pink shirt is very intriguing. I believe Misty. There is something about her that I find credible. And she says I`m the one who showed the police, look, here`s the pink shirt that I told you that she took off in.

I mean, so I think she`s right. It`s hard to imagine she would have called that to their attention if she did something wrong. What it does sound like, and she`s very certain that Haleigh was wearing that shirt the last time she saw her is that somebody came in, removed the shirt and maybe other clothing from Haleigh, put other clothing on her, wrapped her in a blanket, and abducted her.

That may be what happened. Because it is very strange to think that her shirt ends up in the dirty laundry, the same shirt that she went to bed in.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: And Lisa, precisely to your point, all of that couldn`t happen while Misty was asleep. And I think that why she`s being questioned over and over again is not that -- I don`t think anybody believes that she was complicit in anything that happened to this child, but it`s more like a case of was she negligent --

BLOOM: Wait a second. Why couldn`t it happen when she`s asleep? Somebody comes in and threatens that child, "Shh, don`t tell," maybe they have a weapon, they have a gun, they`re threatening. I mean, children are abused and taken all the time, and there`s not a peep out of them. It`s very easy to intimidate a five-year-old.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, the reason I say that, and T.J. Hart, clarify, please is that people are saying this is a double-wide trailer. It`s squeaky. The previous tenant said you can`t do anything without it making a lot of noise and that this is not something that could have happened without somebody noticing, especially if the child`s changing clothes now.

HART: That`s absolutely true.

We spoke with Dr. Smallwood. He`s now a minister up in Claxton, Georgia. He was describing the double-wide trailer that he lived in with his family, and he said unless they did some major repairs on it, it is pretty darn squeaky. You can hear anybody moving about the house. That`s something that`s pretty --

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Ok, we`ve got to go, but just one final little detail; an army of investigators searching the woods today 200 yards behind the home. We know this story is going somewhere. I pray that this little girl is still alive.

Don, T.J., thanks. Lisa, stay right there.

A reminder, "Nancy Grace" is up immediately following this program

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0902/20/ng.01.html

NANCY GRACE

Girlfriend`s Cousin Eyed by Police in Missing Haleigh Case

Aired February 20, 2009 - 20:00:00 ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

NANCY GRACE, HOST: Breaking news tonight, Satsuma, Florida. A 5- year-old little girl tucked into bed, five hours later, she`s gone, vanished into thin air, the back door propped wide open. The father comes home from the night shift to find not a single trace of little Haleigh.

Bombshell tonight. A new tip leads dozens of law enforcement to search deep in the woods south of the home where little Haleigh disappeared days ago. A simultaneous search goes down around the home of a convicted sex predator, a predator living less than one mile from Haleigh. He was taken into custody last night, but is he connected to Haleigh`s kidnap?

We also confirm tonight the FBI now on the heels of the girlfriend Misty Croslin`s cousin. His location? Tennessee. Croslin`s cousin visiting the night Haleigh vanishes, but suddenly, he takes off for Tennessee when Haleigh reported missing. In the last 24 hours, an alleged sighting of Haleigh, Knoxville, Tennessee. Detectives seize a car, processing that vehicle. They`re looking for evidence, but they refuse to reveal make, model or ownership.

And tonight, after the girlfriend taken in a squad car for over five hours of police questioning, Croslin raises her own suspicions of the unnamed cousin. As the FBI joins in the hunt, tonight where is 5-year-old Haleigh?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: New details emerge in the search for 5-year-old Haleigh Cummings, who police believe was abducted from her own bed. As investigators searched specific areas today, more information is coming out about this alleged cousin who was at the home around the time Haleigh went missing.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I can tell you that we`re not going to confirm whether or not he`s a sexual offender or predator. But have we in contact? Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: According to reports, the FBI`s investigating girlfriend Misty Croslin`s cousin, only identified as Joe. Some media outlets are reporting that the cousin got in an argument with Haleigh`s father, Ronald Cummings, over a missing gun.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Deputies say they`ve interviewed a cousin of Misty`s who was visiting from Tennessee before Haleigh`s disappearance. Cummings denies the two got into a dispute.

RONALD CUMMINGS, HALEIGH`S FATHER: There was no fight with no cousin over a gun. I don`t know where people are getting information from, but you know, people say a lot of things and they don`t know what they`re talking about. I don`t have any enemies.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: While Cummings denied any argument took place, his girlfriend, Misty Croslin, says that she doesn`t trust her cousin and isn`t sure if he`s involved in Haleigh`s abduction.

CUMMINGS: I`d like to tell my daughter if she`s watching, Baby, I love you and we will find you. I love you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: Good evening. I`m Nancy Grace. I want to thank you for being with us. A new tip leads dozens of law enforcement to search deep in the woods south of the home where Haleigh disappeared days ago. We also confirm tonight the FBI now on the heels of the girlfriend Misty Croslin`s cousin.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Authorities are out searching multiple locations again today as part of their investigation into what happened to 5-year-old Haleigh Cummings. After arresting a sex offender who lived less than a mile from Haleigh, officers began looking in the area near the sexual predator`s home today.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What we`re concerned about is the fact that we do have a sex predator that violated his curfew and wasn`t where he was supposed to be.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Investigators say they aren`t ruling anyone out, including Misty Croslin`s cousin, who is reportedly being investigated by the FBI. Croslin herself says she can`t trust him, telling reporters he`s been in trouble his whole life.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And Misty don`t trust him.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We don`t, either. From the newspaper clips that we have and what we`ve heard, he might not be a very good person for Haleigh to be with.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Law enforcement officials confirm they have been speaking with the cousin but refuse to comment on what information, if any, he`s provided them.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I never met the guy. I don`t know the guy. I know he came to visit Misty`s family, and he left the same day that my granddaughter left.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We`re working leads now. And again, we have people we`re interviewing. We`re doing polygraphs. We have some new leads that have come in, and we`re going to go ahead and follow up on all of them.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I miss the little girl. Look at every child you see. Look at every baby, every little girl you see.

CUMMINGS: I`d like to see my daughter brought home safe soon (INAUDIBLE) now, yesterday. I just want to thank everybody that`s been looking for her.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: Straight out to T.J. Hart, the news director at WSKY 97.3 FM. T.J. is joining us there outside the family tent. The family has been forced to live in a tent. Their home is declared a crime scene. We have learned today that a local is donating an RV or a trailer of some sort for them to live in for the duration.

To T.J. What can you tell me about the search outside the home of that convicted sex offender?

T.J. HART, WSKY 97.3 FM: Well, this is a precautionary search, as we were told, of Timothy Loucakis`s home. He was arrested, as we mentioned at the top of the show, for violating his curfew. Now, he was sentenced in 2001 for child abuse and promoting sexual performance by a child. This is a follow-up to his breaking of curfew. They don`t believe this has anything to do with the disappearance of Haleigh, but they`re doing their follow-up on this just to be sure.

GRACE: Let`s unleash the lawyers. Joining us tonight out of LA, Gloria Allred, victims` rights advocate, Penny Douglas Furr out of Atlanta, defense attorney, and Joey Jackson, defense attorney out of New York.

Gloria, they did not arrest the man simply because of a curfew violation. Now, I`m not saying that this convicted sex offender who sent child porn over the Internet, trying to meet a 10-year-old little girl -- you know what? Whatever. I`m not saying he`s connected to Haleigh`s disappearance. But I am saying, and I`d put everything I own on it, you do not arrest somebody simply for a curfew violation, Gloria.

GLORIA ALLRED, FAMILY LAW ATTORNEY: Well, it`s really hard to know why they arrested him. Apparently, that`s what they`re saying, and apparently, they have excluded him, as well, because -- since he was in his home wearing an ankle bracelet or other identifying equipment, they were able to pinpoint him as having been at his home or in his yard at the time of Haleigh`s disappearance. However, when they know that he has no -- that he has committed a curfew violation, then they have to make an arrest because this is a high-profile case.

GRACE: To Natisha Lance, our producer, also outside the family tent. Natisha, clearing him is based on a timeline given to us by the girlfriend, all right? So you know, we`ve got to confirm that timeline before he can be totally cleared.

NATISHA LANCE, NANCY GRACE PRODUCER: That`s right, Nancy. But what police are saying right now is that he was in his home zone area, which is within a mile of the Cummings home. Now, they`re also saying that this home zone area is not around the Cummings home. They feel comfortable with where he was at that time.

GRACE: To Tom Shamshak, former police chief. He`s now a private investigator and instructor at Boston University. Tom, can an ankle bracelet be beaten?

TOM SHAMSHAK, PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR: Good evening, Nancy. Nancy, that`s an open question. People I`ve spoken to say they are not fool- proof. This material that is around the ankle is nylon-like, with electrodes and wires attached to it. It is locked by a mechanism. Again, people have said it is not fool-proof, so that`s an open question.

GRACE: Back to Natisha Lance, standing by outside the family tent along with T.J. Hart. Natisha, I understand that police searching outside the sex offender`s home, the cardilage (ph), or the area around his home, but also deep in the woods behind Haleigh`s home. Now, was that because of a tip?

LANCE: Yes. Police were led to this area based on a tip, Nancy. They said they would not confirm if this is an area that they have searched before, but they said they were led there by a tip. They were searching this area earlier this morning. It`s about 200 yards away from the Cummings home. And they said that they are going to continue doing their search. It`s taking a tactical approach to areas they are led to by tips.

GRACE: To Matt Zarrell, our producer, also covering the story. Matt, I want to talk to you very briefly about the girlfriend, Misty Croslin, who was picked up by law enforcement yesterday and interrogated for about five hours. According to her family and others, she has been extremely cooperative with police. She`s the last one to have seen little Haleigh. She is the one that discovered the pink shirt that she originally told police the little girl was wearing when she was taken. And the entire timeline is based on Misty Croslin`s story. Yesterday, did she drive herself to the police station?

MATTHEW ZARRELL, NANCY GRACE PRODUCER: No. She was brought in an -- in a marked police car.

GRACE: OK. She was not handcuffed, correct?

ZARRELL: No.

GRACE: How long was she questioned?

ZARRELL: About four or five hours, from 12:00 to about 5:00 o`clock.

GRACE: Did she have a lawyer with her?

ZARRELL: Not that we know of.

GRACE: Do we know how many times she has been taken in for questioning?

ZARRELL: The family says at least three times that they know of. There could be another incident where they did talk to her.

GRACE: Matt Zarrell, was this her own volunteering to go in, or did they seek her out?

ZARRELL: Our understanding is police wanted to speak with her again and asked her similar questions to what she`s been asked before.

GRACE: So they wanted to re-question her on the same topics?

ZARRELL: That`s what she had said, yes.

GRACE: Let`s go to three very special guests joining us right now. Crystal Sheffield is Haleigh`s biological mother -- she is joining us there from Satsuma -- Crystal Cummings, the paternal aunt of Haleigh, and Teresa Neves, the paternal grandmother of Haleigh. Ladies, thank you for being with us.

First to Teresa Neves, the grandmother of little Haleigh. Teresa, what are police telling you today?

TERESA NEVES, HALEIGH`S PATERNAL GRANDMOTHER: Hard question to answer. I haven`t talked to anybody today.

GRACE: Tell me about the search...

NEVES: All I know...

GRACE: Tell me about the search behind the home.

NEVES: I didn`t know about it until the media asked me.

GRACE: How is your son holding up?

NEVES: My son has not come out of the tent today.

GRACE: Explain.

NEVES: He`s not doing well. He`s been out every day searching. You know, he was out with Equusearch and he was out with the volunteers. So today, he didn`t have anybody to go out with, and it`s very hard for him to just sit and wait.

GRACE: So your son has been out physically searching for his daughter, right, Ms. Neves?

NEVES: Absolutely. Yes, ma`am.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I just woke up, and our back door was all open, and I can`t find our daughter.

911 OPERATOR: Can`t find what?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My daughter.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That`s all I seen, the back door open. And then I go in her room, and she`s gone! And that`s all I know! Because when I woke up (INAUDIBLE) when I went to sleep, she was there, and then when I woke up, she was gone!

CUMMINGS: All I want is my daughter. It doesn`t matter. It doesn`t matter.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you suspect she did anything?

CUMMINGS: I don`t have any suspicions of anybody. Anybody could have done anything. I don`t know what`s what. Obviously, if I knew what was going on, I`d have my daughter.

NEVES: His home is still a crime scene, but I don`t think if they opened it, my son would ever be able to go back in there. And I don`t believe that he wants to leave from right here where they took his baby until she comes home. He told me he will not leave unless they make him. He will not leave until somebody brings his baby back to him.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: Straight out to Teresa Neves, the grandmother of little Haleigh. Ms. Neves, I want to clarify what you just said. Did you say that your son is not searching today because he did not have anyone to search with?

NEVES: Yes, ma`am. There are usually people who come by and they say, We have four-wheelers, or we have horses, is there anything we can do for you? And he automatically responds with a, Yes, let`s go here and look. And some people, I`m not so sure they expect that. But yes. But there was nobody by today to offer that, so...

GRACE: He must be exhausted.

NEVES: Yes, ma`am.

GRACE: Everyone, we need your help. Haleigh needs your help. Look at this little girl. She`s 5 years old. She is missing, Satsuma Florida. The tip line, 888-277-TIPS -- 277-8477. Her father is out physically looking for her. He is now living in a tent near his own home since it has been declared a crime scene. His mother says he may never be able to go back inside again where his little girl was taken from him.

Crystal Cummings, the aunt of Haleigh, tell me how the family is holding up.

CRYSTAL CUMMINGS, HALEIGH`S AUNT: We`re doing the best we can right now. I mean, we`re not going to give up hope. I mean, every day, it`s more -- it weighs more and more on us, but we`re never -- we`re going to -- we`re going to keep looking and continuing to do what we can until Haleigh is brought home to us.

GRACE: This morning, the baby-sitter/girlfriend appeared on the "Today" show, talking about her own suspicions regarding a cousin now under scrutiny, the FBI on his heels. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MATT LAUER, CO-HOST: Do you have any reason to believe that that relative of yours has anything to do with the disappearance of Haleigh?

MISTY CROSLIN, HALEIGH`S FATHER`S GIRLFRIEND: I really don`t know. I don`t know if he did or not.

LAUER: You`re not quite sure?

CROSLIN: I`m not quite sure at all, no.

LAUER: Can you tell me a little bit more about that person?

CROSLIN: He`s -- you know, he`s a criminal, pretty much. He`s been in trouble his whole life. I don`t trust him. No, I don`t.

LAUER: Have you spoken to him?

CROSLIN: I don`t trust -- I haven`t spoken to him since he`s left, no.

I was home. I was home. I don`t know where (INAUDIBLE) I wasn`t home. I was home.

LAUER: Apparently, when Haleigh was first reported missing, you said she was wearing a pink shirt and you have now said that, no, in fact, she was not wearing that pink shirt, and I believe that pink shirt was actually found at your home. Can you explain that discrepancy for me?

CROSLIN: I was in the house with the detectives. They were showing me -- I had to back in the house to show them some stuff. And I was looking by the dirty clothes for the clothes that she was wearing earlier the other day for school, and I found that shirt and I showed the detectives. If I was hiding something, why would I show the cops the shirt?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: That is the girlfriend, Misty Croslin, speaking out today -- it was on NBC`s "Today" show -- kind of addressing accusations that her story doesn`t add up.

Back to T.J. Hart, standing by outside the family tent. What can you tell me about this cousin? He has not been named a suspect. We know he`s in Tennessee. We also know that there has been an alleged sighting of her at a Carrabba`s restaurant in Knoxville.

HART: So far, we`ve been chasing the same trail probably for a couple of days now about this mysterious cousin. Now today, of course, he`s been identified as only Joe. His placement has been here in the area. Also, there have been reports of sightings in Tennessee, where a 911 call was made stating that -- a witness stating that they saw a girl who matched the youngster`s description. They also say she was accompanied by a white male, who tried to shield or to hide her face. It`s also been said by witnesses, too, that they left in a red Rav-4, which is the Toyota vehicle, if I`m not mistaken.

And so far, we were not able to get a confirmation or validation on that yesterday, but we have heard confirmation today at the 3:00 o`clock presser that this Joe fellow has been spoken to by the FBI.

GRACE: You know, it`s all very mysterious, as Hart says, Natisha Lance. Apparently, there was an argument between (SIC) the cousin of Croslin that evening, that he disappears around the same time that Haleigh disappears?

LANCE: That`s what we`re hearing from reports, Nancy. Apparently, there was an argument over a gun. Now, Ronald Cummings has said that there was no argument that happened. Apparently, this guy ended up...

GRACE: And could you explain to me why the gun was recovered from a ditch?

LANCE: That`s what reports are saying, the gun was later on recovered from a ditch. And after that time, the cousin then disappeared from the area. And the next day, Haleigh was missing.

GRACE: Everyone, quick break. We are live there in Satsuma, Florida, and the search for little Haleigh.

Tonight, the Joan Gaeta Lung Cancer Foundation fighting the number one cancer killer in the world. Lung cancer claims more lives than breast, colon, prostate, melanoma and kidney cancer combined. You do not have to smoke to get lung cancer. Joan Gaeta, a beloved wife, mother of five, a teacher who lost her battle with lung cancer. In her honor, the second annual Dancing for Joan fund-raiser for lung cancer research this Saturday, Feb 21, Marietta, Georgia. For info or to make a donation, go to Dancingforjoan.org.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

DISPATCHER: (INAUDIBLE) cannot find her 5-year-old daughter. The back door is open at this time.

DETECTIVE: I got the age on this kid. Is it a boy or a girl?

DISPATCHER: Whiskey foxtrot, last seen wearing her PJs.

DETECTIVE: 10-4

DETECTIVE: 1256.

DISPATCHER: 1256?

DETECTIVE: There`s a railroad track that runs right through there. Can we find out from CSX when the next train comes through?

DISPATCHER: 10-4.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NEVES: My son would not allow anyone around his children who he thought would do anything to them.

CUMMINGS: If I find whoever has my daughter before y`all do, I`m killing him.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He came as a relative. When I have friends bring over relatives, you know, I don`t ask them, Hey, can I see the criminal background check on your friend you`re bringing in here?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He did not carry a sign that says, I`m a sexual offender and I`m going to steal your child.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: We understand that the father, Ronald Cummings, is living in a tent near his home that has been declared a crime scene since his 5-year- old daughter was kidnapped in her sleep in the middle of the night.

Today he wanted to go searching, but no volunteers showed up. They are in Satsuma, Florida. So as we all sit down to dinner tonight, as we sit back on our sofas and flick channels, he is waiting, waiting for help, law enforcement working around the clock to find this little girl, who has a host of health problems. Won`t you help Ronald Cummings and his family bring this little girl home? There is hope that Haleigh is still alive.

I want to go back out to Natisha Lance, our producer standing outside the family tent. I want to delve more into the search outside the family`s own home. You have told me that a tip led police to go south, deep into the woods behind the family home. Why? And what, if anything, did they find, Natisha?

LANCE: Well, Nancy, they`re not revealing very much to us. They`re not telling us if they found anything. They said, at this point, nothing significant has been discovered. But once again, they are keeping things very tight to the vest. Now, they are saying that they were led there by a tip. However, they would not give us information as to what that tip said or when the tip actually came in. But they are saying that they did search that area and they will continue to search areas based on tips that come in.

GRACE: Dozens of law enforcement combing the woods deep south behind the home.

To Dr. Marty Makary out of Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Makary, Turner syndrome -- she has it. What is it? Is it common? And is it threatening?

DR. MARTY MAKARY, PHYSICIAN, JOHNS HOPKINS UNIV.: Yes, Turner syndrome affects about 1 in 3,000 little girls. It can cause a lot of deformities, like low-set ears, webbing of the neck. And their hearts oftentimes don`t pump as efficiently as normal otherwise healthy girls.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I`m not going to exclude anybody from not being involved.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What do you want to say to the people who are calling your story inconsistent, Misty? Do you have anything to say to that?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Misty Croslin, Haleigh`s father`s girlfriend and the last person to see the little girl, spent hours with detectives. We`re told she was undergoing routine questioning.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: As the tips warrant, the interviews were made not only with her but with the rest of the family, with neighbors. Whatever comes in.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Deputies say they have interviewed a cousin of Misty who was visiting from Tennessee before Haleigh`s disappearance.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We have people that we`re interviewing. We`re doing polygraphs. We have some new leads that have come in and we`re going to ahead and follow up on all of them.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Investigators made an arrest but stressed it`s not related to Haleigh Cumming`s disappearance. However, Timothy Loucakis is being questioned. Police say he`s a registered sexual predator who violated the terms of his terms of probation by violating curfew. Now he`s behind bars.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It`s been national manhunt from day one. I don`t know where this investigation is going to take us and every minute is critical. So we will take anyone that will lead us to her recovery or lead us to a suspect.

CRYSTAL SHEFFIELD, MOM OF MISSING 5-YR-OLD HALEIGH CUMMINGS: Ronald called me over there and the detective told me that they have found the shirt Haleigh was wearing. And I broke down and then I walked away and Teresa walked over to me and was talking to me and the detective walked and he was like, did you know -- do you know what happened? And she was like, yes.

And then he was like, you know that we found the shirt in the house? And that bothered me. I got the paper from the store and it said that Misty found the shirt and how, I guess, by the back door in the dirty clothes pile.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hello?

911 DISPATCHER: OK, sir, let me talk to you wife. Let me get some information from her.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Man. (INAUDIBLE)

911 DISPATCHER: OK. Can I talk to her?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: How the (EXPLETIVE DELETED) can you let y daughter get stole, bitch?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NANCY GRACE, HOST: I don`t know if you can, but I cannot imagine coming home after work, for me, after this show at night, and going in to check on the twins and finding their beds empty.

That is what happened to Ronald Cummings coming home after the night shift around 3:00 a.m. His little girl, 5-year-old Haleigh is gone. Apparently tucked in to bed that night, a few hours later she seemingly vanished into thin air. The back door to the kitchen propped wide opened.

Where is Haleigh? Apparently, by all outward appearances, police still functioning under the theory that Haleigh is alive. Right now, police in Knoxville, Tennessee pursing a lead that she was spotted there while dozens of law enforcement searched deep in the woods around the home of little Haleigh and that, and a convicted sex predator living less than one mile away.

I want to go out to a special guest joining us there outside the tent where the father is having to live now that his home has been declared a crime scene. With me, Haleigh`s mother, Crystal Sheffield, her aunt, Crystal Cummings, and her paternal grandmother, Teresa Neves. The two sides of the families, joining together in the search for Haleigh.

To Crystal Sheffield, Haleigh`s mother. Miss Sheffield, I want to thank you for being with us at this very difficult time. What do you know about this cousin, this cousin not named a suspect, in Tennessee who was there in the area visiting when Haleigh went missing? What do you know?

SHEFFIELD: I know nothing about him. I don`t -- I`ve never met him. I know nothing about any of her family.

GRACE: Well, what do you know about an alleged argument that was had that evening?

SHEFFIELD: I`ve heard about it. I don`t know if it`s true.

GRACE: Back to Teresa, the grandmother of little Haleigh. What have you heard about an alleged argument regarding a gun? That gun later found in the ditch?

TERESA NEVES, GRANDMOTHER OF MISSING 5-YR-OLD, HALEIGH CUMMINGS: There was a gun that was found in the ditch. There was no fight. The gun incident was two weeks before Haleigh`s disappearance.

GRACE: And to Crystal Cummings, the aunt of Haleigh. Miss Cummings, what, if anything, do you know about this mystery figure, this cousin Joe, that apparently disappeared from town around the time Haleigh went missing?

CRYSTAL CUMMINGS, PATERNAL AUNT OF MISSING 5-YR-OLD HALEIGH CUMMINGS: I only know what Misty has told me. I don`t know -- I just found out his name by the media because, obviously, we get a lot of our information from the media. So I know of that by that. I have no idea what he looks like or anything. I mean, I don`t know much of him.

GRACE: Let`s unleash the lawyers, Gloria Allred, Penny Douglass Furr, Joey Jackson.

To Penny Douglass Furr, there was a sighting at a Carrabba`s, Italian restaurant there in Knoxville and it`s under very unusual circumstances. The police apparently are taking it seriously. And the people that make these sightings truly believe that they have seen the little girl.

PENNY DOUGLASS FURR, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: They do, Nancy. And I find it very suspicious that the cousin left at the same time. Because if you`re cousin is going through this, wouldn`t she be going to your cousin instead of leaving your cousin?

I found it very suspicious that he`s not at least there giving her support even if he`s completely innocent. He has nothing to do with it. Why isn`t he there supporting his cousin through this very difficult period?

GRACE: You know, Joey Jackson, Penny Douglass Furr has an excellent point. Now I know you defense attorneys like to say you can`t read anything into that. People react differently or unusually when they are a target of an investigation. He is not a suspect.

Mr. Jackson, can authorities force Croslin`s cousin to return back to Satsuma for questioning?

JOEY JACKSON, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Absolutely, Nancy. You know what, he needs to be questioned. He needs to be evaluated for two reasons. One, his criminal background and the second reason being the inappropriate contact alleged have been engaged in by Misty. Now there`s an extradition code in Florida which would provide for him to be extradited as a material witness to give information in this case. And that should be exercised.

GRACE: Joey Jackson, is that true even if there is not an indictment yet?

JACKSON: Well, here`s the way it would work, Nancy. They would convene a grand jury for investigatory purposes.

GRACE: Jackson, Jackson.

JACKSON: This is the time.

GRACE: I don`t have time for a grand jury to convene.

JACKSON: What, no, well, let me say this, Nancy.

GRACE: You know as well as I do that every hour counts when a child is missing.

JACKSON: It does. But here`s what happens at the.

GRACE: A grand jury?

JACKSON: Let me say this. In order to get the extradition warrant signed by a judge, you have to follow protocol. So I agree that it would be a step that would waste time. However, it`s imperative that he be questioned about what he knows and when he knew it.

GRACE: Well, OK, here`s a crazy idea. I`m just going to throw at you three lawyers. Let`s go to expert trial lawyer, Gloria Allred. How about the Knoxville police going in, on his door and questioning him there?

GLORIA ALLRED, VICTIM`S RIGHTS ADVOCATE: Wouldn`t that be so much easier and wouldn`t that accomplish the goal that you just pointed out, Nancy, which is to get whatever information they need as quickly as possible and he could voluntarily agree to speak to them? He wouldn`t have to be extradited. He wouldn`t need a subpoena if he would do that.

GRACE: And I would -- while I was at it, Gloria, go ahead and put the icing on the cake. Strap up to a lie detector. If he`s got nothing to hide, answer those questions. We`re getting conflicting reports whether this guy is in Ashville or whether he is in Knoxville.

We do know Tennessee. We understand there was an argument over a gun around the time Haleigh went missing. The dad goes to work. The gun is later recovered from a ditch. The little girl is gone.

To Dr. Leslie Austin, psychotherapist. Dr. Austin, the girlfriend, Misty Croslin, who was babysitting that evening, has stated that this cousin made sexual advances on her in the past. Why would somebody like that even be allowed in the home?

DR. LESLIE AUSTIN, PSYCHOTHERAPIST: If that`s true, a, it`s sad. That`s not.

GRACE: I mean, listen, Leslie. Come on, when I`m at home alone with the twins, somebody knocks at the door, I go to the door and say, go away.

AUSTIN: Sure.

GRACE: I don`t know who you are, but go away.

AUSTIN: Right.

GRACE: I don`t -- forget it.

AUSTIN: If that`s true, it`s really bad judgment and it also might be, if it`s true, that she has a victim mentality and was afraid to stand up to him but it`s really bad judgment, if it`s true.

GRACE: And let me reiterate, this cousin has not been named a suspect. And by allowing him to visit in the area does not necessarily mean he was in the home. So let`s not start putting blame on the victims.

Everyone, the tip line 888-277-8477. Ronald Cummings needs your help, volunteers in the Florida area.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

911 DISPATCHER: OK. Was your back door locked, do you know?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, the back door always stays locked.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We need somebody to get here now.

911 DISPATCHER: OK, let me to speak to him so.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, yes, yes, yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I just got home from work, my 5-year-old daughter is gone.

911 DISPATCHER: OK.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I need somebody to be here now. I`m telling you.

911 DISPATCHER: Listen to me, listen to me. We got two officers.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If I find whoever has my daughter before you all do I`m killing him. I don`t care. I`ll spend the rest of my life in prison.

911 DISPATCHER: OK. OK.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I`m telling you. You can put it on recording, I don`t care.

911 DISPATCHER: OK. It`s OK, sir. We`ve got them on the way. OK? Can you give me any -- what kind of description of her pajamas that she was wearing?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don`t (EXPLETIVE DELETED) know. I was at work.

UNIDENTIFIED 911 DISPATCHER: OK, sir. We got them coming, OK?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mounted on horseback, Haleigh`s father, Ronald Cummings, continues to search the area with family and friends and volunteers. Both sides of the family their canvassing is far from over.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE) Someone`s face, poppy eyes, we don`t care. We will be here. We`re not giving up hope.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We will be here through any day. Rain, shine, anything. I was here early this morning trying to save everything of Haleigh`s because I see children that come out here and donate their favorite toys. And that`s what we`re trying to do, is save everything, because we know that she`s going to come home and she`ll be able to play with everything that everybody has given her.

C. CUMMINGS: We want to say, whoever has her is -- if they could please contact someone or drop her off somewhere safe and even if it`s anonymous, just call in and tell us where she`s at. And we want to tell Haleigh, if she`s watching, that we love her and we`re doing the best we can. And the officers are doing the best they can to bring her home safely.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: Right now we understand that a camper has been donated by someone there in the local area for the father to live in. He`s been living in a tent ever since his home was declared a crime scene, when little Haleigh was apparently kidnapped in the middle of the night, in the wee hours of the night.

I want to talk about that sighting one more time in Knoxville, Tennessee at a Carrabba`s Italian restaurant.

T.J. Hart, WSKY 97.3 FM -- T.J., what exactly happened?

T.J. HART, REPORTER, WSKY 97.3 FM: What happened is that a tip came in saying that a little girl matching the description of little young Haleigh was spotted at this Carrabba`s restaurant in Knoxville, Tennessee. She was reportedly with a white male. The white male was constantly trying to shield or hide her face, according to witnesses. Now witnesses also say that the two later left in a red RAV4. Now we do have confirmation from the Tennessee.

GRACE: Everyone -- T.J., hold on just a moment. Hold on just a moment. There you see the RV, the trailer being brought by a donor there in the local area for the dad to live in. That is a state of affairs for Ronald Cummings. His daughter is gone. He`s physically searching for the little girl, living in a tent. And today, according to his mother, he waited for volunteers to show up so he could go out searching again and no one showed up to help him.

Police working round the clock, overextending themselves, to bring Haleigh home alive. Very quickly, back to T.J. Hart, I understood that volunteers were showing up in droves to look for Haleigh. What happened?

HART: Well, the scale was -- the search was scaled back on Monday and this tip came in, we understand, either last night or this morning, and immediately deputies were dispatched as soon as they could get some kind of order on this, 100 yards away from Haleigh`s home into a wooded area. They were not looking for volunteers at that time. They quickly went out and acted on the tip and now they are not saying anything more about it. No comment is what we`re getting from the Putnam County Sheriff`s Office and the FBI.

GRACE: Back to Crystal Sheffield, Haleigh`s mother, or biological mother.

Miss Sheffield, what can you tell me about the girlfriend, Misty Croslin, being the one that discovered the shirt she first told police she was wearing when she was taken?

SHEFFIELD: All I know is that they just found the shirt and then I heard that it was found in the house and then I read in the paper that it was discovered by her. And she just -- I guess she gave it to the police. That`s all I know.

GRACE: And to Teresa Neves, Haleigh`s grandmother. Miss Neves, the shirt, I just heard, it was inside the home or outside the back door?

NEVES: The shirt was in the dirty clothes, which is right inside the back door.

GRACE: OK. And.

NEVES: So if you were, if you were going to do the laundry, you would be standing in the back door.

GRACE: I got it. Miss Never, I also understood that Misty Croslin, the girlfriend, has taken not one but two lie detector tests. Why two?

NEVES: I do not know. My personal opinion is I really don`t care. I don`t care if they polygraph her a hundred times. They can come and polygraph every person who`s ever walked out here or breathe out here. And you know, they can continue to do that over and over until they find my baby girl. I don`t care.

GRACE: You know what? That is the attitude I wish other families would have when someone goes missing. Miss Neves, you`d be surprised how many people don`t cooperate. So I`d say, right on, you`re absolutely dead right.

Very quickly, back to Natisha Lance. Natisha, what more do we know about how many tips are coming in?

NATISHA LANCE, NANCY GRACE PRODUCER: Well, Nancy, they`re saying there`s about 1300 tips that are coming in and they continue to receive more and more tips and leads on a daily basis.

GRACE: To Dr. Marty Makary, you and I were talking about the Turner syndrome this little girl suffers from. Would an abductor really be prepared to take care of her health problems? She`s missed a lot of school. She`s been to doctors. She`s been to the hospital.

DR. MARTY MAKARY, PHYSICIAN, PROF. OF PUBLIC HEALTH, JOHNS HOPKINS: It could be a lot of work. Yes, we do know that she`s missed lots of school. It`s probably related to the fatigue. It`s probably related to the fact her immune system is down. She probably has a lot of sore throats, coughs, lung infections and things like that that require a lot of medical attention.

GRACE: And back to Gloria Allred, victims` rights lawyer, joining us out of L.A., I was listening to what Misty Croslin, the girlfriend, said to Matt Lauer this morning regarding her cousin. She couldn`t really vouch for him or say whether he was involved or not. What do you make of it, Gloria?

ALLRED: Well, obviously, she has an apparently long standing issues with her cousin and maybe even suspicions about him. But you know, we don`t know what her motive is in saying that, whether -- we don`t know whether, in fact, he is guilty of doing anything to her that would have been inappropriate. We don`t know the timeline of when he was there and so there are a lot of questions that have to be answered.

GRACE: Everyone, very quickly, "CNN HEROES."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN Heroes.

ROY FOSTER, COMMUNITY CRUSADER: I actually joined the army right out of high school. I became introduced to alcohol once I was out. It was just simply drinking and drugging and I would then stay in the streets. I was looking for a safe haven. The places that I were introduced to were no better than on the street. It was humiliating.

That`s when the commitment in my heart, it was born. How can I turn my back and walk away and leave you right here? I can`t.

Nationwide veterans are neglected, homeless. Unacceptable. What branch of service?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Army.

FOSTER: Army. So was I. We are (INAUDIBLE), you know, brothers in arms. So no man left behind.

My name is Roy Foster. My mission is to help and empower homeless veterans. If you`re going to work for sobriety, you`ve got to change. Stand Down House provides services for veterans only, a safe, clean place to live. All the meals. To health services, the camaraderie, it is that internal gloom.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When I got back from Iraq it was difficult for me until I met Mr. Foster who helped me.

FOSTER: Tell him one of his brothers in arms came looking for him and let him know, yes, we will be back. They are the best and they deserve the best. What I do, I love. I love.

ANNOUNCER: Tell us about your hero at CNN.com/Heroes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GRACE: What a week in America`s courtrooms. Take a look at the stories and more important the people who touched our lives.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: A treasure trove of discovery released by police and prosecutors. As we go to air, we are just now still sifting through all of it.

LANCE: We haven`t seen all of the diaries but she does go on to mention these new friends that she has. She said she has positive people in her life and she hopes that the future holds a lot more positive things for her. As she said, it`s happiest that she`s ever been.

GRACE: Well, you know what, Natisha, she`s going to make a lot more new friends behind bars.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The search continues for missing 5-year-old Florida girl, Haleigh Cummings, who police believe was kidnapped from her own bed last week.

R. CUMMINGS: I`d like to see my daughter brought home safe soon. Real soon.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We are reporting WJXT out of Jacksonville that so far today police have received some 1,200 tips and leads. One of those leads is that Misty Croslin, the babysitter, may not have been home the night Haleigh disappeared.

GRACE: But of course, Brad McKeithen (ph), you know, when you`re trying to find the missing girl and you find out someone may have lied at the very beginning, that`s serious.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That is. I agree. And that is a news that has to be explored on whether or not she intentionally misled the police.

GRACE: Explored? Explored? That`s putting perfume on a pig.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: Let`s stop and remember Army Captain Darrick Wright, 37, Nashville, Tennessee, killed Iraq. A University of Tennessee grad. Put his job on hold at the TVA to serve. A beautiful smile. Remembered for kindness and faith. Leaves behind parents Roy and Gloria. Three brothers, two sisters, baby boy, Trevor.

Darrick Wright, American hero.

Thanks to our guests but especially to you for being with us. And a special good night from the New York control room. And happy birthday to the backbone of our show, there she is, Liz, our superstar. No, I didn`t really fire her.

Liz, we love you so much. And you`re finally 21, Liz. But I advise you, Liz, don`t drink. The devil`s in the bottle, Liz. So go celebrate. Happy birthday, baby girl.

Everyone, I`ll see you tomorrow night, 8:00 sharp Eastern and until then, good night friend.

END

NANCY GRACE

Haleigh`s Brother Says Man in Black Took his Sister

Aired February 23, 2009 - 20:00:00 ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

NANCY GRACE, HOST: Breaking news tonight, Satsuma, Florida, a 5-year- old little girl tucked into bed, five hours later, she`s gone, vanished into thin air, the back door propped wide open. The father comes home from the night shift to find not a single trace of little Haleigh.

Bombshell tonight. Can Haleigh`s little 4-year-old brother identify the kidnapper? The little boy in the room, sleeping ostensibly with his sister snatched out of her bed, the 4-year-old little boy describing a grown man taking little Haleigh in the middle of the night, dressed entirely in black.

In the last hours, the fiance of Haleigh`s mother taken in an unmarked police car for questioning, as Haleigh`s father, distraught, meets with lead investigators. FBI and police initially zero in on a local sex offender and girlfriend Misty Croslin`s cousin. But tonight, police clearing both in Haleigh`s disappearance.

What more have cops learned from a mystery vehicle seized for evidence? Investigators still refusing to reveal make, model, ownership, as searchers on horseback comb dense woods near Haleigh`s home again tonight. Where is 5-year-old Haleigh?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Breaking news in the case of 5-year-old Florida girl Haleigh Cummings, who police believe was kidnapped from her own bed in the middle of the night. Haleigh`s mother, Crystal Sheffield, says Haleigh`s 4-year-old brother told her that a man dressed all in black took little Haleigh. Sheffield says a team of investigators have interviewed the boy, but they refuse to comment on what he has told them.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Investigators say new leads continue to come in, but so far, nothing`s panned out. Haleigh`s grandmother, Teresa Neves, says it`s frustrating, but they`re not giving up hope.

TERESA NEVES, PATERNAL GRANDMOTHER: I feel like my grandbaby is alive. I pray God whoever has her is feeding her and taking care of her.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Volunteers were out on horseback over the weekend, looking through areas around the home where Haleigh was last seen.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So far, there have been 4,786 man-hours that have been put into ground searches and diving in the water and air searches.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The family holding out hope little Haleigh will be returned to them safely, staying in tents near the home, refusing to leave until their child is brought back to them.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We will never give up looking for my granddaughter. She`s out there somewhere.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Investigators maintain that everyone remains a suspect, as the reward for Haleigh`s recovery continues to climb, now at $20,000.

RONALD CUMMINGS, FATHER: I would like to tell my daughter, if she`s watching, baby, I love you and we will find you. I love you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: And breaking news in the case of girl-next-door co-ed and Capitol Hill intern 24-year-old Chandra Levy. Levy disappears without a trace after leaving her D.C. apartment in jogging clothes. Almost immediately, police uncover a sex affair between Levy and then Modesto congressman Gary Condit, Condit married with grown children. One year later, Chandra`s remains discovered at nearby Rock Creek Park. But eight years pass, no arrest, no suspect, no justice. Tonight, major development, police set to finally announce an arrest in the murder of Chandra Levy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Eight years after her death, police are planning an arrest in the killing of Washington federal intern Chandra Levy. CNN has learned the suspect is Ingmar Guandique. He is serving a 10-year sentence for two assaults in the same park where Levy`s remains were found a year after she disappeared. Her parents say news of an arrest is bittersweet.

ROBERT LEVY, CHANDRA`S FATHER: Can`t say who it is right now. We have an idea, of course, but you know, it`s not official, so can`t really say. We just hope we`ll get justice and -- but can`t say we`ll really feel better because, you know, it won`t bring Chandra back.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Levy`s case got national attention after her affair with California congressman Gary Condit was disclosed.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And I`m going to work hard the remaining time that I have there and do everything that I can do to make the valley a better place to be.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: After almost eight years of waiting, an arrest can`t come soon enough for the Levy family.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Levy`s parents say they received a call from police telling them a warrant will come soon.

SUSAN LEVY, CHANDRA`S MOTHER: They said there is going to be a warrant out for an arrest, that, We have come up with some positive evidence that will lead to arrest.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Learning about the planned arrest doesn`t make up for the family`s loss.

SUSAN LEVY: There`s no such thing as closure.

ROBERT LEVY: You just don`t forget about it. You have to go through the rest of your life with a hole in it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: Good evening. I`m Nancy Grace. I want to thank you for being with us. Can Haleigh`s little 4-year-old brother identify his sister`s kidnapper?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Stunning developments in the investigation into what happened to 5-year-old Haleigh Cummings, who was abducted from her own bed. According to Haleigh`s mother, Crystal Sheffield, Haleigh`s 4-year- old brother saw who took Haleigh.

CRYSTAL SHEFFIELD, MOTHER: When I seen him on my visitation, all he said was, I want to find my sissy, and he said something about somebody in black took her.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Crystal Sheffield says Ronald, Jr., was questioned immediately by a team of people who deal with children. But as with a lot of other potential evidence, police will not comment on specifics.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What we`re concerned with is the life of this child and what we`re concerned with is the recovery of this child.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Authorities are looking through 1,600 tips as part of their investigation into what happened to 5-year-old Florida girl Haleigh Cummings. On day 14 of their investigation, law enforcement officials say everyone remains a suspect and they will continue to pursue leads until Haleigh is found.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Every lead that comes in, that`s what we`re pushing and that`s what we`re trying to get resolved.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Police say they will be conducting tactical searches based on tips and any evidence that comes in, while the family remains in tents, praying for Haleigh`s safe recovery.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Our main focus is finding Haleigh Cummings and getting her home to her family.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I can`t wait just to touch her, just to hold her in my arms. I can`t wait until she`s home.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: Straight out to Marlaina Schiavo, our producer standing by at the Sheffield family tent there in Satsuma. Marlaina, what`s the latest?

MARLAINA SCHIAVO, NANCY GRACE PRODUCER: Well, the latest, Nancy, is that Haleigh`s 4-year-old brother identified the man he saw who took Haleigh who came into the home that night. He told his step-grandmother, Connie (ph) Sheffield, that a man dressed in black took his sister, Haleigh, the night she went missing. He had no other description, and they didn`t push the little boy because special investigators were called in to talk to him the night that Haleigh went missing.

GRACE: To T.J. Hart, program news director at WSKY 97.3 FM. T.J. what more can you tell me? It`s my understanding that the little boy also revealed the same story to his biological mother.

T.J. HART, WSKY 93.7 FM: Yes, that`s the story that we`ve been pursuing today, as well. She said that a man dressed in black got into the home and took Haleigh, and he says, I miss my sissy. And you know -- and right now, you hear those words, it`s -- my God, where do you go from here? And of course, where they went from there is that the child has been interviewed by a team of people who deal specifically with children in situations similar to this.

GRACE: We are taking your calls live. And remember, if you think back to cases such as the Elizabeth Smart case -- recall in that case, the little sister -- took her several months, but she ultimately identified Brian David Mitchell, joined that night, we understand, by his nutcase wife, Wanda Barzee, as coming into the home. It took her a while. She was just a little girl, around 4 years old at the time, as I recall. She kind of described the guy that night, and several months later, she put two and two together, and it was thanks to her that Elizabeth Smart`s attacker was finally, ultimately identified.

I want to go out to your calls. To Dominique in Ohio. Hi, Dominique.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hi, Nancy. Good evening.

GRACE: Hi, dear. What`s your question?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I`m just very curious. Have they thoroughly checked out the father as to what time he gets to work, when he leaves, how far it is from the house, did he take a lunch break, you know, that sort of thing, because I still lean...

GRACE: Excellent question, Dominique, because as you and I both know, you always look in the circle right around the victim -- fathers, brothers. In grown women missing or murdered, you look for lovers, boyfriends, husbands, exes.

Out to T.J. Hart with WSKY 97.3. T.J., it`s my understanding his story has checked out. What do you know?

HART: That is absolutely correct. Law enforcement has verified that he was where he said he was, which was at work. And work has confirmed that, too. Everything has checked out.

GRACE: To Crystal Sheffield, special guest joining us there at the Sheffield family tent in Satsuma. Everyone, the family forced to live in tents right now. They have nowhere else to go. The home is still quarantined. It is cordoned off as a crime scene. Ms. Sheffield, thank you for being with us. I understand your 4-year-old little boy identifies or at least has a description of his sister`s kidnapper?

CRYSTAL SHEFFIELD, HALEIGH`S MOTHER: Yes. He -- when I got him for my visitation, the first thing he said to me was, Mommy, I want to find my sissy. And he -- I didn`t question him about none of it. And he was, like, Somebody come in, they was all dressed in black, and took my sissy.

GRACE: Did he say anything else identifying the man, anything at all, any characteristics?

SHEFFIELD: No. He just said that they was dressed in black or he was dressed in black, whoever it was.

GRACE: Did he describe in any way what happened? He opened the door and came in, or the little boy woke up and saw him there? Did he describe anything at all about what the man actually did?

SHEFFIELD: No. He just said a man dressed in black come in and took his sissy. I didn`t ask him any questions.

GRACE: Smart. Very, very smart, Ms. Sheffield. Now, Ms. Sheffield, I know this sounds crazy, but to the best of your recollection, what were his exact words?

SHEFFIELD: He said, Mommy, I want to find my sissy and some man in black come in and took her.

GRACE: Out to the lines. To Angie in Kentucky. Hi, Angie.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi, Nancy. I love your show. My husband and I watch you every day, and...

GRACE: Angie in Kentucky, thank you for watching. And if you`re like me, I know that you`re praying and hoping for the best for this little girl. Go ahead, dear. What`s your question?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The thing I`ve been listening to a lot on Jane Velez-Mitchell and Mike during the day is I keep hearing how the mother keeps talking about the bad things about the dad.

GRACE: I`m sorry. I couldn`t hear what you just said. The mother keeps talking about what?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She keeps bringing up all the bad things in the past about the father. And to me, that should be -- that shouldn`t even matter right now. Her main focus should be on finding...

GRACE: OK. And your question, Angie, is?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Is, has she taken a lie detector test? Have they done one on her?

GRACE: Well, I will ask her right now. Ms. Sheffield, have you taken a lie detector test?

SHEFFIELD: I sure have.

GRACE: And did you pass it?

SHEFFIELD: As far as I know. The man that did it told me he thinks I did, but they had to send it off to Washington to...

GRACE: And did you do it voluntarily? Did you protest or did you go...

SHEFFIELD: Yes, I did.

GRACE: Everyone, Crystal Sheffield announcing tonight she has taken and passed a lie detector test. We are taking your calls live.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Investigators say new leads continue to come in.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We`ve processed over 1,600 leads to this point.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: But so far, nothing`s panned out.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We`re not any closer to knowing where she is at the moment.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Haleigh`s grandmother, Teresa Neves, says it`s frustrating, but they`re not giving up hope.

NEVES: We will never give up looking for my granddaughter. She`s out there somewhere.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We will not give up hope and we will not stop praying until Haleigh is found.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Police say, like the family, they`re also frustrated, but they`re not discouraged.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Somewhere along the line is going to be the tip that leads us to her.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They`ll continue to search and follow up on new leads until the little girl is found.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sooner or later, we`re going to find her.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

911 OPERATOR: OK, was your back door locked, do you know?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. The back door always stays locked.

CUMMINGS: I need somebody (INAUDIBLE)

911 OPERATOR: OK, let me speak to (INAUDIBLE)

CUMMINGS: I just got home from work, my 5-year-old daughter is gone. I need somebody to be here now, I`m telling you.

911 OPERATOR: Listen to me. Listen to me. We`ve got two officers...

CUMMINGS: If I find whoever has my daughter before y`all do, I`m killing him. I don`t care. I`ll spend the rest of my life in prison, I`m telling you. You can put it on the report, and I don`t care.

911 OPERATOR: OK. It`s OK, sir. We`ve got them on the way. OK, can you give me any -- what kind of description of her pajamas that she was wearing?

CUMMINGS: I don`t (DELETED) know! I was at work!

911 OPERATOR: OK, sir, we`ve got them coming, OK?

(END AUDIO CLIP)

GRACE: Where is 5-year-old Haleigh? Straight out to Marie Griffis, maternal grandmother of Haleigh. Everyone, we are taking your calls live. Crystal Sheffield, Haleigh`s biological mother, announcing she has willingly taken a polygraph and was told that she passed.

To Marie Griffis, the grandmother -- Ms. Griffis, thank you for being with us. To your understanding, has the little boy told other people about the description of the kidnapper?

MARIE GRIFFIS, MATERNAL GRANDMOTHER: Not that I know of. Just Connie and Crystal.

GRACE: And was his story consistent?

GRIFFIS: Yes. From what Connie told me, he talked about a man dressed in black, and then Crystal said the same thing.

GRACE: To a special guest joining us tonight, crime analyst and director of cold case squad at Pine Lake PD, Sheryl McCollum. Sheryl, weigh in.

SHERYL MCCOLLUM, DIR. OF COLD CASE SQUAD, PINE LAKE PD: Nancy, one thing that bothers me is who takes a child not for ransom? It`s going to be a sexual predator. And if I remember correctly, there are 44 sexual predators within a five-mile radius.

GRACE: A sex predator or someone that has been targeting the family. You can`t count that out, of course. As you know, the girl in the pink hat, little Jessie, that was a sex offender that had been targeting her for some time. How do you compare the two, Sheryl?

MCCOLLUM: Well, most sex offenders are going to stay within that area. And you know, the best way to hide is to fit in. And I think here, you`re looking at a very similar situation, where somebody comes in and they take her for one purpose and one purpose only.

GRACE: Joining us tonight, Matt Zarrell. Matt, I want to talk to you about the fiance of the mother being taken in for questioning today. He was not arrested, correct?

MATTHEW ZARRELL, NANCY GRACE STAFFER: No, he wasn`t. It was Chad Griffis. He`s Haleigh`s mother`s fiance. Now, he was brought in for questioning. Now, this is not the first time he`s been brought in for questioning. He was brought in a couple of weeks ago and asked when the last time he saw Haleigh was, and he said a couple weeks before she went missing.

GRACE: To Crystal Sheffield, Haleigh`s mom. Why was he taken in again, Crystal?

SHEFFIELD: To be -- I think it was something Ronald had said to him.

GRACE: About?

SHEFFIELD: Oh, what was it...

GRIFFIS: It was actually a misunderstanding.

SHEFFIELD: It was a misunderstanding between -- it was told to my brother that Ronald said he was 75 percent sure he knew who took Haleigh. And they misunderstood it and took Chad in instead of my brother.

GRACE: I understand. So to Marie Griffis, what was the outcome of that?

GRIFFIS: I have no idea. The last we heard, the officer was going over to my son`s house to talk to him about what Ronald had told him. And Ronald`s not -- I mean, Marcus (ph) is not the only person that Ronald had this story to. We have a lady that stays up here at our tent. She`s from Pensacola, Florida. She come here when she heard this on the radio. They come straight to here to be with us. We don`t know these people. We just met them. Her name is Teresa (ph). And she went down the day she got here, which was Thursday, to Ronald`s tent. And she was off to the side talking to him, and he told her that he was 75 percent sure he knew that Misty`s cousin, Joe, took Haleigh. So the stories kind of match.

GRACE: Yes. Long story short tonight, we know that that cousin has been cleared, along with a local sex offender that was questioned several times after he broke curfew that evening.

Let`s unleash the lawyers. Joining us tonight out of New York, family law and child advocate Susan Moss, out of San Francisco, famed attorney John Burris, and out of the Seattle jurisdiction, high-profile lawyer Anne Bremner. Sue Moss, what do you think?

SUSAN MOSS, FAMILY LAW ATTORNEY: Man in black. Unless this child was kidnapped by a ninja, this is a huge clue. That means somebody planned this. They planned and they got dressed in black. That means they were probably scouting out this trailer park, and maybe, just maybe somebody saw him.

GRACE: John Burris?

JOHN BURRIS, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Well, I think that part is correct. But the other side of this, how did he get into the house? And that`s the part that is most troubling. It`s hard -- the young girl said the door was locked. So that means not only was there planning, but there has to be some complicity somewhere here, so there are a lot of clues still around...

GRACE: Anne Bremner, Burris -- there he goes with the conspiracy theory. Weigh in, Bremner.

ANNE BREMNER, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Well, I -- you know, I -- but I agree. I mean, everyone right now is a suspect...

GRACE: Complicity? Why is everybody trying to blame the 17-year-old, like she`s so sophisticated she could fake out the cops for this long?

BREMNER: Nancy, all I`m saying right now is that everybody`s a suspect and nobody`s a suspect.

GRACE: OK, well...

BREMNER: It`s wide open.

GRACE: ... before we start trying to blame the family, let`s take a look at what we`ve already got. They`ve taken polygraphs. They`ve been cooperative. They`ve done everything the police asked them. They`re living in tents, all right?

Everybody, you are seeing photos of little Haleigh right now. The tip line is 888-277-TIPS.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I`m trying to do everything to find her. You know, I`ll answer any questions I have to because I know I didn`t do anything to that little girl. I would never hurt her. I mean, they love me. I mean, they look at me like their mom, you know? You ask little Junior, he`ll tell you. You know, they talk about me, about being I`m so good to them kids.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: Yes, there`s the lady that everybody keeps saying is faking out the cops and taking lie detectors, cooperating all along. You really think a 17-year-old girl can fake out the entire police squad? I don`t think so. Maybe I`m the crazy one tonight.

To Pat in Ohio. Hi, Pat.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi, Nancy.

GRACE: What`s your question, dear?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I`ve been trying to get ahold of you for six months. Your kids are so darn cute!

GRACE: You know what? I am blessed.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I know you...

GRACE: I am blessed.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I love the twins. And you know what? You`re such a wonderful advocate for children. The only thing I haven`t heard mentioned in this whole case -- how come nobody talks about Misty`s mother or family? It`s never seemed to be mentioned.

GRACE: Interesting question. Let`s go to T.J. Hart with WSKY. What about them? Now, we know about the cousin that was in town and mysteriously disappeared when she goes missing, but he`s been cleared.

HART: That`s true. The cousin, Joe, as he was somewhat identified as, has been cleared as of Saturday afternoon at about 3:05, when Captain Dick Shuller (ph) said, No, he`s no longer a person of interest, he`s not a suspect. They cleared him, actually, early on in the investigation.

Misty Croslin, of course, has been the focus -- a great deal of focus has been placed on her with some alleged inconsistencies with her stories. But as far as Ms. Croslin`s mom, to be quite honest with you, I`ve not met her yet. That`s one of the few people I`ve failed to walk into after being in the area for the amount of time that I have.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Still very few answers for police and the family of Haleigh Cummings. But there`s some new information on several fronts. One of them involving Haleigh`s little brother, 4-year-old Ronald Jr. Today his and Haleigh`s mother, Crystal Sheffield, said the boy stole her something rather astonishing, that a man in black came and took his sister.

CRYSTAL SHEFFIELD, MOM OF MISSING 5-YR-OLD HALEIGH CUMMINGS: When I seen him on my visitation all he said was I want to find my sissy and he said something about somebody in black took her. He said he was all dressed in black. But I didn`t question him. I`m not going to question him.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Crystal Sheffield says Ronald Jr. was questioned immediately by a team of people who deal with children. That is with a lot of other potential evidence police will not comment on specifics.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What we`re concerned with is the life of this child and what we`re concerned with is the recovery of this child. And we`re going to do anything we can to recover her. We don`t want to give out any information that`s going to jeopardize that.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: 1120 to 1271.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Go ahead, Sir.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Stay at the residence. Maintain that point of access, (INAUDIBLE) canines and do another thorough search from inside the house.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That`s a 10-4.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: 10-4 1054.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: 10-4 I`m back on Green Lane.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: 10-4 Go ahead and just gather as much information as you can about any family or anything around here and go ahead and call in her and get a signal and report her as 8.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It has already been done, sir.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You start taking tags and stopping vehicles that leaving for this area.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NANCY GRACE, HOST: We find out that another search on horseback goes down in the densely wooded area behind the Cummings home.

To Matt Zarrell, that search has already been done several times. Why do they keep going back to this area?

MATTHEW ZARRELL, NANCY GRACE ASSOCIATE PRODUCER: Well, at this point we know that the searchers continue to look in all the areas because they don`t have any leads at this point. The cops are sharing some information with them that we know of, but at this point searchers are going on just instincts and reaction at this point.

GRACE: To Marlaina Schiavo, standing by there at the Sheffield family tent in Satsuma, Florida. You had the opportunity to interview the babysitter/girlfriend Misty Croslin today. And yes, she`s got some strikes against her. Last one to see the victim. Inconsistencies in her story.

On the other hand, she has fully cooperated with police. What is she telling you?

MARLAINA SCHIAVO, NANCY GRACE PRODUCER, SPENT TIME WITH HALEIGH`S FAMILY TODAY: Misty -- I mean, you have to remember she`s 17 years old. She loves those children. She says she has nothing to hide. She has passed many polygraph tests. She -- her family is very supportive of her. Their family home is right across from the father`s side -- the paternal side`s tent.

Misty, basically, said that she had nothing to hide, she loves those children, she would never do anything to them. The media is vilifying her at this point and so is the general public.

GRACE: Well, here`s the thing. Back to you Sheryl McCollum. In other cases it`s very apparent when the mother or caregiver is somehow implicated. In this case, yes, she had some inconsistencies in her story, which, in my mind, could be explained through a semantic issue and the wording of her answers.

Yes, there are a few problems. But it`s hard for me to believe that a 17-year-old girl could fake out the cops for this long. And what about the little 4-year-old? Wouldn`t he say Misty took my sister?

SHERYL MCCOLLUM, CRIME ANALYST, DIR. OF COLD CASE SQUAD AT PINE LAKE P.D.: Sure, he would. He would not only say Misty took my sister. He would be very clear if she kicked her, hit her, took her out of the house, whatever. He would know that. He would be able to tell that beautifully.

GRACE: What about it, John Burris.

JOHN BURRIS, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Well, I don`t think that we`re going to say that she is the one that took the child. The question is, did she have -- was it a complicity situation with the man in black? I mean I don`t think we will say ever that she is the one who did it. I mean the question that you have here is how could it be.

GRACE: Well, John Burris.

BURRIS: No, let try to (INAUDIBLE) to a point.

GRACE: Come on. No, no, no.

BURRIS: How could it be, though?

GRACE: That`s the same thing. Party to a crime, all for one, one for all. Complicit means you`re just as involved.

BURRIS: Well, obviously. That`s obviously true. I`m just saying how did the person get in? How did that happen? If she says the door is locked.

GRACE: The same burglaries happen every minute in this country. Hello.

BURRIS: Well, that means you`ve got to be stalking this particular person.

GRACE: So?

BURRIS: You`ve got to have some information.

GRACE: Yes?

BURRIS: Maybe you`ve been in the house. Maybe there`s something going on. All I`m saying there has to be a way to get into the house. I`m not saying this girl did anything. You can`t rule it out.

GRACE: It`s called doors and windows. That`s how you get into a house, Burris. And you`re saying I`m not saying she did it but saying she`s complicit.

BURRIS: I`m not finished.

GRACE: . is in reality saying she did it.

BURRIS: I`m just saying she has to be ruled like everyone else. Just because the cops haven`t said certain things doesn`t mean she`s been ruled out.

GRACE: OK.

BURRIS: You know that, too.

GRACE: You know what? Anne Bremner, am I deaf or did he say complicit?

ANNE BREMNER, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: I`m not going to -- I think there`s his side, your side and the facts.

GRACE: So you`d rather believe him than your own lying ears. OK, whatever.

BREMNER: Well, Nancy, I think the bottom line is.

GRACE: I need the peanut gallery to agree with me.

BREMNER: Nancy, you know.

GRACE: Yes.

BREMNER: . I always agree with you. But the bottom line is, is right now we really have to look at everybody and John is right. Until they`re ruled out you`ve got to look at people, you know.

GRACE: I agree.

(CROSSTALK)

GRACE: Look, I`m not taking her side or against her. I`m on neither side right now, because the evidence is not clear to me, Sue Moss. So she`s neither in nor out.

BREMNER: OK.

GRACE: I just find it hard to believe that a 17-year-old can lead people on a wild goose chase for this long. Plus, the 4-year-old boy is there. Wouldn`t he say Misty did it?

BREMNER: Well, it`s.

SUSAN MOSS, CHILD ADVOCATE, FAMILY LAW ATTORNEY: Absolutely. Speaking of in and out, I think the only question is did she happen to leave that back door open, whether by accident, whether by going out or for any other reason.

GRACE: To Dr. Janet Taylor, psychologist. Dr. Taylor, back to the Elizabeth Smart case. In that case, the 9-year-old little sister was in the room with Smart when she was kidnapped and, yes, the perpetrator had been at the home before.

DR. JANET TAYLOR, PSYCHIATRIST: You`re absolutely right. But the difference here in the Smart case she was 9, and this young man is 4 years old. Yes, he`s capable of giving a description. But at 4, you really have to sort out is it fantasy, is it imaginary, did he wake up? Was he dreaming?

And I think it`s interesting that investigators immediately didn`t hear that story. And that would be my only concern. Is this fantasy or is it reality?

GRAPHICS: Well, Doctor, maybe they did and they didn`t reveal it.

To Dr. Marty Makary, physician and professor of public health, Johns Hopkins. Dr. Makary, what do you believe, with your experience, about a 4- year-old under these circumstances accurately identifying the kidnapper? I mean Elizabeth Smart`s little sister did it, but she was 9.

DR. MARTY MAKARY, PHYSICIAN, PROF. OF PUBLIC HEALTH, JOHNS HOPKINS: Well, the vast majority of the time they are forthcoming and honest and truthful. But there is significant psychological trauma from the separation anxiety of losing a sibling. And that can be so severe they can clutter their fears and nightmares with reality sometimes.

GRACE: Now, you know, Dr. Makary, out of all the people I`ve ever put on the stand, some of the best witnesses and the most truthful witnesses I ever had were children, except for one dog. OK. Other than him, children had the least ability to lie under oath.

A question regarding Turner syndrome that Haleigh suffers. Would an abductor be able to care for her with Turner syndrome?

MAKARY: Yes. What we know about her Turner syndrome is that she required special care. She was at risk for infections. And she did have an anxiety about being in the dark. So we know there were special medical concerns related to the Turner syndrome, in part, and probably related to the component of it that your immune system is down and your heart does not pump quite as efficiently with the Turner syndrome.

GRACE: Back to New York psychiatrist, Dr. Janet Taylor, also a medical doctor. Dr. Taylor, earlier a caller was venting regarding the family attacking each other. We`ve got separations. You`ve got fiancees, living girlfriend, the whole kit and caboodle.

But you know what, Dr. Taylor, under these circumstances, you expect for other problems to arise, to boil over.

TAYLOR: Well, absolutely. There was conflict before this happened. There`s going to be conflict during. Everyone is pointing fingers. The whole point now is they need to communicate, communicate together. Now is not the time to blame. They need to band together as one and try to find this little girl.

GRACE: We are taking your calls live.

Has Haleigh`s little 4-year-old brother been able to make an identification as to his sister`s kidnapper? That reward is climbing.

Very quickly to tonight`s case alert, the search for a missing 4-year- old California girl, Monica Morales, kidnapped from her Thousand Palms home by two women posing as social workers, both in their 30s, shoulder length brown hair. Police on the lookout for a green minivan heading toward the Mexican border. 4-year-old Monica last seen in a yellow shirt, blue pants, yellow sandals.

If you have info, call Riverside County Sheriff`s, 760-836-1644.

And the Joan Gaeta Lung Cancer Foundation fights the number one cancer killer in the world. Lung cancer claiming more lives than breast, colon, prostate, melanoma and kidney combined. You don`t have to smoke to get lung cancer.

Joan Gaeta, a mother of five, a beloved wife, a teacher, lost her battle against lung cancer and her family is fighting back. Please go to Joan.org, ForJoan.org.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She was a driven, bright-eyed 24-year-old intern, one of thousands who flocked to Washington when semesters changed. A little dazzled by the power of this place, a little giddy with her own sense of possibility.

Chandra Levy came here interning at the Federal Department of Prisons, dreaming of a job with the FBI. When spring arrived, she packed her suitcase for a trip back home to Modesto, California. She never got on the plane.

On May 1st, 2001, Chandra Levy disappeared into thin air.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My precious daughter. I just want her back. I just want her back alive.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Now eight years after the trail seemed to have gone cold, a potential break in the case. A source close to the investigation confirms that the suspect in the Chandra Levy case is Ingmar Guandique. Guandique has denied any involvement in her death.

For Chandra Levy`s parents, who have been told an arrest is imminent, it is a glimmer of hope in the search for justice.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It`s pretty hard not having your child with you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I mean, you want justice. You want the person, you know, incarcerated and you want justice.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Put away.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: Finally, a break in the case. An arrest is imminent.

To Lisa DePaulo, investigative reporter, she covered the Levy case from the very, very beginning.

Lisa, what`s happening?

LISA DEPAULO, INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER, CONTRIBUTOR, THE DAILY BEAST, COVERED LEVY CASE FROM BEGINNING: Well, tight now, there should be an arrest momentarily. I`m told that either tomorrow or Wednesday, the U.S. attorney will be divulging some of what this new evidence was that allowed them to have this warrant and believe they have a solid case.

GRACE: Sari Horowitz also joining us, investigative reporter with "The Washington Post." Sari, what are you hearing?

SARI HOROWITZ, INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER, WASHINGTON POST, DID 13 PART SERIES ON LEVY CASE: We don`t know what the new evidence is, Nancy, but we spent a year looking at this case and re-examining it and turning over every rock and we interviewed Ingmar Guandique in prison, we interviewed Gary Condit, we interviewed the investigators. And our series concluded that all signs pointed toward Ingmar Guandique as the prime suspect.

GRACE: You know what`s interesting, Sari Horowitz, Lisa DePaulo, is that way back at the get-go, park police -- there had been -- there was Chandra Levy`s death. There were two other female attacks, similar attacks, attempted rapes in the same park. And Guandique was the suspect in those. And he actually made the statement that he saw Chandra Levy in the park the day she was murdered.

Lisa DePaulo, explain to me does two plus two still equal four or do I need to go back to kindergarten?

DEPAULO: Well, I`ve got to tell you that was one of the amazing thing in Sari`s investigation that she found that out. Hello, I mean, he put himself at the scene of the crime. You know and that -- way back when Guandique was always one of those people of interest.

But a lot of the cops did not think the MO was the same. And one of the things that they kept saying was, well, you know, yes, he stole these women`s Walkmen and you know, tormented them a little bit in the park, but he`s not a violent killer. Well, in fact, as Sari found, you know, one of the reasons they didn`t know his MO was the same was because they hadn`t even interviewed all the women he had assaulted.

GRACE: Is that true, Sari?

HOROWITZ: The problem is the U.S. park police interviewed Guandique. They arrested Guandique. The D.C. police were investigating the Chandra Levy case and the two never put the dots together. They never connected the case. And so when we went back, we found that the D.C. police had never interviewed the two women that Guandique attacked. And in fact, when we interviewed them they said they were -- they feared for their life because this man attacked them while they were jogging with Sony Walkman and he.

GRACE: Just like Chandra Levy.

HOROWITZ: Exactly. And he attacked them at knife point. And they fought him off and they were able to escape. One of them had taken a self defense course. They were bigger women than Chandra Levy. And once he was arrested in prison he allegedly told an inmate that, in fact, he killed Chandra Levy. This was in 2001.

And the police gave him a lie detector test not using a bilingual polygrapher. And the test was inconclusive. And they disregarded him. He went off their radar.

GRACE: To Boni Driskill, she is a friend of the Levy family, she is president of Wings of Protection.

Miss Driskill, thank you for being with us. How are the Levys taking this development?

BONI DRISKILL, FRIEND OF LEVY FAMILY, PRESIDENT, WINGS OF PROTECTION: Yes. As with most families that we deal with Wings of Protection, they are absolutely in shock. It`s been eight years. And we`re happy but it`s a bittersweet moment.

GRACE: To Dr. Henry Lee, forensic scientist, who examined the crime scene and Chandra Levy`s remains -- Dr. Lee, thank you for being with us. Reportedly DNA evidence is linking Guandique to Chandra Levy`s murder. What type of evidence could show that connection since we know the remains were skeletonized?

HENRY LEE, FORENSIC SCIENTIST, EXAMINED CRIME SCENE & CHANDRA LEVY`S REMAINS: Yes, Nancy, you`re right. The remains was skeletonized. However, the fingernails still there. In addition, her clothing and maybe underwear. So a close examination may resolve some potential biological evidence.

I also look at a long time ago this MO is pretty similar. It`s the same location, same setting, Rocky Creek Park, attacked a woman. And of course the two previous case (sic) when the victim indicates knife was used. That`s a violent action. The second one, because the individual lady have walking dogs and I don`t know the dog play factor on that in this case.

GRACE: Back to Lisa DePaulo, investigative reporter. She covered the Levy case from the very beginning. Did you hear Condit`s response? As usual, it`s still all about him. I say from the get-go, Lisa DePaulo, that he hamstrung so much of the investigation by not being forthcoming with the police at the beginning.

DEPAULO: Well, look, I mean, there were two things he said that were just ridiculous but one was, you know, it was this insatiable -- need for sensationalism that blocked people from finding the real truth. Well, you know, it wasn`t insatiable sensationalism that kept Gary Condit from cooperating with the police weeks and weeks and weeks.

And you know, Susan Levy just wrote this great essay on "Daily Beast" and it said, you know what, he did everything in his power to deter the police investigation. That`s pretty strong stuff. But you remember, you remember that summer.

And the other he said which was ridiculous was, you know, he`s been wanting to tell his side of the story. Hello? Everybody, everybody wanted his side of the story including the police and including the Levys.

So it`s a shame. If he had put it out there, if he had been more cooperative, perhaps they would have moved on to, you know, Guandique or come close to finding her body sooner.

GRACE: You know, Lisa, I know that you`ve stayed in close touch with Levys throughout all of this. Is this a surprise for them?

DEPAULO: Oh, wow. I think it has to be. I mean I think everyone felt, you know, that this might never, ever be solved. And I think, yes, they`re in a state of shock in some ways. And I think that they`re also, you know, it`s really bittersweet.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, it`s a shock. (INAUDIBLE) you know, long time, you don`t think about it all the time.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. Didn`t expect it to happen. And plan to do something else. And all of a sudden you get this call.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: Unleash the lawyer, Susan Moss, John Burris, Anne Bremner.

Anne Bremner, he tries to rape two women according to police, and now a third is dead, Chandra Levy. Any chance they`ll seek the death penalty? Probably not.

BREMNER: Probably not, although, as you know, Nancy, that the potentially here is it`s a sexual violence, getting involved with the death and then kidnapping, et cetera, but his best defense is going to be the Gary Condit examination in terms of everyone believing that he did the crime. But probably not. We`ll see. It`s a three strikes in a way with the other two...

GRACE: John Burris?

BREMNER: The other two incidents.

BURRIS: No, I don`t think so. But -- you know.

GRACE: Why, John Burris? Three women victims not enough for you for the death penalty to be sought?

BURRIS: Well, I am not for the death penalty at any point in time. So that`s my view so.

GRACE: Yes, I know. Second verse same as the first. Thank you, John Burris.

Susan Moss, what about it?

MOSS: They`ll probably seek it. But had Gary Condit taken lie detector test, maybe his career wouldn`t in a dead rest.

GRACE: Yes, he even had to give up his Baskin-Robbins. Correct, Lisa DePaulo?

DEPAULO: Apparently revoked his ice cream license. It`s been tough.

GRACE: You know, that karma can really bite you in the neck. And Dr. Henry Lee, could the perp`s DNA still be on her clothing even a year later?

LEE: Yes, if sufficient amount of DNA was to occur and new technology, trace amount of DNA, so-called touch DNA, may be able to find enough evidence. Of course.

GRACE: Right.

LEE: . with some luck, with fingernail, maybe find some additional evidence.

GRACE: And Sheryl McCollum, quickly, yes, no, didn`t he push the other two victims down the ravine as well?

MCCOLLUM: Absolutely. All three went down the ravine.

GRACE: Incredible similarity.

Let`s stop remember, Army Private First Class Leonard Gulczynski, just 19, Carol Stream, Illinois, killed Iraq. From a family of vets. Awarded the National Defense Service Medal. Loved football, volleyball, remembered for his laugh and smile. Leaves behind parents, Mike and Jackie. Sister Jackie, brother, Mike. Girlfriend Michelle.

Leonard Gulczynski, American hero.

Thank you to our guests and especially to you. I`ll see you tomorrow night, 8:00 sharp Eastern. And until then, good night, friend.

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0902/23/ng.01.html

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0902/23/ijvm.01.html

ISSUES WITH JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL

Criminal Record for Missing Girl`s Father?

Aired February 23, 2009 - 19:00:00 ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL, HOST (voice-over): Tonight, shocking updates in the disappearance of Haleigh Cummings. Little brother Junior reportedly told their mother that a man dressed in black entered the home and took Haleigh. Is this stunning clue enough to help police crack the case?

And an interview with Haleigh`s father Ronald boils over as the reporter confronts him with allegations that he hit his daughter and sold drugs. We`ll tell you Ronald`s angry response to those claims.

And what happened with a reported Haleigh sighting in Tennessee? Was it another dead end?

Then, a horrific crime as an 11-year-old boy is charged with shooting dead his father`s pregnant fiance. The reported murder weapon? A shotgun given to him by his dad as a Christmas present. What ever happened to giving a toy train? Unbelievably, the 11-year-old was being held in an adult jail. I`ll have the details on this tragic story about America`s gun culture.

Plus, we all know Octomom Nadya Suleman. Meet Octodad, or at least the man who claims to be the octuplet donor. Denis Beaudoin says he donated sperm to Suleman three times because he was in love with her. You won`t believe some of the creepy details.

And Suleman`s father questions her sanity on national TV. I`ll have the latest bizarre twists in this shocking story.

ISSUES starts now.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Stunning twists and turns tonight in the desperate search for missing Florida girl Haleigh Cummings. Startling new allegations that her father, Ron Cummings, hit Haleigh, abused her mother while she was pregnant with Haleigh, and used illegal drugs. All of these accusations made by little Haleigh`s mother, Crystal Sheffield.

Sheffield was interviewed over the weakened by Geraldo Rivera on FOX. Here are her shocking comments about Haleigh`s father, Ron.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CRYSTAL SHEFFIELD, HALEIGH`S MOTHER: My cousin Candice told me when we got down here for this incident that he come to her house. It was Ronald, Haleigh, Junior, and Misty. And Haleigh bumped into him or smarted off to him, and she said he just backhanded her, and she fell flat on her face on the porch.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Ron Cummings left with no choice but to respond to those allegations. Clearly, he was not very happy and called the claims lies.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RONALD CUMMINGS, HALEIGH`S FATHER: Never, ever have I ever hit my child. Me and my child have an agreement. Daddy, daughter, she has been spanked on her behind the way DCF says that you can take care of disciplining your children.

GERALDO RIVERA, FOX NEWS ANCHOR: You never backhanded her to the face?

CUMMINGS: Never. Never have I ever backhanded my child in the face. Ever.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Parents already in anguish, being torn further apart by a nasty war of words. How relevant is any of this to little Haleigh`s disappearance? We will debate that.

Also tonight, reports that Haleigh`s younger brother, Junior, says he saw a man in black take Haleigh away. Could his account of that fateful fight two weeks ago -- it`s been two weeks -- help find his big sister?

So much to talk about. And as always, I am taking your calls. But first, let`s go straight to my fabulous panel. Darren Kavinoky, criminal defense attorney; and Drew Findling, Atlanta criminal defense attorney. Plus, we`re going to talk to the Reverend Terry Wright, the pastor for Haleigh Cummings` family, as well as Deirdre Conner, a reporter for the "Florida Times-Union."

Deirdre, what is the very latest? And we`re hearing something about a rap sheet involving Ron Cummings.

DEIRDRE CONNER, REPORTER, "FLORIDA TIMES-UNION": Well, Jane, the newest, as you said, there`s an increase in the reward. They`re continuing to follow up with a number of family members.

But the real news is that there`s no news in terms of leads or solid information that`s been given to the media about the disappearance of Haleigh.

And in terms of the arrest, the "Times-Union" and Jacksonville.com reported last week on some arrests of the father, Ronald Cummings, in 2001 and other previous years. But there were no convictions in those cases.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right.

Darren Kavinoky, this is only relevant, I think, if it helps us find little Haleigh. And obviously we`ve got a Hatfields and McCoys situation down there right now, where these two sides of the family are at loggerheads, fighting with each other.

And my question is, is it relevant, given the fact that the sheriff`s department said that Ron, the father`s, alibi checked out? In other words, he was at work and raced home when he found out his daughter was missing. And he`s heard on the 911 call, which we`re going to play momentarily.

DARREN KAVINOKY, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Well, I agree with you, that the only way this becomes relevant is if it helps investigators track down people who may have had a motive to do harm to Ron or to his family.

But if he`s not a target in the investigation, then the notion that he had committed criminal acts in the past, it`s really not important, except perhaps in the court of public opinion.

And it`s just so interesting. I really feel for this family. And I know they must be in a tremendous amount of pain. But when I heard Haleigh`s biological mom describing what had been related to her about how Haleigh had been backhanded, you get into these reliability issues and these hearsay problems. And what`s her motivation?

And this is the least reliable kind of evidence. And there`s no reason to slander Dad if he`s not a target in this investigation. All of the energy should be directed at helping to find this missing little girl.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: I couldn`t agree more. And the reason we`re discussing it is that there is a possibility that somewhere in all of this information, there is something that would help us solve this mystery of what happened to this child who was taken while she was fast asleep. Nobody can make heads or tails out of it.

Now, Haleigh`s mother, Crystal Sheffield, says Haleigh wasn`t the only one abused at the hands of Ron Cummings. Listen to another incident that she described on FOX.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHEFFIELD: We were living in Leesburg at his mother`s house. And I had just found out I was pregnant. We were both doing cocaine. And I stopped. And I walked in the bedroom, and he was doing it. And I was like, "You know, how are you going to do this in front of me after I just found out I was pregnant and I just stopped?"

And he got very pissed off. And I had my -- I was facing -- I had my back turned to him. He punched me in the head. And then I turned around, and he kicked me off the bed.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Wow. Now, these two have been at loggerheads before. And as we`ve been discussing, can she really be counted on as an unbiased source?

And we have to point out, Drew Findling, that it was Ron who got custody of the kids, potentially meaning that he was considered the better parent at the end of the day.

DREW FINDLING, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Absolutely. There`s no doubt that that is an issue here. There was a determination by a court that taking these two parents and, comparing them to one another, he would be the better parent. The child would be better off, or the children would be better off in the custody of him.

But apparently, he`s holding off at making allegations at the mom. And the reason why he is and he shouldn`t, it has nothing to do with the pathology of abduction. Because that`s the issue here, the pathology of abduction and who would abduct and secret away a child. This is all a distraction and frankly, this is a time when media and press don`t serve a purpose.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Absolutely. I -- Pastor Terry Wright, you are the pastor for Haleigh Cummings` family. We`re so happy that you`re joining us tonight. Because perhaps you could make sense of all the friction that is going on down there, as obviously the frustration level mounts, now that we are two weeks since little Haleigh disappeared.

What do you make -- I`m sure you`ve heard of all of the goings-on here and the claims and counter-claims involving Haleigh`s biological mother and father. What do you make of all of it, sir?

REV. TERRY WRIGHT, PASTOR FOR CUMMINGS FAMILY: You know, Jane, it`s a tragic situation. Ronald joined our church about three years ago. So a lot of the incidents y`all have been talking about happened prior to me coming to know Ronald and being his friend.

But it`s certainly tragic. Here are two young people who are very bright when you get to know them off camera. If you really sit down and talk with them. And they`ve made choices throughout the early years of their life that`s really impacted them. And that`s tragic.

And now there`s a 5-year-old girl missing, and that is just so terrible. And so our hope and prayer first is for Haleigh, that she comes back. And then after that, you know, hopefully we`ll spend some time with Ronald and Crystal and do some working on some reconciliation and healing of the relationship.

So it`s -- you know, it`s just -- it`s bad all the way around. And we`re just praying the best for Haleigh right now.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Absolutely. And Ashley, everyone`s hearts go out to all involved here. Who knows how we would behave in a similar situation when we`re desperate for a child that has been missing for two weeks.

Deirdre Conner, I want to go back to something that just broke, just as we were about to go on the air. And that is that a local station down there, WESH, is reporting that Haleigh`s mother has a fiance and that that fiance was interviewed by investigators today. What do you know?

CONNER: Well, I think it`s pretty clear prom the police that they are talking to everybody involved in this situation, whether it`s family, people in the area. They searched the area very extensively. So I wouldn`t be surprised to hear that any member of the very large families involved here would be interviewed at some point.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: And Darren, here`s the thing that I`m getting out of this, is that we`ve got a cast of characters. Obviously, there`s the possibility of a stranger abduction, but there seems to be a sense down there, that how would somebody have known to go in there at that moment had they not known this family?

So it`s like everybody is looking at each other and developing suspicions, and a vacuum has been created because authorities are not excluding anyone as suspects.

KAVINOKY: Right. And with the passage of time, those kinds of suspicions only fester and grow worse, and people are more concerned about her well-being. And as a result of that, they become more desperate. It really is a horrible situation for that.

And, of course, in any child abduction, there`s always concern about family members. And those are going to be the first people that you talk to.

And your point is a great one, Jane. How is it that somebody other than a person with inside knowledge is going to be able to carry this crime out in the way that it was done? It really is a tough situation.

And I just want to digress for one moment here. I think the value that the media really brings to this is to keep all of these points in -- in focus, because without media coverage, we`re -- this little girl is not going to be on our radar.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Absolutely. And the reward is up -- it`s up to, I think, $41,000, right, Deirdre?

CONNER: Yes, that`s what we understand.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Wow. The reward keeps rising. Keep your eyes on that little girl`s photo. We`ve got to find her.

All right, everyone. Stay right there. And don`t forget: Nancy Grace is up immediately following this program at 8 p.m. Eastern. She will have the very latest in the search for little Haleigh Cummings.

And right here on ISSUES, we are just getting started. I want to hear your take on the stunning developments in the search for Haleigh Cummings. Call 1-877-JVM-SAYS. That`s 1-877-586-7297.

Do you think father Ronald Cummings has anger issues? Or is he reacting the way you would in this situation? Here is his intense 911 call when Haleigh was first reported missing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CUMMINGS: I just got home from work. My 5-year-old daughter is gone. I need somebody to be here now.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Listen to me, listen to me, we got two options.

CUMMINGS: If I find whoever has my daughter before y`all do, I`m killing him. I don`t care. I`ll spend the rest of my life in prison. I`m telling you, you can put it on the record. I don`t care.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK. It`s OK, sir. We got them on the way. OK, can you give me any -- what kind of description of her pajamas that she was wearing?

CUMMINGS: I don`t (EXPLETIVE DELETED) know. I was at work.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CUMMINGS: Please bring my daughter home. She`s not yours. She`s not property. You know, she`s not something that you just take and say, it`s mine, or whatever. This is my daughter. This is blood. And I would like to have my daughter back, please. Please bring my daughter home.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: That was Ron Cummings, the father of missing 5-year- old Haleigh Cummings, pleading for his daughter`s safe return. We are back taking your calls on all the latest shocking developments in the Haleigh Cummings case.

Phone lines lighting up. Tana, West Virginia, your question or thought, ma`am?

CALLER: Yes, Jane. I enjoy your show. My question is that Ron Cummings, his record as far as drugs has been made public. But how about the biological mother? Has anybody ever checked into her drug use or drug arrests?

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, Deirdre, my understanding is that she admitted -- well, actually, I saw it on camera, too, having used cocaine at one point. And she said she stopped when she found out she was pregnant.

CONNER: Yes, that`s correct. She has admitted that. That did come up in the custody hearing. But ultimately, the judge awarded custody to the father, because he had insurance coverage for the children and, you know, a very -- a variety of other things. But she did admit cocaine use, yes.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right. Mary in Texas, question or thought?

CALLER: Yes. I`m -- I have a question. My question is this. I know it hasn`t been proven, but if the biological mother is accusing the father of abusing the child, then why would she allow him custody or let him have the child?

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, I think that`s a legal question for Drew Findling. Because if the courts grant custody to the dad, then that`s a done deal, right?

FINDLING: Well, it`s kind of late in the game to all of a sudden, given this tragedy, start casting aspersions at the father. I mean, let`s take this and really lay it out there for what it is.

She`s making all these allegations against him. He`s living with the child -- with the children with a 15-year-old girlfriend, and yet, he continues to have custody of the child. So at the same time, that`s saying something about the mom.

Look, it`s a messy situation all the way around. It just is. And I think that`s something that law enforcement is dealing with and probably not sharing so much with us right now.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Pastor Wright, have you had any contact with Ron in the wake of some of these negative stories that are coming out about him? And how is that impacting him? I would assume this guy -- it must be hell for him right now just not having his daughter, and then his home is a crime scene. He`s living outside in the fields, even though I think he got a trailer. I mean, what`s he going through?

WRIGHT: Well, you know, I`ve got to tell you. It`s horrific what he`s going through. And I think what`s hurt him the most is the accusations that he actually hit and abused his daughter.

The other night I was with him right after that broke, and he vehemently denied it to me. As a matter of fact, he described it to me -- he said, "Look, I have not hit my daughter. I don`t do that. I`ve never done that." He is vehemently denying that. That really hurts. Because the focus needs to be on finding his daughter, not evaluating his parenting skills.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Absolutely.

WRIGHT: I don`t know about you, but I`m not a perfect parent. OK, I`ve made my mistakes. And if my daughter was missing -- I have an 11- year-old daughter, Madison, just turned 11 yesterday -- I would not want her and my parenting skills being evaluated while she`s still missing. So I think he`s just frustrated that it seems that things are shifting from finding Haleigh to evaluating his parenting skills.

FINDLING: You know, Jane, in defense of Ron Cummings, in just a few minutes, we`re going to talk about a case where somebody waited a month to report their child missing. This man got home from work and was hysterical on the phone.

And anybody that`s done these cases before and tried these cases before can hear on the phone he did nothing wrong. And this is really a distraction from looking for the real person that could help us find this child.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, let me say this. At one of the first news conferences, father Ron pleaded for Haleigh`s safe return. But something stood out to some of us. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CUMMINGS: Bring her back anonymous. Give her to someone else to bring back. However she gets back, we want her back safe. If you`ve done something with her, tell us where she`s at, if she`s OK. Something. We just -- I want my daughter back. That`s all I want. I want my daughter back. I`m not out for revenge.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right. Notice that he uses the word "revenge." Now, the ex says that he has a lot of enemies. He says he has no enemies. I would assume, Darren Kavinoky, that investigators are trying to track down anyone that`s had a run-in with Ron, and that, to me, is the only way this could possibly be relevant.

KAVINOKY: Yes. And as I sit here and listen to it, and, of course, sit in judgment of it, it makes me think, well, wait a second. This guy knows who`s got his child. And those remarks seem to be addressed to that person. Or he`s got some suspicions about it.

But it`s just -- it`s hard to imagine the amount of stress that this family is under, and that he`s under as the custodial father. It`s tough for anyone of us to judge what we would say or do or -- when we`re in those circumstances.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: I`ve got to ask about, Deirdre Conner, the child, Junior, who was 3 at the time, now 4, is reportedly saying a man in black took Haleigh out. What do we know about that?

CONNER: Well, that`s something that has come up in the past. And, of course, like I said, they did interview everybody. Understand the little boy just turned 4. And, you know, it`s hard to say what to make of that. Everybody has made statements to the police about what they believe happened.

I wanted to correct one thing that was said earlier.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: You`ve got to hang on for one second. We`re going to have more on this case in just a moment. Everybody sit tight. Another tragic story, an 11-year-old boy -- an 11-year-old boy -- is charged with killing his dad`s pregnant fiance with a shotgun that he was given on Christmas.

Now the debate rages over whether to charge him as an adult. But what about the debate over whether to give an 11-year-old a gun for Christmas?

And an update on Octomom. You won`t believe what she`s doing now.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JACK HOUK, KENZIE HOUK`S FATHER: I don`t know anybody in the whole world that would want to kill a 26-year-old beautiful daughter like mine and take a child. I don`t know who would be crazy enough or nutty enough to want to do something like that. It`s just -- I hope they find out who it is and they take them to -- their life, or whatever they`ve got to do with them. It`s horrifying.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: A father is mourning the brutal slaying of his daughter today, allegedly at the hands of an 11-year-old boy. How is that possible?

Kenzie Houk, a pregnant 26-year-old mother of two, shot to death Friday. Authorities now contend her live-in boyfriend`s 11-year-old son pulled the trigger. The child shot her in the back of the head as she slept. A shocking but all too familiar case in America today. And it begs the question, when will our society stop putting guns into the hands of children?

Back with me, Darren Kavinoky.

Darren, so many issues. But let`s start with the fact that this 11- year-old was taken to an adult jail, where he is too small to even fit in the clothes they gave him. This strikes me as insane, but apparently in Pennsylvania, they can charge anyone over the age of 10 as an adult. Why?

KAVINOKY: Well, prosecutors are really in a quandary over this one. Under Pennsylvania law, as you point out, Jane, that if you`re over 10 years old and you commit a homicide, then they can charge you as an adult, although the facilities where they house people who are pending charges are ill-equipped to handle children. They -- they -- you know, the clothes don`t fit. They can`t mix with other inmates. It really is creating some logistical nightmares for everybody in charge.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, it doesn`t make sense to me, because he`s a child.

Take a look at the type of gun allegedly used in this case. Police say the boy got a gun like this for Christmas as a gift from his dad, so he could learn to hunt. Gun laws in Pennsylvania are known to be lax. But should the father, Darren, be facing any criminal penalties or charges, given that he allegedly gave his child the very gun which that child then, in turn, used to kill his own fiance?

KAVINOKY: Yes, it`s a fantastic question, Jane. The short answer is probably not. There`s -- there`s a host of civil liabilities that may attach as far as negligent -- negligent entrustment or negligent supervision, things of that nature.

But there are all sorts of crimes that are based on extreme types of negligence. For example, if I shoot into a building that`s occupied, even though I don`t intend to kill anybody, it`s so negligent that I can be charged with murder. Giving a child a gun, not the same.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Let me give you this. We have shocking video to show you of how children shoot guns. Now none of these kids, mind you, were involved in any way in any legal cases whatsoever, but you`ve just got to see it. Kids shooting guns. The video is shocking.

And it`s even more shocking when you consider that there was a similar case in Arizona where an 8-year-old boy shot and killed his father and another man. This was also recent. And, again, this kid was playing with guns, learned how to use them to hunt, Darren.

KAVINOKY: Yes. But you know the interesting thing, Jane, is there are some areas of the country where this is just not considered to be unusual at all. You know, you and I...

VELEZ-MITCHELL: That`s what I`m saying.

KAVINOKY: ... get to sit back as observers from the -- from the big city, where this would be highly unusual in my neighborhood and I suspect in yours. But in much of the country, kids are -- are taught to hunt and given guns by their folks. It really is a troublesome situation.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: We may have to look at that, parents, and decide maybe that`s not such a great idea.

Darren, thank you so much.

We all know the Octomom, but now the man claiming to be Octodad wants his time in the spotlight. You won`t want to miss this strange development.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Police search frantically for 5-year-old Haleigh Cummings. Could a tip from her little brother provide the key? Junior reportedly told her mom that a man dressed in black entered the home and snatched Haleigh.

And Haleigh`s father Ronald snaps as a reporter confronts him with allegations that he hid his daughter and sold drugs. We`ll tell you his reaction.

Plus, we all know octo-mom Nadya Suleman. Well, now octo-dad wants his 15 minutes. The man claiming to be the octuplets donor`s speaks out saying he donated to Suleman three times because he was in love with her.

I`ll have the strange details.

All the latest on octo-mom in just minutes.

But first, more on missing five-year-old Haleigh Cummings: a new war of words has erupted between Haleigh`s two parents as Haleigh`s little brother reportedly says he saw a man in black take Haleigh.

Could little junior`s comments be the key to solving this horrible mystery? I`m back with Reverend Terry Wright, pastor for Haleigh Cummings` family. As well as Deirdre Conner, a reporter with a Florida Times Union, and a very, very patient Arlene from Florida who has been waiting on line a long time. Your question or thought, Arlene?

ARLENE, FROM FLORIDA: I would like to know if anyone took fingerprints of the brick that was holding the back door open. That maybe the 17-year-old went out and put the brick there so that she could get back in. Because who would open a door and steal a child and put a brick on the door?

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well Deirdre, any thoughts? I`m sure they dusted everything.

DEIRDRE CONNER, TIMES UNION, FL REPORTER: Well, yes and in fact the trailer where this all happened is still a crime scene and no one is allowed back into that trailer. And the family is actually camping out in another part of the neighborhood because they can`t go back home.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Now, let`s talk a little bit, pastor, about the child, junior, who was three at the time that his big sister disappeared two weeks ago, who is now four. He said that he saw -- reportedly said that he saw a man in black take the child away.

What do you know about this because it seems odd that we`re hearing about this now, a couple of weeks in?

REV. TERRY WRIGHT, CUMMINGS` FAMILY PASTOR: Yes. I don`t know a whole of lot about that, Jane. I know that junior is concerned because his sissy is lost. And that`s what`s really registering to him. I`m not sure about his witness of a man in black. I`ve heard that, as you have.

But don`t know much about it. I just know that I was with him a couple of nights ago. He`s just, you know, sissy is lost. When is she coming home?

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Right, and of course the investigators are going to have to determine whether this child is wanting to be helpful and saying something. Children are very suggestible. Or if in fact he did see a man in black.

Now, this comment by Ron stood out to me; it went by very quickly. Listen carefully.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, besides junior, do you have another child?

RONALD CUMMINGS, FATHER OF HALEIGH CUMMINGS: Haleigh.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Besides Haleigh and Junior?

CUMMINGS: I don`t know. Possibly.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right. Pastor, what does it mean? Possibly more children.

WRIGHT: Not sure. I`m not sure what that means.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, I think one of the reasons that we`re discussing all this is that there seems to be an expanding cast of characters. We heard that the biological mother`s fiance, was interrogated or interviewed by the authorities today.

Now we`re hearing that he possibly has other children. Perhaps there is somebody else that that connects to. That`s why there are so many question marks in this case. And it`s got to be, boy, a handful for investigators, right, Reverend?

WRIGHT: Oh, yes. I imagine. I mean, look. Neither person in this thing lived a perfect life you know, mom or dad and we`ve all made our mistakes. And certainly there`s a lot of things that is confusing this issue right now, Jane. And investigators are having a hard time finding that one clue that leads them to the end of this road.

But I will tell you this. Let me just tell you, the family`s confidence in our local law enforcement is unshakable. Both sides of the family, Crystal as well as Ronald, have complete confidence that our sheriff`s office along with the FBI and FDLA have done all they can -- are doing all they can to bring little Haleigh home.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well.

WRIGHT: And so as much as there`s a lot of confusion with issues they are confident that things are being done right.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Reverend, I thank you again for joining us. And please know that --

WRIGHT: Sure.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: -- all of our hearts go out to everybody involved in this. It`s got to be hell right now for all sides of the family. And the only reason we`re discussing this is that we are hopeful that somehow we can help solve the mystery and put that child`s face out there. And that somebody will call and we will find this child alive and we pray that that is so.

Thank you, Reverend. And Deirdre Conner, thank you as well.

WRIGHT: Thank you.

CONNER: Thank you.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Great reporting.

Turning now to another war of words: this one in the Caylee Anthony murder case. The former meter reader who discovered Caylee`s skeletal remains in December has drawn a line in the sand. Roy Kronk is demanding that bounty hunter Leonard Padilla stop making statements in the media that somehow link him to the Anthony family.

He says that Padilla has ruined his reputation. But what if Padilla just keeps talking? The answer in just a moment.

Meantime, expect fireworks in that other civil matter. You know the one the attorney for George and Cindy Anthony says, he`s going to go to court, before allowing his clients to be deposed in the Zenaida Gonzalez case. They are supposed to be questioned in three days.

As for Casey Anthony`s defense team, they are saying it was outrageous and cruel for jailhouse personnel to videotape her reaction to news that a child`s remains had been found.

Does doubling over twice and hyperventilating equal consciousness of guilt? Let`s get some answers to all these questions. Still with me: Drew Findling, Atlanta criminal defense attorney and Ashleigh Banfield, anchor on the Legal Network, "In Session."

Ashleigh, does Casey`s defense team have a point when they denounce investigators for secretly videotaping Casey`s reaction to the remains being found? Or is this a fair tactic? It`s a criminal prosecution. They would like to show consciousness of guilt.

ASHLEIGH BANFIELD, ANCHOR OF "IN SESSION": Well, if you`re incarcerated you should know you don`t have any privacy. Not on a telephone and not anywhere in the facility. And I don`t care if you`re getting a nurse`s update. Yes, your actions can speak volumes.

I think there`s a bigger issue here, though, and that is whether if you double over and are upset by the news that remains are found and you`re a mother whose child is missing, it can mean two things. You`re devastated that your child may not be coming home or you`re devastated that somebody found bones that maybe you put there.

I don`t think you can read it either way on that.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well Drew Findling, the only reason why prosecutors are implying that it could be consciousness of guilt is that there were other sightings, there were other moments where they thought remains were found and there is no report of her having any kind of similar reaction.

And remember, this was before the remains were identified as being Caylee`s.

DREW FINDLING, ATLANTA CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Well, two-fold. One, we`re talking skeletal remains found very, very close to the house, number one.

Number two, regarding the issue of privacy, let`s make this clear. We`re not talking about just walking and talking and having casual conversation. We`re talking about something surreptitiously set up by law enforcement to induce the criminally accuse and not being investigated but indicted for murder to get a physical reaction, which is the equivalent of a statement.

I guarantee you if these lawyers know what they`re doing, they are coming guns slinging into court; terrible move by the prosecution.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Do you really think so?

FINDLING: Absolutely.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Because I would think as a juror sitting there watching her doubling over and hyperventilating at that moment, I would say, "Hey, that would be very powerful indicator that perhaps she is reacting because she knows something that other people don`t know."

FINDLING: Well, it may be, but you know what, you have to come with every emotion that you can. And when you see sneaky work like this, because you have to remember, at this stage in the game with indictment, the work of law enforcement is an extension of the prosecution. They`re the same.

And when you see a setup job like this, it`s just bad lawyering, bad prosecution, bad investigation. And you`ve got to stick it up their throat.

BANFIELD: You know what, as far as conscience and guilt goes, I`m not as concerned about this behavior and this videotape that may or may not make it into court. I think what could really fry this young woman is false statements. Because that`s the kind of thing if proven, judges can actually instruct juries that they can consider false statements part of consciousness of guilt on behalf of the defendant.

That is where Casey could be in a lot of trouble.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right, we`ve got to get to this next issue. Roy Kronk says bounty hunter, Leonard Padilla, is trashing him in the media. Listen to what Padilla told Nancy Grace.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NANCY GRACE, "THE NANCY GRACE SHOW" HOST: So what`s your theory? And how is Kronk somehow part of a conspiracy? Go ahead and tell me.

LEONARD PADILLA, BOUNTY HUNTER: Well, we know that the defense is the one that`s benefiting by the confusion right now as to the finding of the body and how it was found. How did somebody get word to Kronk to get out there? I think he was the end of a daisy chain that started with Casey and two or three people in the middle there. And I mean, he says he saw something white out there.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right. Drew, Kronk says stop that or you`re going to be in trouble. And Leonard Padilla`s response is if you want a legal fight, saddle up. Is this just another side show or is this possibly a big deal?

FINDLING: Well, on the one hand, it`s another side show. But I have to say when you go through -- when you go online like all the viewers can do and you read the discovery in this case, you know, it wasn`t a very good move to come out and say -- and we`ve talked about in this show, immediately the meter reader was not a suspect.

Because when you read the investigative summary, that meter reader stuff is bizarre. It is crazy. It`s a lot more detailed than all of us thought. Now, does that make him part of the case? Probably not.

But I think it was discounted way too early. And unfortunately, it opens the doors for people that are opportunists to make accusations, to get a little publicity and get themselves on TV.

BANFIELD: But when it comes to defamation though, truth is the ultimate defense.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, I just want to say that the police say Roy Kronk is a hero. He used his gut and he found the remains and we`re going to have to go with what the police say.

Ashleigh and Drew, thank you so much.

Nancy Grace will have the very latest on the Caylee Anthony murder case. She is up next at 8:00 p.m. Eastern.

And here on "ISSUES," I will have an update on octo-mom, Nadya Suleman. The man claiming to be the octuplet`s donor wants he`s side in the limelight. Wait until you hear all that crazy developments that have just happened. Call 1-877-JVM-SAYS, that`s 1-877-586-7297 to sound off on octo-mom, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: You`re familiar with the octo-mom, but up next, you will get a glimpse at the octo-dad, or at least the guy claiming to be the octuplet donor.

But first, "Top of the Block" tonight.

A break in the Chandra Levy murder mystery: you may remember, this case was a national obsession back in 2001. Levy was killed in May of that year and many pointed the finger at her secret lover, then Congressman Gary Condit. Police are now reported close to arresting a suspect in this murder.

No official word has been released, but cops are expected to arrest and charge Ingmar Guandique. Guandique, an illegal immigrant, is already behind bars are for attacking two female joggers with a knife close to where Levy`s remains were found.

Though never charged, Gary Condit political career was ruined by the Levy murder but he now hopes to clear his name entirely by publishing a book telling his side of the story.

That`s tonight`s "Top of the Block."

More twists and turns tonight in the never-ending octo-mom outrage drama. A man who says he donated sperm to Nadya Suleman on three different occasions has come forward. Now Denis Beaudoin tells ABC`s "Good Morning America" that he wants a paternity test.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRIS CUOMO, ABC ANCHOR: How far do you want to take it?

DENIS BEAUDOIN, CLAIMS TO BE SULEMAN`S SPERM DONOR: I would like a DNA test. And like whether or not it is or it isn`t, I still extend my hand in help.

CUOMO: You`ll help even if they`re not your kids?

BEAUDOIN: Yes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Beaudoin says he made those sperm donations at home. Get this. Are you sitting down? Suleman kept the sperm sample warm by placing the cup between her breasts.

Just when you thought this story couldn`t get stranger, it goes to a whole new level of total weirdness.

I`m taking your calls, of course. But first let`s get to my fantastic panel: Debbie Glasser, clinical psychologist; Paul Callan, criminal defense attorney and former prosecutor; Pete Demetriou, legendary reporter from L.A. KFWB News 980 and A.J. Hammer, the host of HLN`s "Showbiz Tonight."

Thank you so much for joining us, A.J. Always love to have you.

You`ve been tracking this case. Why would this man who already has two of his own kids want to get involved in this chaotic drama and put his face out there?

A.J. HAMMER, HLN HOST, "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT": First off Jane and most importantly I think I`d like to say I`m happy about this because now we can at least say octo-dad and not have to say octo-mom all the time. We have something new to talk about.

First, let me give you a cynical A.J. Have you ever heard the name Denis Beaudoin before? No, probably not. Here we are talking about him. This is what happens when cases like this come along and you remember what happened with Anna Nicole Smith. Everybody and their brother and father came out saying, "I`m the daddy." Prince Von Anhalt, Zsa Zsa Gabor`s husband even coming out and saying he was the dad.

So that could be a little of what`s going on here maybe coming after the 15 minutes. However, that said, we don`t really know what this guy`s motives are. He has said that he has a big custody battle he`s had to endure over his son and he does not want the same sort of drama to befall these octuplets. Well, guess what, I think a little too late on that.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes. That ship has sailed. In fact, we have a new bizarre development: a face-to-face confrontation between octo-mom and octo-granny courtesy of Radar Online. Take a gander at this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANGELA SULEMAN, NADYA SULEMAN`S MOTHER: You should have considered your other six children.

NADYA SULEMAN, OCTUPLET`S MOM: Okay, but I still was going to use -- I was not going to destroy the embryos. Period. Done, done, done. It`s already done. You can`t go back and ring a bell. You can`t go back and ring a bell. You can`t go back and alter the past.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: I think she meant you can`t go back and unring a bell. But Pete Demetrious, that aside, remember when we heard that octo- mom said she was not going to do a reality show, that looks kind of like a reality show right there.

PETE DEMETRIOU, REPORTER L.A. KFWB NEWS 980: Well, it could a reality show, Jane, to say the least. But I think there are a couple of other interesting issues regarding what`s going on with Beaudoin and everyone on this thing.

The question about paternity, we`ve got legal people on the panel; I`d like them to go into it. But I talked with three lawyers today and they frankly said unless there was some indication that the sperm donation was made under false pretenses or some other irregularity there, he actually has no right to request any kind of a DNA test or anything at all.

Although there is a possibility, possibility given a court`s trend toward the parents of biological -- well, if you want to call it donor`s rights -- that if there was something irregular with the way the donation was made --

VELEZ-MITCHELL: I think that there is a growing trend toward parental rights of the sperm donor. Paul Callan couldn`t we envision, if in fact, his DNA tests out and he is the biological father of one or all of these 14, couldn`t we see a legal battle if he, in fact, wants to get involved and she doesn`t want him involved?

PAUL CALLAN, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Well, it`s an interesting fact pattern here. And I think what you would see is that he would not have the right to force himself into the picture. But the reverse might be true.

Let`s say the children -- it certainly looks this way -- are going to have problems being supported because the mother is poverty-stricken. Couldn`t the state sue him for child support?

You know, there`s been a lot of speculation in legal circles that sperm donors had better be careful because if a child is conceived and cannot be supported, why should the state support the child? So I think if these children have economic problems, maybe there could be a lawsuit against him if he`s the biological father. But, of course, we don`t even know if that`s true.

VELEZ-MICHELL: Well, A.J. Hammer, when cases like this evolve and you and I have seen it, people come out of the woodwork.

HAMMER: Yes.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: And given that there are 14 kids and medically it`s very possible that they have several fathers. There`s no -- even though she says it`s one person -- she`s been known to be inconsistent about other facts. Is it possible that we`re going to see other men coming forward and saying, "Hey, I`m the dad?"

HAMMER: I think it`s a pretty sure bet at this point. I don`t know if we will see Prince Von Anhalt come out in this particular case. But the interesting thing about Denis Beaudoin, he`s coming out and saying, "Hey, I do want to take ownership of the fact that I`m probably the father and I do want to help out."

Now Nadya Suleman has not responded to any offers of help from her or the several other people and organizations that have made offers to help. The wackiness here, Jane, pretty consistent with what we`ve seen so far, wouldn`t you say?

VELEZ-MITCHELL: It is. It`s like a reality show in the works. We`re going to talk to our psychologist about that in just a moment.

Everyone stick around. Don`t forget. You can catch A.J. Hammer on "Showbiz Tonight" 11:00 p.m. Eastern. I will be joining him for the very latest on the octo-mom story.

Here on "ISSUES" we`ll have more on the octo-mom. She may be a tad odd, but so are the men surrounding her. I will tell you why.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ED SULEMAN, NADYA SULEMAN`S FATHER: I mean, I understand it`s your job, you need to do it, but give us a little break. Too much is not good. There`s a limit to everything. They`re fine.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: The man who claims to be Nadya Suleman`s sperm donor is now among those who say she wasn`t always so truthful. Take a listen to what he told ABC`s Chris Cuomo.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CUOMO: Nadya says, "It`s not him." Is that good enough for you? Is that closure?

BEAUDOIN: No. I can`t take everything she says for granted. I mean, when initially she told me the whole reason why for me donating sperm in the first place is to get pregnant because she was not going to be able to have kids. And it turned into this.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: This, being 14 kids. She has been caught in numerous inconsistencies. She says she wasn`t on welfare, but she`s getting food stamps and disability payments for her brood.

Let me ask psychologist Debbie Glasser how is her lack of candor going to affect these kids growing up?

DEBBIE GLASSER, CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST: I don`t know Nadya Suleman and I don`t know what she`s being candid about or what she isn`t being candid about. Truthfully, this is going to be something that needs to be addressed by the health care professionals that are already involved in this family`s life.

They need to take a look at this mom. They need to take a look at her support network. They need to take a look at the circumstances in her home, because we`re talking about real life.

It is playing out a little bit like a reality show, like a bad one. But this is real life and these are real babies, real children who need and deserve loving, stable, consistent caregivers.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Pete Demetrious, we only have a little bit of time, but Nadya has said that this other guy who has just come forward is not the real father. And on some of the birth certificates of four of the six children she had before she had the octuplets she listed a David Solomon, but they had different birth dates for this so-called father. Is David Solomon a real person or a fictional person?

DEMETRIOU: Doesn`t matter whether he`s real or fictional, because the mother is not obligated under law to provide any real data on the parent or the father. Not only that, in the case of a sperm donor, she probably wouldn`t know anyway. So she could name David Solomon, John Doe or Chewbacca, for all that we know.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: I`m sure Chewbacca is going to be coming up soon and saying that he donated the sperm.

Let`s talk about the doctor, A.J. Should this doctor face more scrutiny? I know he`s being investigated currently.

HAMMER: Everybody is taking a look at the doctor. And somebody even called in to "Showbiz Tonight" to suggest that this guy should take the financial responsibility for the kids. I think a lot of people are going to be taking a look at what can go on here legally, what can go on ethically or should go on ethically. So I`m surprised we haven`t heard more from the doctor about this.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Oh, yes. There are so many ramifications; moral, ethical, environmental, let`s not forget that.

Thank you everyone. Hope you come back again soon.

I`m Jane Velez-Mitchell. You`re watching "ISSUES."

END

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0902/23/ijvm.01.html

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0902/24/ng.01.html

NANCY GRACE

Investigation Continues into Disappearance of 5-Year-Old Haleigh

Aired February 24, 2009 - 20:00:00 ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

NANCY GRACE, HOST: Breaking news tonight, Satsuma, Florida, a 5-year- old little girl tucked into bed. Five hours later, she`s gone, vanished into thin air, the back door propped wide open. The father comes home from the night shift to find not a single trace of little Haleigh.

Bombshell tonight. While members of little Haleigh`s immediate and extended family have taken multiple polygraphs and stated they passed, lead investigators say no one -- repeat, no one -- has been cleared.

Also, across the country, Grand Junction, Colorado, is there a credible sighting of 5-year-old Haleigh there in a crowded mall? As police sift through over 2,000 tips, can Haleigh`s 4-year-old little brother ID the kidnapper? The boy ostensibly in the room, sleeping with his sister when she`s snatched, the little boy describing a grown man taking Haleigh in the middle of the night dressed in entirely in black.

After FBI and police initially zero in on a local sex offender and girlfriend Misty Croslin`s cousin, police now clearing both of them. And what about that mystery vehicle that was seized for evidence? Investigators still refusing to reveal the make, model or ownership. As local police refuse to scale back the search, tonight, where is 5-year-old Haleigh?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Investigators continue to comb for clues in the case of missing 5-year-old Haleigh Cummings, who was kidnapped from her own bed.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I mean, I didn`t notice about Haleigh then until I seen the back door open, and then I go in the room and she`s gone! And that`s all I know!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: As the reward increases to $25,000 today, authorities say they are not planning on scaling back their investigation into what happened to little Haleigh.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Investigators are still following up on leads. They`re still following through. Nothing has been cut back as a result of what`s gone on here.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Police are interviewing anyone who had a connection to the child, giving polygraphs and even re-questioning family members when needed.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They`ll probably do more interviews with the family simply because, as new information comes up, they re-interview to follow up on information.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Questions still remain about what exactly Haleigh`s 4-year-old brother says he saw the night Haleigh was taken. According to the boy`s mother, the boy saw a man dressed all in black take his sister.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: All he said was, I want to find my sissy, and he said something about somebody in black took her. He said that he was all dressed in black. But I didn`t question him.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Law enforcement experts have interviewed the boy but won`t elaborate on what he told them.

RONALD CUMMINGS, HALEIGH`S FATHER: I`m here to plead for the life of my daughter. I want her to come home. If you have her, please send her home.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: And breaking news tonight on another beautiful child, Caylee. Six months of searching culminate to skeletal remains found in a heavily wooded area just 15 houses from the Anthonys` home confirmed to be Caylee, manner of death homicide, a utility meter reader stumbling on a tiny human skeleton, including a skull covered in light-colored hair, the killer duct taping the child`s mouth, finishing off by placing a heart-shaped sticker over the mouth, then triple bagging little Caylee like she`s trash.

Tonight, grandparents George and Cindy Anthony refusing to testify under oath in just 48 hours. Brother Lee Anthony says he will answer questions but that he knows nothing about the so-called nanny, never even met her. And tonight, is tot mom`s defense attorney back under investigation by the Florida bar?

But with her family facing legal questioning, it`s apparently not affecting tot mom`s appetite. She`s loading up on treats for herself -- chocolates, expensive bottled water, headsets, beauty products, all for her use in her private jail cell. And hey, she can afford it! Strangers from all across the country sending money to tot mom`s bank account at the jail, including one California man who sends in five -- one, two three, four, five -- deposits.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE ANTHONY, CAYLEE`S GRANDFATHER: ... to push me to smile at her and hug her. I miss that kiss on the cheek, that special hug.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Grandparents George and Cindy Anthony are set to be deposed this week as part of a defamation lawsuit filed against the tot mom by the alleged baby-sitter, Zenaida Gonzalez. But the attorney for the Anthonys does not want them to give a sworn depositions and is trying to get a delay. Citing them as being emotionally fragile, attorney Brad Conway says George and Cindy need more time to recover before answering any questions.

LEE ANTHONY, CAYLEE`S UNCLE: This family is incomplete. I`m incomplete!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Also today, controversy is swirling over someone trying to sell a doll that looks similar to tot mom Casey Anthony. The doll, which was put on eBay and later taken down, is seen wearing an American flag as its clothing. Tot mom Casey Anthony wore the same outfit to the no-clothes party last May.

CASEY ANTHONY, CAYLEE`S MOTHER: I forgive whoever has her, and I just want her to come home. I just -- I just want my baby back.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: And tonight, a 14-year-old California girl on her way to school around 7:00 AM in the morning vanishing into thin air, last seen just one block from her school. A model student, she loves to read, excited about purchasing a little lamb for FFA, Future Farmers of America. She planned to name the little lamb Nannette (ph). Tonight, where is this little girl, 14-year-old Amber Dubois (ph)?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I go to bed at night and just wake up and hope she`s going to be here! And she`s not!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Police are looking through hundreds of leads in the desperate search for 14-year-old Amber Dubois. Amber was last seen heading to school the day before Valentine`s Day and hasn`t been seen since. Now a private investigator working on the case says another woman that looks similar to Amber told him that on the same day Amber went missing, a group of men tried to kidnap her near the same high school that Amber herself attends. While the girl told the PI that she was able to get away, Amber`s family says Amber would never leave on her own and they will continue to search for clues.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: Good evening. I`m Nancy Grace. I want to thank you for being with us. The search for a 5-year-old girl, Haleigh Cummings, in Florida. Has there been a sighting of Haleigh?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: As the search for missing 5-year-old Haleigh Cummings continues, authorities say they will not scale back their investigation as to what happened to the child.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There are five detectives that are assigned to the case. This is their case. And I feel that those five will probably stay assigned to this case because it is important. Until we find Haleigh, it is important.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Haleigh was last seen February 10th, when she was abducted from her own bed in the middle of the night.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I`m trying to do everything to find her. You know, I`m answering any questions I have to because I know I didn`t do anything to that little girl. I would never hurt her.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The reward has now increased to $25,000, with Haleigh`s family praying the reward could lead to the child`s safe return.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That`s all I have is prayer and faith and hope.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A team of experts met with Haleigh`s 4-year-old brother after the boy`s mother says her son told her that a man dressed all in black took his "sissy."

CRYSTAL SHEFFIELD, HALEIGH`S MOTHER: And he was, like, Somebody come in, they was all dressed in black, and took my sissy.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don`t feel like anybody should have said that. If you are that person and you feel like he could identify you, what would be your next move then, you know?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Police officials will not comment on what information the boy provided them.

CUMMINGS: If you`re watching, baby, I love you. That`s all I have to say.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: Straight to T.J. Hart, news director with WSKY 97.3. Mr. Hart, all the family is telling me they have all taken and passed polygraphs, some of them multiple polygraphs. So why is it, T.J., that police, the lead investigator, says that nobody has been cleared?

T.J. HART, WSKY 97.3: That`s because the polygraph examinations are also sent elsewhere, too, and the results of those are never given, to my understanding, to the person who takes them. No one has been informed directly that they have passed or not passed. I don`t know why anyone would say that unless someone said, you know, We`re through here and it looks good...

GRACE: To John Lucich...

HART: ... and they take that for something else.

GRACE: OK, great. To John Lucich, former investigator and author of "Cyber Lies." John, typically, when you administer a polygraph, the person who`s administering can tell right then whether you passed it or flunked it.

JOHN LUCICH, FORMER INVESTIGATOR: Right. But it`s up to them whether they want to reveal that, and it`s up to the policy of the department whether they want to reveal that. Somebody can actually pass a polygraph in some instances and still be lying. I think that they have, based on what -- the results that they have right now, they don`t want to release that information. But often enough, when somebody walks out from taking a polygraph, if they don`t get arrested, they have this feeling that they passed it.

GRACE: Straight to Marlaina Schiavo, our producer standing by outside the crime scene. What are you hearing from the family?

MARLAINA SCHIAVO, NANCY GRACE PRODUCER: Well, we spoke to both sides of the family today, Nancy, and right now, we`re sitting here with the paternal grandmother of Haleigh Cummings. And basically, investigators really don`t have much more information than they had yesterday. They are not scaling back the search at all, whatsoever. People -- there`s been rumors that they were scaling back the search because they haven`t been doing press conferences, but that`s mainly because they don`t have main areas to search right now.

They are following up on at least 2,000 leads, we heard today from the lead investigator on the case, John Merchant (ph). And also, they are still interviewing this family.

GRACE: We are taking your calls live. We are there in Satsuma, Florida, bringing you the very latest -- police refusing to scale back the search for little Haleigh.

Has there been a sighting of her clear across the country? Take a listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SHEFFIELD: When I got in for my visitation, first thing he said to me was, Mommy, I want to find my sissy. And I didn`t question him about none of it. And he was, like, Somebody come in, they was all dressed in black, and took my sissy.

GRACE: Did he say anything else identifying the man, anything at all, any characteristics?

SHEFFIELD: No. He just said that they was dressed in black, or he was dressed in black, whoever it was.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GRACE: Ms. Sheffield, have you taken a lie detector test?

SHEFFIELD: I sure have.

GRACE: And did you pass it?

SHEFFIELD: As far as I know. The man that did it told me he thinks I did, but they had to send it off to Washington to the...

GRACE: And did you do it voluntarily? Did you protest, or did you go along?

SHEFFIELD: Yes, I did.

GRACE: Everyone, Crystal Sheffield announcing tonight she has taken and passed a lie detector test.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: Straight out to Marc Klaas, president and founder of Klaas Kids Foundation. Marc, thank you for being with us. I recall distinctly when your child, Polly Klaas, went missing, you approached police to say, Polygraph me. Do it right now. Now, tell me something, Marc. Why were you so adamant that you be polygraphed immediately?

MARC KLAAS, KLAAS KIDS FOUNDATION: Well, there were a couple of reasons. Number one, I wanted to eliminate myself as a suspect so law enforcement could then focus their full resource on whatever had happened to Polly. But more than that, we wanted to make sure that the focus stayed exactly on where is Polly and not tangential questions about the family, et cetera, et cetera.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The investigators are still following up on leads. They`re still following through. Nothing has been cut back as a result of what`s gone on here. I mean, they`re just -- they`re working as hard as they have been.

We never know when the one`ll come in that`ll solve the case. You just don`t know.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Haleigh`s 4-year-old brother identified the man he saw who took Haleigh who came into the home that night.

SHEFFIELD: He said, Mommy, I want to find my sissy, and some man in black come in and took her.

SUSAN MOSS, FAMILY LAW ATTORNEY: This is a huge clue! That means somebody planned this. That means they were probably scouting out this trailer park, and maybe, just maybe, somebody saw him.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There is significant psychological trauma from the separation anxiety of losing a sibling, and that can be so severe, they can clutter (ph) their fears and nightmares with reality sometimes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The child has been interviewed by a team of people who deal specifically with children in situations similar to this.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Crystal Sheffield is not mincing any words anymore for the person who has her baby.

SHEFFIELD: I hope you`re watching this every day and see how much it hurts our family. And I hope that (INAUDIBLE) She`s just a baby! It`s tore my heart out of my chest, and I hope (INAUDIBLE) same to you. Haleigh, if you`re watching, I love you! And I miss you. And we`re going get you home safe.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: Straight to Matt Zarrell, who`s been on the story from the very beginning. Matt, what can you tell me about this alleged sighting of little Haleigh?

MATT ZARRELL, NANCY GRACE STAFFER: Well, on Monday, the Grand Rapids, Colorado, mall, the Mesa mall, that a number of employees that reported that they had seen Haleigh in this mall. Now, investigators went out to the mall. They took photos. They took information. They even took video. And in addition, they then went to the local hotels to search for the woman who was supposed to be with this girl. Then what happened is they spoke to the Putnam County`s sheriff`s office. They determined through evidence and what they learned that it was not Haleigh.

GRACE: A sighting that raised everyone`s hopes clear across the country in Colorado. The problem is it was a false sighting. That does not mean that authorities want you to stop calling in tips. Over 2,000 tips police are sifting through as they refuse to scale back the search, this as we learn the lead investigator says even though the entire family and extended family and friends have taken polygraphs, some of them more than once, no one has been cleared.

Back to Marc Klaas, president and founder of Klaas Kids Foundation. Marc, when you took the polygraph when your daughter went missing, how many questions were you asked?

KLAAS: Well, actually, they told me the questions that they were going to ask me in advance. And if I remember correctly, they probably only asked me somewhere between about 10 and 20 questions. And at the conclusion of the polygraph -- and mind you, this was done by a very experienced FBI polygrapher. At the conclusion of the exam, one of the agents came in and said, Well, that went very well. And that basically is as close that anybody came to telling me that I had passed the exam.

GRACE: Joining me right now, a special guest, Teresa Neves. This is the paternal grandmother of little Haleigh. Ms. Neves, thank you for being with us. Ms. Neves, I know that the lead investigator, John Merchant, came by to speak with you today and debrief you. What, if anything, did you learn?

TERESA NEVES, PATERNAL GRANDMOTHER: I learned that just because they`re not having a press conference does not mean that they`re not working some leads. They do have a few good leads right now that they`re working on. Basically, they`re not going to give us a whole lot of information, but he did say that they have some things that they are working on, so...

GRACE: Ms. Neves, why is the home still cordoned off, making the family live in tents and donated campers?

NEVES: Well, we do not have to live in a tent. My son will not leave here, and therefore, we stay here in the tent to be with him. The people who donated the RV were wonderful to give him a place where he can be alone with his son and actually be warm and almost comfortable. So that was great. What was your other question, Nancy?

GRACE: I was just wondering why, Ms. Neves, they still...

NEVES: Why they still have it.

GRACE: Yes.

NEVES: OK. That is because, in the event that they get a lead or a tip from somewhere -- you know, just for instance, you know, somebody says that there was a hole in the floor where somebody could have came through - - they have that still where they can go back and collect evidence, where if they release that home, then all that evidence is pretty much useless.

GRACE: You know what? You`re absolutely right about that, Ms. Neves. And your son says that right now, he can`t go back into the home anyway. Why?

NEVES: Because Haleigh`s not there. I mean, Haleigh is one of them children who fills up a home with smiles and laughter, and you just couldn`t be there without her!

GRACE: Everyone, the reward is now up to $25,000. Please take a look at this little girl, Haleigh. Phone number 888-277-TIPS -- 8477.

Out to the lines. Amy in Illinois. Hi, Amy.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi, Nancy. and I want to thank you for -- God bless you for, you know, trying to help all these lost children. And I just -- I want to tell the family to, you know, stay focused on Haleigh, and any differences they have, put it aside. But I was wondering, the little boy, you know, the man dressed in black...

GRACE: Right.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don`t know if they have -- if this information is all out, but I was curious as to -- if the little boy and his sister were in the same bed, and also, if this person with the black mask had his face hidden or anything, you know, like...

GRACE: Out to Teresa Neves. Let`s answer Amy`s question. Ms. Neves, was the little brother in the bed with Haleigh?

NEVES: No, ma`am. Haleigh`s bed is a toddler bed, and it is probably, I would say, somewhere around three feet from the bed where Misty and Junior were sleeping.

GRACE: And the guy...

NEVES: And they`re not in the same bed.

GRACE: The guy that he believes he saw, was his face covered?

NEVES: I -- I cannot -- that -- Nancy, that`s things that we (INAUDIBLE) with the detectives. I don`t feel like any of that information ever should have been released because I feel like you put my grandson in danger when you say, you know, that he can identify somebody or that he`s giving clues on somebody.

GRACE: And also, the family is not to be questioning the little boy, in case this turns up to be evidence at a future trial.

Everyone, we are taking your calls live. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: From the heartfelt signs and drawings to the stuffed animals, the community`s love for Haleigh Cummings comes in many forms.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The more comfort you can give them and let them talk to you and pray with them, I think it helps them. Gives them hope.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I have granddaughters and it just kind of hit a nerve. And I needed to come up here and do something.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: To Allison in Florida. Hi, Allison.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi.

GRACE: What`s your question, dear?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Good talking with you.

GRACE: Likewise.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When all the perv -- the pedophiles in the area -- when the sheriff went to each one of their homes, did -- why don`t they take a K-9 unit or a cadaver dog with them?

GRACE: Well, I don`t know that they did not. To Marlaina Schiavo, our producer standing by there at the crime scene. Marlaina, have they used bloodhounds in the area?

SCHIAVO: Yes, they have, Nancy. Right from the beginning, they took articles of clothing of 5-year-old Haleigh Cummings and they had hounds all in the area. As a matter of fact, we heard from the maternal side today that a friend of Crystal also had a hound out here, as well.

GRACE: To Shelley in Kansas. Hi, Shelley.

GRACE: Hi, Nancy. It is such a pleasure to speak with you. You are just a joy.

GRACE: Likewise.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My question is, the grandmother in her he last segment just clarified that Junior was sleeping with the baby- sitter/girlfriend. My question is, if he saw someone, why didn`t the girlfriend see anyone?

GRACE: Apparently, the girlfriend did not wake up. Is that correct, Ms. Neves?

NEVES: That`s correct.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: More developments today in the case of 2-year- old Florida toddler Caylee Anthony. The attorney for George and Cindy Anthony is trying to stop the grandparents from having to give sworn depositions this week in the defamation lawsuit filed by Zenaida Gonzalez.

Attorney Brad Conway says the grandparents are fragile emotionally and need time to clear their heads before answering any questions about the tot mom`s case.

CINDY ANTHONY, CAYLEE ANTHONY`S GRANDMOTHER: Oh, man. Hearing her call out my name and telling me how much she loves me.

GEORGE ANTHONY, CAYLEE ANTHONY`S GRANDFATHER: To hear her call me Joe-Joe. Sure, I was grandpa, but I was Joe-Joe to her.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Meanwhile, outrage. Someone was trying to auction off a doll that bears a striking resemblance to tot mom Casey Anthony. The doll which was dressed in an American flag was initially placed on eBay on Sunday but later taken down by the seller.

G. ANTHONY: I miss my daughter Casey. Do not form any judgments because I`ll tell you, you don`t want to be in any of our family`s shoes no matter what it is. Casey deserves prayer. She deserves understanding. She deserves love. She deserves letters. Take the time to write a letter to her.

You could just say hi, Casey, I`m thinking about you today. You can do it for me, I would love it. If you could do it for my son, for Cindy. You can do it for Caylee.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NANCY GRACE, HOST: Tonight, the Anthony family refusing to answer questions under oath set down in just 48 hours.

To Kathi Belich with WFTV, what is their reason for not wanting to answer questions under oath?

KATHI BELICH, REPORTER, WFTV, COVERING STORY: Well, their attorney says that it`s just aimed at annoying, embarrassing them, causing further anguish that they are both emotionally fragile. Their attorney mentioned how everyone knows that George, apparently, tried to kill himself last month and that Cindy is just as emotionally fragile at this point. Both are seeking counseling to get them through this.

He also talks about concerns over whether private information might go public. There is some sort of dispute over whether this proceeding is public. It`s Zenaida Gonzalez`s attorney`s belief that it is a public proceeding and that`s another reason why they`re trying to prevent this at this point.

GRACE: With me, Keith Mitnik, co-counsel for Zenaida Fernandez- Gonzalez, the woman that the tot mom named as the kidnapper of little Caylee. She has been cleared. Mr. Mitnik, what do you make of the Anthonys` claims?

KEITH MITNIK, CO-COUNSEL FOR ZENAIDA FERNANDEZ-GONZALEZ: The claim that she can`t come suddenly to a deposition is very frustrating. We`ve had this case set. This deposition set for over a -- for a month and it was cleared through her lawyers. They said fine, we`ll bring her. You don`t even need to subpoena her.

Now suddenly at the 11th hour, they can`t come. You can`t just stand in the way of the truth. This is a serious matter. It`s not a game that`s played to say I feel like playing today and the next day I don`t.

GRACE: What are the private matters they fear will become public, Mr. Mitnik?

MITNIK: Yes.

GRACE: What are the private matters they fear you will make public, Mr. Mitnik?

MITNIK: I have no interest in making anything public. I have an interest in doing what`s right for my client in these proceedings. I have no clue of what it is they`re so scared of, but I know it`s not my problem nor my client`s problem.

GRACE: To Drew Petrimoulx with WDBO, any idea which way the judge is leaning right now? Is he going to make these depositions go forward?

DREW PETRIMOULX, REPORTER, WDBO RADIO: Well, we could have an emergency meeting tomorrow where the judge would have to decide on that. As to what the judge will think, you know, it`s hard to say in this case. Before, he`s delayed hearings like this when they involved Casey Anthony. Whether he would be willing to delay them when they involved her parents, we might have to wait until tomorrow to see that.

GRACE: To Kathi Belich. Kathi, what about brother, Lee? Is he agreeing to go forward with the questioning under oath?

BELICH: As far as we know, he does not plan to fight the depositions. He`s scheduled for Friday morning at 9:00.

GRACE: To the lawyers, Raymond Giudice out of Atlanta, Alex Sanchez out of New York.

Ray Giudice, do they have a leg to stand on fighting the depositions?

RAY GIUDICE, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: I thought their answer for protective motion was very weak. It attached no medical evidence indicating that Cindy and George were not medically competent to testify.

I do think that there might be some restrictions on the deposition and that the deposition may be private, not allowing the public and the media and sealed until used by court.

GRACE: And Alex Sanchez, there are rules that apply to depositions. You can argue against a question if it`s beyond the scope.

ALEX SANCHEZ, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Yes. All of these matters do have certain rules and regulations and if there`s some question that is improper and it`s placed to the parties, the person can object, and they can actually get a judge to intervene at that point to make a ruling whether or not the questioning should go on.

GRACE: So the Anthonys` arguments about not testifying under oath are getting weaker and weaker under the law.

Joining me right now, Andy Kahn, director of the Houston Mayor`s Crime Victim`s Office. He monitors murderabilia sites all across the world.

Andy, what do you make of this nutjob that is still selling Caylee Sunshine dolls, still trying to make money off Caylee bracelets, t-shirts and now we hear that there is a doll like tot mom draped in the flag for sale.

When will it end, Andy?

ANDY KAHN, DIR. OF HOUSTON MAYOR`S VICTIM`S CRIME OFFICE, MONITORS MURDERABILIA SALES: It`s not going to end. This is just the beginning of the merchandising and marketing of both Caylee Anthony and Casey Anthony.

And you remember the nutjob that was on your show and the day after, they -- all of a sudden they said we`re no longer going to be selling the Caylee doll. Well, guess what? On February 28th orders will be shipped so that was a bold-faced lie, and as far as the other sellers of the voodoo dolls, this doll that was draped in the flag of the United States of America, from my perspective, they`re nothing but a bunch of parasitic vermin, and they`re turning murderers into godlike immortal figures simply to make a buck off of.

GRACE: You know, Andy, people ask me all the time how can it be stopped? We did have the Son of Sam laws until the U.S. Supreme Court in its wisdom reversed them. What about in Florida? But really, this cross estate boundaries. This isn`t just Florida. This is on the Internet.

KAHN: It`s on the Internet and the only way to do it is through public outrage. Unfortunately, you cannot legislate manufactured items or bad taste and until she`s convicted, the bottom line is, quite frankly, she can do whatever she wants and people can make money off of her.

It`s just insidious and despicable that a tragic death of a 2-year-old girl is going to bring out some of the worst entrepreneurialship in American history.

GRACE: Joining me right now Leonard Padilla, bounty hunter out of Sacramento, California.

Leonard, brother Lee Anthony is not refusing to testify under oath. Why is he going forward while the parents are saying they can`t do a depo?

LEONARD PADILLA, BOUNTY HUNTER, HELPED LOOK FOR CAYLEE & SPENT TIME WITH CASEY ANTHONY: I don`t -- I don`t think Lee ever heard of Zenaida prior to possibly July the 15th or the 16th. He might have heard about Zenaida on July the 3rd, but I don`t think so. I think it was July the 15th or the 13th -- 15th through 16th and I don`t think he`s got any knowledge past that.

GRACE: To Lauren Howard, psychotherapist out of New York. Lauren, it would not have been difficult for the Anthonys to go to a doctor, to explain what they were going through and get a psychological evaluation, psychiatrist, psychologist to state they were in no shape to testify, but they didn`t do that.

Raymond Giudice has pointed that out you`ve got to have a doctor`s note if you`re going to claim some type of an illness.

LAUREN HOWARD, PSYCHOTHERAPIST: It`s true, but the extent of the illness may be hard to document. I mean, yes, they`re under emotional distress. Yes, this whole thing is upsetting but that doesn`t mean that they can`t be part of the solution and seeing justice through.

I`m not sure what kind of doctor would excuse them from being able to show up at a deposition. If anything, they should be happy to show up for a deposition to get this thing going down the right path of seeking justice and the right answer.

GRACE: What do you make of it, Marc Klaas?

MARC KLAAS, PRESIDENT AND FOUNDER, KLAASKIDS FOUNDATION: Oh, I completely agree. I think the Anthonys have to -- have to start moving forward on this thing. Poor Zenaida is just another one of Casey`s victims just like everybody else that is involved in this case and the quicker they can adjudicate her situation and get her out of the picture, the quicker they can move forward and everybody can finally seek final justice in this case.

GRACE: And Ray and Alex -- first to you, Ray, don`t they see how devastating this will be to the tot mom`s case when they all three say we never heard of Zenaida Gonzalez? She never came to the house to pick up the baby.

GIUDICE: Right, it may go to bolster the plaintiff`s claim that this was an intentional act by Casey Anthony to select Miss Gonzalez as the quote, unquote, "kidnapper" if they`ve never heard of her before.

GRACE: Alex?

SANCHEZ: You know, I`m just wondering, what is the urgency to go forward with these hearings tomorrow or later on this week? I think the judge should grant them -- in this had case.

GRACE: It`s been seven or eight months now.

SANCHEZ: I know, but this -- it`s absolutely indisputable that this family has gone through absolute hell. They should adjourn it.

GRACE: OK, so -- you know what?

SANCHEZ: Give the family time to recover. There`s no emergency here.

GRACE: On that I agree with you. They have been through hell.

Quick break. We are taking your calls. I want to remind you about the Joan Gaeta Lung Cancer Foundation, fighting lung cancer. Lung cancer claiming more lives than breast, colon, prostate, melanoma and kidney combined.

Miss Gaeta, beloved wife, mom of five, a teacher lost her battle and her family is fighting back. For info or to donate go to ForJoan.org.

And tonight, a special happy birthday to a Georgia friend of the show, Mike Lynch, the pastor to over 2,000 at North Star Church.

Happy birthday, Mike.

And tonight, please continue to pray for veteran New York defense attorney Richard Herman in the fight of a lifetime battling leukemia.

Richard, please stay strong. We are thinking of you now.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A private investigator working on the case of missing teenager Amber Dubois says another woman was attacked that same day near Amber`s school. Private investigator Bill Garcia says the woman looks a lot like Amber and told him that a group of men got out of the van and tried to force her inside the vehicle.

She told Garcia she was able to get away from the men who tried to take her near the Escondido High School where Amber is a student. Authorities say Amber`s cell phone was turned on briefly the day after she disappeared, but hasn`t been turned on since.

Police are not ruling anything out as Amber`s family waits and hopes saying their child would never try to leave on her own.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: This is a 14-year-old little girl. She`s a model student, loved to read, not all into Facebook and MySpace and that whole thing. In fact, she was thrilled to be going to school and swapped Valentine`s and was very involved in FFA, Future Farmers of America.

In fact, she wrote a big long letter to her mother why she should get to buy a lamb, a little lamb, as part of a FFA project, a lamb she planned to name Nannette. This is a sweet, precious girl who has never run away.

To Phil Farrar, news anchor and reporter with KOGO, what can you tell me, Phil?

PHIL FARRAR, NEWS ANCHOR/REPORTER, KOGO RADIO: Well, Nancy, she was last seen on Friday the 13th and she was on her way to school and her mother said she was looking forward to that day, as you said. That was the day before Valentine`s Day, but it was also Friday the 13th and she was supposed to exchange these cards and gifts and this, we believe, was shortly after 7:00 in the morning.

GRACE: To Bill Garcia, a California licensed private investigator, he is helping the family in their search. Bill, what can you tell me about an attempted kidnap of a similar-looking person in the same area?

BILL GARCIA, CALIFORNIA LICENSES P.I., HELPING FAMILY IN SEARCH FOR MISSING TEEN, AMBER DUBOIS: I`ll have to make a slight correction. It actually occurred on February 2nd, and it was about 3:30 in the afternoon. This woman so much looks so similar to Amber that I asked if I could take photos of her, and she does. She looks like a high school girl of similar height and build.

GRACE: Now are you telling me the similar transaction occurred on February 2nd?

GARCIA: The similar abduction occurred on February 2nd, yes, at about 3:30 in the afternoon.

GRACE: Correct, I was.

GARCIA: Which was right about the end of school.

GRACE: Yes, I wasn`t sure what you thought you were clearing up, but in any event, what have you learned about the disappearance of little Amber?

GARCIA: Well, we`ve learned that she`s not a runaway. Her family does not believe she`s a runaway. When we got involved in this case we did not feel she was a runaway. Correction, the Escondido police have stopped physical searches. You can`t do that. You have to keep searching for these children until they`re found and that`s -- that is the point that we got involved was Friday morning.

GRACE: Has the family been polygraphed?

GARCIA: The family came forward immediately and volunteered to be polygraphed. The entire family has been cleared of anything with these polygraphs.

GRACE: Now she had a debit card. Has that been used?

GARCIA: It has not. There`s been no activity on that nor has the check that she was given by family for the lamb been cashed.

GRACE: And where are police? Where have they been searching?

GARCIA: Well, police have been conducting investigative situations. They stopped their physical search by utilizing their people and San Diego County sheriff.

GRACE: Why?

GARCIA: . search and rescue people on Thursday. So there has been no.

GRACE: Why? Why did they quit?

GARCIA: No new evidence. There was nothing to substantiate where she might be so they stopped on Thursday evening.

GRACE: Did little Amber have a cell phone? Has it been used?

GARCIA: Amber did have a cell phone. She apparently had taken it with her and it was not found at home. Apparently the next day, there was a -- about a 30-second blast on it where they -- police were able to get one ping from one tower, but the location outside of Escondido has not been divulged.

GRACE: Out to the lines, Sharon in Virginia, hi, Sharon.

SHARON, FROM VIRGINIA: Hi, how are you?

GRACE: I`m good, dear, what`s your question?

SHARON: I was wondering if there was any way that you could talk to this one girl who said that she -- someone tried to kidnap her and tried to think if it`s the same guy that got Amber.

GRACE: Well what do we think about that, Bill Garcia?

GARCIA: Well, there have been a series of attempted abductions of teenage girls in the north San Diego County area and in most instances the description is an older model white utility van. No further description other than there has been reported to be at least one to three Hispanic men.

In one situation within the last month a teenage girl was abducted. She was held for approximately 20 minutes before being released and this was reported by San Diego County Sheriff.

GRACE: To Dr. David Posey, medical examiner joining us out of L.A. Dr. Posey, thank you for being with us. Doctor, if she were forced into a van on her way to school which is extremely rare, 7:00 a.m. in the morning. It is very disturbing. What forensic evidence, if any, would you expect to find in that van?

DR. DAVID M. POSEY, MEDICAL EXAMINER, GLEN OAKS PATHOLOGY MEDICAL GROUP: Well, I think trace evidence would be one thing we`d be looking for. Obviously, she may leave particles of clothing, there may be DNA from little flecks of skin coming off. If she accidentally cut herself, there could be some blood there, so there`s all kinds of evidence if a van could be found to tie her to the van.

So those would be the things as an investigator I`d be looking for.

GRACE: To the lawyers, Ray Giudice, Alex Sanchez, a reward is up, Alex, by the family. Do you believe rewards have helped? Have they helped in cases you have handled?

SANCHEZ: I think it will help. Because one thing about teenagers, they don`t keep secrets very well and they love money. And if there`s a kid out there who has any information, please go to police. If this young is watching the show right now, call the show and we`ll put you in contact with your mother.

GRACE: Ray Giudice, rewards help?

GIUDICE: They always do. Because every time the reward goes up, it goes on the media, it raises attention to the case.

GRACE: And to Lauren Howard, this does not sound like the kind of girl who would put her parents through this kind of pain.

HOWARD: No, it doesn`t but it also doesn`t sound like the kind of girl who would just go -- just go off with a stranger. So it begs the question, did she know this person? It`s a tough one, Nancy. This is a tough one.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Absolutely not. I don`t think she`s a runaway. She had too many things planned. There was nothing taken from the home. Usually in a runaway situation, I mean, they at least take a change of clothes. That`s not the case here. The little cash that she had was not taken.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I went bed at night and just wake up and hope she`s going to be here. I`m trying to keep things positive. It`s really hard.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: There is nothing to suggest this little girl ran away. No clothes were taken. The money, the cash in her room that she had saved up was not taken. Her debit card or cell phone not used.

Out to the lines, Deb in Illinois, hi, Deb. Deb, are you with me?

DEB, FROM ILLINOIS: Yes.

GRACE: Hi, what`s your question, dear?

DEB: Are you sure that maybe she didn`t run away, by any chance?

GRACE: Marc Klaas, you have studied these cases so -- for so long, what do you think?

KLAAS: Well, given the history of the little girl and everything that everybody says about her, I think the chances of her having run away are very, very remote. I think the only indication that that might be a possibility is the fact that some of her friends claim they have seen her, but again, that could always be something else as well.

GRACE: John Lucich, what do you make of it?

JOHN LUCICH, INVESTIGATOR, AUTHOR OF "CYBER LIES": No way. Absolutely not. There`s so much evidence that says that this girl was taken. She was on her way to school, end of story.

GRACE: 7:00 in the morning with the check in her pocket.

To Deborah in Florida. Hi, Deb, what`s your question?

DEBORAH, FROM FLORIDA: Oh, hello. Would the police let us know if there were cameras? There must be have been cameras on some buildings or businesses in the area?

GRACE: Good question. Bill Garcia, have they checked into the camera, surveillance video?

GARCIA: Actually, there was cameras at the school, at the high school. There was also intersection cameras. We.

GRACE: Did they get anything?

GARCIA: They did not. They were too grainy and it was a drab day so there wasn`t anything useful.

GRACE: Everyone, take a look at this little girl. 1-888-55-AMBER. Or www.bringamberhome.com.

Let`s stop and remember Army Captain Robert Vallejo II, 28, Richland Hills, Texas, killed Iraq. A Texas University grad. Loved military science, jogging every morning at 5:00 a.m. Lost his life one day before his wife found out she`s having a baby boy. Leaves behind parents Robert and Juanita, three sisters, widow Hillary Ann and a baby son he will never meet, Robert.

Robert Vallejo, American hero.

Thanks to our guests but especially to you for being with us. I`ll see you tomorrow night 8:00 sharp Eastern. And until then, good night, friend.

END

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0902/24/ng.01.html

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0902/24/ijvm.01.html

ISSUES WITH JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL

Relative Discusses Case of Missing Girl; Investigators Following Leads in Haleigh Cummings Disappearance

Aired February 24, 2009 - 19:00:00 ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL, HOST (voice-over): Tonight perplexing questions piling up in the desperate search for 5-year-old Haleigh Cummings. Cops are seriously investigating the little brother`s tip that a man in black took Haleigh. Sixteen hundred tips, and their best lead may come from a 4- year-old.

And when cops re-interviewed Haleigh`s father, he gave investigators a piece of paper. Did that note contain crucial information?

Plus, another stunning similarity to the Caylee Anthony case, as a psychic weighs in. I`ll tell you what he said, and I`ll be taking your calls.

Then, stunning developments in the Caylee Anthony case as the civil showdown with Zanny the nanny looms. Mom, Casey, has received over $1,000 from strangers since she`s been in jail. Who`s sending her this money and why?

Speaking of money, a Casey Anthony doll on sale on eBay. Who`s profiting from this one? I`ll have the latest development.

And high drama in the Octomom story. Nadia Suleman and her mother get into a heated argument on camera, but was it staged? I thought Octomom wasn`t doing reality TV.

Plus, TMZ reports cops were called to the Suleman home last night after a neighbor ran around waving a shotgun. I`ll have the latest details in the Suleman circus.

ISSUES starts now.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Tonight, a shocking twist in the desperate search for missing Florida girl Haleigh Cummings. There has been an avalanche of almost 2,000 leads, but the best lead police have so far appears to come from Haleigh`s younger brother Junior. Four-year-old Junior claims that a mystery man dressed in black snatched little Haleigh from her bed.

Here`s what Haleigh`s mother, Crystal Sheffield, said on "NANCY GRACE" last night.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NANCY GRACE, HOST, "NANCY GRACE": I know this sounds crazy, but to the best of your recollection, what were his exact words?

CRYSTAL SHEFFIELD, MOTHER OF HALEIGH: He said, "Mommy, I went to find my sissy, and some man in black come in and took her."

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: But hours ago in a perplexing twist, Jacksonville affiliate WJXT asked Haleigh`s dad, Ronald Cummings, if little Junior had shared this detail with him. Here`s what the dad said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RONALD CUMMINGS, HALEIGH`S FATHER: I don`t know nothing about that.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Did he say anything to you?

CUMMINGS: I think that those questions are questions that y`all should discuss with detectives. I`m not here to answer any questions. I`m here to plead for the life of my daughter. I want her to come home. If you have her, please send her home. I don`t care how she gets here, just bring her home. And if you`re watching, baby, I love you. That`s all I have to say.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Meantime, in light of accusations involving drug use and violence being traded by Haleigh`s family in recent days, Orlando affiliate WFTV is now reporting that Crystal Sheffield and Ron Cummings, Haleigh`s parents, were involved in a bitter custody battle, so the recent accusations of drugs and violence may be well-covered ground for them.

WFTV also reports that three years ago Sheffield took Haleigh and her brother away from her dad, even though he had custody. Ronald Cummings reportedly had to go to court to get them back. He insists Haleigh`s disappearance has nothing to do with the custody dispute.

Also tonight reports that Cummings has a rap sheet, as some would say, a mile long. We have that rap sheet. Is it relevant or not? We`re going to get into that. Our expert panel will weigh in.

So much to talk about and as always, I am taking your calls. But first, with me now is a very special guest, Connie Sheffield, Haleigh Cummings` maternal stepmother.

Thank you so much for joining us tonight. I know this has to be extraordinarily difficult for you and your family. Just so we understand, you were married to Crystal`s father. Crystal is Haleigh`s mother.

There seems to be a growing rift between your side of Haleigh`s family and the father`s side of Haleigh`s family. Why is this rift growing, do you think? And it seems to be betting bitter with every passing hour with all sorts of nasty accusations?

CONNIE SHEFFIELD, STEPMOTHER OF CRYSTAL SHEFFIELD: I think there are concerns for R.J.`s safety. People are tired, angry, hurt, and we don`t have any answers.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: So when you say R.J., you`re talking about Junior, the little boy?

CONNIE SHEFFIELD: Yes.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: And you have concerns about his safety. Well, that`s a new one. I had not even thought about that. Obviously, we`re all looking for little Haleigh, but the implication is that he might not be in safe hands right now.

CONNIE SHEFFIELD: Not necessarily in reference to whom he`s with, but whoever took Haleigh may target the family again. We don`t know this. So I`m concerned for my son myself. He`s 3, and, you know, when nightfall comes about in this neighborhood, we left. We wouldn`t even stay for the vigils.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Wow. So are you operating on the theory that was originally brought up by Geraldo Rivera on FOX, and he went up to Ron Cummings, the father of the missing child, and said, "Are you a drug informant for the police?" And he said absolutely not.

Now I will say that law enforcement was asked about that just earlier this evening on Headline News, and law enforcement said we`re not going get into that one way or another, which I think is a mistake. I think that they need to clarify at this point what`s going on, because there`s so much rumor and speculation at this point.

But ma`am, are you referring to that issue when you say you`re afraid for little Junior and for even your own child?

CONNIE SHEFFIELD: No, just you know, when you`re up here and you have so many people coming up offering their condolences, you don`t know if the person who took Haleigh might be hugging your neck or shaking your hand, if it`s someone locally in this area. So I was concerned for all the children here. There were several kids.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: So there`s a sense of palpable fear.

CONNIE SHEFFIELD: Yes, there is a fear. I fear for my son, all of the children. I told parents, you know, try to keep them close by in a group, because until we know all the answers, that is the fear.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: I can totally relate to that, and I`ve covered other cases where a child has gone missing, and fear swept through the entire neighborhood. When people don`t have answers, obviously, if they have children their imaginations are going to run wild and they`re going to be afraid.

So you`re saying that people in that community are keeping their children indoors, and you and other parents are keeping close watch on these children because you`re scared?

CONNIE SHEFFIELD: Yes. I noticed several parents picking their children up on golf carts from the bus stop, seeing to it that there was someone there, whether it was a mother or a father, aunt or an uncle, to pick up the children.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: What bothers you most about this perplexing case? We -- we are all mystified. How did this child disappear out of a double-wide trailer with two other people asleep? The little boy, Ron Jr., has reportedly said that a man in black -- dressed in black took him away. Have you heard that from his lips, and what are your thoughts on all of this, this mystery?

CONNIE SHEFFIELD: The day it happened he was allowed to walk up to where we were all located, and I think that`s more or less the mind of a child when speaking to find some comfort in where his sister may have gone because the children are afraid themselves.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Are you saying you don`t believe that a man in black went in there -- in other words, you think that this is a child`s imagination?

CONNIE SHEFFIELD: I would. That`s what I think, because my son himself there again. When we took him home he drew pictures about boats and helicopters. And him and R.J. are closely related in age, so I can see where a child would want to find reasoning to all this.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, I want to thank you so much, Connie, and I hope you come back. I hope we get some good news. We all here pray that this little child comes home safely and that all the children in your neighborhood remain absolutely safe. Our thoughts are with you and your family. Thank you.

I want to turn now to my expert panel: Judge Jeanine Pirro, former district attorney and host of "The Judge Jeanine Pirro Show"; David Schwartz, criminal defense attorney; Vinnie Parko, private investigator; Brenda Wade, clinical psychologist; and Jennifer Bauer, a reporter with WJXT-TV.

Jennifer, let`s start off with you. What is the very latest?

JENNIFER BAUER, REPORTER, WJXT-TV: Today, Jane, investigators continue to follow up on leads. As you mentioned earlier, now almost 2,000 tips. And when we spoke to detectives earlier today they said those calls are coming in from all over the country. And I really do think it`s because of shows like this one, getting the word out all over the nation that this little 5-year-old is still missing. Two weeks, no new significant leads, and police tell us, though, a lot of leads coming in, but so far they`re not turning into anything.

Also a lot of Haleigh sightings, they said. We`ve gotten a lot of calls. People saying they think they spotted the little girls and detectives have checked out each and every one of those calls, but so far nothing.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Judge Jeanine Pirro, you just heard one of the relatives talking about her terror. She`s afraid for her own child. People in that neighborhood are panicked because of this mystery.

Now the authorities, while doing an absolutely astounding job, and they`re all working around the clock, so I certainly never want to be critical of the authorities. I mean, they`re giving this their all. However, that being said, couldn`t they clear up some of the question marks at this point and eliminate certain people as suspects and sort of give us an idea of where this is headed?

For example, we just discussed Geraldo Rivera went down there and asked the dad, "Are you a drug informant for the authorities," because he does have some drug arrests on his rap sheet. We`re going to get to that in a second. No convictions, however.

Now, he said absolutely not, but when a law enforcement official was asked about that, he said, "We`re not going to comment on that one way or another." Why not? If he`s not a drug informant, why now say, "You now what? That`s nonsense. There`s no truth to that," so that people can put their mind at rest. Because the way it stands right now, if people are thinking that that might be true, they might be thinking that some drug cartel or some drug thug is out there snatching kids as a form of revenge or retaliation for him ratting on someone.

JUDGE JEANINE PIRRO, HOST, "THE JUDGE JEANINE PIRRO SHOW": Well, you know, Jane, your question is an excellent one and the bottom line is this: the police have no obligation to tell the public whether or not someone is a confidential informant. I mean, w e had them registered when I was a D.A. You had someone to working with us. The last thing we`re going to do is identify this person as an informant and, you know, to try to quell the fears of the community.

Here`s the bottom line, Jane. You know, now we`re seeing crime up close and personal, and we want to have resolution. We want it all decided, but you know what? If you remember the John Couey case with the young girl who was...

PIRRO: Yes, sure. Jessica Lunsford. She was in the closet after the police had already cleared through that trailer. You know, you can`t say everything is resolved yet. It is a fluid, ongoing situation with no obligation by the police to make us feel better.

And, you know, at the end of day, if he is or is not a drug dealer, someone took that child, whether it -- drugs were a motivation or, you know, for some other reason.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Right. It was never that he was a drug dealer. It was the allegation that he might have been a drug informant for the cops.

PIRRO: Right.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: OK. We got your point. Everyone, stay right there. We`re just getting started right here on ISSUES. Do you think cops making headway in the search for the man in black? Call 1-877-JVM-SAYS. That`s 1-877-586-7297 and let me know.

But first, here is Haleigh`s dad pleading, pleading for her safe return.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CUMMINGS: Please bring my daughter home. She`s not yours. It`s not property, you know. It`s not something that you just take and say it`s mine or whatever. This is my daughter. This is blood, and I would like to have my daughter back, please. Please bring my daughter home.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TERESA NEVIS, HALEIGH`S PATERNAL GRANDMOTHER: I fear for both of my grandchildren. Whoever has Haleigh, I want them to bring her home. We`ve not asked for anything more than to just drop her off somewhere that she can be found and somewhere that she can be brought home to her father. That`s all we`ve ever asked for from them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Haleigh`s paternal grandmother believes somebody abducted Haleigh in the early hours of February 10, and that someone knew that the father, Ronald Cummings, was not at home.

Back with my fantastic panel. The phone lines are lighting up. Lois, Illinois. Question or thought, ma`am?

CALLER: Yes. I have remembered that they had accused the father of having an argument with someone the night before she was abducted, and I remember his first interview he had a Band-Aid, I believe under his left eye. Was any of that ever explored?

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, let me get into a segue question that relates to that, and that is this rap sheet which we have gone through. It`s long. I mean, I don`t know if you can see it here, but that`s -- it`s quite a hefty little rap sheet.

But I have to say that in this father`s defense, while he`s been arrested for drugs, he has never been convicted on any drug charges. All the drug charges have been dismissed. He`s also had some driving problems, but a lot of people have had driving problems. In Florida, those dismissals are called withhold of adjudication.

David Schwartz, what does that mean, because usually we hear plead guilty or not guilty. Here we`re seeing "withhold of adjudication."

DAVID SCHWARTZ, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Basically, Jane, it`s a second chance statute in Florida. You know, if you have a minor criminal record, which in my opinion this is not even a rap sheet. He`s got a very minor criminal record, one misdemeanor conviction. If you have a minor record, the judge can choose to give you this withhold of adjudication, which gives you a second chance. It puts you on probation. If you successfully complete the probation, then there is no convict at all. It`s completely wiped out.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right. Lisa, Texas, your question or thought, ma`am?

CALLER: Yes, I actually have two questions, the first of which being we`ve heard about Misty being 17. Nobody has said how old Ronald Cummings is. I find that very interesting, considering that...

VELEZ-MITCHELL: I think he`s 25, isn`t he? Yes. 25 years old.

CALLER: Really? OK. Well, there you go. I personally have a problem with that. I`d like to know if that`s even legal and how old the mom was when she had the two kids.

Then the other question I had, quickly, was I wonder if the conviction for contributing to the delinquency of a minor might have been caused by him feeding Misty tobacco because at least in Texas, you have to be 18 to buy cigarettes, and you see them puffing.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, you`ve been studying and pondering this case, ma`am. I`m going to give you a Sherlock Holmes cap. Good thoughts.

I think that it is OK, it`s legal, because she is of age. This is what another lawyer had mentioned. Yell at me if I`m wrong.

But I want to get to two other issues. The man dressed in black. Brenda Wade, clinical psychologist, the child says a man dressed in black took the child. What do you make of it? Is it a child`s imagination, as Connie Sheffield suggested?

BRENDA WADE, CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST: You know, it could be. Children that age do live if a world of fantasy, imagination, and when something frightening comes into a child`s world, they do try to figure out in their own way, to the limits of their own cognitive capacity, what could have happened. Well, somebody bad took my sister. Somebody bad would be dressed in black.

Now the flipside of that, of course, is we don`t know if he actually saw something. My guess is he was asleep at the time. My guess is this is probably part of his imagination giving him an explanation he can live with.

But Jane, I want to say something about these families at war with each other. They are hurting their own chances of finding Haleigh and working this through, because they`re pitted against each other, which isn`t unusual...

VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right.

WADE: ... when there`s been a separation, but they`ve got to remember there`s unity in strength, strength in unity.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes. It is.

Vinnie Parko, you`ve been listening to all of this. What do you make of this? I mean, this case is a total mystery. It`s baffling everyone.

VINNIE PARKO, PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR: Well, if this kid is telling the truth, if there was a man in black and this man -- Cummings had a fight or an argument the night before. And, in looking at his rap sheet, they are minor crimes, but it`s funny how he`s got no -- no convictions. Either he has a very good attorney or maybe he is cooperating with the police, and maybe this is retaliation for him cooperating.

PIRRO: Jane -- Jane, can I say something here?

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Sure.

PIRRO: I`ve got his rap sheet in front of me. This guy has been arrested at least nine times. He`s 25 years old. I`ve got him on probation three times, and it sounds to me, and I`ve got to tell you, Vinnie, it`s starting to make sense to me. For him to have so many dismissals, ultimately, and a refusal to go into drug programs with arrests for cocaine, as well as for marijuana, tells me he`s cooperating.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right. Well, you know what? I wish we could discuss this all night. I think that we have to stick with what the police said. They`re not commenting on it. And he says it`s not true. But food for thought.

Vinnie, David, Jennifer, thank you so much. Judge Jeanine, Brenda, hang tight.

Shocking details emerge in the case of an 11-year-old boy accused of fatally shooting his dad`s pregnant fiance. Was the attack premeditated?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DEBORAH HOUK, VICTIM`S MOTHER: He knew all about guns. He knew the severity of guns. He knew the danger of a gun. He was -- he should have gone to therapy, come on, and he knows what he did. He killed my daughter (UNINTELLIGIBLE) -- my baby`s dead. She`s never coming home.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: So sad. That was the mother of 26-year-old Kenzie Houk, in total agony over the loss of her pregnant daughter. Tonight, new and disturbing details emerge about what prosecutors say was a premeditated execution-style shooting committed by an 11-year-old boy.

Shocking revelations about the boy, who allegedly took a child-sized 20-gauge hunting gun, a gift from his father, and turned it on the father`s fiance. New evidence: a blanket with a quarter-sized hole, shows he might have tried to hide the gun as he allegedly carried it through the house.

Plus, details emerging that jealousy was a possible motive and that the 11-year-old had threatened to kill Kenzie and her two girls at least once. So much to discuss.

Joining me now, the first person to discuss it with, Judge Jeanine Pirro, former district attorney, judge and host of "The Judge Jeanine Pirro Show."

Judge Jeanine, we have now learned that the boy will be moved to a juvenile facility tomorrow from adult jail. How should the criminal justice system handle this? Because just because he`s moved to the juvenile facility doesn`t mean he`s going to be tried as a juvenile. He`s still facing adult charges, which to me seems insane, given that he is 11 years old.

PIRRO: Well, you know, the laws in many states, Jane, give prosecutors the ability to charge young people -- they call them juvenile offenders -- as adults. But understand what the law in Pennsylvania is. In the juvenile justice system there, there is no murder charge. So that prosecutors, the D.A. in Pennsylvania, would not be able to charge him with any kind of homicide.

So they want to charge him as an adult so that he can be prosecuted for murder. But understand, since he`s a juvenile, they can only keep him until he`s 21. But they have to house him in a place separate from the county -- from the county jail with adults. They have to house him in a juvenile detention center.

So, you know, we can go into this discussion as to whether or not was he adult, was he acting as an adult?

VELEZ-MITCHELL: He`s 11 years old! What 11-year-old acts like an adult?

PIRRO: It`s hard to fathom, Jane.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: It is.

PIRRO: I agree with you. You know what? He had a gun and knew how to use it.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: His dad gave him a gun for Christmas. He taught him how to use it.

PIRRO: And he won a turkey shoot on Valentine`s Day, and he wrapped it in a blanket after, you know, the woman`s daughter saw him come down.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Let me get to this.

PIRRO: Yes.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: A theme being pursued by the prosecutor, jealousy. The prosecutor contending the 11-year-old was jealous that his father`s attention was being divided by the girlfriend, her own kids and the baby on the way. Kenzie`s mom thought the same thing. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HOUK: Maybe a month and a half ago, it was brought to our attention that he had made a remark that he would kill my daughter. He hated her, and he would kill the two girls. He`d shoot them.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes. Nevertheless, this gun was a functional gun, and it was left in his access. It wasn`t locked up somewhere.

PIRRO: Right. And apparently, it was a gun that is for young people. Don`t ask me about this. But he had not only threatened his victim and her daughters, and luckily the 7-year-old is still alive, and she told police where the spent shell casing was. But in addition to that, he knew how to use it. He was very good with the gun.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: He was trained to kill. He was trained to kill turkeys.

PIRRO: And you know what? And he hated someone, and he knew to take that weapon. But you know what, Jane? It`s a tough issue.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: It is.

PIRRO: When I was a D.A., I prosecuted a 13-year-old for murder. It`s a wrenching decision.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: We`ve got to go. Sit tight. We`re just minutes away from this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Casey Anthony`s civil showdown with Zanny the nanny is looming, but stunning developments to report in the murder of her daughter Caylee. Casey has received more than $1,000 from strangers since she`s been in jail. Who is sending her this money and why?

Plus high drama in the octo-mom story, Nadya Suleman and her mom get into a heated argument on camera, but was it staged? Plus the Oprah interview with Suleman`s father aired today. More staged TV drama? I`ll have the latest details in the circus surrounding octo-mom.

"ISSUES" continues now.

Bizarre developments tonight in the Caylee Anthony case. Reports that accused mom Casey Anthony has gotten over $1,000 in donations from stranger all across America to her jailhouse bank account.

Believe it or not, Casey has a strange collection of fans. A 15-year- old Florida boy has donated his savings to help Casey out and apparently she isn`t the only one looking for some cash. Today a seller on EBay posted a Casey Anthony doll draped in American flag.

You will recognize the outfit from pictures of Casey Anthony partying with friends just before little Caylee went missing and we`ve got some late-breaking developments on that doll issue to tell you about in a moment.

Meantime, reports say Roy Kronk, the former meter reader who found little Caylee`s remains recently paid his wife, his ex-wife $5,000 in unpaid child support. Did Kronk use his reward money to make a dent in his debt?

Plus, the Zenaida Gonzalez civil case heating up; George and Cindy Anthony continue to fight their depositions set for this Thursday. Gonzalez looking for punitive damages after Casey linked her name to the child`s disappearance. So much going on this week.

Judge Janine Pirro back with me and also joining us, Cindy Adams the crime examiner for examiner.com and she`s been following this case since the beginning.

Let`s start with Thursday`s planned depositions by Zenaida Gonzalez. Just before we went to air we heard some breaking news that the attorney for George and Cindy filed a motion to prevent them from having to give their depositions on Thursday. But Judge Janine, it`s very late in the game. We`re only two days away, is he taking a risk filing so late?

JANINE PIRRO, "JUDGE JANINE SHOW": Well, I think that any judge is going to look at this and say, number one, my calendar is already arranged for Thursday, but I think it`s the basis of the motion that`s really ludicrous saying that George and Cindy are really not in such great mental health and therefore he wants them to testify only when they have a clear head.

Look, Jane, there are two victims in the Caylee Anthony case, Caylee Anthony and Zenaida Gonzalez. The woman who had her name and reputation trashed and now the Anthonys who were saying the native -- the nanny took our baby don`t want to be questioned about it. Too bad, they need to be questioned.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Now, Cindy Adams, Lee the brother of Casey says I`m going to go to my deposition and I`m going to just -- I`m not fighting it. Because I have nothing to say and I don`t know anything about Zanny the nanny and that`s what I`m going to tell them. So why don`t Cindy and George do the same thing?

CINDY ADAMS, CRIME EXAMINER, EXAMINER.COM: I think their attorney is arguing that they`re psychologically damaged and they`re not ready to talk where Lee I think has been a lot more forthcoming. I think he was with the FBI and I don`t think he has anything to hide. So I think he`s ready to go.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right. I want to get to this whole bid about profiting out tragedy. There has been more than one doll related to the Caylee Anthony case. The Caylee Sunshine doll was met with appropriate outrage --

ADAMS: Yes.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: -- and production stopped. The doll actually saying you are my sunshine, a song Caylee loved. That to me is totally sick and then a Casey -- and that`s the Caylee sunshine doll right there.

Now, take a look at this one. This was the Casey Anthony voodoo doll that actually drew a bidding war on EBay. That`s another sick little manifestation of the bizarreness of this case. And then today, the piece de resistance also on EBay, a Casey Anthony doll wearing an American flag. There she is no doubt inspired by the photos of the real Casey Anthony wearing an American flag to a party over the summer.

Now we`re going to show you the pictures of Caylee partying, but I`m sure you`ve seen it before if you`ve been covering this case. These items apparently just taken down from EBay.

Cindy, what do you know about that doll with the American flag on it being taken down?

ADAMS: Well, when I first reported on this, I got a comment or a message from the seller that asked how she could get publicity for her book. And then I got a lot of outrage from readers and they were commenting on how horrible this doll was and the seller came back and said she was sorry. That it was in poor taste. She took it down, but she still is trying to tout her book.

So I have a feeling it was all based on trying to sell her book, getting publicity for her book.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: God, people are coming out of the woodwork in this case and other high profile cases and it just sends a chill down my spine.

Now, just who is sending Casey Anthony money? One 15-year-old in Florida says he donated $25 out of sympathy for George Anthony. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANDREW MILLER, DONATED TO CASEY ANTHONY: Because he really identified with Caylee by doing something that Caylee would want that would make him feel better.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Ok, Judge Janine, what would you tell this youngster along with the other people sending Casey money in jail so she can buy snacks and beauty products?

PIRRO: You know that they have flawed reasoning, Jane, to think that it`s going to help Caylee by giving the grandfather some solace by giving the alleged murderer money is just bizarre, but in this world there`s nothing that surprises me anymore.

And there will be people who will want to give money to Casey, but at the end of day, I think that justice will be served and people will see her for what she truly is.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, let`s see. We`ve got a long way to go before the trial happens. It`s going to like in a year. Judge Janine and Cindy, thank you so much.

PIRRO: Thank you.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Now, turning to the continuing drama in the Casey Anthony case it can only be rivaled by one person. You guessed it, octo- mom. Today the never-ending circus reached new heights as both of Nadya Suleman`s parents were speaking out again.

Octo-grandpa, Ed Doud, on "Oprah" today and she asked him very pointedly about his daughter`s responsibility or lack thereof.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OPRAH WINFREY, "OPRAH WINFREY SHOW" HOST: Do you think the doctor was irresponsible?

ED DOUD, GRANDFATHER OF OCTUPLEST: Absolutely irresponsible exactly.

WINFREY: And do you think your daughter was irresponsible?

DOUD: Irresponsible, too.

WINFREY: You think your daughter was irresponsible?

DOUD: Yes, ma`am. She listened to him. She had seen this doctor.

WINFREY: Let me ask you this.

DOUD: Yes.

WINFREY: It`s a very pointed question, you can answer or not. Do you think your daughter is mentally stable?

DOUD: That`s a very good question.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: It sure is. Joining in on the chorus of criticism is Nadya`s own mother Angela Suleman. Nadya squared off with her in an interview from radaronline.com.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NADYA SULEMAN, OCTO-MOM: I will never understand your inflexibility and your inability to --

ANGELA SULEMAN, GRANDMOTHER OF OCTUPLETS: Inflexibility.

N. SULEMAN: Yes, to be able to accept and let go. Learn to let go.

A. SULEMAN: Yes, but if I could totally let go, these are my grandchildren, I would, but you know, it`s very difficult now you have eight more.

N. SULEMAN: No, no excuse me, not now, learn to let go of what I chose to do. You didn`t accept it, move forward.

A. SULEMAN: Something was happening there because, you know, in the first place you should have considered your other six children.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Ai, ai, ai. And believe it or not, the drama doesn`t end there. TMZ reports cops were called to octo-mom`s house last night after reports of a ma brandishing a gun was outside. So much to talk about tonight. I`m going to be taking your calls.

But first, let`s go straight out to my panel: Mike Walters, with TMZ.com and Mary Margaret, senior news editor at Radar online, plus the much-needed Brenda Wade, clinical psychologist.

Let`s start with Mike Walters. Of course, drama seems to follow octo- mom everywhere she goes. What can you tell us about the cops coming to her house last night?

MIKE WALTERS, TMZ.COM: Yes, Jane, this was a gun, this was a shot gun. A couple of doors down from octo-mom, a neighbor came out carrying a shotgun and went from his car to the trunk -- I mean, from his house to the trunk of the car.

Now, we`re told by the cops that he wasn`t threatening, he wasn`t pointing it, but he definitely is frustrated with the cameras and the media activity on the street. You know, we talked to a couple of their neighbors and apparently it`s trashed everywhere, there`s corn on the cobs chewed and like thrown all over the place and this isn`t just paparazzi, it`s news cameras and big sat trucks and even the school bus trying to get into the street to pick up the kids for school can`t get in and out and apparently the cops have to -- yes, usher the bus in and out.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes, Nadya Suleman gets a whole lot of attention especially when she`s out in public. You`ve got to take a look at this video again from TMZ.com that shows the strong reaction to Nadya when she`s out and about. Listen closely.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It`s the one that`s spending all our money.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Wait, wait! Come over here and tell us what you think.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Our tax money that`s using it. Sorry!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What do you think about that, Nadya?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Get a job.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Brenda Wade, they`re yelling at her, get a job.

BRENDA WADE, CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST: You know, she did say when the kids were born God will provide and of course, the right answer isn`t God will provide, it`s I`m going to have to work really hard to provide.

But Jane, her squaring off on her mother and telling her mother you have to accept and let go when in fact her mother is one of the main caretakers and supporters of her children.

She is burdening her mother. She`s burdening taxpayers. She`s burdening a lot of people. This woman is not living in the real world. And she`s living in a fantasy world where the children at the end of day, are the ones who`re going to lose out.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: And I wonder if octo-grandma isn`t a little co- dependent and needs to take care of that issue.

Ok, everybody, stay right there. What do you think of these very weird developments surrounding octo-mom? 1-877-JVM-SAYS. Let me know.

Take a listen to the rap spoofing of octo-mom. Not quite as good as Christian Bale`s remake, it`s pretty funny.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: More from the circus surrounding octo-mom Nada Suleman, but first, "Top of the Block" tonight.

This is just a case of horrific, pure evil. The trial against this monster, accused pedophile Chester Stiles, began this week with gut- wrenching testimony from an 11-year-old girl alleged to be one of his victims.

Stiles allegedly videotaped himself in 2003 having sex with a different girl who was just -- I just almost can`t say this, two years old. 2 years old. The case sparked a national man hunt in 2007 after images from that tape were made public to help cops identify Stiles and the toddler.

The girl from the tape is now 8 years old, safe and healthy. Thankfully, thankfully she has no memory of this sexual assault. She may not be required to testify. Stiles faces 22 counts of sexual assault and lewdness with a minor.

If convicted he could and should spend the rest of his life behind bars; sicko. That`s tonight`s "Top of the Block."

Returning now to our conversation on octo-mom and Nadya Suleman, the mother of 14 with no shortage of critics and now you can count her two parents among them. And of course, I`m taking your calls. First back with my fantastic panel and the phone lines lighting up.

Bridget, California, your question or thought, ma`am.

BRIDGET, CALIFORNIA: Hi, Jane.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Hi.

BRIDGET: I just want to say I love your show. I love Nancy.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: We love her, too.

BRIDGET: And I think Adult Protective Services need to go ahead and intervene. The parents, their needs are not being met. They`re worn out. They look broken down, and it`s just not right and she`s being very, very selfish; very selfish.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: I agree with you 100 percent. Thank you for that call.

Mary Margaret, you`re the senior news editor with radar online. Thanks for your patience. Believe it or not, there are so many things happening with octo-mom, it`s a three-ring circus indeed.

You actually, your news organization spent some time with octo-mom and the mother and we`re going to hear a clip in a moment, but set it up. What was your impression of the dynamic between these two because I have to say, watching what you guys videotaped, I get a sense of this young woman acting out some kind of psycho drama, childhood trauma resentment with her mother. And the kids are almost pawns in this sort of sick dynamic between mother and daughter.

MARY MARGARET, SENIOR NEWS EDITOR, RADAR ONLINE: Right, -- no, Jane, you`re definitely right. We knew going into it there was going to be a high level of drama. Obviously these two women have been at odds for a very long time. We were pleasantly surprised that once we got them to sit down, all of those issues came to a fore.

One thing that was great about having Angela on camera was that she was the voice of all that scrutiny out there that was on the minds of the American public. One thing that you mentioned earlier was, how is she going to pay for these children. And that`s something that Nadya responded finally in a video we posted to today. She kind of lives in this fantasy world where she`s going to write a book and she`s going to have a $40,000 a year counseling salary that`s going to feed 14 children.

It`s not going to happen, but at the same time this is -- what we found was her underpinning and her thought process going forward.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes. She has some kind of -- I don`t know if there`s a psychological phrase for it, Brenda Wade, but she has this kind of syndrome where anything she thinks in her head she makes it sound realistic. Like, if I thought it therefore it can happen.

BRENDA WADE, CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST: Exactly.

Right. Well, for sure she`s narcissistic, Jane, and there`s a very immature personality; very immature quality to her. Even watching her with the child that she`s kissing over and over and over and over, it`s just not appropriate behavior.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes. There`s something wrong here.

Octo grandma had more to say about her daughter and mother of 14 kids. Take a look and a listen at more of this contentious interview from radaronline.com.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANGELA SULEMAN, MOTHER OF NADYA SULEMAN: I feel sorry for them.

NADYA SULEMAN, OCTUPLETS` MOM: Because they`re healthy and thriving and crying?

A. SULEMAN: No, because there are so many and how are you going to be able to provide for them? 14, think about it, Nadya; 14.

N. SULEMAN: I have to let go of my need to control everything and I have to accept the help that`s been offered.

A. SULEMAN: I hope you`ll get help. I really hope so.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: That is so rich.

Brenda Wade, I have to go back to you as the psychologist. What occurs to me is that grandma is a little co-dependent on her daughter and therefore the daughter feels that she has sort of the freedom to do anything that pops into her mind because guess who`s going to -- who is the safety net that no matter what happens is going to come in and rescue her?

WADE: Right and mom`s going to clean up the mess and the thing that is so ironic is that in the video she`s saying to her mother you have to let go of controlling when at the same time she`s saying to her mother and by the way, I am counting on you to make it all work. And the mom`s going, but you have 14 children.

Now, Jane, I also have to say I am saddened by the public attacks on her.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes. I know you are.

WADE: out in public. That`s not going to help anybody.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Let me jump in. If octo-grandma had not done so much with the first six kids, do you think she would have felt the freedom to go and have eight more? Just a quick question.

WADE: Darn good question, Jane. Darn good question. And I think the answer to the question is that her mom certainly has been co dependent. She`s probably motivated by wanting to protect and nurture her grandchildren.

What grandmother wouldn`t be, but she has gone far enough that Nadya thinks it doesn`t matter what I do, mom will pick up the pieces. So she doesn`t have to grow up.

And maybe mom needs to visit Al Anon.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes, there`s a program for that. There`s a program for co-dependent behavior where essentially, and I`m just giving my definition of it is when you`re addicted to the person with the problem. They become your drug because they`re so exciting. You have to give it to octo-mom. She is exciting.

WADE: But her mom looks exhausted.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: It`s not fun being co-dependent.

Mike Walters, what about a deal? We`ve heard so much. Obviously, this woman is very confident that something will work out. We keep hearing there might be a deal somewhere or maybe she made a lot of little deals around Hollywood as is often the case.

MIKE WALTERS, ASSIGNMENT MANAGER, TMZ: Well, I mean, let`s first say that octo-grandma is losing her house on March 5th. It goes on the auction block for sale where they all live. So first of all, it`s been reported that octo-mom has already taken money -- I mean octo-grandma has taken money for an interview.

Get beyond that, octo-mom also sold her pictures through an agency of her kids. She has a website where she`s collecting visa deposits. So hopefully, for their sake, the kids, octo-mom will take this money and pay for their care. Let`s all hope that.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: We have so much more. We`re back in a minute with more octo-mom drama. Hang in there.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: We`re back taking your calls and discussing all of the latest in the octo-mom case including the growing rift between Nadya Suleman and her parents.

Let`s go back to Mary Margaret, senior news editor, radar online; quite a scoop that you managed to get octo-mom and octo-grandma to sit down in front of cameras and argue.

MARY MARGARET: Yes.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: How did you accomplish that? The entire world was focused on Nadya and everything was about Nadya. And then we kind of stepped back and thought there`s more drama here. Where did this woman come from and what is the story behind her family?

And we approached her mother and her mother thankfully was welcome to kind of talk about the allegations of Nadya`s childhood and the dysfunction behind that. And one thing I would like on mention, TMZ, you know, brought up the fact that the interview might have been paid for and one thing is there was no money exchange. Radar online doesn`t pay for interviews, but at the same time I`m sure Nadya`s book`s going do well and the family will profit handsomely for this.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: So you didn`t exchange any money in any way, shape or form. I just want to clear that up because there is always speculation that various people can say we didn`t pay them, but they paid somebody else that paid them at the end.

MARY MARGARET: No, to set the record straight, radar online, we`re a news organization and we don`t pay for interviews. We did give a location for the interview which was that house that everyone was speculating whether or not Nadya was going to buy it, but that`s pretty much the extent of it.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right.

Paula in Florida. Your question or thought, ma`am?

PAULA, FLORIDA: I actually have three. One is if the man that talked to you last night turns out to be the eight babies` dads can the state of California go after him for the child support.

The second one since she`s an Angelina Jolie look alike, why didn`t she go to a celebrity look alike thing and make money doing that to support her family.

And the third one is I love your show, and I love your outspokenness, and that`s it.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: That is so sweet of you. Thank you, Paula. That`s very nice to hear.

I think I`m going to throw that out to Brenda Wade, psychologist in terms of the whole Angelina Jolie thing. I mean, look, Angelina Jolie is one of the most beautiful women in the world, we all know that. And Nadya Suleman, I`m not saying she`s unattractive, but she`s no Angelina Jolie, let`s face it; even if she`s trying to look like her.

WADE: Well, she`s obsessed with Angelina Jolie. I understand that she`s written letters for some period of time to Miss Jolie. She`s had surgery so she looks more like Angelina Jolie.

All of this says again, she`s not living in the real world. She`s living in a fantasy world. I do hope she`s going to get, first of all, good psychotherapy. Her mom`s going go to Al Anon and she needs some parenting classes. She`s got 14 kids.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: We`re done. That`s it. We`re out of time. I`m Jane Velez-Mitchell. You`re watching "ISSUES."

END

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0902/24/ijvm.01.html

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0902/25/ijvm.01.html

ISSUES WITH JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL

New Developments in Haleigh Cummings Disappearance

Aired February 25, 2009 - 19:00:00 ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL, HOST (voice-over): Tonight, stunning new twists and turns in the disappearance of Haleigh Cummings, centering around her own family. Tensions were building in the days leading up to her abduction. One week before Haleigh vanished, dad, Ronald, reportedly filed a complaint against mom, Crystal Sheffield, for allegedly failing to pay child support. What does Crystal have to say about this? And could the drama provide clues?

And new questions emerge about Ronald`s arrest record. He fiercely denies reports he was a police informant. But why were his drug charges mysteriously dropped? We`ll take a closer look at this issue.

Then, more fallout from the brutal chimp attack in Connecticut. Victim Charla Nash remains in a medically-induced coma in grave condition. Meantime, her brother preps for a lawsuit on her behalf. I`ll have the very latest developments.

Plus, the Octomom`s psycho drama continues. TMZ reports Nadya Suleman has been offered one million bucks to do a porno. And the Octomom`s media campaign continues as she sits down with Dr. Phil and tells him she may not get immediate custody of her children. And I`ll have more fallout from the outrageous argument between the Octomom and her mother.

ISSUES starts now.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: It is day 16 in the search for missing Florida girl Haleigh Cummings. Investigators have been chasing down false Haleigh sightings as almost 2,000 leads pour in. An exhausted and frustrated family suffers the agony of not knowing.

Meantime, new reports now reveal the tensions between the beautiful little girl`s estranged mother and father reached a fever pitch the day before she disappeared. The reason? Child support. Court documents show Haleigh`s mother, Crystal, owes more than $4,000 in back child support. Her mom says she couldn`t pay, because she can`t find work in this bad economy.

Still, Ron took legal action against Crystal, and the timing is startling. Court papers are dated just one week before Haleigh vanished. But even more shocking: reports that Ron got court documents about the hearing on the day before Haleigh disappeared. Could this simply be a heart-breaking coincidence?

Meantime, questions continue regarding Ron Cummings` arrest record. Why so many drug charges but no convictions? Ron has said flat out he does not do drugs and is not a drug informant for cops. So much to talk about. And I am taking your calls.

First, my fantastic panel. Pastor Terry Wright, the Cummings family pastor; Pam Bondi, Florida state prosecutor; Paul Callan, criminal defense attorney and former prosecutor; plus Vinny Parco, private investigator; and Cindy Adams, the crime examiner for Crime.com.

Cindy, what is the very latest that you`re getting from CrimeExaminer.com?

CINDY ADAMS, CRIMEEXAMINER.COM: Well, as you talked about, the rap sheet is an issue. Ron has many offenses. He doesn`t seem to have many convictions. He -- he had possession of marijuana, possession of cocaine. And I don`t think that really an issue in Haleigh`s disappearance, but I do think it becomes an issue regarding who he`s associated with and who may, you know, have a vendetta against him.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes. It`s such a fascinating case. Let`s dive into it. Crystal Sheffield made accusations about her ex, Haleigh`s dad, Ron Cummings` alleged drug use. Geraldo Rivera from FOX asked Cummings about his drug history. Here`s what he said. Listen to Ron.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GERALDO RIVERA, FOX NEWS ANCHOR: What about the allegations of cocaine use, methamphetamine use?

RONALD CUMMINGS, FATHER OF HALEIGH: There`s nothing. I do not do drugs.

RIVERA: You don`t do drugs? All those arrests were all...

R. CUMMINGS: No.

RIVERA: Do you work for the police? Are you an informant?

R. CUMMINGS: No, I am not an informant. I do not work for the police. I work for PDM, which is a bridge-building company. That`s who I work for.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: OK. There you hear it. But let`s look at his arrest record from Putnam County, Florida. Possession of cocaine and cannabis. That was dismissed. Use of drug paraphernalia, no action taken there. Maintaining a drug vehicle, no action taken. Hunting deer with gun from roadway, assault, that was dropped. Possession of a firearm, guilty.

Vinny Parco, you`re the private investigator. Overall, he seems to have gotten a lot of breaks when it comes to his drug arrests. Now, he had absolutely no convictions for drugs.

It`s very important to point out, once again, police say Ron`s alibi is firm. This is not about whether he did anything to his child. He was at work at the time of little Haleigh`s disappearance. But when asked whether he was a drug informant for cops, authorities would neither confirm nor deny it.

Vinny, your thoughts?

VINNY PARCO, PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR: OK. Well, many times law enforcement will not confirm or deny a statement like that. And that`s just standard operating procedure.

But if I was running a drug -- a drug operation for the police, he would be a prime -- prime informant for me. His arrest 4 1/2 years ago was for marijuana, for over excess of 20 grams, which in my opinion is intent to sell. Now, he skated on that. He skated on a lot of -- a lot of these crimes.

Now, he would be the perfect guy to be an informant, because he`s a local guy. He knows everybody. And he`s got a -- I mean, arrest record is extensive, but it`s all minor things.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Listen, I have to say again -- and I want to go to Pastor Terry Wright, who`s the Cummings family pastor. We are not discussing this to, in any way, shape, or form, imply that this poor man who`s been through hell did anything untoward toward his daughter. Authorities have said this guy was at work when his little girl was abducted.

The reason, Pastor, that it has become relevant is that people don`t have any answers. Nothing adds up. The entire community is living in fear. And there were questions raised as to whether somebody might be trying to retaliate against him, if he had done or said something that had perhaps gotten somebody locked up, for example.

Now, Pastor, you spoke to Ron, and you`ve also spoken to Crystal. Tell us about your conversations, particularly with Ron.

Pastor? Are you there? Oh, we -- we can`t hear the pastor. So as soon as we hear him, we`re going to get back to him. But we`re going to -- I want to hear what the pastor has to say. That is absolutely crucial.

Because we`re not trying to gang up on this guy. We`re trying to get to the heart of a perplexing mystery. And I hope that our viewers make that decision. I mean, this poor man has been through hell. And it really pains us to have to go into his record, but unfortunately, it could be relevant.

So, guys, tell me in my ear when the pastor is back, and we`ll go to him.

Meantime, just today, we also received Ron Cummings` arrest report for Sarasota County, Florida. Possession of controlled substance, morphine and Xanax, possession of a drug without valid prescription, possession of drug paraphernalia, violation of domestic injunction. Again, all the drug charges dropped.

Pam, you`re the Florida state prosecutor. You`ve analyzed the Sarasota County arrest record. What can you tell me about the drug charges and also this violation of domestic injunction? What does that mean?

PAM COUNTY, PROSECUTOR: Well, you know, Jane, and it`s interesting because, yes, I`ve been reviewing this. and we have a copy right here of the injunction.

He was pulled over on a routine traffic stop. And the police officer noticed some suspicion, brought in a drug dog, and he had all these drugs in his car, on his possession.

Now, also in the report it tells us -- we had known he had this violation -- an injunction. But now we know that he was not to possess firearms. He was not to come within 100 feet of Crystal, who was the petitioner at the time in the injunction.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: So wait. In plain English, is that like a restraining order?

BONDI: Exactly. That`s exactly what it is. She had a restraining order. And this also mentions that they had minor children together.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right. Let`s go to the pastor. We have Pastor Wright. We`ve been -- we`ve been going through all of this. The friction between the two sides of the family, the problems with Ron. You spoke with them, both sides last night. What were your conversations, sir?

REV. JERRY WRIGHT, CUMMINGS FAMILY PASTOR: Yes. Here`s the situation. With Crystal, the mom, she is obviously very distraught, very upset, just wanting her daughter back. That is for sure.

Obviously, I spoke with Ronald just after that. We spent an hour, hour and a half together. Look, everyone understands that he, as the dad, and Crystal, as the mom, have not had a perfect past. We get that, right? That`s true.

However, they have come to the place at this point in their life where they`re doing things a lot better. Obviously, Ronald is working on a bridge company. He`s trying to do good, trying to make an honest living. And Mom is getting ready to be married again with an honorable guy. And, you know, that`s what`s going on there. But I...

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Did you talk to him about -- and again, this has only come up not to suggest that he has done anything to his daughter. We know that he was at work.

WRIGHT: Right.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: But have you talked to him about this speculation that he might have been a drug informant for the cops? Because the cops are refusing to say one way or another. They were asked on Headline News, and they said, "We`re not going to comment."

WRIGHT: You`re correct. He told me absolutely not. He was not an informant for the Putnam County Sheriff`s Office. He was not an informant (UNINTELLIGIBLE). He was not an informant in any way, shape, and form. That`s not saying he didn`t do some things he regrets, but he was not an official informant. That is correct.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right, Pastor.

Well, let -- let me know back, then, to Vinny Parco. Let`s assume that he`s absolutely telling the truth. He was not a drug informant for cops. What are the other possibilities, given this drug -- alleged drug history with all these arrests that had no convictions in terms of how it could factor into missing Haleigh? I mean, we have heard about drag deals gone bad, for example, in the past, where a family member is taken in retaliation.

PARCO: I just have got to tell you, Jane, I truly believe that he has done nothing wrong in this respect. I don`t think he violated any code or any operation that might be present within the drug world. I don`t think he`s done any of that. I don`t believe any of that has a bearing on this particular case. He is incredibly distraught and upset. Let me tell you what he said last night.

I spent an hour and a half with him last night. He told me last night -- we were out in the middle of the cold in North Florida. Believe it or not, it does get cold in North Florida. We were out in the middle of North Florida, and he told me this. He said, "Pastor," he said, "I kissed my daughter, went to work, trying to make an honest living, trying to make an honest wage. I came home eight hours later, and she was gone."

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Period. End of story. Yes.

PARCO: End of story.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Thank you so much. But it`s not the end of this story.

Stay right there, everyone. So much more to cover in the search for little Haleigh Cummings, now in a second heartbreaking week. Do you think family turmoil was a factor in the disappearance? Call 1-877-JVM-SAYS. That`s 1-877-586-7297. And let me know.

First, here is Haleigh`s dad yesterday, again, begging for his daughter`s return.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

R. CUMMINGS: I`m here to plead for the life of my daughter. I want her to come home. If you have her, please send her home. I don`t care how she gets here. Just bring her home. And if you`re watching, baby, I love you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

R. CUMMINGS: I just got home from work. My 5-year-old daughter is gone. I need somebody to be here now.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I understand. We`ve got two officers...

R. CUMMINGS: If I find whoever has my daughter before y`all do, I`m killing them. I don`t care if I spend the rest of my life in prison. I`m telling you. You can put it on recording. I don`t care.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK. It`s OK, sir. We`ve got them on the way. OK. Can you give me -- what kind of description of her pajamas that she was wearing?

R. CUMMINGS: I don`t (EXPLETIVE DELETED) know. I was at work.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Such agony on the part of Ron Cummings, the father of little missing Haleigh. And right now on the phone, we have a woman by the name of Crystal Cummings, who says she is Ron Cummings sister.

And Crystal, you reached out to us. And we called you back, and you are reportedly at the campsite right near the double wide trailer from which little Haleigh was abducted on February 10. Is that correct, ma`am?

CRYSTAL CUMMINGS, SISTER OF RON CUMMINGS: Right now I`m at work. I tried to get a hold of you last night, and I couldn`t. I had to come home to take care of -- I have a daughter myself. And I had to come home and take care of her. But I will be back down there tomorrow. I just wanted to speak on his behalf.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes.

C. CUMMINGS: Because he was told not to speak to anybody by the detectives.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, speak on his behalf then. There`s so much speculation surrounding his history, and he was confronted with this question, was he ever a drug informant for police.

Again, not to suggest that he did anything with his daughter, but that perhaps somebody might want to retaliate against them. He said no, but others have looked at his record. I mean, we`re talking about high-powered prosecutors have said this seems very indicative of somebody who would have gotten a pass to be an informant.

C. CUMMINGS: Right. It is my understanding that he has had lawyers cover -- cover his case. He was put on probation and successfully completed all of that. It was held for adjudication.

I know that he is not an informant. And not trying to be rude or anything, but for someone to get on the TV and say that is actually putting his life in danger and his other child`s.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, let me ask you this question. What are your thoughts as to who might have taken little Haleigh? The only reason we`re even discussing this is because we all want to find little Haleigh, and the facts of the case don`t seem to add up.

C. CUMMINGS: Personally, me, I think it was a predator.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: OK.

C. CUMMINGS: I mean, I don`t see anybody -- I know he didn`t have any -- anyone that was against him or anything. So, I mean, really -- we -- we`re not getting any more information than you guys are. So I really couldn`t -- I mean, from me, my point of view, I think somebody that had been watching the house and knew when my brother went to work, because he`s only been on the night job for three weeks. So I think somebody -- somebody that knew that he was gone and went in that house and took Haleigh.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Just one last question. Yes or no. Does your brother have any enemies?

C. CUMMINGS: No.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Has he had any fights with people at all?

C. CUMMINGS: No, he hasn`t.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right. Well, Ron Cummings` sister, Crystal Cummings, I hope you call us back again. And we want to hear from you. We want this to be part of the solution, not part of the problem.

And again, it`s nothing that we are getting any pleasure out of discussing, but there are so many bizarre aspects to the family friction that we have to take a look at it, because there are those who feel maybe somewhere in this, like searching for a needle in a haystack, we might find something that can help bring little Haleigh home. I thank you so much for calling, and we all pray that Haleigh is found, found alive and brought back. Thank you.

All right. Let`s talk about this. Haleigh`s has been missing since the early hours of February 10th. The family and police believe that this is an abduction. Is that why there`s an air of fear in this community?

Watch Connie Sheffield, Haleigh`s maternal step-grandmother, talking about her concerns for Haleigh`s 4-year-old brother, R.J., also known as Ron Jr., just last night.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CONNIE SHEFFIELD, HALEIGH`S MATERNAL STEP-GRANDMOTHER: I think there`s concerns for R.J.`s safety. People are tired, angry, hurt, and we don`t have any answers.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: So when you say R.J., you`re talking about Junior, the little boy?

SHEFFIELD: Yes.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: And you have concerns about his safety? Well, that`s a new one. I had not even thought about that. Obviously we`re all looking for little Haleigh. But the implication is that he might not be in safe hands right now?

SHEFFIELD: Not necessarily in reference to whom he`s with, but whoever took Haleigh may target the family again. We don`t know this.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: So you`re...

SHEFFIELD: I`m concerned for my son myself. He`s 3, and you know, when nightfall comes about in this neighborhood, we left. We wouldn`t even stay for the vigils.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Vinny Parco, there`s so much fear in this community. Is it time for police to come out and speak and say, "This was eliminated as a suspect. That one is. This one" -- they will not confirm one way or another whether Ron was a drug informant. He says no. But wouldn`t it be helpful? This man is going through hell.

PARCO: Yes, but you know, it`s possible -- maybe he`s not a drug informant, but maybe a drug deal went bad. You know, he`s got a long history of drug abuse. And I`m not accusing him of anything, but you know, it`s possible that he`s involved with some people that retaliated by taking the child.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Pam Bondi, what`s your...

WRIGHT: Jane, that is absolutely not true. Listen, I was with Ron last night for an hour and a half. That is absolutely not true. He is not in any way involved with people that are going to come and take Junior.

However, he is concerned, because Haleigh was taken far beyond his understanding that that would ever happen, but Junior is not in any danger of being taken. I promise you that -- that Ronald is doing a great job of taking care of his son.

PAUL CALLAN, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Jane, I just want to jump in for a minute on this and disagree with Vinny. You know, drug records can be very, very deceptive in the sense that a lot of times, charges are made, and because it was a bad search by the police, the case gets thrown out. Sometimes when they seize the drugs and they test the drugs, they don`t turn out to be the controlled substance the person was charged with.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Got it.

CALLAN: So it doesn`t mean that he`s an informant.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Stay right there. We`re back in just a minute with more of this debate so that we can hopefully help find this beautiful little girl.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TERESA NEVES, HALEIGH`S PATERNAL GRANDMOTHER: I don`t feel like anybody should have said that, you know? I mean, you don`t know who has my grandchild. We don`t know who has my grandchild. And if it`s somebody who would hurt my grandchild -- you know, if you are that person and you feel like we can identify you, what would be your next move then? You know?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: and the phone lines lighting up on this terrible case. Gabby in New York, your question or thought, ma`am?

CALLER: Well, I understand that you have a job to do with trying to get to the bottom of this, but it seems to me, comment and question, that you people are vilifying the father when the mother herself has her own arrest record. She`s $4,000 behind in child support. If she was a man, she`d be in jail for that already.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, it sounds like you`re vilifying her a little bit. I mean, listen, the facts are the facts. And if we recite them, it - - I would say don`t blame the messenger. This would not be relevant, except that questions have been raised, and we`re trying to answer those questions and then move on.

And I want to ask, Paul Callan, about the mother issue and the fact that reportedly Crystal, Haleigh`s mother, owed $4,000 in back child support. Ron went to get the child support, took legal action, and the paperwork announcing that there would be a March 27 hearing, which has since been canceled, arrived the day before little Haleigh went missing. Just a sad and odd coincidence?

CALLAN: Well, I`m just going to step back and look at it like I think a police officer or a prosecutor would look at it. And they`ve said everybody is a suspect in this case.

And the reality is that this is a possible motive. You know, I`m not saying that it supports charges against her, but certainly the police are going to say there`s a motive here because of the problems and the fight over back child support. So that`s something they`re analyzing. And you know, how it plays out ultimately depends upon all the other facts in the case. But that`s certainly on the table.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Pastor Wright, the reason why all of this is coming to a head is because the authorities have not excluded anyone as a suspect. I`ve covered many cases where, as the days and the weeks go by, the authorities will come out and say, "You know what," for example, in a case where a woman is murdered, and always the husband and the boyfriend is looked at first.

When they are cleared, they say that person is no longer -- they`ve been cleared as a suspect. Don`t you think police need to come out now and say something to clear the air, given the fear that has been expressed about children in this community? Everybody is looking at everybody, because nobody has been excluded as a suspect.

WRIGHT: Yes. Let me speak to two things you mentioned. First of all, I`ve been approached by no less than a dozen -- maybe a dozen and a half people over the last week, week and a half that have said, "We have changed our sleeping arrangements based upon this case." In other words, parents have come to me saying the mom is sleeping in the bed with children, the dad is on the couch.

Matter of fact, I had a lady just two nights ago -- catch this -- saying, "I have booby trapped the windows just in case someone is trying to come in and get my child." So that`s going on. So that`s issue one.

But issue two is this. The sheriff`s office cannot come out and make some sort of statement if they don`t have evidence for it.

Now, look, the psychosocial dynamics of our community have really been in upheaval. And that is horrible, because we are a simple community with great people just wanting to live the simple life.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: We just want to solve this case. Thank you so much, gentlemen. Please come back soon.

Want to know what porn, tumors and Dr. Phil have in common? Octomom. We`ll explain next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Breaking news in the Caylee Anthony case: an emergency court hearing was held today ruling that Casey`s parents George and Cindy Anthony will not have to give sworn depositions tomorrow in the Zanny the nanny civil suit. I`ll have the very latest on the legal wrangling.

Plus, the circus surrounding the octo-mom heats up; TMZ reports Nadya Suleman has been offered one million bucks to do a porno. Perhaps going for a more wholesome image Suleman sat down with Dr. Phil today. You won`t believe what she told him.

Breaking news tonight in the Caylee Anthony case -- a stunning turn of events in the Zenaida Gonzales defamation suit against Casey Anthony. You`ll recall that Zenaida is the woman who said Casey ruined her life in an 11th hour emergency hearing.

Today, the lawyer for Casey`s parents, George and Cindy, fought tooth and nail to prevent them from having to testify under oath tomorrow. In a surprise decision, the judge delayed their deposition but just for 20 days; that, to allow their attorney to present evidence of the psychological trauma George and Cindy are suffering.

But is putting off what is perhaps inevitable fair to Zenaida Gonzalez? Zenaida claims her reputation has been destroyed after Casey Anthony linked her name to the case with the now-infamous claim that Zanny the nanny abducted the child. Of course, we say it`s complete nonsense. Zenaida is asking for more than $15,000 in punitive damages.

Joining me now to thrash all of this out: criminal defense attorney Rebecca Woodland; and Steve Helling, staff writer for "People" magazine who has been covering this case from the very beginning.

Steve, the attorney for Cindy and George now has to present evidence of their psychological trauma. The world knows that George apparently tried to commit suicide recently. Isn`t that enough?

STEVE HELLING, STAFF WRITER, "PEOPLE" MAGAZINE: Well, it would be enough, but then again, there`s also Cindy who has to be deposed as well. So they`re going to have to go into a little bit on both of them and just what the -- what the doctors have to say about them.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Why didn`t he bring all that to the hearing today so that instead of having to go back in 20 days and do this all over again we could have gotten some resolution?

HELLING: Well, he bought himself 20 days and that`s really what he was looking for.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right. Well, Zenaida says her life was ruined -- ruined, when Casey linked her name to an abduction of little Caylee, something cops say is a complete fiction anyway.

Here is Zenaida this past summer before she was comfortable revealing her face.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What has your life been like?

ZENAIDA GONZALEZ, SUING CASEY ANTHONY FOR DEFAMATION: Oh, horrible. Horrible. My name -- because it`s not so much because they know my face, it`s more or less because they know my name. And so they know my name and everywhere I go they are obviously are insinuating that I did something wrong because my name is so much on the news.

Plus, I haven`t been able to get a job. I haven`t been able to do much of nothing because everybody is just judging me by my name.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Zenaida is asking for more than $15,000 in punitive damages. Rebecca Woodland, what do you need to prove to win punitive damages?

REBECCA WOODLAND, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Well, that she has to prove, Zenaida and her attorney, has to prove that this was reckless beyond negligent. It was reckless. It was intentional. That Caylee Anthony -- that the Anthony`s in general, she may be suing all of the parents, the daughter.

She wants the parents to discuss with the attorneys and at the deposition exactly what happened, where this information -- upon which it was based. Where did anyone come up with her name?

She is saying I went to the Sawgrass apartments once. I don`t know this people, I never had and contact with this child and now. So that`s reckless. Not only was there no interaction and I didn`t take the child, I don`t even know the child.

So they have to prove recklessness beyond negligence for the punitive in this case.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Now part of the problem here is that the Anthony family isn`t budging from the story that somebody named Zenaida took little Caylee. Listen to what Brad Conway, George and Cindy`s attorney said back in December.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you still think that Zenaida Gonzalez had something to do with this?

BRAD CONOWAY, ANTHONY FAMILY ATTORNEY: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Why?

CONWAY: But not the Zenaida Gonzalez that Mr. Morgan represents. And Casey Anthony has made it clear from the beginning that the individual that Mr. Morgan represents is not the Zenaida Gonzalez that she was referring to.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: So, Steve Helling, does the fact that the family is basically sticking to the story and saying, well, it`s a different Zenaida, does that impact the civil case?

HELLING: Well, of course it will. But the point is has it affected this specific Zenaida Gonzalez? And she would say the answer is yes. Whether or not she`ll be able to get a jury to award her anything remains to be seen.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, now, let me just ask you a follow-up. Lee Anthony is going to do his deposition on Friday, no questions asked. He`s not making a big deal about it. He`s saying basically I don`t know anything and that`s what I`m going to tell them.

So Steve, why are Cindy and George so afraid of having to say whatever it is that they know? Steve? Hello, Steve? Are you there? All right, everybody has just gone silent. That was such a shocking question.

WOODLAND: I hear you.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Rebecca?

WOODLAND: Yes, I hear you, Jane.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: You go ahead. You take it.

WOODLAND: The Anthony`s maybe -- their attorneys are claiming -- let`s first say their attorneys are claiming that they are very traumatized by their daughter being in jail and by their granddaughter.

Now, we know the evidence of her remains were found. They are traumatized. What could be is that they are traumatized. They`re not ready to relive it psychologically. Could also be that they are afraid they may remit or somehow release information that should only be released or they feel would be in their best interest to be released in the criminal case, which may help the criminal case or help their daughter.

There may be other issues that we`re not aware of, but their attorney is stating it`s for psychological reasons.

VELEZ-MITHCELL: All right, well listen, we`ve got so much more, of course.

Friday is when Lee does his depo, so we`re going to have an update on that on Friday. Thank you, Steve and Rebecca both for your insights.

And now, octo-drama reaching a fever pitch with Dr. Phil, Oprah, TMZ, Radar Online and various other media outlets all uncovering stunning new information.

Meantime, octo-mom says she`s worried the local hospital won`t let her take eight newborns home. TV`s Dr. Phil tells the L.A. Times today a distressed octo-mom called him on the phone saying she was just all afraid that Kaiser Permanente, the hospital where she gave birth to the octuplets wouldn`t release her eight babies until she proved she can care for them. You think?

And in a separate conversation airing today, she made this shocking admission to the good doctor.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. PHIL MCGRAW, HOST, "DR. PHIL SHOW": I wonder if you have gotten addicted to being pregnant.

NADYA SULEMAN, MOTHER OF THE OCTUPLETS: I loathe pregnancy. I hate it more than anything in the world.

PHIL: But you`ve been pregnant so --

SULEMAN: The only way to have the children is through IVF and it was through the pregnancies. It`s the result, the baby, the child. This pregnancy I could have done without. I actually -- after my third, I looked into adoption.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Whatever.

Meantime, another bizarre twist: TMZ reports that a notorious pornography producer has made Suleman a $1 million offer for a starring role.

Plus, the latest outrageous accusations by octo-granny during that confrontation with her daughter that was caught on tape by Radar Online.

I`m going to be taking your calls on this in just a moment. But first, my expert panel: Kelly Burning, producer at TMZ; Mary Margaret, senior news editor with Radaronline.com and Dr. Gail Saltz, a clinical psychiatrist and associate professor at New York Presbyterian Hospital.

Dr. Saltz, the babies might soon be healthy enough to leave the hospital. Nadya is afraid the hospital still won`t release them because of all the craziness going on. How might this play out with the hospital and Child Protective Services?

DR. GAIL SALTZ, CLINICAL PSYCHIATRIST: Well, the hospital is under an obligation, really, to -- before they send any mother home to make sure that the mother`s capable or somebody is capable and going to take care of the children adequately, that the environment that they`re going home to is well-supervised and a healthy environment.

And there`s usually a social worker on a case to make sure that this is happening. And certainly in the case where there are so many babies going home, of course they`re going to step in and take a look at that. And if she`s worried, well, I can only assume she`s worried because she`s not necessarily able to prove that.

But that is their responsibility legally and ethically.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: So it looks like that they`re not going home. They`re, I think, 34 weeks and there`s a possibility if they`re healthy, they might go home at 35 weeks. That`s a week from now. But it looks like unless she can resolve all of these problems those children might remain at the hospital.

Now, the confrontation between octo-mom and her mom, octo-granny, has taken another very, very, very, very weird turn. Listen to this exchange which appears at radaronline.com.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANGELA SULEMAN, GRANDMOTHER OF 14: You won`t really know in the beginning whether she`s kind of -- I don`t know how to say this. She`s done the other ones, you know, without letting me know and then all of a sudden her stomach is growing bigger and bigger and I say what`s going on and she says, oh, I have a tumor. Yes, right.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: I have a tumor. Mary Margaret, senior news editor, Radar Online, you got that. I mean, obviously she didn`t have a tumor. So we`re talking more lies.

Now, remember what Denis Beaudoin, who claimed to be the octo-sperm donor, told ABC`s "Good Morning America". He said Nadya said time was running out and he had to donate his sperm ASAP because she had ovarian cancer.

MARY MARGARET, SENIOR NEWS EDITOR WITH RADARONLINE.COM: Right.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: So we`re seeing lies here with a pattern to them.

MARGARET: No, that`s definitely something that we found the most interesting in this interaction, was as you said this pattern of deception.

One big question on everyone`s mind is; is she going to have more children and what exactly is her mental state? And from what we can see from this interaction with her and her mom, clearly she`s someone to watch. She`s someone who will say one thing and do another. And that`s a scary and dangerous prospect.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Kelly Burning, tell us about the porn angle to all of this.

KELLY BURNING, TMZ PRODUCER: Well, it`s a weird development, but a very large, very big porn company has offered her $1 million to be one of their contract girls, which means she has to actually be in multiple films.

And then in a weirder twist, there`s another porn company that has offered her one year`s worth of diapers not to do the $1 million for porn.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Oh my God.

KELLY: So they`re afraid of her ridicule and scorn.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: This is just too much. We got to get in to all of this. There`s so much more, sit tight. A lot more to sort through in the octo-mom story and I want to hear your take. Call 1-877-JVM-SAYS. That`s 1-877-586-7297.

Back in a moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: I`ll have more on the outrageous octo-mom developments.

But first, "Top of the Block" tonight.

An update on the savage beating of Rihanna: On February 7th, she suffers severe cuts and bruises and was reportedly even bitten. The alleged attacker was her boyfriend, allegedly, fellow pop star Chris Brown. Brown was arrested for making criminal threats against her, but he`s not been charged. Still, he`s now taking anger management classes.

Legally he doesn`t have to take those classes, but reports claim Brown is attending the classes at the behest of his PR guru. After the alleged abuse, brown lost lucrative endorsement deals with Wrigley`s gum and other campaigns. Some stations even stopped playing his songs.

But if he voluntarily goes to anger management classes, that could help fix his image. However, what`s more important is that he learns something from those classes, namely that violence is not a sign of power. It`s a sign that your rage is controlling you.

That`s tonight`s "Top of the Block."

Now back with my panel and your calls with more real-life drama in the octo-mom story. Denise, South Carolina, your question or thought, ma`am?

DENISE, SOUTH CAROLINA: Hi.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Hey.

DENISE: I was just wanting to know, if she was getting all those food stamps and stuff with the six children, where was she getting the money to have all of these plastic surgeries and the things to getting her pregnant, the shots and stuff?

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, that`s an excellent question. And of course, she denies, Kelly Burning, having plastic surgery. But obviously all of these -- these embryo implants are very, very expensive. Didn`t she get some kind of disability thing from an injury?

KELLY BURNING: Yes. I mean, she`s received -- she received a lot of different monies from different places through the government, through taxpayers.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes. Mary Margaret, she had injured herself on the job several years ago and she got a lump sum payment or pay-out of a pretty substantial amount, didn`t she?

MARY MARGARET, RADAR ONLINE: Right. Yes, she did. Of course, as we know, she set up that website currently where she, you know, is able to get donations and that kind of thing from people who, you know, don`t really necessarily care about her but care more about the well-being of the children. So obviously, she has a very enterprising and entrepreneurial mind.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: That`s one way of putting it. Mary Margaret, you`re an optimist.

Kathy in Ohio, question or thought, ma`am?

CATHY, OHIO: I was wondering, if Nadya proves to be an unfit mother, what will happen to the babies?

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, Dr. Gail Saltz, you`ve sort of outlined a bit, but go through the actually process. They`re in the hospital now. What if the Child Protective Services gets involved? What could be the possible outcomes?

DR. GAIL SALTZ, PSYCHIATRIAST: Well, the most likely outcome is that they`d discharge them to foster care. That would be temporary until -- I mean, unless, you know, this proved to be a long-term situation that she was deemed unfit.

And the question is what does unfit mean? Is she really unfit to take care of a child or would she be deemed to be unfit to take care of 14 children? Many people would not be able to provide a healthy environment for 14 babies.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Who could? I can`t imagine anybody, especially a single mom who doesn`t have a job.

DR. SALTZ: Yes, exactly. And unfortunately, foster care is not a great solution. That`s not an optimal care situation for babies either who really do need to be with a mother, with a consistent parent. They need that bonding. It can be pretty traumatic for a child, quite honestly, to be in a foster care, to move from place to place, and to not be able to be with their mother. They have to weigh that carefully.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: My heart goes out to these little tiny, angelic children. Gosh, who knows what they could face in the future.

Peggy in Washington, your question or thought, ma`am?

PEGGY, WASHINGTON: I just am amazed that no one has ever told the parents of Nadya that they`re really enabling her to do all of this. It`s never going to be over.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: I love that question.

PEGGY: They have to stop enabling her right now or they have to stop when they die, which won`t be too long probably.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: I agree with you 100 percent. I do believe that octo granny is co-dependent and needs to get some help for that.

DR. SALTZ: Jane, I would just add here that, you know, parents -- they often find themselves in this horrible, tough situation. Do they let their grandchildren, you know, fall along with this child who`s doing this? It`s so conflicted for a parent.

You see this with parents where the child is, you know, involved with alcohol and drugs. At what point do I just step away, tough love, let them fall? And you can see unfortunately the flip side, what enabling can do. And, you know, the terrible future that this is going to predict.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: It`s easy to say, hypothetically, don`t enable her, but when there`s six crying mouths, which there were before she had eight more, what are you going to do? You have to feed these grandchildren of yours.

If you`re outraged at octo-mom, well, guess what. The feeling is mutual. Listen to what she has to say to her critics and how she deflects her mom`s question.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANGELA SULEMAN, NADYA SULEMAN`S MOTHER: I mean, is 14 enough?

NADYA SULEMAN, MOTHER OF OCTUPLETS: Well, I don`t have any further embryos. I keep hearing the word responsibility -- this is enough. This isn`t a right. This is a responsibility. I have no choice. I have to delve completely into the role of motherhood.

I have to disagree with anyone who would have the audacity to say that any of these children should be adopted because I have more love for these children than I think -- well almost. I`m sure many parents would have just as much love. But this is something that I find to be really a joke.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Mary Margaret, what`s shocking is she doesn`t say absolutely no way, I would never have another child. She doesn`t say it that way.

MARY MARGARET: Right. That`s exactly what Angela`s concern was and echoes the concern of America is this feeling that she actually secretly enjoys the attention, even though she claims it impedes on her life at the same time, obviously she courts it in a way. That is something that, again, we have to watch since this is obviously a woman who seems like she might be imbalanced.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: I do feel that Dr. Phil hit the nail on the head when he said are you addicted to pregnancy. Even though she says she abhors being pregnant, the fact is there is an addictive component to her behavior. They say one drink isn`t enough, a thousand is too many.

It`s the same thing with her except instead of a drink, it`s a child. And it`s just bizarre. Stick around, more octo-mom drama in just moments.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Are you a big fan of Angelina?

N. SULEMAN: No. I`m actually not a fan of anybody. I don`t put people on pedestals.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. PHIL, HOST, "DR. PHIL" SHOW: If you don`t have the plans in place, you need to say so, so we can help. If you`re saying, "I`ve got it," people are going to say, "Hey, she`s got it."

N. SULEMAN: Not all of it. Not all of it.

DR. PHIL: But you don`t have it, do you?

N. SULEMAN: Not all of it. No. We`re working on it. It`s starting to look a lot more positive.

DR. PHIL: You don`t have the money. You don`t have the manpower, you don`t have the housing. You didn`t have a plan for these children. The plan that you had for the six that you have --

N. SULEMAN: Right.

DR. PHIL: -- is a substandard plan.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: There is Dr. Phil holding Nadya Suleman`s feet to the fire and confronting her with very important but tough questions about her lack of planning while she proceeds to have 14 children with no job, while she`s getting food stamps, while three of her kids are disabled and they`re getting disability payments. The list goes on and on.

Mary, what`s so astounding is that this organization called Angels in Waiting has been waiting for her to take them up on her offer to offer round the clock help with these kids. What`s going on?

MARY MARGARET: Right. Radar on line this morning talked exclusively to Gloria Allred who said that Angels in Waiting were ready and waiting to, as you said, offer round the clock care and also actually even give them a home to be in.

As radar online showed today, the standards that they live in right now are definitely substandard as Dr. Phil says. I mean, wall to wall are toys, and clothes are littered everywhere. It`s not a place that you want children to live in.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, she better take them up on that offer, I think, before the deadline because she knows the hospital may not release. If the hospital knew that Angels in Waiting was waiting there to take the kids, they might release the children. That would be a win-win for everybody, especially for the kids, which is -- they`re the people we care about the most.

Kelly burning, as a producer at TMZ, you are constantly covering these media storms. Have you ever seen anything like this in a case of this nature? We`ve seen media storms with murder trials but nothing like this.

BURNING: I think it started out kind of as sweet, everybody was like, "Octuplets, that`s so sweet." Then it was just like, "Wow, she has six other kids. She doesn`t have a job." So then it turned into kind of like we`re starting to question the fertility drugs, who should get them, brings up a lot of questions.

But, no. She`s the perfect candidate, very willing to talk to the media, loves the attention and she looks like Angelina Jolie.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: I don`t think Angelina Jolie would be too happy about that comparison. She`s one of the most beautiful women in the world.

But we`re out of time. Mary, Kelly, Dr. Saltz, thank you.

I`m Jane Velez-Mitchell. You`re watching "ISSUES."

END

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0902/25/ijvm.01.html

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0902/26/ijvm.01.html

ISSUES WITH JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL

Cops Search Dumpster Near Haleigh`s Home

Aired February 26, 2009 - 19:00:00 ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL, HOST (voice-over): Breaking news tonight. Out of Florida, in the desperate search for 5-year-old Haleigh Cummings, at this very moment as we speak, authorities are searching through a construction Dumpster. You`re looking at the live picture right now. Close to Haleigh`s Satsuma home, after a cadaver dog hit on this particular location.

This stunning development as investigators today took the search back to the scene of the crime, Haleigh`s home. Numerous officers plus seven cadaver dogs searched panels under neighborhood homes.

We`ve also learned that late this afternoon, Ron went back to the very trailer home where his little daughter disappeared to talk to investigators inside the trailer. Let`s go straight to the scene of this search.

Joining me by phone is our producer on the ground, Amy Doyle. What exactly are we looking at there? We have a live picture of a Dumpster and numerous people around it.

What is going on, Amy?

AMY DOYLE, CNN HEADLINE NEWS PRODUCER: Well, Jane, basically for the past two hours, investigators have been searching this Dumpster. They constructed the lights so they had better night vision. They are now -- they put out blue tarps about an hour ago. They are now taking piece by piece, trash, possible evidence, whatever, laying it out on -- laying it out on the tarps in front of them and sifting through it.

This has been by far the busiest day in the last week here, beginning with the cadaver search this morning. Investigators have been on scene all day long. We were tipped off by the captain at Putnam. He confirmed that this came in from a hit off of the cadaver dog today.

They are not saying whether it is human remains or animal remains, but there was a hit in this exact location. As of right now, we are standing by for any information coming out of the Putnam County sheriff`s office. Police are searching through this construction Dumpster and seeing what they can sift through.

So right now we are waiting in a holding pattern, trying to find out any more information at this time.

(CROSSTALK)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: I wanted to ask you about the families.

DOYLE: Yes. Both families are alerted and aware, as we are, that they are searching here. I did speak with Crystal Sheffield, mother of 5- year-old Haleigh Cummings, about five minutes ago. She says she was aware of this investigation. She said that they have gotten -- they have not called her with any information or any sign that they have found anything at this location as of yet. But she is on stand-by, waiting at any moment for any information that the sheriff`s office can give her.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Amy, I understand that the sheriff`s office wanted her DNA sample today. Did they get it? And is it possible that they wanted that DNA sample to match up with DNA that they have located there in the Dumpster or believe they will locate?

DOYLE: She did leave the grounds today around 1:30 this afternoon to go and give a DNA sample. When I talked to Putnam`s captain, Dick Shawlin (ph), he said this is routine, that Ron Cummings, the father of 5-year-old Haleigh, also gave his DNA at the beginning of this investigation. That this is routine. She did offer it willingly. And that it`s just taken a couple of weeks to get her in the office to give that DNA sample.

They have not concluded whether that DNA sample is linked to anything new in this investigation as far as this current search is concerned.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Why did they decide to come back here today and search around the home? They said that they weren`t going to do ground searches. They were only going to follow specific leads. Now, at first they had said this wasn`t a search that was based on a lead, but we`ve seen reports that possibly it was a tip-off from a neighbor. What do you know?

DOYLE: All I know from the captain, he said they have not confirmed that this was a tip. They are here directly in result to the cadaver dog finding something here of importance to the investigation. They said as soon as the cadaver dogs made a hit, they put together a team to come down to the ground and search this construction Dumpster.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, you are looking at it there. Teams working. Now, their process at this point, I assume, Amy, is going to be removing everything they don`t think is relevant from that Dumpster. Apparently, they`re bringing in another Dumpster to put next to it to put the irrelevant material in a second Dumpster and then find -- who knows what they`re going to find.

But obviously, they are looking for something that could be very tragic in terms of a find. We hope that that is not the case. We pray that this is a false positive and that this cadaver dog didn`t hit on little Haleigh.

But obviously, this is a huge, huge development in the case. And you can just see by the number of people there that this is something that is extraordinarily significant.

What, Amy, is the mood there right now? It must be quite somber.

DOYLE: It is extremely somber. Both camps are retreating to be with their family members at this time. Not one family member is out here on site at the search. They are reconvening with their family. It is very somber.

I was just up with Crystal Sheffield. She`s got a lot -- a huge support system there. I`m assuming Ron Cummings does, as well. There`s probably about 20 to 25 people gathered up at the mother`s camp right now, all praying. They`re starting to light the vigil candles. Everybody is hoping that this is a false positive lead.

However, you know, Crystal said that she`s just waiting, standing by her phone for any kind of tip that the sheriff`s department can give her. Although at this time, she knows as much as we do, Jane. She`s sitting there desperately wanting to know if this has anything to do with the disappearance of her daughter.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Teresa Neves, Ronald`s mom, said she had asked authorities numerous times to search this area and was reportedly told that they had. So why didn`t this come up sooner? Did they search this area but without cadaver dogs?

DOYLE: Well, all we know right now, Jane, is that the cadaver dogs today directly linked to this search that we are seeing right this minute. They started. Investigators were on scene around 5 p.m. They set up the whole scene. They blocked it off, brought in the lights, brought in the tarp, brought in the gloves, and have been picking through piece by piece for the last two hours of anything that`s remotely significant. Trash, trash bags. They are rummaging through whatever they possibly can to see if anything is leading to any tips in Haleigh`s disappearance.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Amy, stand by.

Now I want to turn the conversation over to my panel. Steve Kardian, former criminal investigator; Debbie Magids, psychologist; plus Jayne Weintraub, criminal defense attorney; and Scott Johnson, reporter with WJXT.

Scott, the question I think that would be an everybody`s mind is, one, are these cadaver dogs human specific or do they just hit on remains that could be human remains or animal remains? Do you know anything specific about these particular cadaver dogs?

SCOTT JOHNSON, REPORTER, WJXT: I have been looking into that. We have heard from one of the people who had a dog out here -- I don`t know if it`s a specific dog that found this, but that person did tell us that these are human-specific cadaver dogs.

But I`ve also heard two stories here. A different person with the investigating agency out here says the dog could have noticed an animal. So it`s really something that we haven`t gotten a clear, concise answer on yet. Could the dog have noticed an animal? Could it have noticed human remains? Could it have noticed a used bandage? That was another thing that was speculated.

So a lot of questions out here as we sit and watch, as you were saying. It`s gone on for around two hours now, as we try and determine what exactly this dog noticed. They say there`s definitely something here, and they will probably be here throughout the night until they found something. We just don`t know what it is.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, Scott, we`re about 17 days into this search.

JOHNSON: Yes.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Have they searched that area before? And if they did, did they use dogs?

JOHNSON: I don`t know if they used dogs. They have definitely searched that area before. Dogs have been out here earlier in the investigation. They brought them back out today, because they say that is standard procedure. It wasn`t on any leads. And then this came up.

I don`t know if they took -- went into this Dumpster specifically, but they have been around this area all over in past days. So if this was something that would have been put in the Dumpster recently or not, we can only speculate. Police will eventually have to answer that question.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: And, Scott, let`s just get, before we go to the rest of our panel, the big picture here. Because this was one of numerous developments. They brought Misty, the girlfriend, who was the last adult to see little Haleigh before her disappearance, in for more questioning. They`ve talked to Ron.

JOHNSON: Yes.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: They sought a DNA sample from Haleigh`s mom.

JOHNSON: That`s right.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: There was a convergence. There was a convergence of activity. So what do you think they knew before they got this hit?

JOHNSON: We don`t know. But it was interesting to see so many things going on. But a lot of these things that I`ve been told prior to the dog - - what the dog noticed were standard protocol. The mom going in for the DNA test is standard. They say they just hadn`t gotten around to bringing her in yet.

They did talk to Ronald Cummings earlier today, investigators did. We don`t know what that conversation consisted of.

But a lot of the things that have gone on up until the dog finding this, I`m told, have been standard protocol. Before this, they said, "We don`t really have any new leads for you." So this has been the first concrete thing I`ve seen in days. We`ll have to wait and see how it pans out.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, Steve Kardian, former criminal investigator, we`ve been hearing for days now everyone`s a suspect. They haven`t eliminated anyone as a suspect. We also wondered whether this could be a stranger abduction. What does all of this tell you, not necessarily in terms of an individual, but where this investigation is headed?

STEVE KARDIAN, FORMER CRIMINAL INVESTIGATOR: Well, Jane, based upon the statistical data that we have, we know that less than one half of 1 percent of actual childhood abductions are non-custodial. So that would indicate that it`s someone that knows the child.

With regard to the dogs hitting on that Dumpster, I spent a number of days at 9/11, as did many thousands of other police officers, behind the cadaver dogs. And my conversations that I had with those dog handlers were very vivid in the nature of that, and they are human remains specific. They are trained to detect human remains and to -- to detect disguises by someone that may be trying to hide the element of a body.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, certainly, we hope and pray that this is a false positive. We all want little Haleigh to come home alive. And there have been examples of false positives.

But, Jayne Weintraub, you`ve done so many cases, and you`re so experienced. You look at this. You think also of little Caylee Anthony, found right near her family home. It seems that there`s a certain predictability or pattern to these cases as they unfold.

JAYNE WEINTRAUB, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: And you`re absolutely right, Jane. There are.

No. 1, the fact that the dad gave the DNA last week also tells you it is protocol to have DNA. Why? God forbid. It`s called in case there`s an identification of remains that are unidenfiable.

KARDIAN: Yes, Jane...

WEINTRAUB: I hate to say that, but that`s why they ask for it, No. 1.

No. 2, you`ll notice in this case, unlike in the Casey Anthony case, the police have kept everything very close to the vest. We don`t know if there were hair fibers left on the bed. We don`t know if there were fingerprints on the entry. We don`t know if there were footprints on the outside in the mudded area. We don`t know, because it hasn`t been released.

All we can really hope and pray is that it`s an Elizabeth Smart case. She will come safely home. And that`s what we`ll have.

Perhaps the Dumpster hit -- I agree with Steve. It`s usually just live remains hit, but it could be blood on a skin coming off that was bandaged up in an Ace bandage and a gauze piece. Something like that. But it is definitely human blood that the dog is smelling.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, you`re absolutely right. It could be that maybe this child injured herself on the way out and, somehow, that ended up in the Dumpster. Let`s hope.

Everybody, hang tight. Lots of stunning developments to analyze. We will have much more on this breaking news. Cops frantically searching a Dumpster near little Haleigh`s home after cadaver dogs hit on that Dumpster. You`re looking at a live shot.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Breaking news tonight. Cops search a Dumpster near Haleigh Cummings` home. You`ve been looking at live pictures of the work they are doing right now. I am back with my panel.

And I am also here with a very extraordinary guest, Marie Griffis, Haleigh`s maternal grandmother.

Marie, thank you for joining us. I know this is an extraordinarily difficult time for you. And I just want you to know that our hearts go out to you and your entire family. Our prayers are that this is a false positive and that little Haleigh is OK.

What were you told? I understand the family got some phone calls. Tell us all about that.

MARIE GRIFFIS, HALEIGH`S GRANDMOTHER: My husband had called me. He said he saw it on the news that the cadaver dogs were -- hit on a Dumpster. And it`s showing it right here on HLN right now, that they`ve got all the garbage dug out on the ground. And it`s just -- I don`t know.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Did you get any calls from authorities?

GRIFFIS: No. I haven`t heard from authorities in over a week. They haven`t said -- they haven`t contacted us and said anything.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: OK. Because we had gotten reports, published reports, that the families had received phone calls from authorities. But perhaps the phone calls were from other people who had just heard this watching the news.

Your daughter, the mother of Haleigh, was asked to give a DNA sample today. I`m just curious as to the timing of that. Did that -- did you...

KARDIAN: I`m still here, yes.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: ... was that scheduled or was that something that might have been because they found something and they wanted to have DNA available to possibly do some kind of match?

GRIFFIS: I don`t really know. Crystal had a doctor`s appointment at 2 today. And they still hadn`t showed up to pick her up or come by and get the sample. So they went to the doctor`s office where she was and retrieved the sample.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Marie, do you think this was just a random search that didn`t come from a tip or any inside information on the part of investigators, and they just happened to hit this Dumpster today where the cadaver dog got a positive hit? Or do you think they knew something that drove them back to that trailer?

GRIFFIS: I think as far as using the cadaver dogs that they maybe just -- it`s been over two weeks now since she went missing. I think they just brought the cadaver dogs back in so that they could just check out the area.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, you`re pretty...

GRIFFIS: In case there was something...

VELEZ-MITCHELL: You`re pretty familiar with this area. Have they searched this area where this Dumpster is before? And how far is it from the trailer, your understanding?

GRIFFIS: Well, from what I understand, it`s right back here where the command center was at one time. I`m not for sure. I haven`t climbed up and looked yet.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: I heard something like two-tenths of a mile away from the trailer where little Haleigh disappeared.

GRIFFIS: Huh. Where is the Dumpster at? Yes. Yes. Oh, OK. It`s over by the marina. They`re telling me it`s over by the marina down here. It`s not far from the trailer, if you cut through these yards and stuff.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Marie, I know your family is involved now in just huddling together and praying. Tell us how you are doing right now emotionally. What are you doing to stay strong emotionally?

GRIFFIS: Praying. Relying on God to give me the strength that I need. Because without him, I wouldn`t -- I wouldn`t be able to stand and go through this. And -- and the faith that I feel knowing that God has laid it on my heart that Haleigh is fine and...

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, I pray and hope that you`re right.

GRIFFIS: Yes. I just -- I mean, all I can do is rely on God to return her home to us. And I feel like, you know, that`s what he`s letting me know is that he`s -- he`s sending her back. It`s just going to be in his time.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Marie, I want to thank you so much for joining us. And again, our hearts go out to you. And stay strong. Thank you very much, Marie.

Let`s get back to my panel. Debbie Magids, psychologist, what is this family going through right now? I can`t even comprehend.

DEBBIE MAGIDS, PSYCHOLOGIST: Jane, it`s probably the most intolerable pain one can experience. You know, when a parent has a child and they experience every pain that child has when they`re missing. There`s no closure. You don`t know what`s happening. You don`t know if your child is suffering. The grief is unbelievable.

And this family is actually doing it right. They`re relying on community. They`re relying on prayer, higher power, to get them through the pain because it really is indescribable.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: It is. Scott Johnson, take us through the day, because there was such a momentous day in terms of a lot of developments. Was it coincidence, do you think, or is there a pattern here that shows that police knew something?

JOHNSON: I can only speculate, but this is the first thing that seems concrete to me. There had been things earlier in the day, such as Crystal Sheffield, the mother, giving a DNA test, which I am told was standard protocol.

They brought out the cadaver dogs earlier in the day. I`m told they were brought out just as another routine check. I do want to point out something I wasn`t sure of earlier. The cadaver dogs have checked this Dumpster before, and they didn`t find anything. So this is a first. They`re back here, and they did find something this time. We only don`t know what that is.

Another thing that came up earlier today was Ronald Cummings, the father, was talking to investigators at the home. We don`t know what that conversation consisted of at this point. Investigators haven`t let that out. But there are a lot of questions about things that went on throughout the day that seem like they were routine checks. This is their first concrete thing to happen that we`ve seen in a while in this investigation.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right, Scott, thank you so much. Everyone, stay right there. More breaking news in the search for Haleigh Cummings.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Breaking news tonight as cops search a Dumpster. You are looking at a live picture of that search near Haleigh Cummings` home. I am back with my panel.

Steve Kardian, how do they go through this Dumpster to find important evidence without destroying something in the process? You see all of these people around this Dumpster. This has got to be very, very detailed and careful work, right?

KARDIAN: Yes, Jane. They`re going to go through, they`re looking specifically for anything that might pop out at them such as the decomposition of a body or a body part. They`re going to secure that evidence as evidence. They`re going to retain anything and everything. They`re going to take it to a secure location, in all likelihood, go through that again and again forensically and look for any additional evidence that may be present.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: How do you account for the fact that cadaver dogs were there before and didn`t hit?

KARDIAN: That`s a hard one, Jane. It`s possible the body wasn`t there. Take a look at the Casey/Caylee Anthony case.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: We don`t know it`s a body yet. And let`s hope. So let`s be careful.

KARDIAN: Right, yes. But take a look at the Casey/Caylee Anthony case and how many times that the body had been moved. So it`s possible that it hadn`t been there prior to today.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, in the Caylee Anthony case, we don`t necessarily know that the body had been moved once it got to the scene of the remains. We know that many people had gone there, visited there, called about that location and tried to get the authorities down there to look at that location, including meter reader Roy Kronk. And they never quite got there to find the remains, so Roy Kronk went back several months later and found them himself, which is just -- it`s a stunning, stunning turn of events. And of course, all of this is happening, I think, just about 70 miles away from that tragedy, which is -- is truly extraordinary.

Jane Weintraub, what happens now in terms of what this sheriff`s department says? Are we going to have a long wait as they analyze tiny little pieces of DNA to see if there`s anything here? Or will they undoubtedly have some kind of a news conference and say, "Hey, here`s what we know"?

WEINTRAUB: I hope they don`t, because I think if they have a news conference, it will be saying that they found something that we don`t want to hear about and that it`s part of a body. I hope that they keep going and that they keep finding, you know, more clues, and they return her safely.

What do I really think will happen? They will not say a word. I don`t think that they will release anything. They haven`t yet. They`ve kept it very close to the vest. And they`re avoiding all the pitfalls we saw in Caylee Anthony`s investigation. I do not think they`re going to get up there and say, "We haven`t seen this" or "we haven`t seen that." And I think it would be a mistake to do that.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, Jayne, we`re looking at a live picture of more than half a dozen, almost a dozen people standing around, obviously investigators talking and huddling. What are they talking about right now, would you gather?

WEINTRAUB: I would gather that they`re thinking, where else would something have been thrown away? Where else could a specific specimen -- I, personally, believe, based on my experience that they have a tip, that they have a reason to have gone back with the cadaver dogs again. You don`t go back with cadaver dogs within three days for no reason. You go back there because something was said to you.

And either they found something that they haven`t told us about yet from the house of identification means, or maybe it`s within a very tight perimeter. But they heard something, and now they`re trying to figure out, should they try to talk to somebody again, go re-interview somebody? Or should they just shut it down, bring back what they have, start the lab work?

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, it`s interesting. As you were talking, a very, very heated conversation was happening. And of course, we can`t listen in, but you`re very experienced, Jayne. Thank you.

We are staying on top of this. New details flooding in on this desperate search in the Dumpster. We`re going to be back with the very latest from the scene in just moments.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: You are looking at a live picture of a desperate search through a dumpster only two-tenths of a mile from where little Haleigh Cummings lived and where she was abducted from about 17 days ago. A cadaver dog has hit on this dumpster. We all hope and pray that it`s a false positive and that Haleigh is ok somewhere. But obviously from the teams of investigators who have converged on the scene, we know that something extremely momentous has happened.

Amy Doyle, you are our producer on the ground. You`ve been walking around talking to people. What have you learned in the last few minutes?

AMY DOYLE, HLN PRODUCER: In the last few minutes, no family members have still come down here. There`s hustle and bustle as far as news camera crews, helicopters have just arrived on scene. What has been -- what is interesting to notice is I am standing right here in front of this fence.

And I can see the family -- the Ronald Cummings family tent -- and it`s about one football field away from the house where Haleigh was allegedly abducted. I could walk there in about 60 seconds each direction so it`s smack dab in the middle of this investigation.

So investigators have been driving up and down; we`ve seen some sheriff vehicles. But nobody is commenting to the media at this time. Right now it`s being a little bit louder because all the helicopters are starting to come in. This is just the latest developments (INAUDIBLE) Jane.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Amy, give us a time line. Because we`re trying to understand how everything was connected today; talking to Misty, talking to Ron. Give us a time line of the key developments throughout the day and what time they occurred.

DOYLE: Absolutely, Jane.

And I was on scene this morning about 10:00 a.m. Around 1:00, Crystal Sheffield was at the family tent. Investigators have been here all day long. This is the first day all week that we`ve seen so much activity.

They`ve been driving in and out of the scene. Around 4:30 this afternoon, I noticed investigators talking to Ronald Cummings out in front of his family tent. At that time, they drove down to the taped-off crime scene. Where moments later, Ronald followed in his truck and met up with investigators at the scene.

Two detectives or two investigators walked into the house at the scene of the crime. Misty was with him. She stayed in the car, remained there. An unidentified man was also in the vehicle with Ronald and Misty. That was about 4:30. They would not comment to the media at that time.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: And when did the cadaver dogs hit information come out? In other words were they talking to Ron before the cadaver dog hit or after?

DOYLE: Before; about 30 minutes before we noticed some activity behind this fence. Now, Jane, as you can see, this fence, I mean, it is a ten-foot-tall fence. So some investigators got behind that fence before we even noticed that there was any activity.

By the time we got here, though, there were six to eight investigators on scene, taking photographs before they even remotely touched a thing; photographing the entire scene from start to finish, top to bottom, inside, around the ground. At that point is when they first laid down the blue tarp, put on the gloves and started picking through it.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Now, you could see the fence at the bottom of the screen. Because at first when you said fence, I wasn`t sure what you were talking about. But you actually see the fencing at the bottom of the scene.

So you`re saying that on this side of the fence is where the tents are that the families have set up and right on the other side of the fence is where this dumpster is. This is extraordinary that it`s all happening in such a close proximity.

DOYLE: Correct. The only way that the actual camera crews can get the shot is to be on top of their vehicles at this time. This fence is extremely tall.

So the activity that we first noticed bustling around was around 5:00 p.m. How long they were actually behind the fence before anybody actually saw, we don`t know at this time.

But there were no sheriff`s vehicles parked in front of the fence at the time when they first started searching.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right, Amy.

Steve, what do investigators do next? Do they start looking in the area further out? But they`ve already done that. I`m perplexed as to what their next step is going to be.

STEVE KARDIAN, FMR. CRIMINAL INVESTIGATOR: Well, Jane, they -- the crime scene, the immediate crime scene, is there in the dumpster and it`s going to work outward from there.

And just to clarify something, by all the activity, it may be indicative that they did receive a tip, but it also wouldn`t be uncommon for them to come back, you know, days after this event, more than two weeks, and have this be a recovery search for Haleigh.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: So are we going to have to wait weeks for some kind of DNA testing if they find something that looks suspicious or looks like an article of children`s clothing?

KARDIAN: It`ll take at least that long to obtain DNA evidence and samples from the forensic experts.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Now, your guess, and just a yes or no answer, do you think they have a theory as to how this case went down? And I don`t want to hear you`re theory but do you think they`re operating on a theory at this point?

KARDIAN: I believe that they are.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes.

Steve, I agree with you. Thank you so much. And we`re going to check in with Amy in a little bit.

I want to turn now to the legal wrangling going on just about 70 miles away in Orlando, Florida tonight, as Casey Anthony sits behind bars right now, charged with murdering her daughter.

A defamation suit against her is creating a firestorm of controversy. A judge`s ruling gives the attorney for her parents George and Cindy 20 days to prove they are two emotionally distressed to be deposed by attorneys for Zenaida Gonzales, her name of course, forever linked with the infamous Zanny the nanny, the woman Casey insists took Caylee.

Then there is Casey`s brother Lee Anthony, he is set to face a grilling by the Gonzalez camp tomorrow morning. His attorney says Lee has nothing to hide and will be there.

But if the media is there, will that still apply? Zenaida`s lawyers told me there is not much that he can do about it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN MORGAN, ATTORNEY FOR ZENAIDA GONZALEZ: Well, I can`t stop the media from coming. What I would recommend that they do is to get a protective order from the court to stop the media from coming.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right, the thing is he can do something about it. I`m going to tell you what that is in just a moment.

Meantime, the criminal case against Casey may not be quite the slam dunk prosecutors would have us believe it is. The "Orlando Sentinel" reports it`s still a dog fight to sort through all of this.

My expert panel: William Sheaffer (ph), a criminal defense attorney and legal analyst for WF-TV in Orlando; investigative reporter, Leslie Snadowsky; and Jonathan Kasen, Casey Anthony`s civil attorney.

Jonathan, some people say this defamation suit against your client, Casey, should be moved to after her criminal trial. Why has there been no legal ruling on that issue yet?

JONATHAN KASEN, CASEY ANTHONY`S CIVIL ATTORNEY: Well, good evening, Jane. Good to see you again or good to speak to you again.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes.

KASEN: We had filed a motion probably two months ago, a motion to either stay or defer the civil matter until the resolution of the criminal case. Judge Gonzalez, for whatever the reason, or it should be Judge Rodriguez I apologize -- for whatever the reason denied the request and allowed the lawyers for Zenaida Gonzales to submit written questions in lieu of a deposition.

So I`m not entirely sure why the judge ruled in the way that he did. It seems to me pretty obvious that she can`t answer questions during the pendency (ph) of a criminal investigation and a subsequent trial.

William Sheaffer, you`re a legal analyst. Now, the attorney for Zenaida Gonzales says I can`t stop the media from showing up. Nonsense. As a reporter who has tried to get in to depositions, I`ve had those depositions locations moved on me three times in one day so that they could avoid me getting the shot of the person going in for that deposition.

Couldn`t he just make it a secret location?

WILLIAM SHEAFFER, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Sure they could make it a secret location and under Florida law, however, the press does have the right to be present at the deposition.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, that`s -- that`s fascinating to me. So they can just march in with their cameras and roll videotape while Lee is being interrogated?

SHEAFFER: Absolutely. Again, under Florida Law, they have the right to do that and that`s what all the legal wrangling is about now. And that`s the basis upon which George and Cindy Anthony have said, look, this is too emotional of an experience for us. And, therefore, since the media is going to be there, we shouldn`t be required to, in fact, attend this deposition at this time.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: So Jonathan Kasen, if Lee doesn`t show up because the media is there or if he sees the media and turn on a seals and leaves, which what his attorney says he`s going to do just that, could he be held in contempt?

KASEN: Interesting question. He could be if in fact the judge felt that he was doing something to subvert justice. If the situation where -- if he goes there and feels that he is going there simple to be put up as a sacrificial lamb for Mr. Morgan`s deposition then he has some legal grounds on which to argue to the judge that hey, I was there, I made a good faith basis to be there, a good faith effort to show up, answer questions, and they turned it into a media circus.

I would also add that it`s not entirely accurate that the media just showed up. Mr. Morgan reached out to a number of avenues in the media and asked them to show up. I know that because three different reporters called me and said, "Mr. Morgan is inviting us to the depositions. Do you have a comment on that?"

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Now, the Anthonys got a reprieve yesterday as we`ve been saying, when the judge gave them almost three weeks to turn over evidence showing they`re two distraught to be grilled under oath.

Here`s what the attorney for Zenaida Gonzalez said after that emergency hearing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KEITH MITNIK, ATTORY FOR ZENAIDA FERNANDEZ-GONZALEZ: We`re going to get these depositions. People are going to have to go under oath. I don`t know why no one wants to go under oath. But we`re going to get them under oath. I`d love it tomorrow but its coming. It`s coming.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Now, listen to what Cindy and George`s lawyer had to say about all of this. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BRAD CONWAY, ANTHONY FAMILY ATTORNEY: They will answer the questions they need to I think at the right time. And certainly under the right circumstances, that was the main goal here is to avoid a circus.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: But, Leslie Snadowsky, it`s more like postponing a circus.

The point is what is the criteria for not showing up at a deposition? Do you have any idea now that you`ve researched this? Can people just say, you know, I`m depressed and distraught and I`m not going to show up because it would be too much? Put me through the emotional ringer.

LESLIE SNADOWSKY, INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER: Well, it sounds that way for Brad Conway. And that`s what he successfully argued and the judge said, ok. I`ll give you 20 days to prove it and the Anthony`s have to come in with essentially a doctor`s note excusing them from the depositions or something that proves that they`re seeking psychological counseling.

And as you mentioned, Lee Anthony -- he`s all set to go tomorrow. But again, one media outlet did reported that if the media shows up for that deposition, Thomas Luka, his attorney, is going to take him and say we`re walking and not do the deposition.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Wow. It`s such a dramatic case. And tomorrow is going to be a huge day. We`re going to have to see how it unfolds.

Jonathan, William, and Leslie, thank you so much.

And we will have an update on the search of that dumpster near Haleigh Cummings` home right after the break.

There, you are looking at a live picture. Cops have been searching that dumpster since a cadaver dog hit on it earlier today. This case is just experiencing stunning developments tonight. And we`re going to tell you all them.

Don`t go away.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: You are looking at live pictures from Satsuma, Florida. The search of a dumpster less than a mile away from the home where little Haleigh Cummings disappeared more than two weeks ago. This search entering a crucial phase; it was prompted by an alert given by a cadaver dog just a few hours ago.

I want to check in once again with our producer on the ground, Amy Doyle. Amy, I understand they`ve brought in another dumpster. Tell us about that.

AMY DOYLE, HLN PRODUCER: Correct, Jane. I just climbed on top of a vehicle so I could get a better bird`s eye-view. It appeared to be an empty dumpster. The same size as the construction dumpster they have been searching through. No material has been brought in or put in that as of yet. We`re still waiting.

Right now what you cannot see off camera, to the right about 50 feet over there, there is a clump of investigators just sitting around talking. I can only imagine what they`re talking about at this time.

The new material has been brought in. One thing that`s extremely crucial, Theresa Nevus, the paternal grandmother of little Haleigh Cummings, has just alerted us that the families have been told to stay at their respective places and to not come down here with all of the mayhem going on right now. So they`re sitting right now watching all of this break and are not supposed to be down here. They were told by police authorities they would update them. But they are staying at their camp at this time.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Marie Griffiths, Crystal -- the mother of little Haleigh`s mother -- so Haleigh`s grandmother told us that she did not get a call from law enforcement telling her or the family about this particular development. But we`d also heard reports that the family did get phone calls informing them of this development. How do you -- how do you -- deal with this discrepancy?

(CROSS TALK)

DOYLE: Moments ago, Theresa Nevus did alert us that they were told to stay at their respective places right now and to not come down here with all of the activity that is going on.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Do you think when they brought Ron in to the trailer they were telling him about this? Or was it too early? Was the cadaver dog hit after they were talking to Ron? I understand you said it was, but it just seems like there`s too much coincidence.

There`s too much that happened today. Re-interviewing misty, bringing Ron to the trailer, getting the DNA sample, doing the ground search, and all of this happening in the same area; they`ve talked to Ron many times. They didn`t talk to him in the trailer before.

DOYLE: Jane, I have not witnessed them talking to Ron in the trailer before today. Although I have been here a week, that`s the first time I`ve seen that happen. Although I have seen investigators briefing Ron Cummings and his family on a daily basis; they seem to have a very good relationship as far as maintaining updates.

When I spoke to the lead investigator, John Merchant (ph) he told me that he`s been giving daily updates to Ronald Cummings -- both sides of the families -- but making sure that everybody is up to speed on where they are in the investigation as of date.

Now, with the fence so tall, those investigators could have been here earlier and nobody paid attention because they were guarded by this fence. Nobody was alerted because there was sheriff`s people out here. What might have happened is they were on the other side of the fence. Of course, the media has been kept on the other side of the fence.

But they could have been investigating --

(CROSS TALK)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Amy, we`re going to check in with you once again a little bit later, but you can see a heated discussion going on right now; a lot of huddling with the investigators. Very significant talk, I am sure.

Amy, thank you so much.

We will be keeping a very close eye on this search; we`re going to bring you any news as it breaks.

Now to the latest from Nadya Suleman: tonight, octo-mom fighting back, but Dr. Phil pulled no punches during part two of his interview with this mother of 14.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. PHIL MCGRAW, HOST, "DR. PHIL SHOW": Do you acknowledge that that choice was wrong?

NADYA SULEMAN, MOTHER OF OCTUPLETS: I do. I do.

DR. PHIL: Ok. I mean, that`s huge for me. I think it`s huge for people in America.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Today also marks the deadline for octo-mom to accept a generous offer from the Angels in Waiting Foundation. The California- based group offered the mother of 14 free housing, counseling, medical services for at least six months.

As the deadline looms, another group has emerged to help out octo-mom. Just who are these mystery women? We`re going to find out in just a second.

Meanwhile, octo-mom`s quest for a home for her family continues as do her fears that her eight babies won`t be released from the hospital. Is her house up to snuff? You be the judge when we give you a videotaped inside look at octo-mom`s house. And I`m going to be taking your calls in a bit.

But first, my expert panel: Mary Margaret from radar.com, back with us; psychologist Debbie Magids; and host of "Showbiz Tonight" A.J. Hammer. Thanks, guys. We`ve had a lot of breaking news tonight so thank you for your patience.

A.J., as all the new video of Nadya Suleman pours in, does she give new meaning to the term overexposed if she has any hopes of making an entertainment deal in the future?

A.J. HAMMER, HOST, "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT": Yes. I mean, this is one of the things that we`re going to be talking about on "Showbiz Tonight." Is it working for her or against her, the fact that she is going on so many shows and talking about what`s going on?

Going on Dr. Phil, it may have been an opportunity for her to set the record straight. But in my mind, Jane, what she really needs to do is spend less time worrying about what other people think of her and maybe more time focusing on what she`s going to do for these eight babies.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Absolutely.

Mary Margaret, you were the ones who scooped everybody getting an inside look, videotape look inside the Suleman home. And I watched that video clip on radaronline. And it -- it did seem to me that yes, it was messy, but I wouldn`t say it was slovenly.

And one thing I noticed is that the kids -- there you see one of them -- they seemed very happy. The older children did seem happy and well balanced.

Your thoughts?

MARY MARGARET, RADAR ONLINE: Well, of course, the house is obviously appropriate for the family size that they had before the octuplets. She mentioned that there`s a very large backyard where the kids can roam free and there`s a lot of love in this household.

But again, there`s eight more children and even though it`s not slovenly, at the same time, it is messy. There is chaos, there is disorder and you just can`t bring eight more babies into that household.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Dr. Phil made a great point when he said you should never have a child to fill a void within yourself. Given her whole complaint about being an only child, isn`t that precisely what she`s done?

MARY MARGARET: Yes. Exactly -- sorry.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Ok. Well, guess what? I`m going to answer that question myself because we`re just about of time. Yes, that is precisely what she has done.

Stay right there everyone. We`re going to be back in just a minute with more on octo-mom.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: You are looking at a live picture from Satsuma, Florida. It is day 17 since precious little Haleigh Cummings disappeared in the middle of the night from her double wide trailer. And this afternoon, momentous developments as a cadaver dog hit on a dumpster.

You`re looking at the dumpster right there to the left and they`re setting up a new dumpster on the right to take the refuse that is not relevant from the dumpster where the cadaver dog hit and put it in the second dumpster so that they can analyze all of this evidence. The question is, was it really little Haleigh? Or was it a false positive?

The families, both sides of little Haleigh`s family, huddling and praying right now staying away from this area. They were told don`t come down because the emotions are so high at this moment, these investigators have some very grueling, very tough, really unpleasant heart-wrenching work to do right now and they`re very focused. Again, the big question is, is it Haleigh? And we pray that it`s not.

We will stay on top of this story, obviously, and we`ll cover it tomorrow as well here on "ISSUES."

All right. We`re back with the other big news of the day and that is the octo-mom drama.

A.J. Hammer, could next week be a huge week in that when infants reach 35 weeks they can sometimes leave the hospital if they`re healthy enough and they`re reportedly going to hit that 35-week point next week.

HAMMER: Yes. It will be a big week, but everyone is waiting to see what the hospital says because apparently before the hospital is willing to release the infants they want to have a good look inside Nadya Suleman`s home and see if it`s okay. If everything is set; if it`s good and we`ve seen some of those photographs inside the house, it may not be ready.

And Jane, I`m still trying to figure out what kind of a vehicle is she going to get? That`s how Detroit can turn the car industry around. Come up with the right car for the 14 kids.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: I think it`s a bus is what she`s looking for.

HAMMER: At least.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Mary Margaret, in terms of all the videos and the interviews that you`ve done with this family, what strikes you as the most bizarre? We understand that now there`s a new group of women who are offering to help Nadya Suleman, a mystery group from the school?

MARY MARGARET: I think, you know, your first question would strike me as most bizarre and I think we discussed in the past few days and you brought it up, Jane, a day or two ago is the difference between her perceived reality and what actually is reality. In her mind she has enough resources. She`s going to be enterprising enough to accumulate the resources to take care of 14 children on her own when in reality that`s not true.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: That`s it. Got to go. Thanks for joining us tonight.

END

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0902/26/ijvm.01.html

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0902/26/ng.01.html

NANCY GRACE

Cadaver Dogs Added to Search for Haleigh

Aired February 26, 2009 - 20:00:00 ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

NANCY GRACE, HOST: Tonight, breaking news, Satsuma, Florida. A 5- year-old little girl tucked into bed, five hours later, she`s gone, vanished into thin air, the back door propped wide open. The father comes home from the night shift to find not a single trace of little Haleigh.

Bombshell tonight. Multiple teams of dogs, dogs specially trained to find human remains, spend the entire day re-searching dense woods around the home where little Haleigh disappears. Specialized cadaver K-9s brought in to join the search for Haleigh, this at least the third time the same area is searched, but now again with cadaver dogs. Why now? What do police know?

As dogs continue to search, the family, desperate to find their little girl, releases new home video, hoping to spark tips to find Haleigh. And while members of little Haleigh`s immediate and extended family have taken multiple polygraphs and stated they passed, lead investigators say no one - - repeat, no one -- has been cleared.

We confirm the girlfriend/baby-sitter with Haleigh the night she disappears back today for police questioning. It goes on for hours, this at least the fourth time Misty Croslin has been interrogated. Police sifting through over 2,000 tips, but can Haleigh`s 4-year-old little brother ID the kidnapper? The boy, ostensibly sleeping with his sister when she`s snatched, describing a grown man taking Haleigh in the middle of the night, a man dressed entirely in black.

And what about the mystery vehicle seized for evidence? Investigators still not divulging the make, model or ownership. As local police refuse to scale back the search and DNA is taken from the bio mom, tonight, where is 5-year-old Haleigh?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Breaking developments in the case of 5-year-old Florida girl Haleigh Cummings, who police believe was kidnapped from her own bed. Authorities, including cadaver dogs, are out searching near Haleigh`s home today for any clues into the child`s disappearance.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Our main focus is finding Haleigh Cummings and getting her home to her family.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Police say they`re continuing to follow up on the nearly 2,000 leads that have come in so far. That includes the four Haleigh sightings that investigators say have all turned out to be false.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: While the search goes on, Putnam County officers are once again interviewing 17-year-old girlfriend Misty Croslin. Croslin, who was sleeping in the same room as Haleigh, was the last person to see the child before she was taken in the middle of the night.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I just want everybody to know that I didn`t do anything to that little girl! I loved her like she`s my own, and I`ll do anything to get her back!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Also today, Haleigh`s family released home video showing little Haleigh opening Christmas presents. The family hopes this new video may trigger the tip that could lead them towards finding Haleigh.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If she hears this, Haleigh, I love you and I miss you. And we will bring you home, and I will be right here waiting on you when you get home. I love you!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: And tonight, a 14-year-old California girl on her way to school 7:00 AM vanishes into thin air -- a model student, loves to read, excited about purchasing a little lamb for Future Farmers of America. Police combing cell phone records, text messages just moments before the 14-year-old disappears without a trace.

Bombshell tonight. Is a dangerous Friday the 13th prank behind Amber`s disappearance? Her family and their PI piecing together the puzzle as best they can. And a new, disturbing theory emerges involving three recent kidnapping incidents near where Amber goes missing. Are they related? Amber`s mother and father both with us, asking for your help. Tonight, where is 14-year-old Amber Dubois?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If she was abducted and kidnapped, she can be anywhere. Anywhere.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: California authorities are desperately searching for clues in the case of 14-year-old Amber Dubois, last seen the day before Valentine`s Day. A private investigator hired by the family says that Amber may have been the target of a cruel prank. PI Bill Garcia (ph) says because the day Amber went missing was Friday the 13th, it`s possible that either someone that knew Amber or knew of Amber may have targeted her.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When you have a relationship like our family has - - we`re very, very close -- you know, she`s not the type of girl to run away and then not come back to face the music, you know? She has no reason to run away.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Garcia has still not ruled out the theory of Amber being abducted by strangers, while the family holds out hope that any new tip could help find Amber.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I go to bed at night and just wake up and hope she`s going to be here. And she`s not!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: Good evening. I`m Nancy Grace. I want to thank you for being with us. Tonight, multiple teams of dogs specially trained to find human remains spend the entire day re-searching dense woods surrounding the home where little Haleigh disappears. Specialized K-9s brought in to join the search for Haleigh, this at least the third time the same area searched, but now again with cadaver dogs. Why now? What do police know?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Over 2,000 tips have been received in the case of 5-year-old Haleigh Cummings, who police say was abducted in the middle of the night. Law enforcement officials, as well as cadaver dogs, are out searching the area around the home where Haleigh was taken today.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Police have now received more than 2,000 tips, and at least four have been sightings of girls who look like Haleigh. The sightings have been reported in Tennessee, St. Augustine, Colorado and Indiana. But deputies say, and family members agree, it is not their little girl.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Meanwhile, the 17-year-old girlfriend of Haleigh`s father, Misty Croslin, is being questioned by police again. Croslin says she woke up in the middle of the night on February 11th and Haleigh was gone.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Did you take a polygraph?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I did. But I`m not supposed to talk about that. They told me not talk about that.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: But you did...

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, I did take a polygraph.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And you passed it.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My understanding is that I passed it, yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The family, hoping to trigger more tips, just released home video of Haleigh opening presents Christmas morning.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You`ve got to believe that that baby`s alive somewhere. I mean, if you lose that, you`ve got nothing.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The family is still in tents, praying for their little girl`s safe return, while the reward for information leading to Haleigh`s recovery has now reached over $25,000.

RONALD CUMMINGS, FATHER: I`m here to plead for the life of my daughter. I want her to come home.

Please bring my daughter home. And if you`re watching, I love you. That`s it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: Straight out to Marlaina Schiavo, our producer standing by at the crime scene where police are searching. Marlaina, cadaver dogs specially trained to find human remains shipped in from out of the jurisdiction -- they`ve been searching the entire day. Again they`re near Haleigh`s home. Explain.

MARLAINA SCHIAVO, NANCY GRACE PRODUCER: That`s right, Nancy. They had seven cadaver dogs searching today. They had multiple teams from counties in the surrounding area. And they also brought in dogs from Georgia. They are searching tomorrow. They went up and down the street. They are still behind us right now. The search is not over.

They`ve also brought in a boat just in case dogs led them to the water and divers would have to go in. They`ve since taken the boat away, but they are bringing in more dogs, and the search is not over, Nancy.

GRACE: You are seeing video from just hours ago, the search going on into the late, late afternoon. There you see specially trained human cadaver dogs. Marlaina, repeat what you said about the water?

SCHIAVO: Well, they brought in a boat because there`s a lot of water in the surrounding area, and just in case any of the dogs led to this water, they wanted to have a boat ready so that they could re-search the water. Right now, there is no water search. Right now, they`re just sticking to the dogs, Nancy.

GRACE: Joining me right now here in studio, Tracy Sargent and Cinco. He is a human remains detection dog, highly trained in the discovery of human remains, cadaver dogs, as they`re commonly known. Tracy, explain to me, are cadaver dogs able to find bodies, human bodies, even under water?

TRACY SARGENT, K-9 HANDLER: Yes. Dogs working in the water is actually easy for them. The reason being is because the dogs always work with scent, and scent rises to the surface of the water. So dogs searching for people under water is actually an easy thing for them to detect.

GRACE: So that`s easy for a cadaver dog to find someone under water? I didn`t know that.

SARGENT: Yes, ma`am. What makes it challenging for water recovery is the idea of the dogs may be responding to scent in one area, but based upon the currents and wind conditions, the body may be located in another location. So that`s the challenge with water recovery.

GRACE: Tracy, I understand you have a demonstration with Cinco?

SARGENT: Yes, ma`am.

GRACE: Go ahead. And explain to the viewers as you`re doing it.

SARGENT: What we`re going to do is go ahead and show the viewers what we call a training aid. It essentially smells like a deceased person. And we`re going to hide this for the dog. Now, the dogs work really well for things that we can`t see or smell ourselves, so that`s the reason why we use detection dogs. So we`re going to show how Cinco tells us that there`s something there.

Hunt!

OK, so what he`s showing us is by his, what we call, trained alert, which is a sit, in this instance, he`s telling us there`s human remains scent in this location. Then what we do is we reward him and tell him he`s done a good job. So he`s done the job that we`ve asked him to do. At that point in time, if this was the real thing, we would investigate the area and see what exactly he is responding to. It could be evidence, it could be human body parts, it could be an actual body.

GRACE: And when she says evidence, everyone, that could be referring to Haleigh`s clothing. It could be referring to shoes, something she had with her. But remember, these dogs hit only on human remains. They are not bloodhounds, isn`t that right, Tracy? They`re not looking for a live human.

SARGENT: Yes, ma`am. That is correct. There is a big difference. It`s interesting with dogs is that when we`re alive, we smell totally different to dogs. Each person has an individual scent. But when we die, each person smells exactly the same. So regardless if it`s a child or an old person, to a dog, finding human remains, they smell the same. So we don`t have to have a person`s clothing for them to search for a deceased person.

GRACE: Right. You are seeing, everyone, K-9s that were brought out today there at Haleigh`s home, where she disappeared. And earlier, you were seeing just-released home video of little Haleigh. We understand the girlfriend/baby-sitter has been in police interrogations for nearly three hours today. Plus a Haleigh sighting across the country in Indiana.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Haleigh`s one of them children who fills up a home with smiles and laughter. And you just couldn`t be in there without her!

CUMMINGS: I know somebody took my little girl! Somebody stole my child out of my bed.

This is my heart. And somebody stole my heart from me.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He is -- basically, getting to be more than he can bear. I mean, he stood up to all the scaredness of, you know, being afraid and tired and not eating right and everything, and it`s -- it`s wearing him down.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

911 OPERATOR: What`s her date of birth?

CUMMINGS: Y`all are (DELETED) playing games, man! I`m going to (DELETED) kill somebody!

911 OPERATOR: OK, tell him we understand. We need to get her date of birth.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What`s her date of birth?

CUMMINGS: (DELETED) her birthday! We need to find her! (DELETED) her date of birth!

(END AUDIO CLIP)

GRACE: Specially trained human cadaver dogs searching the area around little Haleigh`s home. Hours were spent going through the dense woods surrounding the home. You are seeing newly-released video of little Haleigh released by her family just hours ago in the hopes that this would spur tips. Where is Haleigh?

Also, we learn that the bio mom was asked to give DNA. That`s right, Crystal Sheffield gives DNA to police today. Also, the girlfriend/baby- sitter, Misty Croslin, there in the home, ostensibly asleep when little Haleigh is snatched, re-questioned, re-interrogated for nearly three hours today at police headquarters.

Straight out to T.J. Hart with WSKY. First I want to hear about this sighting, this alleged Haleigh sighting in Indiana.

T.J. HART, WSKY 97.3 FM: Very much so. We got word that a truck driver spotted what he thought was missing Haleigh. He reportedly took a picture from his cell phone, and then sent it on to a friend. In this case, it was Marie Griffis. Couldn`t make out heads or tails whether or not it was Haleigh. They took it to a local television station to try to enhance the picture, and it was determined that this once again was not Haleigh. At this time, we`d still like to see that picture and get another shot of that, but we`re in the course of getting that taken care of, but once again, it turned out to be a -- just a dead end at this point.

GRACE: T.J., how many sightings have there been of Haleigh?

HART: Several, according to Captain Dick Showland (ph) with the Putnam County sheriff`s office. Just the other day, we had a sighting in a shopping area in Grand Junction, Colorado, which turned out to be inaccurate. And we`ve had a couple (INAUDIBLE) as well, in St. Louis, I believe, and also in St. Augustine, inconclusive.

GRACE: You know what? God bless him. God bless the truck driver who cared enough to take a cell phone photo, thinking he was getting a shot of little Haleigh. This is going to take more than just a police department to crack this case.

You are seeing just-released home video of Christmas morning, little Haleigh opening up presents, her family releasing this video in the hope it will jog someone`s memory and spur tips to find the 5-year-old little girl.

Straight back out to Marlaina Schiavo. Marlaina, what can you tell me about the biological mother giving DNA today, Crystal Sheffield?

SCHIAVO: Well, we spoke to Crystal very briefly today, and while we were talking to her, she was getting in the her car. She was on her way to an appointment. And right when she left, someone came from Jacksonville to take a DNA sample. And right before Crystal had left, actually, she said, Let them know I`m at an appointment. So she knew that they were on their way and they wanted a DNA sample. They weren`t going to wait for her. They actually drove off, and they said they would meet her wherever she was. Whether or not they actually got the sample, we`re still waiting to hear, Nancy.

GRACE: Well, you know -- out to Dr. Joshua Perper, renowned medical examiner, the chief medical examiner, Broward County, author of "When to Call the Doctor." Dr. Perper, it`s a very simple process to get a buccal swab, an oral swab in the mouth, for DNA, right?

DR. JOSHUA PERPER, BROWARD COUNTY CHIEF MEDICAL EXAMINER: Absolutely. Just a swab and it`s not painful to the individual and it`s easy to take, right.

GRACE: So you know, it`s less than a minute. Don`t you use one of those long Q-tips and just swab the inside of your mouth like you`re using a toothbrush?

PERPER: That`s about it. It`s a very simple procedure, and as I said, it doesn`t cause any discomfort.

GRACE: None whatsoever. Dr. Perper joining us out of the Miami jurisdiction today.

To Matt Zarrell, who`s been on the case from the very beginning. Matt, what can you tell me about the girlfriend/baby-sitter taken in for police questioning again today? How many times has she been questioned?

MATTHEW ZARRELL, NANCY GRACE STAFFER: Well, we believe it`s been at least three or four times. We know last week, she was questioned. She was questioned initially...

GRACE: Well, Matt, last week, you told me it was three times last week. So that means it`s four times this week that we know of, correct?

ZARRELL: Yes. That`s correct.

GRACE: And it was regarding?

ZARRELL: It was regarding more questioning about similar transactions. They`ve been talking to her and asking similar questions each time. We know she`s been there. She was gone for about three hours and has returned now from meeting with investigators.

GRACE: Everyone, we are joining -- we are being joined right now by the grandmother of little Haleigh. She has been part of the search from the very beginning. When we come back, we`ll be questioning her about the latest search there at the home. Also, we`ll unleash the lawyers.

But as we go to break, outrage! A man who brutally tortured and raped a 24-year-old pregnant co-ed, Elizabeth Gillies, for hours before killing her is set for release from prison, the Mississippi parole board voting to parole Douglas Hodgkin, 43, convicted in `87 of murdering Gillies and her unborn child. This convicted rapist soon walking the street free again, a convicted killer and rapist. What was the Mississippi parole board thinking?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I stood there for about 30 minutes with her holding me, not wanting me to leave. And it hurts. And now I haven`t seen her in four weeks, and it hurts even worse.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I feel like my granddaughter is alive. I have faith that God will bring my baby home. And if you give up that hope and that faith, then you really have nothing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: Right now, cadaver dogs are leaving the area after spending the entire day searching around the home where little Haleigh went missing. Now, that area has been searched, we know of, three times before. Why now? Why with cadaver dogs? What do police know? This as a sighting allegedly occurs in Indiana by a local trucker. He takes a photo with his cell phone.

Out to Teresa Neves, the paternal grandmother of Haleigh. Ms. Neves, thank you for being with us. I know the family is completely strung out at this time. I understand police are speaking to Ronald, your son.

TERESA NEVES, PATERNAL GRANDMOTHER: Right now?

GRACE: Today. Yes. Have they spoken to him?

NEVES: We spoke with them earlier. They were -- they were warning us in advance that the dogs would be here.

GRACE: Right. Right. Did they give you any idea, Ms. Neves, as to why they`re re-searching the same area with cadaver dogs?

NEVES: No, ma`am. They just said it was critical. Basically, we have to trust those detectives to know what they`re doing and let them do their job. I don`t feel like they`re going to find my Haleigh out there and so...

GRACE: Why do you say that?

NEVES: Because I have to keep the hope and the faith that my Haleigh is alive.

GRACE: We are showing the viewers the video of little Haleigh at Christmas. She`s been opening up a purple hat and putting it on.

Ms. Neves, tell me about Haleigh. We`ve talked about her a million times, but it`s always about the night she went missing, the circumstances around her disappearance, her illness, Turner syndrome. Tell me about her as a little girl.

NEVES: Oh, she`s a precious little girl. She`s very petite and tiny. She has a beautiful little voice. She likes to sing. She loves to put on make-up. She loves to put make-up on everybody else. I`ve looked like a clown at least a million times. She loves nail polish. She`s just a typical little girl.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: While the search goes on, Putnam County officers are once again interviewing 17-year-old girlfriend Misty Croslin. Croslin who was sleeping in the same room as Haleigh was the last person to see the child before she was taken in the middle of the night.

TERESA NEVES, GRANDMOTHER OF MISSING 5-YR-OLD, HALEIGH CUMMINGS: I trust the detectives to do their job, and as far as Misty is concerned I know that she loved my grandchildren and they loved her dearly. You know, I mean, I don`t think you`ll find anybody who won`t say that those grandchildren didn`t love her just like a mom.

MISTY CROSLIN, RONALD CUMMING`S GIRLFRIEND, LAST SEEN HALEIGH: I just want everybody to know that I didn`t know anything to that little girl. I loved her like she`s my own and I`ll do anything to get her back, and if people think that I have something to do with it, if I have something to do with it, I knew where she was, we wouldn`t be sitting here today. We would have her and I don`t, and I don`t know where she is.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hello?

911 DISPATCHER: OK, sir, let me talk to you wife. Let me get some information from her.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Man. (INAUDIBLE)

911 DISPATCHER: OK. Can I talk to her?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.

911 DISPATCHER: OK, listen to me. I need you to answer some questions. Does the door look like it was pried open?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Um.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NANCY GRACE, HOST: Straight back to paternal grandmother, Teresa Neves, joining us there at the home where little Haleigh went missing.

Miss Neves, I was just watching Misty Croslin with tears in her eyes. There`s something very believable about what she says. Look, I know she`s had some inconsistencies in her story, but a lot of that was explained away regarding was she in the bed with the little girl. No, the little girl was in the bed beside her, but in the same room.

About the little pink t-shirt. Misty Croslin is the one that reported her gone in the pink t-shirt, but then saw the t-shirt and showed it to police. That`s not entirely inconsistent.

NEVES: No, ma`am. I believe.

GRACE: Tell me.

NEVES: I believe.

GRACE: Tell me about the birthmark on Haleigh`s cheek. Let`s see if we can get a picture, Rosie, that shows that even faintly. There it is if you look down towards the bottom. Explain where her birthmark is, Miss Neves.

NEVES: It`s a little tiny -- I don`t know, almost like a peanut shape on the left side of her face.

GRACE: You`re seeing that up beside her ear.

I want to go out to the lawyers. Mickey Sherman, high-profile defense attorney joining us out of New York, and veteran defense attorney, former prosecutor, Peter Odom, joining us out of Atlanta.

To Mickey Sherman, this is now, we believe, the fourth time Croslin has been interrogated by police. Should she lawyer up?

MICKEY SHERMAN, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY, AUTHOR OF "HOW CAN YOU DEFEND THOSE PEOPLE?": You know, she probably should. Without a doubt. But I think it speaks volumes that she apparently hasn`t, that she has been submitted to two polygraph tests and apparently passed them and doing what the grandma just said that she believes in her character and also the way we just saw her present herself.

She`d have to be a pretty darn good actress to carry that off. So she`s the most logical suspect, but she seems to be doing OK by herself so far.

GRACE: You know, Peter, he`s right. She is the most logical suspect. The father and the mother, because typically in child disappearances or child homicides, the family is responsible. That`s just the harsh reality. I don`t like it, but that`s the truth. But it`s hard for me to believe a 17-year-old girl can pull a hoax over on police for this long.

PETER ODOM, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Well, Nancy, the fact -- I agree with you, frankly, that she seems very candid, she seems very believable, but the fact that the police have been talking to her repeatedly, the fact that they have asked her many of the same questions over and over again, may be an indication they`re looking for inconsistencies and she probably needs to get a lawyer.

GRACE: Back to grandmother Teresa Neves. I have not seen your son Ron on air making public pleas regarding Haleigh`s disappearance in many, many days. Why?

NEVES: Ron was actually out, I believe, it was the day before yesterday at 1:00 press conference.

GRACE: Good.

NEVES: . to make a plea for Haleigh. He, basically -- he`s pretty much taken all he can take, you know? I mean.

GRACE: You know to.

NEVES: . it`s hard enough to lose your daughter and then people beat on you and badger you on top of it.

GRACE: To Dr. Bethany Marshall, psychoanalyst and author of "Dealbreakers," she`s right. He and the girlfriend have taken quite the beating even though they`ve been cooperating with police. You know, maybe I`m wrong, but every time I`ve heard the girlfriend speak she seems relatively free of guile.

BETHANY MARSHALL, PSYCHOANALYST, AUTHOR OF "DEALBREAKERS": I think she`s free of guile. I think she`s innocent. I think it`s easy to throw stones at the family because we don`t know much about the broader picture, but it`s also easy to kind of confuse if there was some family dysfunction that contributed to this and to try to distinguish that from the fact that that doesn`t mean she was the perpetrator.

Like let`s say, perhaps she didn`t have a key or wasn`t allowed to have one, maybe she did go out that night. Maybe she propped the door open with the cinder block so she could have a way back in. Maybe she talked to someone in the neighborhood who knew she wasn`t at home and that contributed, and if that`s the case I`m sure she`s come clean at this point.

She`s just a 17-year-old girl, but that is quite different from whether or not she`s the perpetrator or had any malice towards this child. Someone came in and took little Haleigh and the sad fact is that when a child is abducted and a part of a sexual homicide abduction, the body is usually dumped within three blocks of the home.

That`s what we saw with Caylee Anthony, and I`m sure that`s why they have the cadaver dogs out searching at this point.

GRACE: To Marc Klaas, president and founder of KlaasKids Foundation. He is also a crime victim. His daughter Polly was kidnapped from her home many years ago and murdered.

Marc Klaas, a tireless victim`s advocate since that time. Marc, another thing about lie detectors and I -- I just can`t say this enough, when Polly was kidnapped you go to police, you did, and said, quick, polygraph me right now so you can clear me and go on to look for my daughter.

You know, someone can lie on a polygraph about one issue like, were you drinking that night? Were you -- did you smoke pot that night? Did you take medication? Did you leave the back door open that night? And the person thinking of getting in trouble can lie about a tangential or collateral issue and flunk the polygraph.

MARC KLAAS, PRESIDENT AND FOUNDER, KLAASKIDS FOUNDATION: I -- I don`t know. All I know that I took a polygraph and I passed it. I think one other thing that people have to understand about Misty is that she`s ground zero on this issue and she was the person that was the last one to see the little girl.

The little girl was in her care. There appear to have been inconsistencies in her story, therefore law enforcement does have to continually ask her questions so more information will emerge. Was there a man in black? Did she see him? Perhaps. Was there a pedophile cousin in Tennessee that was there and then left shortly thereafter?

Well, that`s something that seemed to emerge a little bit later as well. But also, I think that Dr. Marshall was exactly right about the cadaver dogs being in their neighborhood. Remember, Jessica Lunsford and Caylee Anthony were both found within several hundred yards of their homes and then finally, I think that people have to understand that I thank you so much for talking about the truckers.

You know, America`s truckers are unheralded and unsung heroes in the fight for missing children and they`ve got a long and storied relationship with this issue. There are more than two million long-haul truckers on the highways of America on a given day and they are in constant communication with each other.

So this is a force that can probably do much more than they already do, but already they`re a great ally for our cause.

GRACE: You know, they really are. How many times have you seen a truck go by with a missing child`s.

KLAAS: Yes.

GRACE: . picture on that truck? So you`re absolutely right again, Marc Klaas.

I want to go back to our special guest, Tracy Sergeant and Cinco, who`s joining us, a cadaver dog, human remains detection dog. I understand you have with you part of a human rib? Please, go ahead.

TRACY SERGEANT, DOG TRAINER: Yes, ma`am. We`re going to show you a demo. It`s important to understand that the body goes through different phases of decomposition and the dogs need to be trained in those different phases. So earlier we showed you how a dog will find somebody, let`s say the smell the flesh. In this case we`re going to show you how he will locate bone.

GRACE: OK.

SERGEANT: Again, I`ll give him the command to search for it. Cinco, hunt. Again, he will respond just as he did before, in this case, a trained alert. So I will give him the ball and reward him and again, we`ll investigate what he has searched.

GRACE: Cadaver dogs, the entire day outside the home of little Haleigh where she went missing.

As we go to break happy birthday to hair and makeup superstar Jill Devito. She`s a cover girl herself. Happy birthday, Jill. You`re finally 21. And happy birthday, 74, to a friend of the show Jimmy Johnson. Happy birthday, Jimmy, Fayetteville, Georgia. Isn`t he handsome?

And a very special happy birthday to Sam. A junior at Georgia Southern University majoring in biology, minor computers, holds down a job and knows how to cook. There he is on the right. He`s a handsome fellow. Happy birthday, Sammy.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BILL GARCIA, CALIFORNIA LICENSES P.I., HELPING FAMILY IN SEARCH FOR MISSING TEEN, AMBER DUBOIS: I don`t think she`s a runaway. She had too many things planned. There was nothing taken from the home.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Investigators are looking for answers in the mystery surrounding what happened to 14-year-old Amber Dubois. Amber was headed to school the day before Valentine`s Day but hasn`t been seen since. Two family members claimed they saw Amber only 300 yards from school that morning, but the school says Amber never showed up to class.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The family came forward immediately and volunteered to be polygraphed. The entire family has been cleared.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Now a private investigator hired by the family has new fears about what may have happened to Amber. P.I. Bill Garcia says it`s possible being that it was Friday the 13th that Amber was the target of a cruel prank. While Garcia still believes it`s more likely Amber was abducted by strangers, the family is desperate for answers, hoping for Amber`s safe return.

MAURICE DUBOIS, FATHER OF MISSING 14-YR-OLD, AMBER DUBOIS: She was in a great mood. We went out after the movies. Went out and fed the ducks at the park, like we typically do, me, her and my niece. She was in great spirits.

GRACE: Mr. Dubois, what are police telling you?

DUBOIS: Basically, they`re continuing their investigation, you know? They`re following up on leads that come in. There`s been no concrete leads, nothing significant that can help us find her at this point.

GRACE: Just one mile from her home to the Escondido High School.

DUBOIS: That`s correct. Even less than that. I would probably say closer to a half mile than a mile.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: How many millions of parents let their children walk to school every day? I did. My brother and sister did, seemingly millions of children every morning walking to school, walking home in the afternoons. That is what happened with Amber Dubois, just 14 years old.

Straight out to Phil Farrar with KOGO. Phil, what`s the latest?

PHIL FARRAR, NEWS ANCHOR, REPORTER, KOGO RADIO, COVERING STORY: Well, the latest is right now Bill Garcia is out searching, the private investigator, back out searching once again. I talked with him this morning. He has told me of a couple of new developments.

One of the developments was they found four kids who were taking some of the flyers off of poles and these parents saw that they put these flyers back up and once again, these kids took these particular flyers back down so they`ve been kind of looking at these particular kids as well.

Once again, Friday the 13th. That unlucky day, the significance of that. Did that play a role as well? Garcia also told me that he would be searching particular areas today near Lake Wolford which is due east of Escondido. There was a report of two men on Friday the 13th that late evening who had a plastic bag and they dumped something near the lake.

GRACE: Joining me right now, the mother and father of little Amber, Carrie McGonigle and Maurice Dubois, joining us from San Diego. Thank you to the two of you for being with us.

To Carrie, Miss McGonigle, tell me about the morning she disappeared.

CARRIE MCGONIGLE, MOTHER OF MISSING 14-YR-OLD, AMBER DUBOIS: I went to work early that morning. I saw her before I left for work, and I went in and I told her she was getting her baby lamb, that she was -- been wanting for a year to -- she guaranteed she`d take care of it. I went over and gave her a hug, a kiss, told her I loved her and told her I`d see her later that evening.

GRACE: She wanted to get the -- to purchase the baby lamb for her Future Farmers of America project?

MCGONIGLE: It was for her -- it was actually for her science, but she is part of the Future Farmers of America.

GRACE: And where were you going to keep it?

MCGONIGLE: The Escondido High School keeps it at the high school. They have, I think, a five-acre farm there and they raise it for four months and then they auction it off at the county fair.

GRACE: And she was excited about having one for herself and plan to name it Nannette?

MCGONIGLE: Yes.

GRACE: To Amber`s father Maurice Dubois. Mr. Dubois, thank you for being with us again. I don`t understand this new theory that`s emerging about her disappearance being part of some kind of a prank. What does it mean?

DUBOIS: It`s a little confusing to us. I wouldn`t understand any prank that would go on this way, you know? I don`t see any student who could pull a prank on a family that`s this devastating. I just couldn`t see it.

GRACE: So is the theory behind the prank that they kidnapped Amber as a cruel joke and they`re holding her somewhere? That doesn`t make any sense.

DUBOIS: I don`t -- I don`t see any sense in it either.

GRACE: And you know what else, too, Mickey Sherman and Peter Odom, they may call it a prank, but I call it felony kidnapping, Odom.

ODOM: Well, first of all, Nancy, if that`s a theory, then it`s a theory in search of evidence and frankly, if there`s no evidence to back it up I think they ought to stay away from saying anything about it.

GRACE: I agree, Mickey Sherman. This is not a prank.

SHERMAN: No, frankly.

GRACE: If it started as a prank it is felony kidnapping at this point.

SHERMAN: I don`t believe it even started as a prank.

GRACE: I don`t either.

SHERMAN: I think that`s an absolutely ridiculous theory. A prank is when you throw water balloons to somebody or order too many pizzas to go to their home. This is serious as a heart attack. Our hearts going out to these folks. And they should be going down different avenues.

GRACE: To Mike Brooks, former fed with the FBI. Mike, much more legitimate is the fact that there have been multiple kidnappings and attempted kidnappings in the area. In fact, one was very near a school, an elementary school.

MIKE BROOKS, FMR. DC POLICE DETECTIVE SERVED ON FBI TERRORISM TASK FORCE: All around in the same school district, Nancy. There, apparently, were three in an eight-day period. Now law enforcement, they`re all -- the vehicles that were used in this were all different. There was, apparently, a firearm on the dash of one of the vehicles of these attempted kidnappings, but right now they don`t believe that they`re connected, but it`s something I would definitely be looking into.

And the other thing, too, you know, when she walks all that way, she was seen 300 yards, Nancy, from the school. My question is, do any of the homes along where she was walking, do any of them have any kind of surveillance video? You know, a lot of people nowadays have surveillance cameras around their house.

If I was law enforcement I`d make sure that I`d -- checking to see if any of these homes along her route had any surveillance cameras.

GRACE: You know, Mike, you`re absolutely correct. Practically anyone that has a nanny cam these days can have one trained on the front door which also shows the yard, the driveway, the road in front of the home.

I want to go back to Carrie McGonigle, this is Amber`s mother. Again, thank you for being with us. You said Amber had her cell phone with her. Did she take her charger as well? Did she carry that with her?

MCGONIGLE: No, her charger was left at the house.

GRACE: Did she have a debit card or a credit card of any type, Miss McGonigle?

MCGONIGLE: She had no access to any money whatsoever. She has -- she hides her money in her room and I found it and it was $8 and she puts it in a secret spot and that`s all the money she had on her besides the check to -- made out to the school.

GRACE: You know, how people are suggesting she ran away, Maurice Dubois, is beyond me. She -- her cell phone`s gone dead, she didn`t have any money. She only had the check to buy the little lamb at school. Did she take anything with her such as clothes or any of your or her mom`s money?

DUBOIS: Absolutely not. There`s nothing -- nothing else is missing from the house.

GRACE: Out to Marc Klaas, where do we go from here, Marc? I mean the police have -- stopped the searched because -- not to their discredit, they followed up on all of the leads. They don`t know where to search -- where to search next. What about it, Mike Brooks?

BROOKS: Tell you what, Nancy, they`re going to continue to look for any kind of leads that they can find. You know there`s a lot of things -- she was seen within 300 yards of that school. Someone else had to have seen her. Was she by herself? Was she with friends? You know, if this -- if this -- whole prank theory which I don`t think -- I would totally discount that.

GRACE: I wish nobody had even said that. That`s hurting the investigation. That`s BS!

BROOKS: I think you`re absolutely right, too, Nancy.

GRACE: Look at this girl. Amber Dubois, the tip line, 888-55-AMBER. It is anonymous. There is a reward. Go to www.bringamberhome.com. Please help us find this girl.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DUBOIS: Typical home life. I mean, I`m not going to paint a golden picture. I mean everything is great there. I mean she loves her house, she loves her life. Great friends. No problems.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: Straight back out to Amber`s parents, joining me today, the father, Maurice Dubois, and her mother, Carrie McGonigle.

To Carrie, have you and the father done any ground searches, any searches yourself for Amber?

MCGONIGLE: I did last weekend. I went up on Amber`s horse up into -- all through up a big park near us. We did -- we covered about 15, 20 miles of searching.

GRACE: Miss McGonigle, when did you realize Amber was missing?

MCGONIGLE: About 4:30.

GRACE: Oh, no. So the whole day had gone by before anybody realized?

MCGONIGLE: Well, yes. She -- called me when she gets home from school. And when she didn`t call, I was at work, I called her cell phone and it went straight to voice mail. And then I left work. Thinking she was.

GRACE: So.

MCGONIGLE: Thinking she would be at a friend`s house, or, you know, just being a teenager. But there was no sign of her.

GRACE: So Mr. Dubois, the whole day passes and no one realized she was gone, the school didn`t call home or anything?

DUBOIS: The school called and left a message at the house. And once Carrie got home, she listened to the message and received it. But, yes, we had no -- no notification that.

GRACE: Mr. Dubois, you are speaking to the public tonight. What is your message?

DUBOIS: Help. You know what? Help us find our daughter, you know. Keep her in your mind. Go to her Web site. Print up a flier. Keep it on your dash. You know keep it somewhere nearby so that if you see her or see someone that looks like her, you know, look at the picture, keep it for reference.

GRACE: Everyone, the tip line, 1-888-55-AMBER.

Let`s stop and remember Army Chief Warrant Officer Brady Rudolf, 37, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, killed Iraq. From a family of military vets, had more than 20 years service, a pharmacist. Would give you the shirt off his back, with a sparkle in his eye, a smile that lights up a room.

Loved family, God and country. Leaves behind grieving widow, Jennifer, three sons, brother, Dustin.

Brady Rudolf, American hero.

Thanks to our guests but especially to you for being with us. A special good night from friend of the show, VG, Virginia Gunn (ph).

Everyone, I`ll see you tomorrow night 8:00 sharp Eastern. And until then, good night, friend.

END

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0902/26/ng.01.html

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0903/03/ng.01.html

NANCY GRACE

Aired March 3, 2009 - 20:00:00 ET

<snipped to include only Haleigh coverage>

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It`s been exactly three weeks since anyone has seen Haleigh Cummings. Just like every other night since her disappearance, Haleigh`s mom`s family and her dad gathered for a vigil.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We pray that you would honor this prayer, bring Haleigh home safely.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The mobile home on Green Lane where the 5-year- old was sleeping the night police say someone abducted her is no longer a crime scene, but Haleigh`s grandmother Teresa Neves says the family is having a hard time going down there and no one wants to go inside, at least not yet.

TERESA NEVES, GRANDMOTHER OF MISSING 5-YR-OLD, HALEIGH CUMMINGS: It`s very hard. It`s hard to see all her things in there and she`s not there.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The support from the community continues to pour in and the families say it`s appreciated. A local man even dropped off a CD with a song he wrote dedicated to the little girl.

He even printed the CrimeStoppers number on the front encouraging people to call in tips because tips are what investigators say are going to help them solve this case and hopefully bring Haleigh home.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: You are seeing right now just-released home video released by the family just before we went to air in the hopes that it would generate new leads. You`re seeing little Haleigh, 5 years old, playing there in the home. Little Haleigh taken out of her home in the middle of the night according to the girlfriend/babysitter sleeping in the room with her, reportedly.

The family so desperate they are calling in psychics to help in the search for Haleigh.

To T.J. Hart with WSKY 97.3 FM. T.J., what`s the latest?

T.J. HART, PROGRAM & NEWS DIR., WSKY 97.3FM, COVERING STORY: The latest is a lot of people have been re-interviewed today including neighbors, family and friends and also a lot of tips have come in about 2,300 so far and well over a hundred of them have been coming in from people professing to be psychics and there`s a lot of people being very positive about the probable return in the case of Haleigh.

A lot of people are describing this case as similar to that of Elizabeth Smart, and I know that you brought this up several times on the show where you talked where she was found alive nine months later. There`s a lot of hope but there are also a lot of people trying to find whatever leads they can possibly follow in this case. And even if it is a psychic, that`s where they`re going.

GRACE: To Natisha Lance on the case from the very beginning. Natisha, explain how the family has decided to call in psychics.

NATISHA LANCE, NANCY GRACE PRODUCER, SPENT TIME WITH HALEIGH`S FAMILY: Well, actually, Nancy, the psychic approached the family and so far they`ve searched two locations. They were able to find some evidence and hopefully they want to turn that evidence over to investigators. Some of the evidence that they were able to collect were water bottles, eggs, Easter eggs as well as a fresh soda can.

They believe that possibly this could be connected to Haleigh based on what the psychic has told them and they will turn it over to investigators so that they can get it processed and looked into it.

GRACE: Joining me right now is special guest Marie Griffis. This is the maternal grandmother of little Haleigh.

Miss Griffis, thank you for being with us.

Thank you for having me.

GRACE: Miss Griffis, does the family believe that the psychics will be able to help?

MARIE GRIFFIS, MATERNAL GRANDMOTHER OF HALEIGH: Yes. Some of the things that they have told Crystal, they`ve told her things about her past that they would have no way of knowing, so, you know, we kind of lean towards believing some of the things that they`re trying to do. But you know.

GRACE: We are taking your calls live. The family now relying on psychics as police comb through over 2,000 tips in the search for this little girl.

Back to Marie Griffis, the maternal grandmother of little Haleigh. Miss Griffis, a lot of viewers have asked about a band-aid that the father, Ronald Cummings, was wearing immediately after little Haleigh went missing. We`re showing it to you right now.

We have been told that that band-aid was not due to a cut, but due to a cyst that Mr. Cummings suffered. Is that true?

GRIFFIS: I have no idea. I know Crystal said he always gets cysts like that on the back of his neck. A lot of people associate it with steroids or drugs. I have no idea.

GRACE: Well, you know, I don`t know about that. I just want to clarify the purpose of the band-aid.

With me maternal grandmother of Haleigh, Marie Griffis.

Back to Natisha Lance. Natisha, cadaver dogs hit on a dumpster near Haleigh`s home. What can you tell me?

LANCE: Nancy, this was about two-tenths of a mile away from the Cummings` home. Now when you say that it`s about 60 seconds in walking distance away from the home. Three cadaver dogs hit on this dumpster. Now investigators went through it, searching through every single bag that was in this dumpster. They were not able to find anything that was connected to Haleigh. They didn`t get specific in terms of what the cadaver dogs hit on, but they said it was nothing that was connected to Haleigh.

GRACE: You know, to Dr. Posey. Dr. Posey, cadaver dogs don`t hit on human waste like a band-aid or a syringe where there`s blood. It`s my understanding they only hit on human remains, dead remains.

POSEY: That`s correct and I find the lead a little bit concerning because they found nothing in the dumpster. So I agree with you, there`s - - there has to be something there and more to that than what we`re hearing.

GRACE: And to Ron Shindel, former NYPD deputy inspector. Is that your understanding regarding cadaver dogs?

SHINDEL: Yes, it is, Nancy. The HRD dogs, human remains detection canines, that`s what they do. They go for human remains only and that`s what they`re trained to do. That`s what they find.

GRACE: And back to T.J. Hart with WSKY, 97.3 FM. T.J., when was the dumpster searched?

HART: That dumpster was searched, I believe, it was Thursday night and that was one of the things that we saw a lot of action coming in from right over the fence and we were able to peer over and they brought out actually two dumpsters and they emptied them out and went through the bags pretty thoroughly that night. They had the night lights and everything else out there for the search.

GRACE: Why so long after her disappearance to go out with cadaver dogs?

HART: Normally, we`ve been told that that is just a protocol to make sure that nothing is missed and to have the three dogs being that close to the home and then getting that strike like that was very shocking to a lot of people.

GRACE: But, I mean, so many days had passed since Haleigh went missing for them to go to the dumpster. I`m very disturbed.

HART: We were told that by.

GRACE: I`m very disturbed by that whatever -- go ahead.

HART: I`m sorry, Nancy. We were told by officers that nothing had been taken out of that dumpster -- since that time. So nothing has been disturbed.

GRACE: How did they know? How did they know unless the dumpster`s been under surveillance?

We`re taking your calls. Cheryl in Michigan, hi, Cheryl.

CALLER: Hi, Nancy. Love your show.

GRACE: Thank you.

CALLER: Here`s my question. When was this dumpster dumped?

GRACE: It was Thursday.

CALLER: Could she be in there prior?

GRACE: It was Thursday, late Thursday afternoon, and I don`t understand the delay, Natisha Lance?

LANCE: Nancy, investigators have told us that nothing had been dumped or removed from this dumpster before Haleigh -- from the time Haleigh went missing. Now we also called the dumpster company, they didn`t return our phone call back, but this is an area that Teresa Neves had actually asked investigators to search previously and she said she asked them over and over again and investigators have said that they did search this area, but for some reason when they went back there with these three cadaver dogs they all hit on it.

GRACE: And very quickly, Sue Moss, the delay in searching this dumpster and they got a hit with three cadaver dogs. That`s a problem.

MOSS: That`s a huge problem. That`s just like the fact that they didn`t do the AMBER Alert quick enough. Time is of the essence. The more time that passed, the less chance we`re going to find her.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RONALD CUMMINGS, FATHER OF MISSING 5-YR-OLD HALEIGH CUMMINGS: I`m not here to answer any questions. I`m here to plea for the life of my daughter. I want her to come home. If you have her, please send her home. Don`t care how she gets here, just bring her home. And if you`re watching, baby, I love you. That`s all I have to say.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: Out to a special guest, joining us, Reverend Jesse Smallwood. He`s joining us from Claxton, Georgia. He was the prior owner of the home form which Haleigh was taken.

Reverend, thank you for being with us. Specifically, I want to ask you about that bedroom in which Haleigh was sleeping when she was allegedly kidnapped. How big is that bedroom?

REV. JESSE SMALLWOOD, PREVIOUS OWNER OF MOBILE HOME WHERE HALEIGH DISAPPEARED: It`s about 10 by 10, maybe 10 by 14, little wider than it is long because it has a very large bath at the end of the bedroom.

GRACE: And Reverend Smallwood, how far away is the kitchen door? The back kitchen door that was left propped open from the bedroom?

SMALLWOOD: Very farthest part of the house. You`re in one corner of the house and the door is basically on the same wall. You would have to go all the way through the living room, the kitchen.

GRACE: OK.

SMALLWOOD: Then the washroom and then to the door which have.

GRACE: Got it.

SMALLWOOD: . a sliding bolt that I installed for my son, young son was there.

GRACE: A sliding.

SMALLWOOD: And I was a renter there, not owner.

GRACE: A sliding metal bolt. Not plastic.

SMALLWOOD: Yes. Yes. They`re put it up because the door would prop open and I put a sliding metal bolt up high.

GRACE: Did that repair the door from just popping open? Did that repair the door?

SMALLWOOD: Yes. Yes.

GRACE: And Ray Giudice, I`ve got 15 seconds. So the perp would have to come in to a room 10 by 14 and make it all the way down the length of the home and not be heard?

GIUDICE: Yes, and if you ever walked in a lot of mobile homes, they tend to actually squeak because they sit off the ground and they`re aluminum. There`s a lot of creaking going on. I think the story that somebody did that without being noticed is difficult to believe.

GRACE: Everyone, let`s stop and remember, Army Sergeant Daniel Eshbaugh, 43, Norman, Oklahoma, killed Iraq. A flight engineer on a second tour, also served in the Air Force dedicated to family, country, awarded the Army Commendation Medal, Oklahoma Long Service Medal and Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal.

Loved Oklahoma football, leaves behind widow Rachel and four children.

Daniel Eshbaugh, American hero.

Thanks to our guests, but especially to you. I`ll see you tomorrow night, 8:00 sharp Eastern. And until then, good night, friend.

END

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0903/03/ng.01.html

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0903/03/ijvm.01.html

ISSUES WITH JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL

New Leads in Haleigh Cummings Case; Search Suspended for Men Lost at Sea

Aired March 3, 2009 - 19:00 ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL, HOST (voice-over): Tonight, week three in the frantic search for Haleigh Cummings. Cops are following up on every possible lead as a new tip leads him to question a neighbor about a door bell. What could it mean? Was it another dead end?

As desperation mounts, the Cummings family released another batch of Haleigh home video in the hopes somebody will recognize this child.

Then a massive, intense search across the Gulf of Mexico. Two NFL players and another man lost at sea after going on a routine fishing trip. A fourth man already saved in a dramatic rescue. I`ll have the details.

And bad news for Casey Anthony`s defense. A judge rules that scandalous party photos of Casey will be released to the public. How shocking are they? I`ll show you, and I`ll examine how it will affect her murder trial.

Plus, an update on the Rihanna/Chris Brown soap opera, Rihanna reportedly back together with Brown less than a month after he allegedly battered her. Now Rihanna`s family speaks out, worrying she`s putting herself at risk. And why haven`t authorities charged Chris Brown yet?

Then we have the shocking video of a 15-year-old girl getting a vicious beating by prison guards as one slams her to the floor by her hair. Will the guards face charges, or is this just business as usual behind cell walls?

ISSUES starts now.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Tonight it`s a race against the clock in the frantic search for little Haleigh Cummings. The investigation is now entering its fourth week, and authorities admit they are totally stumped.

In a desperate bid to drum up new leads, her family has released another home video recorded about six months ago. It shows the adorable little girl playing in front of the fireplace.

While thousands of tips have poured in, not a single one has brought authorities closer to finding this missing 5-year-old. Little Haleigh vanished from her bed in the wee hours of February 9. One mysterious tip about a doorbell chime led detectives to the home of a neighbor.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARTY HUBBARD, NEIGHBOR QUESTIONED ABOUT DOORBELL: They got a tip on my name, period, and they said that they needed to question me because that I had a door bell -- if I had a door bell that rang like a grandfather clock and which I said I don`t even have a door bell in my house, y`all.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: What is the significance of that, if any? And why after all this time are there so many more questions than answers?

Let`s go straight to my panel: Jayne Weintraub, criminal defense attorney; Vinny Parko, private investigator; Debbie Glasser, clinical psychologist; and Jennifer Bauer with CNN affiliate WJXT in Jacksonville.

Jennifer, what is the very latest?

JENNIFER BAUER, WJXT REPORTER: Well, unfortunately, Jane, for these two families there is not a lot of new information to report. Police tell us they now have 2,300 leads have come in, in the last 22 days since Haleigh was last seen. Seventy tips just came in over this weekend, and investigators tell us they are just continuing to follow up on every one of them.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Let me ask you a couple of things going back over this investigation. What happened to the missing sex offender. I believe his name was Chad Reynolds, 25. He lived in the area, and he disappeared mysteriously in early February?

BAUER: That`s right. Twenty-five-year-old Chad Reynolds. He is a sexual predator, registered sexual predator here in Florida. He was convicted of a sex crime here in Putnam County but has been missing out of Marion County. Still no information. Police have not been able to find him in the last 22 days.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Now, what about tests? We know that cadaver dogs last week hit on a Dumpster. Have they taken any of the material from within that Dumpster and had it tested forensically? Because they say they have absolutely no leads, but perhaps if they test it and found DNA or something in that Dumpster that the cadaver dogs hit on, we`d have something.

BAUER: You know, Jane, that`s a really good question. They had the one Dumpster where they were going through and searching and then they brought in a second Dumpster, an empty Dumpster, and they were transferring things from one Dumpster to the other and going through them piece by piece.

But that night, that Thursday night, they told us there was nothing. So I`m going to have to go out there and say that nothing has been forensically tested, because they told us that evening that the investigation in that Dumpster was over.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Now I was hearing reports that they are still re- interviewing the relatives. This has gone on and on with these re- interviews. What`s the latest on that?

BAUER: We asked investigators about that today, and they keep telling us that as new tips come in, as new leads come in, and as they continue to receive phone calls, more questions come up, and they keep going back to the family for confirmation and for information. They say it`s strictly routine.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right. So I understand that the families are obviously just hanging on by huddling together with prayer. We only have a couple of seconds, but how would you describe them right now? Are they in the tents right near the crime scene from which Haleigh was taken, or have they scattered?

BAUER: They`re still in the tents, Jane, and I would use one word to describe these families, and I`d say desperate. They are desperate for information, and they are just beside themselves. Every day it gets harder and harder, and they just don`t know what to do at this point.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Jennifer Bauer, you`re doing a great job out there. Thank you for joining us and please come back soon, hopefully with some very good news about little Haleigh.

All right. Let`s get to the rest of my panel. Jayne Weintraub, the FBI is involved, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Putnam County Sheriff`s Office, and still no leads on this child. How is that possible?

JAYNE WEINTRAUB, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Well, we don`t than that they don`t have any leads. We just know that they haven`t released any information. I mean, you raised one good point about the pedophile that`s registered that hasn`t appeared yet.

We also know from the doorbell chime that they have re-interviewed her younger brother, even though he`s only 3 years old. He speaks. He heard. He knows what he heard, Jane, and if it sounded to him like a doorbell chime, maybe it was a cell phone ring, a BlackBerry ring. Maybe that`s one way that they can look to identify if they`re speaking in the neighborhood or if it`s a portable ring. I think that they`re on to something with listening to the little boy. That`s all they`ve got.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, I actually have a couple of thoughts on that.

Debbie Glasser, Haleigh`s mom said that her little boy, who was 3 at the time of this abduction of his big sister, and is now 4, had sort of revised -- or there`s been a revision of his description of what happened.

He had said initially that a man in black had come in and taken Haleigh, and now he`s changed it to a black man dressed in black. Can we really trust what a 3-year-old has to say, given that they often live in their imaginations?

DEBBIE GLASSER, CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST: Right. It`s a really touchy situation. And plus, he said he was 3 at the time and now he`s 4. You know, a lot of changes take place in the lifetime of a young child, 3 to 4. Enormous cognitive changes, neurological changes, physical changes.

You know, this family is clinging to everything. And, of course, investigators must track down every lead and follow every piece of information they get. It`s just really, really challenging to pin a whole lot...

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Not to interrupt, but if the child is having a flight of imagination, that could hurt the investigation, because then it puts people on -- in a wild goose chase.

GLASSER: Right. Well, hopefully, the investigators are tracking down all leads and not doing one instead of another. There`s an enormous amount of information coming in. This poor family is clinging to everything. And the truth is perhaps the 3-year-old did hear something, and that needs to be investigated.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right. Early on in the investigation, bloodhounds have reportedly tracked Haleigh`s scent to the area along the banks of the nearby St. John`s River.

Now, as you can see from this Google map -- take a look at this -- it`s not far from the Cummings` home. Reportedly, investigators came up empty. You see the river there. But does this mean it was really a dead end?

Vinny Parko, private investigator, do you think we`ve heard enough about the possibility of Haleigh`s abductor, let`s say taking her away by boat? Or what about thoroughly dredging this river?

VINNY PARKO, PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR: You know, you have to try everything. I mean, you`ve got a poor little girl that`s missing. Every lead can help you. If the dogs found a scent towards the river, then that would be an area that I would look at.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Absolutely. And you know what I`d like to talk about very briefly is the fact that Ron Cummings has gotten a tattoo. And he was so devastated by the events that have occurred, his little daughter being taken from his home, that he decided to go get a tattoo. And it`s a tattoo of little Haleigh`s face. And this is something that he has done sort of as a sign of solidarity with his missing daughter. Debbie Glasser, good therapy?

GLASSER: You know, everybody reacts to stress in their own way, and this is such extreme stress. There`s no way we can put ourselves in the shoes of this family and what they`re anything through. You know, if putting a tattoo of his daughter`s face is going to help him stay hopeful and cooperate with investigators and do everything that they can to bring little Haleigh home, then that`s when he needs to do.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right. Everyone, sit tight. We are just getting started. Do you think cops are grasping for straws in the search for Haleigh Cummings? Give me a holler: 1-877-JVM-SAYS. That`s 1-877-586-7297 and let me know.

In other stunning news, a 15-year-old girl is viciously beaten by prison guards. It is caught on tape. I will show you more of the shocking video in a moment.

But first, here is the Cummings` neighbor showing support for Haleigh`s family after cops questioned him.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HUBBARD: Anything I could do to bring this girl home, that`s what I`m here for. You know, this is my neighbor. This is my neighborhood. So, you know, I mean, I`ve got grandkids, you know, and this worries me to death.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RON CUMMINGS, FATHER OF HALEIGH CUMMINGS: I`m here on plead for the life of my daughter. I want her to come home. If you have her, please send her home. I don`t know care how she gets here. Just get her home.

And if you`re watching, baby, I love you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Haleigh`s dad making a desperate appeal to anyone with information about his daughter.

I am back with my panel, talking about the latest developments in the search for 5-year-old Haleigh Cummings. Her family refuses to give up hope. Her grandmother says one reason is detectives on the case have described it as similar to that of Elizabeth Smart.

Elizabeth was abducted from her Salt Lake City home in June of 2002. She was snatched from the bedroom she and her kid sister shared. Miraculously, Elizabeth was found alive nine months later.

I am very pleased to welcome her father, Ed Smart, president of the Surviving Parents Coalition.

Thanks so very much for joining us, and thank you for all the very good work that you do, Ed.

ED SMART, PRESIDENT, SURVIVING PARENTS COALITION: Thank you.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: They have actually cited your daughter`s miraculous recovery as a reason for hope for little Haleigh. Do you agree, and if so, why do you agree?

SMART: Absolutely. You know, I think that the Cummings are going through an incredibly difficult time. I remember how hard it was for us. And you get to a point where there are all these people working, trying to do their best to find her, and yet it still seems to be so far out of your control to have any control on the situation. And it`s just so difficult.

You know, one of the things that really helped us was, you know, a former -- or should I say another family member that had been through the same situation before, talked about trying to keep the focus, keep the picture of Elizabeth out there. Certainly, in this case keeping Haleigh`s picture out there. And we -- we just didn`t know what we could do to try to find her, and we had everyone helping. Now, certainly, things have changed.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Ed, let me jump in and ask you...

SMART: Sure.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: You at some point took matters into your own hands. What did you do?

SMART: Well, you know, we had a -- the Law (ph) Recovery Center came in and set up a search center. And we had a number of searches going on, numerous dogs, heat-seeking helicopters, volunteers that were there time and time again combing the area. We -- my brothers were amazing. They just would not give up, and they kept trying to search on any tip that they -- they heard about.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: But didn`t you call "America`s Most Wanted"? Didn`t "America`s Most Wanted" get involved at a certain point?

SMART: They did, and it was a few months down the road. But John Walsh was amazing. In fact, it was because of his show that Elizabeth was found. And, you know, the -- having everyone there trying to help was...

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Let me get into that...

SMART: Yes.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: ... because it is so crucial. I mean, it was on "America`s Most Wanted," and then people started seeing the video of the girl. And they connected it to a child that they had seen in the area?

SMART: No, really what it was, was we had just come out with the picture that was supposedly of this Brian David Mitchell. And we -- two people had seen that picture on "America`s Most Wanted." and initially they spotted Brian Mitchell. and then they spotted Elizabeth or they thought who was Elizabeth. and so that was, you know, that was key, of course, in finding her.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: I want to ask you one other question. It was the kid sister, your youngest daughter, who had the epiphany and suddenly realized who it was. She actually cracked the case one day and said, "Dad, I know who did this." And apparently, authorities didn`t listen to her.

SMART: That`s right. They brought her in. They said, you know, "She says, `I think it might be.`" And you know, she had said to me, "Dad, I think it is." Well, I think and being the only witness there, certainly puts the most credibility on what she had to say.

And of course, that wasn`t considered or was downplayed significantly to a point that, you know, there wasn`t as much attention that needed to be focused in that direction.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Wow. And it`s just because she was a kid, right?

SMART: Right, right.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: And so we have a similar situation here. And Ed, I want to thank you so much. I really want to thank you for all the great work that you do as part of the Surviving Parents Coalition, helping people in these hellish situations get through this kind of stuff.

But Jayne Weintraub, you just heard it right there. In that previous case the child solved it, and nobody listened because it was a kid.

WEINTRAUB: And that`s exactly what I think is happening here. And just because he`s 3 years old, you know, those of us who have had children we all know, maybe it was in the questioner. Was he wearing black or he was all in black? Maybe it wasn`t clear. If he`s saying what it was and what he saw, he knows.

But I also have to tell you, I`ve had the pleasure of meeting Ed Smart and his entire family. And that`s what this is all about, keeping the message going, never giving up. Their faith, their support system.

And the Cummings family seem to be overcoming their dysfunction and whatever from the divorce. They`re hanging together. He`s tattooing. You have to keep it out there...

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Absolutely.

WEINTRAUB: ... because something happened to Haleigh.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Thomasina, Florida, your question or thought, ma`am?

CALLER: Yes. I understand that Haleigh`s dad Ron had a long rap sheet for arrests involving drugs. I`d like to know how he got sole custody of his kids with such a long criminal record.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well...

WEINTRAUB: Because she did -- oh, sorry.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Go ahead. Answer the questions. I don`t have the answers.

WEINTRAUB: Because I think that it was also alleged that the biological mother was having the same situation and the same problems and also was not employed and couldn`t care for the child. And one of them was deemed more fit.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: I want to be more careful, because I don`t have any independent confirmation of that. And again, I think that one of the things the grandfather said is let`s not beat up on this family. We all have a past, and at this point, certainly, the dad`s alibi, whether the sheriff`s department said was firm. He was at work when this child was taken.

So you do have to wonder, Vinny Parko, why don`t they eliminate the family members as suspects, because they have studiously refused to eliminate anybody as suspects.

PARKO: You can`t eliminate anybody until they find the child, either alive or dead. And anybody could be -- everybody is a suspect. That`s unfortunate, but that`s the way it is.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right. Tonya, Indiana. Question or thought, ma`am?

CALLER: Yes, I was wondering, have they done any investigation into the air-conditioning repairman since he was left in the house alone?

VELEZ-MITCHELL: My understanding is that there was an air- conditioning repairman that day and that they have checked him out and that he is -- his alibi is OK. He is not a suspect, even though they haven`t officially taken anybody off the suspect list. That`s what the reports were from the local reporters, is that his whole story checked out.

Kathleen, New Mexico. Question or thought, ma`am?

CALLER: Yes. I was wondering, my comment is, is that either being man or woman, young or old, when you wake up in the middle of the night and the door is propped wide open, the first thing you would do is call the police, not knowing if somebody else is in that house. And that`s my comment is why she didn`t call the police right away.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Vinny Parko, what do you think?

PARKO: That`s a good question. I have no idea why she didn`t call the police right away. Maybe she called her boyfriend, the father, right away, but a normal person would call the police right away.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: As we wrap up here, I want to do our part, because the family says that we really have to get the distinguishing features of this little girl out there. We do have a couple of photos showing her distinguishing features. And hopefully, we can go to that.

You see that she has light brown birthmarks, one on her left cheekbone and the other on her right jaw line. Details like this can make a difference. Look at this child`s face, and if you see her call authorities.

I want to thank my excellent panel, and please come back soon. Let`s hope we have good news in this case.

End of Haleigh coverage

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0903/03/ijvm.01.html

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0903/06/ng.01.html

NANCY GRACE

Police Collect DNA From Missing Haleigh`s Family

Aired March 6, 2009 - 20:00:00 ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

NANCY GRACE, HOST: Breaking news tonight, Satsuma, Florida. A 5- year-old little girl tucked into bed, five hours later, she`s gone, vanished into thin air, the back door propped wide open. The father comes home from the night shift to find not a single trace of little Haleigh.

Primetime exclusive tonight. We go live inside little Haleigh`s home, including the bedroom where the 5-year-old little girl is snatched in the middle of the night. How -- how -- could an intruder enter this home, including the bedroom where the girl slept along with her little brother and girlfriend/baby-sitter Misty Croslin, without detection? And for the first time since investigators clear the crime scene, Haleigh`s family goes back inside a home brimming with reminders -- Haleigh`s clothes, her photos, her pink-and-blue bicycle, favorite toys.

As we go to air, investigators back inside the home with Haleigh`s father. But why? In the last 48 hours, police insist on taking DNA evidence from multiple family members, including girlfriend/baby-sitter. Police emphasize no one -- repeat, no one -- has been cleared as a suspect. And was Haleigh spotted 35 miles away to the east, Saint Augustine, Florida? Tonight, inside the home of 5-year-old Haleigh, the very bedroom where she was snatched.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Poor little Haleigh Cummings. This 5-year-old girl`s missing now more than three weeks.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE) back door was all open and I can`t find my daughter.

911 OPERATOR: Can`t find what?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My daughter.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The mobile home on Green Lane where the 5-year- old was sleeping the night police say someone abducted her is no longer a crime scene.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I didn`t hear anything at all, nothing. If I heard something, I would have got up and I wouldn`t have let them take her.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: They went through that house six or seven times. There`s nothing, nothing at all.

GRACE: The family now relying on psychics...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It`s not a dead case, it`s a cold case. I mean, it`s -- there`s all kinds of leads still coming in.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Small reminders of Haleigh are everywhere.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Cleaning her room was the hardest because she has her toys and everything.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Her bicycle sits out front, along with other toys.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I just (INAUDIBLE) and just know that she`s not there.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Never, ever imagined the pain that Ronald feels.

RONALD CUMMINGS, FATHER: I would like to tell my daughter, if she`s watching, Baby, I love you, and we will find you. I love you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: And tonight, music superstar Rihanna brutally attacked just before she takes the stage at the Grammys. Stunning photos of a bloodied and beaten Rihanna go public as police announce an arrest. Rihanna`s alleged attacker, R&B superstar Chris Brown. As Rihanna stops cooperating with police, does it indicate she will not testify at trial? Suspect Chris Brown caught on video out on the town, boasting he`s got nothing to worry about. Hold on! Not so fast, Brown. It ain`t over yet!

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. Brown (INAUDIBLE) not to annoy, harass, molest, threaten or influence (ph) (INAUDIBLE) Do you understand that, sir?

CHRIS BROWN, CHARGED WITH ASSAULT: Yes.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: According to a detective`s sworn statement, Brown became enraged after Rihanna read a text message on his cell phone from a woman he had a previous sexual relationship with. The affidavit says Brown took his right hand and shoved her head against the passenger window, punched her in the left eye and continued to punch her in the face, causing her mouth to fill with blood and blood to splatter all over her clothing. The affidavit says Brown then told her, I`m going to beat the blank out of you when we get home. You wait and see. Now I`m really going to kill you.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The judge asked whether or not he wanted a stay- away order, a no contact order for Rihanna with Chris Brown, and he said no.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If convicted, Brown faces up to four years and eight months in prison.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: Good evening. I`m Nancy Grace. I want to thank you for being with us. Primetime exclusive tonight. We are live inside Haleigh`s home, including the bedroom where the 5-year-old little girl is snatched in the middle of the night.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She`s full of laughter as she poses for the camera in this home video.

GRACE: ... vanished into thin air.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

CUMMINGS: I just got home from work. My 5-year-old daughter is gone. I need somebody to be here now, I`m telling you!

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You always hear of it happening, but it`s never happened here.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He said that they just haven`t found anything. Nothing. No DNA evidence, no evidence of any kind. That`s why they`ve turned the house back over.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The piece of information is going to come in that will lead us to her, we haven`t found it yet.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It`s just Haleigh all over the house.

GRACE: ... the back door propped wide open.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We don`t know what the crime is, at this point. All we know is that Haleigh is missing.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Was there talk from cousin Joe about revenge?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No one is out of the mix.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is my neighborhood. I got grandkids, you know, and this worries me to death.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She`s our baby girl, and if you could just see her and call it in. We would greatly appreciate anything.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: Won`t you help us?

Right now, we are there in Satsuma, Florida, live there at the crime scene just cleared by police. Joining me, our producer, Marlaina Schiavo, and Teresa Neves, the paternal grandmother of little Haleigh. Ladies, thank you for being with us.

You know, a lot of people have been extremely dubious, doubting, as to the girlfriend/baby-sitter`s story that in the middle of the night as she slept there in the room, someone came in the home, into the bedroom and took the little girl and nobody heard a thing.

Marlaina, show me the girl`s room. That`s the first thing I want to see.

MARLAINA SCHIAVO, NANCY GRACE PRODUCER: OK, Nancy. Well, we`re standing right here. Right beside me on my left is the bed where Misty Croslin was sleeping. And here on the right, we have the bed where little Haleigh was sleeping. And you can see it is all but about three-and-a-half feet from each other. And this is right where Misty said she got up and she had to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night.

Now, on the -- where I`m facing right now, Nancy, is a bathroom. It`s the master bathroom. Through the living room behind me is the other bathroom in the house. And you have to remember she said that when she got up to go to the bathroom, she saw that the kitchen light was on. The kitchen is over this way. So that means she would have had to have gotten up and gone out this door and then have noticed.

GRACE: OK. Stop. Marlaina, are you telling me that she did not go to the bathroom -- the baby-sitter did not go to the restroom, the master bathroom? She chose instead to go out the door, across the kitchen to another bathroom?

SCHIAVO: That is the assumption we are making. We asked Teresa, Haleigh`s grandmother, who`s standing with us. She wasn`t sure which bathroom she used. But if she saw the kitchen light on, she would have had to have used the other bathroom in the home, Nancy.

GRACE: Was the door open or shut, Ms. Neves? Because if the door was closed, that rules out her seeing the kitchen light. So was that bedroom door open when she realized the kitchen light was on?

TERESA NEVES, PATERNAL GRANDMOTHER: The bedroom door is always open.

GRACE: So they sleep with the bedroom door open?

NEVES: Yes, ma`am.

GRACE: Ms. Neves, where was the little brother?

NEVES: He was in the bed right here with Misty.

GRACE: OK, so the -- you`re answering a lot of questions by the way, Ms. Neves and Marlaina Schiavo. I`m seeing the short distance between the bed -- let`s take a full screen, please, Elizabeth. The full distance between the bed where Misty Croslin was sleeping and the little youth bed, the daybed, where Haleigh was sleeping can`t be more than about four feet, maybe five feet.

NEVES: I don`t think it`s that far.

SCHIAVO: Yes, it`s about -- it`s about four feet, Nancy, at most.

GRACE: All right. And the door is open.

SCHIAVO: Yes, the door is open.

GRACE: All right. What more can you tell me, Marlaina?

SCHIAVO: Well, basically, Nancy, we took a walk through with Teresa earlier, and we were trying to see if you -- if the door was loud when it opens, the back door where the intruder came in. We were also trying to see if the floor creaks. I must say, the floor does not creak. There`s carpeting throughout the home, with the exception of the kitchen. And the back door actually does slam.

Now, Teresa told us earlier that it was the screen door that was propped open with the cinderblock, not the actual main door. But both doors -- both doors, and I can take you and show you -- will both -- they both actually close automatically.

GRACE: OK. Wait. Before you leave the bedroom, Marlaina, how big is that bedroom? Yes, I don`t need to see the ceiling. Bring it back down. How big is the bedroom?

SCHIAVO: The bedroom is, I would say about -- I would have to say 11 by 13.

GRACE: OK. Let`s go through the rest of the house -- 11 by 13. Thanks. Go ahead. Tell me what else you observed.

SCHIAVO: OK. Well, basically, Nancy, they kept saying that the door, the back door, which we are about to go to, is about 16 feet from the bedroom. It`s a little bit more than that, actually. If I had to guess, it would probably be about 25. But I`m going to show you the back door and show you how both doors close automatically. So -- and I`m also going to show you the lock because the lock is about three feet from the floor, and we know that that`s about as tall as Haleigh stands.

So here`s the back door and here`s the lock. It sticks, so -- there you go. Now, we open the back door, and here`s the back screen door, the one that was propped open with the cinderblock, OK? Now, if you see when it closed -- it slams. It makes a loud noise. But if you leave this door -- this slowly closes, as well. So leaves a lot of questions as to what exactly -- how exactly did this person do this.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

CUMMINGS: I just got home from work. My 5-year-old daughter is gone! I need somebody to be here now!

(END AUDIO CLIP)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I walked in the kitchen and the back door`s wide open. And I go in the room, and she`s gone. And that`s all I know!

CUMMINGS: Came home this morning to find out that I didn`t have a child, that somebody stole my child. It`s not like a bicycle or a car. Somebody stole my child!

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: ... to have to go back in the room where the little girl was stolen from. I could not even come close to imagining what goes through his mind and how his heart is broken.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Misty Croslin said that she realized Haleigh was missing in the middle of the night when she woke up to use the bathroom. There`s two bathrooms in the mobile home, one directly in the master bedroom and the other all the way across the living room.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: We are live inside the home where little Haleigh is snatched in the middle of night while sleeping there in the room with the baby- sitter/girlfriend and the little brother.

Straight back out to our producer, Marlaina Schiavo. And leading us on the tour of the home, paternal grandmother of Haleigh, Teresa Neves. Ms. Neves, again, thank you for letting us inside your home.

Marlaina, I want to go back to that back door very quickly. What more can you tell me? Uh-oh, Marlaina can`t hear us.

While we wait for the satellite to clear up with Marlaina, let`s unleash the lawyers. Joining me, Gloria Allred, Randy Kessler, Joe Episcopo. To you, Joe Episcopo. I understand police have been back at the home with the father today and they have just insisted on taking DNA from all the family members. What does that mean to you?

JOE EPISCOPO, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Well, you know, it means to me that they don`t have a viable suspect and they`re fishing around, like police do. They`re trying to find some evidence to make some connection. And I think they`re just trying to do the best they can do.

GRACE: Gloria?

GLORIA ALLRED, VICTIMS` RIGHTS ATTORNEY: Nancy, they`re trying to gather all of the evidence. As the sheriff indicate, they don`t yet have an item of evidence that is going to lead them to Haleigh, in their opinion at this time. So they have to keep checking and rechecking and gathering everything they can.

GRACE: To Randy Kessler, defense attorney out of Atlanta. Randy, to me, the fact that they are taking DNA from all the family members does not mean anything nefarious because it may be they want to rule out DNA they found in the home. All the family members are rightfully there. But if they find DNA in the home that doesn`t match a family member, then they`ve got something to go on. So this is not necessarily a suspicious thing for the family.

RANDY KESSLER, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Well, you know, was it Sherlock Holmes said deductive logic? You know, that`s what they`re trying to do. And also, what if they do find some evidence? What if they find a car, some abandoned, you know, box that had the child, who knows, and then they find DNA on that box? They want to be ready to go, and good for them. It sounds like they`re pulling out a lot of resources, investing a lot of time, money and energy to be ready to catch whoever did it and then we`ll find out what it is.

GRACE: Straight out to T.J. Hart, the news director with WSKY 97.3. T.J., it`s good to see you again. T.J., what can you tell me about this alleged sighting 35 miles to the east?

T.J. HART, WSKY 97.3: Well, I tell you, it got a lot of people excited, too, because what had happened was there was a sighting of a man with a little girl walking on State Road 16 near Highway 1. And when this report came in, of course, law enforcement quickly went out to the scene. They went near the railroad tracks and they finally found the man who matched the description. It turned out that it was indeed a man who was walking his little girl to school. A lot of people had a lot of hope that this, indeed, was a sighting of young Haleigh. It turned out to be someone else.

Once again, she does have some identifiable markers folks need to look out for, including that birth mark on her cheek that looks like a peanut and also one on her jaw that is consistent with her Turner syndrome.

GRACE: But you know, T.J., the birthmark on her cheek is very, very pale. In most photos...

HART: It certainly is.

GRACE: ... you don`t even see it.

HART: That`s true. That`s true. But when people are the eyes out in the community, it`s something a little bit more to look for. We have so many people acting as eyes in the community. In Indiana, a truck driver took a picture of a young girl thinking, of course, it was young Haleigh. Grand Junction, also in Tennessee, as well. People are out there. They do have their eyes peeled. But it`s down to the details.

GRACE: Let`s see a map of the various Haleigh sightings, the last one seemingly the most promising...

HART: It was.

GRACE: ... Saint Augustine, Florida. I want to go to Matt Zarrell as we show you this map, our staffer on the story. Matt, what more can you tell me about the latest in the investigation? I understand it is transitioning from a ground search to an investigative search. What do you mean by that?

MATT ZARRELL, NANCY GRACE STAFFER: Well, they`ve gotten over 2,400 tips at this point and they still continue to get leads from the public every single day. You`ve got volunteers out searching throughout the weekends and during the week. And now what they`re doing, they`re doing tactical searches. When they get leads and tips that come in, then they`re searching based on that information.

GRACE: To Dr. Jeff Gardere, psychologist and author of "Love Prescription." Dr. Gardere, thank you for being with us.

JEFF GARDERE, PSYCHOLOGIST: A pleasure, Nancy.

GRACE: The family has just gone back into the home. And apparently, the father couldn`t take it. He could not take looking at the home, especially Haleigh`s room with all of her favorite toys, her blue-and-pink bicycle. What`s your advice?

GARDERE: Well, he`s taken this harder than anyone else, which is completely understandable. But my advice to him is that if he cannot take being around that environment where his beautiful daughter was, then he should spend some time away from the home, certainly spending more time with family, which is what he`s been doing and that has been a source of strength for him, Nancy.

GRACE: Everyone, we are live right now, about to take you back into the home where little Haleigh was allegedly kidnapped in the middle of the night. There you see the little bed where she was sleeping only about three feet away from where the baby-sitter/dad`s girlfriend was asleep with the little brother. We`ll be right back.

First to, tonight`s "Case Alert." Tonight marks the 16th anniversary in the mystery surrounding the murder of a 51-year-old Arizona mother, Gail Parker, vanishing March `93 after leaving a Tucson Circle K. Just hours later, she`s found bludgeoned to death in the desert, her purse and jewelry gone. The reward at $100,000. Take a look. If you have info, call Tucson police 520-791-4487.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: From the back door area, you can see that you have to walk up a ramp in order to get into the house. Now, what we do know is that Haleigh was afraid of the dark. And on both sides of the house, there is densely wooded area.

The back door has two locks on the door. The second lock which you would have to turn is a tight lock, so it wouldn`t be likely that little Haleigh would have been able to turn the lock and then let herself out the door.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: Marlaina, back to you there in the home. What can you tell me again about that door?

SCHIAVO: OK, Nancy. Basically, what I was saying to you is that the back door opens and shuts. When it shuts, it shuts automatically. So this was the one that was propped up with the cinderblock. This is a deadbolt, OK? Misty said that this one was wide open and this was propped open with the cinderblock. So basically -- and -- but if you leave this door by itself, it slowly closes on its own. So there was laundry on the floor, as you recall. Misty found the pink shirt by the back door where the laundry was. The laundry room machines are right here. If you put this down, the door stops.

GRACE: So to Teresa Neves joining us, the paternal grandmother of Haleigh. Ms. Neves, is it your understanding that there was laundry on the floor that night? Yes, no.

NEVES: I hate to say it, Nancy, but there`s almost always laundry on the floor.

GRACE: OK. Believe me, it`s that way in every home in America. But my point is -- I don`t care about laundry on the floor. I`m thinking about the mindset of a potential attacker, comes in the house, props open the back door with a cinderblock -- nobody knows where the cinderblock came from. That door`s open. And he steps over -- I`m pretty sure it`s a he -- steps over laundry, makes his way back out that door, Doesn`t shut. He doesn`t kick the laundry to the side. Haleigh never says a word. He`d have to prop it open before he comes in to get Haleigh. He couldn`t prop it open with a cinderblock with Haleigh in his arms. I mean, think about it.

NEVES: Right.

GRACE: So he must know that this door automatically slams. Marlaina, standing in the bedroom, can you hear the door slam? Yes, no.

SCHIAVO: No.

GRACE: Are you sure?

SCHIAVO: You can`t hear the door slam. We tried it once, and you can barely hear it.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NANCY GRACE, HOST: Haleigh`s family releasing new home video of Haleigh hoping to generate leads. As family, police, volunteers, working around the clock to bring the little girl home.

MARIE GRIFFIS, MATERNAL GRANDMOTHER OF HALEIGH: It hurts because we don`t have her, but at least I do have this that I can see her and look at her.

GRACE: Little Haleigh taken out of her home in the middle of the night according to the girlfriend/babysitter.

MISTY CROSLIN, GIRLFRIEND OF HALEIGH`S FATHER RONALD CUMMINGS: When I want to sleep she was there. And then when I woke up she was gone. I wish that they would have took me instead of her, you know, because I could have fought. You know, she`s only 5. She can`t really do anything. And I just wish they would have took me instead of her. What do they want with a little 5-year-old?

RONALD CUMMINGS, FATHER OF MISSING 5-YR-OLD HALEIGH CUMMINGS: I guess I do have a message for whoever has taken Haleigh. I would ask that you please, please bring my daughter home. And she is not yours. It`s not property. You know, it`s not something that you just take and say it`s mine or whatever. This is my daughter. This is blood and I would like to have my daughter back. Please.

MARLAINA SCHIAVO, NANCY GRACE PRODUCER: From the back door it`s about 16 steps through the kitchen and through the living room right to and the front of Haleigh`s toddler bed in the bedroom. Directly across from her bed is a bed where Misty Croslin was sleeping with Haleigh`s little brother, Junior.

Misty Croslin said that she realized that Haleigh was missing in the middle of the night when she woke up to use the bathroom. Now there`s two bathrooms in the mobile home. One that is directly in the master bedroom and another one that is all the way across the living room.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: We are live inside that Satsuma home taking a look at where little Haleigh went missing. This in response to many of your questions about the lay out of the home.

Marlaina, you are there with Miss Theresa Neves, the paternal grandmother. Very quickly as we go to the lawyers, could you give me a walk through from the back door to the bedroom? I want to get a feel of how far away it is.

SCHIAVO: OK, Nancy. We`re at the back door. We`re coming through the kitchen here. Into the living room for a minute. And then around this corner is where the bedroom is. It`s about, you know.

GRACE: Keep going.

SCHIAVO: It`s about 20. So here we are into the bedroom. And this -- what I was saying to you earlier that we couldn`t see before, here is the master bathroom. Here`s the bed where Misty Croslin was sleeping with Junior. Now basically she would have to get up and either go to this bathroom or she would have to turn around, go that way into the other bathroom.

GRACE: So how many feet.

SCHIAVO: At this point.

GRACE: How many feet is it approximately, Marlaina, from where they were sleeping -- where the little girl was asleep in the middle of the night to that back door where the perp allegedly came in?

SCHIAVO: I`m going to say about 25 feet, Nancy.

GRACE: OK.

NEVES: (INAUDIBLE)

GRACE: What, Miss Neves?

NEVES: I said I walked it in 16 steps.

GRACE: OK. And a step is usually about a foot for somebody your size.

Miss Neves, I understand that you all came back into the home to clean up. Did the police leave it a mess after the search?

NEVES: It was -- it was not -- they did their job, I guess.

GRACE: Got it.

NEVES: They turned the furniture over. They emptied the toy bins. They - - you know, they emptied whatever she might be in, pulled the -- pulled the paneling off the tub to make sure that she wasn`t in there.

GRACE: Did they take fingerprint?

NEVES: Basically we just tried to put it back. Yes, ma`am.

GRACE: So there was all the black fingerprint powder, too.

Steve Kardian, former police detective in New York. Steve, that`s the way it always is when there`s a thorough search it looks like somebody just completely rampaged the place. They tear everything up. And they are not house maids. They`re not paid, the detectives, to go back and put everything right. They were there to find evidence.

That`s tough, but that`s the way it is.

STEVE KARDIAN, FMR. POLICE DETECTIVE: Yes, Nancy, it is. Everything is left un-unturned, everything is checked. And rechecked and rechecked again. And the fingerprints are taken. Any potential samples of DNA would be obtained. Anything worth evidentiary value but they would go through that house completely.

GRACE: And Steve, when you take fingerprints it is really a huge mess because it looks like somebody takes black talcum powder and just throws it everywhere. That`s how you lift latent prints. It`s very difficult to clean up after that. I`m sure you`ve seen, Steve Kardian, many, many crime scenes.

I want to go back to Theresa Neves, Haleigh`s grandmother. Miss Neves, do you stand firm that you believe Misty Croslin`s story, the babysitter that was with her that night?

NEVES: Yes, ma`am, I do.

GRACE: Another question -- Miss Neves, I understand that your son Ronald is not able, even now, to go back into the home? Why? What happened?

NEVES: It`s just very hard for him to come in here where Haleigh brought so much happiness and laughter. And see all her things and know that she is not here.

GRACE: How does it feel to you to be in there right now?

NEVES: I hope it`s helping Haleigh.

GRACE: Ms. Neves, one thing you`ve done for so many people tonight is to put to rest a lot of questions. We see the lay out of the home. We see that it`s not a shotgun home where it`s a straight shot and you can definitely hear everything at one end that happens at the other end. A lot has been cleared up.

Miss Neves, I understand that the police tore out the wall where the water heater was. Why?

NEVES: I couldn`t tell you unless they were looking for a way in or a way out. I don`t know.

GRACE: Miss Neves, a lot of viewers are wondering why your son Ronald is no longer making appearances on air to ask for help in finding Haleigh, why?

NEVES: It has -- pretty much, Nancy, there has been some really terrible things said about my son. He is a good father. I mean, it`s evident if you see him with his son or in the pictures with Haleigh. And he just feels like that -- that they`re beating him up.

GRACE: Well, assuming, and I am assuming that he is innocent of any wrongdoing, the media and others have been brutal on Ronald. And I understand.

I want to go to the Dr. Zhongxue Hua from Union County, the New Jersey medical examiner.

Doctor Hua, what toll, and I assuming that little Haleigh is still alive, would it take on her to be with a stranger all this time?

DR. ZHONGXUE HUA, UNION CO., N.J. MEDICAL EXAMINER: It`s -- I mean it`s very hard for young kids of her age to spend time with -- entirely separate from her parents and live with a stranger. It`s a new environment. It will take a while for the kids to adapt to it.

GRACE: To Matt Zarrell, weigh in, Matt?

MATT ZARRELL, NANCY GRACE STAFFER, COVERING STORY: Well, I think at this point they`re still looking for more clues. You`ve got sightings that are coming in every day. The family is praying for return. A $26,000 reward being offered. So they`re still hoping that they can get some more clues into whereabouts.

GRACE: I want to go back to Miss Neves there with our producer Marlaina Schiavo inside the home.

Miss Neves, when you look at the bed where little Haleigh was sleeping that night, what runs through your mind?

Last night when I got of the show and went home hand I checked on the twins, and I thought about, if I came home and that crib was empty, what would I do? And for the rest of the night, last night, I was walking around, I looked at the windows, the doors, I kept going back in and checking on the twins.

When you look at that bed, what goes through your mind?

NEVES: I just pray to God that Haleigh is alive so that she can come home and sleep in her bed again.

GRACE: Miss Neves, what message do you want to send tonight right now?

NEVES: I would like to thank everybody for their help and thank you, Nancy, for keeping my granddaughter out there, and I would just look to beg whoever has my granddaughter to please bring her home.

GRACE: Everyone, the tip line for little Haleigh is 888-277-TIPS. That`s 888-277-8477. Everyone is begging for your help. Here you`re seeing all right information about little Haleigh. Age 5, last seen, 2/10/09 there in Satsuma, Florida.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DONALD ETRA, RIHANNA`S ATTORNEY: Concerning her rights whether or not the court should issue a stay-away order in this case, Rihanna requested that no such order be issued.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Singer Rihanna wants the court not to issue a no contacted order against her boyfriend Chris Brown. Brown was in court facing two felony charges for allegedly assaulting her during an argument in February.

ETRA: But the court issued level one protective order, ordering Chris Brown not to annoy, molest, or harass her. We feel that that`s more than sufficient in this case.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: According to court documents, Brown threatened to kill her during an argument over a text message. A police detective says Rihanna`s mouth was filled with blood after Brown allegedly punched her. The affidavit said the text message was from a woman with whom Brown had a past sexual relationship.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Mr. Brown, you have the right to be arraigned today and have your trial within 60 days of today`s date. Do you now reach final agreement (INAUDIBLE) your arraignment to April 6th this year?

CHRIS BROWN, R&B SINGER: Yes, ma`am.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: Straight out to Tom O`Neil, senior editor at "In Touch Weekly." All right. He beats the smithereens out of her. I`ve got the affidavit for the search warrant right here. While he`s beating her, according to this sworn testimony, with his right hand driving with his left hand, he says "I`m going to beat the F out of you when we get home. You wait and see."

She, Rihanna, picks up the phone, calls her assistant, says I`m on my way home. Make sure cops are there, pretending to talk. He says you just did the stupidest thing ever. Now I`m really going to kill you. Her clothes, inside of the car, covered in blood.

And now, we learn she wants the judge not to issue a no-contact order. Why?

TOM O`NEIL, SENIOR EDITOR IN TOUCH WEEKLY, COVERING STORY: Well that was the breakthrough as of yesterday because she`s with him now, Nancy. She can`t.

GRACE: Whoa, there she is.

O`NEIL: Yes, they are. As of last week they were down at Diddy`s mansion in Miami kissing and cuddling and carrying on.

GRACE: Excuse me, you said, Diddy?

O`NEIL: Mm-hmm.

GRACE: I assume you are referring to Sean Puffy Combs.

O`NEIL: Yes.

GRACE: I did not realize that you were on a first name basis.

O`NEIL: Well.

GRACE: You are seeing to the left of Rihanna.

O`NEIL: Yes.

GRACE: . the faces of battered women. Women brave enough to let their photos be public after brutal beatings at the hands of their boyfriends, lovers, husbands, exes.

Joining me right now, along with Tom O`Neil, is Yvette Cade. You will remember Yvette Cade, a long time victim of domestic violence whose story culminates when her ex comes into her place of business, at a phone store, and throws acid on her. It has taken her such a long time to rehabilitate.

Miss Cade, what do you make of superstar Rihanna back with her attacker?

YVETTE CADE, VICTIM OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE: I`m appalled. What I just heard is -- is really devastating me because I heard rumors today, I have been praying for her, for some time. And the rumor I heard was that this past weekend her and Chris entertained to get married.

And that is actually my story. I had a fight with my ex husband. At the time he was my boyfriend. And to get out of court I agreed to go to Justice of the Peace and in order for me to stay. Her case will be the public eye and go on about her business. But I think she has made the worst mistake of her life getting back with him.

I believe that she needs time to really think about what she is doing.

GRACE: I agree, Miss Cade. Miss Cade, do you remember -- of course you do -- the moment when your ex set you afire?

CADE: I do. The flames were 1,500 degrees. And it was just by the grace of God that I was able to consciously run to -- run back in the store and get to a sink and spray my face.

GRACE: Everyone, I want to go now to Naomi Goldstein, a reporter joining us via Web-cam.

Naomi, they are so young. It`s really hard to put the burden on Rihanna to speak for battered women across the country. But this is sending an extremely disturbing message. Is it true that, a, they were married over the weekend? And b, that the alleged perpetrator, Chris Brown, was living it up and actually stated he is not sweating it?

NAOMI GOLDSTEIN, NANCY GRACE REPORTER, VIA WEBCAM, COVERING STORY: That`s right, Nancy. Well, we`re not sure about the marriage. I had heard the same rumor that Yvette heard about them getting married at P. Diddy`s mansion in Miami over the weekend. But there`s no actual factual reports on that.

GRACE: OK.

GOLDSTEIN: As far as Chris Brown partying it up after court yesterday, there was reports from TMZ that he was indeed at a local L.A. hotel with his bodyguards until about 3:45 a.m. this morning.

GRACE: To Gloria Allred, it is not uncommon for battered to take the perp back.

GLORIA ALLRED, VICTIM`S RIGHTS ADVOCATE: That`s true, Nancy, and here`s my question. Is she an emotional hostage to Chris Brown? And who is enabling her to continue in this relationship? I don`t think Sean Diddy, P. Diddy, or anyone else should be supportive of Rihanna and Chris Brown being together in a relationship at this time.

GRACE: To "CNN HEROES."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: This is CNN Heroes.

EFREN PENAFLORIDA JR., CHAMPIONING CHILDREN: Gang members are groomed in the slums as early as 9 years old. They`re all victims of poverty.

I`m Efren Penaflorida Jr. In high school, gangs were very rampant. I felt the social discrimination and I was then -- I was bullied. I got afraid. So we thought of a group to actually divert teenagers be productive. So that`s why we are bringing the classroom to the kids.

We operate the pushcart every Saturday. We teach them language and mathematics. And we also have our hygiene clinic.

RHANDOLF, FORMER GANG MEMBER (Through translator): My gang mates were the most influential thing in my life. I would probably be in jail right now or most likely a drug addict if I hadn`t met Efren.

PENAFLORIDA: Yes, I always tell to my volunteers you are the change you dream, and collectively we are the change that this world needs to be.

ANNOUNCER: Tell us about your hero at CNN.com/Heroes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GRACE: What a week in America`s courtrooms. Take a look at the stories and more important the people who touched our lives.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: The state announcing the death penalty is off the table. Why?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: With all this new evidence coming out nothing has changed at this point. From what I have been told that decision could change any time up until the trial starts. But at this point nothing has changed. The state does not intend as of today to put the death penalty on this case.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Law enforcement officials say they continue to get tips in the case of the missing Florida boy Adji Desir, who was last seen playing outside his grandmother`s home.

GRACE: Tom Smith with the special crimes bureau, Collier County Sheriff`s Office, who`s the lead investigator into Adji`s disappearance.

Lieutenant, thank you for being with us.

LT. TOM SMITH, SPECIAL CRIMES BUREAU, COLLIER CO. SHERIFF`S OFFICE, ON THE CASE: Thank you again for airing Adji`s story. You know, keeping his picture in everybody`s mind is very crucial to finding him.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He allegedly began punching her in the arm, causing contusions. She then attempted to send a text message from her phone. Chris Brown allegedly threw that phone out the window. So she picked up his cell phone. He put her in a headlock. Bit her on the left ear. The car swerved. They stopped. More punching ensued. Another headlock.

GRACE: Thousands of pages, stunning documents, inside the tot mom police investigation just released.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Last time that Caylee was ever seen alive, June 16th, there was partying on June 20th. So farther on to have the pictures, I think, is evident of a state of mind prosecutors would say.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: Let`s stop and remember Army Captain Michael Medders, 25, Avon Lake, Ohio, killed Iraq. A Bowling Green State grad. Awarded the Bronze Star and Purple Heart. An all Southwestern Conference football star. Loved baseball and basketball. Dreamed of marrying his fiancee. Leaves behind grieving parents, Michael and Lynn, three sisters, beloved fiancee, Stacy.

Michael Medders, American hero.

Thanks to our guests but especially to you. A special good night from the New York control room. Good night, Brett, Norm, Liz. And good night from Georgia and Alabama friends of the show, Gaylin, Mary, Dawn, Shay, Jennifer, and Meredith. Aren`t they beautiful?

Everyone, I`ll see you tomorrow night, 8:00 sharp Eastern. And until then, good night, friend.

END

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0903/06/ng.01.html

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0903/09/ijvm.01.html

ISSUES WITH JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL

Father of Missing Girl Proposes to Girlfriend; New Video Surfaces of Caylee Anthony; Prosecutors Question Casey`s Defense Team; Victim of Madoff Angry at Talk of a Plea Deal

Aired March 9, 2009 - 19:00:00 ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL, HOST (voice-over): Tonight, Haleigh Cummings` grand-grandmother breaks down. The family endures torture, not knowing Haleigh`s fate as the county forces them to move their cam campsite vigil off county property. Why is the county giving this heart-broken family such a hard time about some minor land code?

And 70 miles away, the Caylee Anthony case heats up, as mom Casey is due back in court this week. And we get our hands on more adorable video of little Caylee that fell through the cracks. Why hasn`t the world seen this footage?

Then, shocking news in the Rihanna/Chris brown saga. Oprah issues a stark warning to Rihanna with a frightening prediction. It seems just about everyone has an opinion on this case, except Rihanna`s dad. Reports say he hasn`t spoken to his daughter since the alleged beating. I`ll try to figure out what`s going on.

And where does the violence end? A pastor in Illinois gunned down in the middle of a church service. I`ll have the details.

Plus, outrage escalates as Ponzi mastermind Bernie Madoff schemes for a plea deal as he prepares to go to court this week. Could he escape justice? I`ll talk to one of his furious victims.

And Octomom`s latest publicist quits, saying Nadya Suleman is nuts. Meantime, Octograndpa is back in the media, saying he`ll fight any attempt to separate his daughter from her brood of 14. The octuplets set to be released from the hospital this week. I`ll tell you if they`re going to be coming home.

ISSUES starts now.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Stunning new developments tonight in Florida`s twin tragedies: the Caylee Anthony murder case and the disappearance of 5-year- old Haleigh Cummings.

I want to start in Satsuma. Breaking news right off the top. Haleigh`s father, Ron Cummings, has reportedly proposed to his 17-year-old girlfriend, Misty Croslin, the last person to see little Haleigh alive. We will have more details on this shocking engagement announcement and what it could mean.

It has now been one month since little Haleigh went missing from her home. Her family is more emotional than ever. Now, Haleigh`s great- grandmother is speaking out about that fateful night and what may have happened before Ron`s new fiancee, Misty, noticed the little girl was gone.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANNETTE SYKES, HALEIGH`S GREAT-GRANDMOTHER: I mean, when she got up and came back out, she seen Haleigh gone. When she got up, you know, you get up half asleep and go to the bathroom and you don`t -- you know, you don`t expect your baby to be gone. She noticed, I think, that the light was on. I`m not sure. I just know that, you know, she got up to go to the bathroom. Then when she came back out, the baby went -- there was nobody there.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: This poor family. As the family continues their desperate search for little Haleigh, backlash growing against Putnam County`s decision to force the Cummings family off the land where they have set up their tents. The county says it`s not a campground and they have to move. The request leaves Ron Cummings stranded, since he refuses to return to the trailer where little Haleigh disappeared.

Is the county kicking this family when they`re down? Shouldn`t the local government be for them, not against them? We`ll explore that question.

But right now, I want to get to the breaking news about this engagement. Stunning stuff.

Joining me, my expert panel. Drew Findling, Atlanta criminal defense attorney; and Sharon Liko, family lawyer and criminal defense attorney. Plus, Dr. Gaby Cora, psychiatrist, as well as reporter Diane Cho from CNN affiliate WJXT.

Let me start with Drew Findling. I thought I`d seen it all, but to see this engagement is quite extraordinary, given that Ron Cummings, the father of the missing child, is marrying -- or says he wants to marry -- he`s getting engaged, reportedly, to the very woman who -- the child disappeared on her watch.

DREW FINDLING, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: You know, sometimes when people aren`t even suspects, Jane, they hire a criminal defense attorney just because we`ve been through this process of investigation before. And I wish he had a good attorney, because any good attorney would have told him not a good time to do something like that.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Why not?

FINDLING: Because it`s going to raise the whole suspicion and people are going to be out there, particularly some people in the media that have nothing to do than try to make him a suspect, and say, "Aha, somehow he had something to do with this. Why don`t they get rid of her so he could be alone or be one child less and spend more time with his, you know, 11th- grade-age girlfriend." It`s going to -- it`s going to create suspicion and rumors and create problems that he doesn`t need.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, Sharon Liko, also a criminal defense attorney and family lawyer, the first thing the folks in the studio here said, "Oh, spousal privilege, right? That means that one doesn`t have to testify against the other." Does that hold in this case?

SHARON LIKO, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Actually, maybe, maybe not. If they are married, then she could assert the spousal privilege. However, if it`s a domestic violence case, that doesn`t apply. So she could be forced to testify. But in most of the country, people seem to think that this is a case of trailer trash versus middle class.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: I don`t like to use that -- I don`t like to use that phrase. I find it extraordinarily offensive. I really think that these people have shown tremendous dignity, tremendous dignity in a time that would leave most of us on our knees and perhaps not showing our best selves. And I just find that those kinds of descriptions...

LIKO: I agree with you, but that...

VELEZ-MITCHELL: ... to be highly offensive.

LIKO: And I`m saying that that isn`t the case. The salacious details of the Caylee Anthony case are just so paramount that this case is going to fade away, because it doesn`t have some of the nutcases that the Caylee Anthony case has.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, I don`t know. I think the word "nutcases" can apply to a lot of people. You know what I mean?

Let`s bring in the shrink. Dr. Gaby Cora, let`s look for the innocent explanation to this engagement proposal. When people are in crisis, when they`re in panic, don`t they have a tendency to come together and hang on to each other? And couldn`t this engagement be a manifestation of that?

GABY CORA, CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST: Yes, it could very well be. And that is an extension of that. And life goes on, so to speak. And in a way, it looks like this father had already been engaged with this 17-year- old in some shape or another. So this is just making things a little more formal.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Diane Cho, your station broke this story. What can you tell us about this astounding news that has reportedly proposed to Misty?

Oh, OK.

Well, I`ll tell you what, we`re going to go back to Drew Findling. We do not have Diane Cho. But we`re efforting her. I think we have a little sound problem there.

Drew Findling, is this a mountain out of a mole hill or is the timing just too extraordinary for us to just let it be?

FINDLING: Well, look, I mean, if I had been his attorney or consulting the family, I would have just said, "Ron, bad time to do this. Let the focus be on finding your daughter and not on your nuptials." That`s what I would have said.

Now, that being said, I agree with you about the dignity of this family. And why not contrast it to what happened in Anthony? You know, you brought up a good fact when you introduced this. That is, 30 days since Haleigh has been missing.

Well, for 30 days when Caylee was missing, nothing happened. Look at what has happened here. We may not realize the progress that law enforcement has made. They say they don`t have clues, but we don`t know that. We know that they had a 30-day head start.

LIKO: Hang on a second, partner. Let`s look at the fact that this father decides he`s going to marry the girlfriend. I mean, his kid is missing. He doesn`t even know whether she`s alive or dead, and he`s thinking of getting married? What is up with that?

FINDLING: Well...

LIKO: The guy is totally inappropriate to the situation.

FINDLING: Yes, well, I`m agreeing. I`m just saying I would have advised him not to do that.

LIKO: But advice versus just human nature -- does he need a lawyer to tell him not to do something like that? What`s wrong with him?

VELEZ-MITCHELL: These are young people, you know. These are very young people.

FINDLING: Maybe his upbringing and his relationship with his family and the way that he looks at his father and his mother and their relationship is different than yours. We can`t tell him what is culturally relative...

LIKO: Yes. Well, if your kid was missing, would you be thinking of getting married?

FINDLING: I`m not -- I don`t -- I don`t dare to compare myself to him.

LIKO: I don`t think he has any boundaries, whether it`s age or socioeconomic...

VELEZ-MITCHELL: I really feel like -- to be honest with you, I have to jump in and cut you off, Sharon. Because this -- this guy is, to all intents and purposes, a victim here. He lost his child.

FINDLING: Absolutely.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: I don`t think we should be beating up on him.

FINDLING: Absolutely.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: I mean, if he needs the comfort of being married because his heart is broken, how are we who are not living and walking in his shoes...

FINDLING: Exactly. That`s exactly right.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: ... going to judge him? I just find it extraordinary. But, you know, it`s a free country, and we`re listening to your opinion. And you have a right to your opinion. But I`m just responding that I think that we have to give this man the benefit of the doubt at this stage.

Diane Cho, your station broke the story. You`re back with us. Tell us what you know about this engagement.

DIANE CHO, REPORTER: Ronald Cummings, Haleigh`s father, proposed to his 17-year-old girlfriend, Misty Croslin, last night at a Chili`s restaurant in the neighboring city of Palaca (ph). We`re told that he apparently got down on one knee, told her that he loved her and then proposed in the middle of the restaurant in front of several family members.

Now, we spoke to Misty today for the first time, really, in a couple of weeks, and since Haleigh disappeared, this is the first time we`ve also seen a smile on her face. And her seemingly very genuinely happy as they were walking down to the courthouse to fill out the application for the marriage license.

Now, of course, because she is 17 years old, Misty`s mother did have to accompany them down to the courthouse to give the court the OK for this marriage.

Now, Misty also told us that she what thought was that, you know, she thinks that despite what everyone is thinking or what they`re going to say about this after they learn about this news, she says they`re only doing this for one reason. That reason is because of Haleigh.

They say that this is what Haleigh`s wanted all along, since the two of them have gotten together, since they started dating six months ago. They say that Haleigh wanted them to live as a family. So this is what they`re doing, and they hope that when she does return, that this is what she can fulfill for them.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Dr. Gaby Cora, your thoughts as a psychiatrist?

CORA: There`s many things that we don`t know that may have been going on behind the scenes, and this may explain it. There may be even more things that we don`t -- we`re not aware of.

But, you know, the other -- the other thing that`s so important for us to discuss is the judgment. It looks like so many people have such strong opinions about this. and this family is grieving. And they still don`t know if Haleigh is alive or -- or what`s -- what`s happened to her.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes. Absolutely. We have to always keep compassion in our hearts for this family. I mean, we have no idea what it`s like to go through something like this.

Diane, thank you so much for that report. We`re going to talk to you again a little bit later in this broadcast. Everyone else, hang tight. We have so much to cover.

<snipped to include Haleigh coverage only>

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0903/09/ijvm.01.html

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0903/10/ijvm.01.html

ISSUES WITH JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL

Award Raised for Info on Haleigh Cummings; Father of Missing Girl Comforts Cummings Family; Bernie Madoff Expected to Plead Guilty to All Charges

Aired March 10, 2009 - 19:00:00 ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL, HOST (voice-over): Tonight, a heart-wrenching scene as Haleigh Cummings` family forced to tear down their camp site and move out, but to where?

CRYSTAL SHEFFIELD, HALEIGH`S MOTHER: Haleigh, I love you. Your daddy loves you. Please just bring her home.

RON CUMMINGS, HALEIGH`S FATHER: I love you very much. We will find you.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Plus Misty Croslin shows off her engagement ring as new details pour in about her upcoming marriage to the missing girl`s father.

And the family of abducted teen Tiffany Sessions, who vanished 20 years ago on the same date as Haleigh, never to reappear, arrives in Satsuma to comfort Haleigh`s relatives.

Then, 70 miles away, stunning news in the Caylee Anthony murder case. Where is Casey Anthony getting the money to pay for her dream team of eight lawyers and famous experts? Prosecutors demanding to know if there`s a secret source for the big bucks. Will Jose Baez spill the answers?

Then shock as reports say Rihanna is recording a duet with Chris Brown, even though he`s facing two felonies for allegedly assaulting her. As the case gets over to focus in on domestic violence, I`ll tell you why their punch drunk love is sending all of the wrong messages.

ISSUES starts now.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Tonight, a community tries not to crumble in the face of a devastating mystery. It was one month ago that a desperate and frantic 911 call alerted authorities that little Haleigh Cummings had disappeared from her home without a trace.

Today, a heart wrenching news conference in Satsuma, Florida, marking the terrible one-month anniversary. Standing before a small army of cops, Haleigh`s mother, Crystal Sheffield, broke down.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHEFFIELD: I just want to say thank you for everybody that`s doing everything. Haleigh, if you`re out there, Mommy loves you and your daddy loves you and we miss you. We`ll be right here. Please -- please, whoever has her, bring her home. Please. We need her.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Her ex, Haleigh`s dad, Ron Cummings, who has just gotten engaged, also made another emotional plea.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CUMMINGS: Please, if you have my daughter, bring her home, please. All I want is Haleigh. That`s all I want. I want nothing else, but Haleigh, that`s it. Please, if you have her, bring her home. Baby, if you`re watching, you know you`ll always be daddy`s little girl. I love you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Unfortunately, despite a massive investigation, cops stood before the media today and seemed to acknowledge they have absolutely no idea, not a clue, what happened to this precious 5-year-old.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHERIFF JEFF HARDY, PUTNAM COUNTY SHERIFF`S DEPARTMENT: I ask this community to please have patience and to bear with us. And we`re looking for that one lead and that one tip that it`s going to take to bring Haleigh home.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: So today the Justice Coalition, in a desperate bid to get answers let would-be tipsters know that the reward has been upped to $35,000 for information that will hopefully solve this mysterious case.

In the middle of all of this, the Cummings family is being evicted from their camp site. They are tearing down their tents as we speak. Where will this tormented family go to wait for news?

We will be taking your calls on all of this tonight, but first, to my expert panel: Rebecca Rose Woodland, criminal defense attorney; Drew Findling, Atlanta-based criminal defense attorney; Pat Brown, criminal profiler, joining us by phone; and Jennifer Bauer from CNN affiliate WJXT.

Jennifer, what is the very latest?

JENNIFER BAUER, WJXT: Well, I think the big news today coming out of Putnam County, Jane, is that the reward has been upped to $35,000. Investigators are telling us they hope the additional money, of course, will bring in new tips, new leads, talking with investigators today.

They say, you know, people all the way from San Diego, California, to Cape May, New Jersey, are really taking an interest in this case. And the FBI field agent who was here at today`s news conference said the FBI is going out of state, handling these calls, these sightings, these tips. The number still remains at 2,400 and the investigators here still remain optimistic.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: I want to bring in Pat Brown, criminal profiler, because what I have noticed, and it`s certainly pretty obvious, is that the law enforcement teams operating on this case are being very, very tight- lipped. They`re not saying anything. They`re not saying whether the family passed the polygraph.

Contrast that to the Casey Anthony, case where there were leaks left and right. Do you think this strategy is working in the Haleigh case? It does not appear to be working. Perhaps they should hold a news conference and tell us everything they know, Pat.

PAT BROWN, CRIMINAL PROFILER: Well, that is the concept, Jane. May have a strategy that we just don`t know at this point. Lots of information that they do believe will eventually bring them in something.

And one of the things that`s very interesting about this case, if you compare it to the Caylee Anthony case, is there are always two options in any child abduction or supposed child abduction: that indeed, a stranger did take the child or the family was involved.

And in Caylee`s case there was a lot of, you know, obviously right away the behavior of Casey Anthony was suspect, so everything kind of focused there, but you will notice that law enforcement still looked around for her. They still didn`t just go with that. They kept their options open.

And I think they`re doing the same thing in this case. There are some concerns with the family, but they`re looking elsewhere.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Here`s the problem, Pat. If they don`t say, OK, for example, this is just one example. The family took their polygraph and passed them. Now, the family said, "We passed them," but the authorities won`t confirm that. So people are sort of, well, we don`t know. They`re not letting their imaginations open up to consider other possibilities. And I think that that is a problem. Do you see what I`m saying?

BROWN: Well, I see what you`re saying, Jane, but I actually don`t think that`s true, because if you take a look at the blogging out there in the blog world, people out there are very, very suspicious of both Misty and Ronald, especially in light of the recent engagement, something that you wouldn`t imagine would happen when you`re focused just on finding this child. It doesn`t make sense that suddenly, you thought, "Oh, let`s think about ourselves and let`s get married and get an engagement ring." Very peculiar behavior.

Actually, a lot of people are looking at that. But I think that`s already out there. So I don`t know quite what the law enforcement are thinking, but I think that they`ve got their plans.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes. I think that you and I are essentially agreeing. I`m saying that assuming that this family is not involved, we should clear them at this point, because that would open the focus and allow people to think of other possibilities and look elsewhere.

DREW FINDLING, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Jane, I have to say I disagree. Having worked on these cases before, remember that abductors and people of that mindset are often boasters. And if they know -- if they know that that suspicion is still there, then they may possibly boast about what they did. And if they boast and it`s somebody that will respond to $35,000.

So I think there`s a little bit of a strategy in not letting us know. And I think we should probably give credit to law enforcement for keeping that to themselves. And that`s based on years and years of experience.

And I promise you they`re consulting with Quantico on every move they make. If they`re not, they`re truly remiss.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, sure. FBI was there today. I know they`re doing a great job. They`re working very, very hard. We`re just trying to offer alternative possibilities.

Now, Pat Brown, you mentioned the whole idea of the engagement. Haleigh`s cad, Ron Cummings, proposed to 17-year-old Misty Croslin, the last person to see Haleigh Cummings before she disappeared on Sunday. The couple has come under scrutiny, as Pat mentioned, over that decision. Let`s listen to what Misty and her mom, Lisa Croslin, had to say about just that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MISTY CROSLIN, FIANCE OF RON CUMMINGS: We`ve been planning this for a while, actually.

LISA CROSLIN, MOTHER OF MISTY: It`s just -- they`ve been getting for me to do it for, like, five months. And I said you all need to wait until you`re 18 and everybody`s trashing them. And I`m going to go ahead and let them do it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Additionally, Misty maintains that the engagement is what little Haleigh would have wanted. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

M. CROSLIN: Everybody might take this marriage thing the wrong way, but it`s not. It`s still focused -- everything is still focused on Haleigh. This is what Haleigh wanted. She`s always talked about it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Misty showed off her engagement ring today, and we`re going to show you that in a second. Still, some are raising eyebrows, wondering why Ron would, at this particular juncture, marry Misty when his daughter disappeared on Misty`s watch and is still missing, and we still have no idea what happened to her.

Jennifer Bauer, what`s the reaction in the community?

BAUER: I think people at first were pretty shocked. I spoke with Teresa Neves today, who is Haleigh`s paternal grandmother. And she told me they`re doing it because it makes them happy. This is what Haleigh would have wanted. She says this is what Ron Jr., Haleigh`s brother, wants. She says the children talked about it. Ron Jr. still talks about it today.

And she said when Haleigh comes home she`s going to be a flower girl at the wedding. They`re going to have a reception once Haleigh comes home. Of course, the wedding itself possibly taking place at the courthouse, we`re hearing, maybe sometime this week.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right. Jennifer -- Rebecca Rose Woodland, another stress on this Cummings family is that they have to pack up their campground. Why do you think the county is giving them a hard time on this rule that you can`t have a campground at an unofficial camp site for more than 14 days? I mean, to me that sounds like going after people who are not putting their dogs on leashes when there`s a murderer on the loose.

REBECCA ROSE WOODLAND, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: You know, I guess the county is just trying to do everything by the book. I think they think there`s some conflict. They want to keep everything really quiet here.

As you were saying before, Jane, they really are keeping this very tightlipped, and maybe they`re afraid something in that camp site, something or another there will be some sort of clue that will just go by the wayside.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Oh, wait a second. You`re saying this is a strategy.

WOODLAND: I`m thinking so because why would you make these poor people have to remove their campsite? All they want to do is find this poor little girl. So maybe it`s a strategy, and they`re trying to keep everything really tight.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right. We`ll explore that more. Everyone, sit tight. We have lots of ground to cover in this case.

Do you think it was unfair to force the Cummings family to move their camp? Call 1-877-JVM-SAYS. That`s 1-877-586-7297. Let me know your thoughts on this entire case.

And 70 miles away, in the Caylee Anthony case, prosecutors demand to know where Casey is getting all of the money for her dream team of eight attorneys. I will have an update.

But first an emotional news conference with the Cummings family today, made more so because they were forced to move from the spot they have called home for weeks.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TERESA NEVES, HALEIGH`S PATERNAL GRANDMOTHER: We felt closer to the investigation here. Nobody thought we would be here this long.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHEFFIELD: Just bring her home. Please. We need her. We need her. Just bring her back.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: A mother`s desperate plea for her baby girl. Heartbreaking.

We are back with my panel and taking your calls, as we try to figure out why this is such a complete mystery. But first, I want to introduce a very special guest.

Patrick Sessions knows all too well the horror Haleigh`s parents are going through. Twenty years ago Patrick lived their nightmare when his beautiful 20-year-old daughter, Tiffany Sessions, disappeared after going on a jog. She has never been seen since. Period.

In a heart-wrenching coincidence, Tiffany disappeared on the same date as Haleigh. Tiffany`s death was so upset over Haleigh`s disappearance, he drove to Satsuma to visit with the Cummings family.

Patrick, thank you so much for joining us.

PATRICK SESSIONS, DAUGHTER WENT MISSING: You`re welcome. Glad to be here.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: I`m sure it brings up some very painful feelings. Why did you feel the need to reach out to the Cummings? And were you able to comfort them?

SESSIONS: Well, you know, we try to work with other families that, unfortunately, are in the same position we were, and I just felt like this was the time.

We normally get involved earlier, but they had great television coverage, and they had good law enforcement activity. So I didn`t think they really needed us at that point. But I don`t know whether you`ve lost anybody, but people who any through what we`ve anyone through and lost loved ones, you kind of hit a wall at about 30 days. And I just felt like they were hitting that wall. I know I hit it, and I thought it might be a good time to try to show some support.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes. We`re going to go to so many people lining up to give their thoughts on this case, but I want to ask you a follow-up on your case.

How is it possible in this day and age of forensics and all sorts of high technology that a human being can simply disappear without a trace and it ends up in a cold case file and police don`t have a clue? Does that boggle your mind?

SESSION: Well, it does. I never expected to be to be sitting here 20 years later. But I said before, you don`t have to be a brain surgeon to get away with murder. If you get lucky enough to commit the crime and hide the body and nobody sees it, unless there`s some good evidence there`s nothing to go on.

And unfortunately in Tiffany`s case, there was absolutely no evidence. No witnesses, no forensic evidence, nothing. So it`s a classic whodunit.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes. And my heart goes out to you. I can`t imagine what it`s been like to live with that, not knowing for 20 years.

Now, again, the phone lines lighting up. And let`s go to some of our callers with questions and thoughts.

Ralph from California, your question or thought, sir.

CALLER: Yes, I have a question. Have the police investigated into Misty`s ex-disgruntled boyfriend?

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Jennifer, what do you know?

BAUER: I don`t know anything about her ex-disgruntled boyfriend. I haven`t heard anything from investigators on them.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: But does she have an ex? I mean, she`s only, what? Seventeen? She`s pretty young.

BAUER: Yes. All I know, I mean, she`s 17. I know she met Ron when she was 14. I know that they`ve been dating for about the last six months. That`s the only information I know about her past.

But I know her family does live in this same neighborhood where Ronald has his mobile home where he lives with Haleigh and Ron Jr., but beyond that I don`t have any information about any ex-boyfriend.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right. Kitty in Canada. Your question or thought?

CALLER: I love your show. Who was the last person to see Haleigh other than the dad and the girlfriend?

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Good question. We`re going to take it back to Jennifer Bauer on that.

BAUER: The grandmother. Great-grandmother, Annette Sykes. She is Ronald`s grandmother, Teresa Neves` mother. She came by the house that night about 7 p.m. She had to drop off some clothing, and I think she did some laundry, helped the family out. She was dropping that off.

She says the kids were eating dinner, and Misty had just made them dinner. And that was the last time she saw Haleigh. And then, of course, as you know, Misty Croslin remembers seeing Haleigh at around 10 p.m.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right. Donna in Florida, your question or thought, ma`am?

CALLER: Hi, Jane. Love your show.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Thank you.

CALLER: I was just wondering how could the father of Haleigh afford to buy a diamond ring for Misty, and you know, Haleigh was sleeping on a mattress on the floor? It just boggles my mind that he would do something, you know, like that. I mean, buy a bed for the baby. I just don`t understand that.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, let me go back to Patrick Sessions, because, again, I always say we have no idea what it`s like to walk in the shoes of somebody who has lost a child. And there has been a lot of questions and eyebrows raised over the timing, Patrick, why little missing Haleigh`s father would decide to get engaged right now to the very woman who was there the last time that anybody saw little Haleigh and sort of -- if the child disappeared on her watch. And then you just heard that question.

Could you give us any insight into why they may need to come together at this juncture?

SESSIONS: Well, the first thing, and I`m not sure it`s fact, but I`d understand that the ring was actually the grandmother`s ring, that she gave that to them. If that`s true, that explains some of it.

I think what explains more of it is you all are trying to understand what`s going on in the head of someone who`s lost a child. And I don`t think it`s necessarily the greatest idea either. But I don`t think we should be standing here trying to judge people that are just trying to get through day by day. And I`m sure I did some pretty stupid things during the time -- those first days.

And as I said, they`re hitting a point now where it`s awful hard to divide reality. You can talk about it all you want, but after 30 days, you realize you`ve got a real problem. And the odds are getting worse every day of a happy ending.

So I don`t know what drove it, but I suspect what drove it is just a moment of happiness in an absolutely terrible situation.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes. Drew, thoughts on this, because there are some people who have been very harsh. We only have a couple of seconds.

FINDLING: Well, again, I`m going to fall back on my position that I think that somebody in Ron`s position really needs counsel. He needs an attorney, even if he`s not a suspect, to council him through this investigation through this stage.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: I think that`s an excellent suggestion and, unfortunately, we have to leave it right there. I want to thank Patrick Sessions and my excellent panel. Please come back soon.

<snipped to include Haleigh coverage only>

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0903/10/ijvm.01.html

Please disregard the above post. For some reason, my computer posted by itself, taking out all the spacing on the transcript. ::MonkeyEek:: ::MonkeyConfused::

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0903/11/ng.01.html

NANCY GRACE

Aired March 11, 2009 - 20:00:00 ET

<snipped to include Haleigh coverage only>

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RONALD CUMMINGS, FATHER OF MISSING 5-YR-OLD HALEIGH CUMMINGS: Please, again, my daughter. Bring her home, please.

CRYSTAL SHEFFIELD, MOM OF MISSING 5-YR-OLD HALEIGH CUMMINGS: Please.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Balloons with notes to and about Haleigh were brought in before a news conference. Notes written by her family. In the news conference the justice coalition announced they have upped the reward money. Now it totals $35,000 and they`re hopping the money will prompt people to talk.

MARLAINA SCHIAVO, NANCY GRACE PRODUCER, SPENT TIME WITH MISSING HALEIGH`S FAMILY: From the backdoor area, you can see that you have to walk up a ramp in order to get into the house. Now, what we do know is that Haleigh was afraid of the dark. And on both sides of the house there is densely wooded area.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Misty Croslin strolled out of the Putnam County courthouse Monday afternoon with her mother. She showed off her engagement ring Ronald Cummings, Haleigh`s father, gave her.

MISTY CROSLIN, RONALD CUMMING`S FIANCEE: He got down on his knees and everybody is probably going to take this marriage thing the wrong way, but it`s not. It`s still focused -- everything`s still focused on Haleigh.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Should we release anything that will bring Haleigh back, we`ll release it even if jeopardize the criminal investigation.

CUMMINGS: I only want Haleigh. That`s all I want.

SHEFFIELD: She`s out there. Mommy loves you. And your daddy loves you. And we miss you. And we`ll be right here (INAUDIBLE).

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NANCY GRACE, HOST: GRACE: Little Haleigh snatched in the middle of the night. You`re seeing an exclusive look we had there in the home, trying to determine how far away girlfriend/babysitter Misty Croslin was actually sleeping when, apparently, an intruder came through that bedroom door and took the 5-year-old little girls off this used bed. Just about three feet away from the babysitter and little brother sleeping there in the big bed.

How did it happen? And now we learned the girlfriend/babysitter is set to marry Haleigh`s father. On the heels of that revelation, we learned that the biological mother, Crystal Sheffield, has now hired a lawyer. But why?

To T.J. Hart, the news director at WSKY 97.3. T.J., what can you tell me?

T.J. HART, PROGRAM & NEWS DIRECTOR, WSKY 97.3FM, COVERING STORY: Well, first of all, she got a hold of a spokesperson, and the spokesperson said that she was going to help her for free and apparently has lined her up with an attorney to help her to deal with the media.

GRACE: To deal with the media.

To Marlaina Schiavo, our producer, who has spent many, many hours with Haleigh`s family. Why do they need help dealing with the media?

SCHIAVO: Well, the family said that it`s been very difficult for them and they need help dealing with the media. But also, Kim Picazio, the attorney you`re talking about who`s representing Crystal Sheffield, is also going to be helping them doing a bunch of other things, coordinating independent searches for Haleigh, talking to authorities, and also she`s going to be looking into potential custody issues.

GRACE: When you say potential custody issues, Marlaina, translation, break it down, dear. Are you saying that the biological mother may fight for custody of the little boy, the little brother?

SCHIAVO: You got it, Nancy. They think that if Haleigh was taken, there`s a possibility that Junior, the younger brother, may be taken as well and they want to protect him in the future.

GRACE: With me, right now, is that attorney, Kim Picazio. She has an excellent reputation. She graduated summa cum laude from Florida State. She has been practicing over a decade.

Miss Picazio, thank you for being with us for your first interview.

KIM PICAZIO, ATTORNEY FOR MISSING HALEIGH`S MOM, FIRST INTERVIEW: Thank you, Nancy.

GRACE: . after the bio mom hires you. Why does Haleigh`s biological mother need a lawyer?

PICAZIO: Well, I was contacted, as your correspondent has stated, initially to handle the media. But then later we have found out through talking to people in the community and speaking with the police officers, et cetera, as well as speaking with the mother, that there may be some issues involving the minor child, Junior, is what they call the son of Crystal Sheffield, and his sister Haleigh with regard to whether or not he`s in the safest place in the home with the father.

GRACE: Miss Picazio, are you planning to launch a custody battle for the little boy?

PICAZIO: Well, at this time, I was just retained so I would need, of course, to explore all of the issues. I need to talk to everyone involved and so I guess what we first need to do is to go down or up to the town, speak with all of the officials and there are some things that give us grave concerns about the welfare of the child and about Haleigh when she is returned.

GRACE: OK.

PICAZIO: Hopefully safely.

GRACE: Miss Picazio, I understand your concerns. It makes perfect sense to me. If one child is snatched out of the home, what might happen to the next child? I understand that. But let me ask you this. Why did your client lose custody of Junior to start with?

PICAZIO: I need also the court records. I just pulled those today and I have not been down to the town. I`m going to be going tomorrow. And I would prefer to actually read the court documents as opposed to going what the renditions of the parties may be, which may be colored by just the perceptions and their emotions.

But I do know that the mother had retained an attorney prior -- after the original proceeding to seek a modification of custody. And it was my understanding that the mother was not aware of some very important hearings that she was to attend and I need to get to the bottom of that and then we can go from there.

GRACE: Miss Picazio -- everyone, Kim Picazio is joining us today from her first TV interview. She`s joining us out of Plantation, Florida and she has been hired by Haleigh`s biological mother.

Now, Miss Picazio, how long has your client not had physical custody of little Haleigh?

PICAZIO: It`s been for several years and it was -- actually we just found out today that the modification proceeding I don`t believe was ever filed. I need to speak with that attorney that was retained by Miss Sheffield to file that proceeding and I would have to defer to the court documents on that which I am in the process of obtaining.

But, again, there are grave concerns with regard to Junior and with regard to the household that Haleigh would be potentially returned to. There have, of course, been allegations but again, if you can imagine when you.

GRACE: Allegations of what?

PICAZIO: Allegations with regard to what was actually going on in that home prior to Haleigh disappearing and on that night. I mean we`ve got a situation you have a 4-year-old child in the home with a home that`s actually the -- the 7-year-old, I`m sorry, the 5-year-old child had disappeared right under the nose of the babysitter that then we learn is a teenage babysitter who is also living with the father in a romantic relationship.

This is not the first time that he has chosen a teenager to fall in love with and to live with and to watch his children.

GRACE: Are you suggesting, are you suggesting abuse on little Haleigh?

PICAZIO: I`m not suggesting that as of yet and we have not.

GRACE: I`m glad to hear it.

PICAZIO: . uncovered -- we have no uncovered anything as of yet and I`d like to do my own investigation. It`s my understanding the authorities are looking into every single avenue. But I have grave concerns again about the ability and the fitness of the parent who is going to consistently choose teenagers.

GRACE: Well.

PICAZIO: . to watch their children.

GRACE: Well, a couple of points, Miss Picazio, and believe me, I know you are a well-respected member of the bar. But I find it ironic that now is the time when the bio mom is trying to arrange all of her media requests, that she suddenly decides that Haleigh had been in a bad environment.

She`s certainly known all along who the father is dating and according to the judge in your client`s custody case, the mother, your client, did not have a job. The father did. Haleigh missed a total that we know of 12 doctor`s appointments while living with the mother.

Now maybe there`s an explanation for that, but I know the child has Turner syndrome and the mother not only didn`t have a job, but didn`t take the child to the doctor. It`s not like she was working all day and couldn`t make time to take the child to the doctor. I don`t understand that.

PICAZIO: Well, there`s also -- we have to look into the father`s history of taking the child to the doctor. Haleigh was never a child who was well. She had chronic pneumonia and bronchial problems and the father would often leave the children to a teenager who he was living with to drive this child to the doctor on a weekly basis.

GRACE: Why do you speak of Haleigh -- why do you speak of Haleigh in the past tense? I notice that you said Haleigh was a child with a lot of physical problems.

PICAZIO: Because she doesn`t have those physical problems anymore.

GRACE: OK, with me, everyone, Kim Picazio, attorney newly hired, attorney newly retained for Haleigh`s biological mother.

As we go to break, everyone, a very happy birthday to Mary Jane Allen (ph), an inspiration. She`s celebrating her 50th anniversary as an Avon rep, as a little girl, our Avon lady, Miss Mary Long. She`s married to a school bus driver just like my grandfather. They visit our home nearly every Saturday and sit down and have lunch with us.

You remind me of her, Mary Jane, happy birthday.

And tonight thoughts and prayers to Delray Beach, Florida friend of the show in the hospital, Miss Evelyn Tecker (ph). She never misses a show.

Evelyn, please stay strong and I hope they`ve got HEADLINE NEWS there in the hospital.

Case alert. It`s is the four-year anniversary of the Atlanta courthouse shootings. Brian Nichols overpowering a sheriff`s deputy, beginning a long and bloody rampage, leaving four dead. A memorial service today for family and friends of victims tonight.

We remember Judge Rowland Barnes, Deputy Hoyt Teasley, court reporter Julie Brandau and federal agent David Wilhelm.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CROSLIN: If I have something, she wants it. So if we buy something for me, we buy the same thing for her. Our shoes, me and Haleigh had the same pair of shoes. She wanted me to have pink and white, the one just like her. So me and her are like pretty much -- we try to do everything together.

I just want to let everybody know that I was home, because I did pass my lie detector test saying that I was home.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Police told you you passed?

CROSLIN: Yes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: We learned tonight that the biological mother of little Haleigh has felt it important to hire a lawyer. But why?

Back to Robin Sax, Penny Douglass Furr, Daniel Horowitz.

Daniel, what do you make of it?

DANIEL HOROWITZ, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: I don`t like it, Nancy. What I heard from that attorney is that this terrible incident is now being turned into an excuse to start a custody battle. And it`s not what it`s about.

There is a danger to this young boy who is still in the home. He should be out of there. But this attorney is essentially implying that something.

GRACE: You know what`s interesting, Horowitz?

HOROWITZ: . was done by this soon-to-be stepmother. Yes.

GRACE: You know, you and I were covering the Elizabeth Smart case at the same time, and I never heard you talking about them in this manner, that because Elizabeth Smart was taken out of the home in the middle of the night that all the children should be taken from their custody, never heard that.

Also never heard you say that in the Danielle Van Dam case out in California. She and her little brother asleep in the home in the middle of the night. She is taken by David Westmoreland (sic), the next door neighbor. You never said all of the children should taken away. Why now?

HOROWITZ: Well, because it`s a safety issue.

GRACE: Really?

HOROWITZ: It`s not a moral judgment on their part.

GRACE: Really? What`s the difference?

HOROWITZ: I think that there`s -- you don`t what.

GRACE: Because these people don`t have a lot of money and they live in a mobile home, so they should lose the children?

HOROWITZ: No, because somebody -- no, Nancy, you know better than that.

GRACE: Well, give me a reason.

HOROWITZ: It`s because -- because somebody got into that home.

GRACE: Yes?

HOROWITZ: . leaving no sign of entry, we don`t know who it is, but we suspect that it was somebody close to them because you don`t get a little kid.

GRACE: Oh, really?

HOROWITZ: . out of that house and know that the kid is there unless you know what`s going on. That`s why there`s still a danger.

GRACE: Sounds just like the other cases I just rattled off to you.

Robin Sax, what about it? If this were true every time a child is kidnapped, you could take the children away from the parents.

ROBIN SAX, PROSECUTOR, AUTHOR OF "PREDATORS & CHILD MOLESTERS": That -- you bring up an excellent point. I also think it`s an interesting point to think about whenever the defense attorney is advising a client. He would no doubt recommend that that client should absolutely have counsel representing them and shut your mouth and have counsel.

And I don`t think in this situation where you`ve got the best interests of the parents and the best interests of the child being evaluated by everyone in the media and by the court system that it`s surprising, actually, that she has a lawyer.

GRACE: Special thanks to Kim Picazio, speaking to us tonight for the first time, the attorney for Haleigh`s mother, Crystal Sheffield.

<end of Haleigh coverage>

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0903/11/ng.01.html

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0903/12/ng.01.html

NANCY GRACE

Aired March 12, 2009 - 20:00:00 ET

<snipped to include Haleigh coverage only>

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Haleigh Cummings has been missing over a month now and a new search is breaking out. What happens on the same day? Her dad Ronald Cummings is marrying Misty Croslin.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Misty Croslin is the last person who saw Haleigh exactly one month ago when she tucked her into this toddler bed in her room. But when she woke up, Haleigh was gone.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Misty Croslin says the focus is still on Haleigh and that the wedding is just what the 5-year-old would have wanted.

MISTY CROSLIN, RONALD CUMMINGS` FIANCEE: Everybody knows that I love Haleigh, and Ronald and Junior.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Police have gone door to door. They`ve interviewed Haleigh`s family members several times. They`ve received 2,000 tips.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Pieces of evidence had been collected.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Investigators removed the door from the home where Haleigh disappeared.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ron and Misty were questioned late again yesterday.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Police in Putnam County, Florida started a new search today in a new area. Authorities tell us the area has not been searched before, but the search is not the result of a tip.

RONALD CUMMINGS, FATHER OF MISSING 5-YR-OLD HALEIGH CUMMINGS: Baby, if you`re watching you know you`ll always be daddy`s little girl. I love you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: Out to Art Harris, investigative journalist at www.artharris.com. Art, what`s the latest?

ART HARRIS, WWW.ARTHARRIS.COM, INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST: The latest, Nancy, is they searched this 17 -- stretch of road along highway 17 looking for something that may have been thrown out of a car, but no details on what that was.

At the same time, investigators are examining a door they`ve taken off the back of Ronald`s home where the alleged kidnapper of Haleigh entered.

GRACE: What can you tell me about, number one, them getting married, and number two, a potential custody battle?

HARRIS: Well, the marriage happened today, a small family ceremony. It was reportedly a beautiful ceremony in a small Baptist church. And the -- as for the custody fight, you have a former -- you know, the former fiancee, wife, mother of Haleigh and little brother Ronald who wants her children back.

She wants custody. Does not think that Ronald is in a safe environment. Has hired an attorney, a veteran family lawyer from Florida Kim Picazio to examine the records to get 200 pages of court transcript and to try to re-open a custody hearing that she does not think was fair to the mother.

GRACE: Out to T.J. Hart with WSKY, 97.3. T.J., what can you tell me about the marriage that went down just a couple of hours ago?

T.J. HART, PROGRAM & NEWS DIR., WSKY 97.3FM, COVERING STORY: Really not much. It was pretty much a secret as far as the location was. It turned out to be at a very small church in the area. Sources from the family tell us that it was a beautiful ceremony, and we understand that they`re going to be honeymooning in New York.

GRACE: To Marlaina Schiavo, our producer who has spent hours and hours with Haleigh`s family. So cops converged today at the home and they tear off the back door as Art Harris has just reported. Why now, Marlaina?

MARLAINA SCHIAVO, NANCY GRACE PRODUCER, SPENT TIME WITH MISSING HALEIGH`S FAMILY: When I spoke to Captain Schauland earlier I asked him that very question and he just said it`s part of an ongoing investigation and he wouldn`t elaborate on why they took the door now a month after Haleigh went missing.

GRACE: To John Lucich, former investigator, author of "Cyber Lies," why take the door now, John?

LUCICH: They really should have taken the door off when they got the information and I believe it was cousin Joe who had an MO, modus operandi, of doing this in the past when he committed burglaries. That would have been the exact time to take it off. Why wait all this time? They must be operating on a tip, but they really should have taken that door back then just -- they`re looking for tool marks and they`re looking for a lot of other different things, but they should have taken it back then.

GRACE: Joining me right now Kim Picazio. She is the attorney for Haleigh`s biological mother. She has just hired an attorney.

Kim, thank you for being with us. What can you tell us about an independent search that you plan to organize?

KIM PICAZIO, ATTORNEY FOR MISSING HALEIGH`S MOM: Well, Nancy, we have just rolled up in the small town where Haleigh was raised. I`ve just attended a candlelight vigil for Haleigh for the mother`s camp and I am right now holding a candle in my hand that I received at that candlelight vigil, a candle I`ll keep the rest of my life.

With regard to a custody battle, first and foremost, wanted to say that our priority at this time is the search for Haleigh, is to get her returned home safe and sound. However, it`s come to our attention we may have two emergencies on our hand. Not only do we have Haleigh who is out there somewhere who needs to be found, but we also have an emergency.

We`ve had -- we talked to dozens of people today. We feel that dozens of tips and in our search for Haleigh and talking with witnesses, we received credible evidence that we believe that Junior is definitely at risk, remaining in the home of Mr. Cummings.

And with regard to a custody issue, I don`t even if know if it would be appropriate to have a litigation going on in a family court, the most appropriate scenario would probably be Department of Children and Families is getting involved because I think that it`s reached an unsafe level for this child.

And with regard to our private efforts, again, we just rolled into town. I`ve got several of my people that I brought in. We`re going to be setting up a command center tomorrow. There`s a small town America. Everyone is, you know, giving us tips, treating us well. We`re going to be exploring every single avenue and, again, we`re just talking to witnesses and getting, you know, any type of private information we can from people who may not necessarily be at liberty to go to the police or may not be just comfortable to do so.

GRACE: Well, Kim Picazio, don`t you believe that you`re going to need a lot more evidence than what an estranged non-custodial, biological mother and her family and friends tell you about how much danger the children are in?

PICAZIO: Absolutely, and what we`ve done is we`ve gone to outside sources and the information that we have gotten that we are going deliver to the proper authorities was not information that was gotten from the biological mother, interestingly enough.

It was gotten from people that had been with Ronald in the past, had personally witnessed physical abuse of the children. And we intend to bring the information that we have to the proper authorities so that they can investigate it.

GRACE: Everyone, we are taking your calls live. Back to Marlaina Schiavo. Exactly where is the dad, Ronald Cummings, and now his wife, the girlfriend/babysitter, the last person to have seen little Caylee alive -- little Haleigh alive?

SCHIAVO: Right now, Nancy, they are in Satsuma. They just got married. They are with their family. And we`re told that they`ll be heading to New York tonight because they`ll be appearing on a network show tomorrow morning as newlyweds.

GRACE: To Diane in Wisconsin, hi, Diane.

DIANE, CALLER FROM WISCONSIN: Hi.

GRACE: Hi, dear. What`s your question?

DIANE: Well, I just want to say, your twins are beautiful.

GRACE: Thank you.

DIANE: And I have two sets of twins.

GRACE: You lucky lady. What`s your question, dear?

DIANE: I was wondering, isn`t it in that state being 17 too young to get married?

GRACE: Apparently in that jurisdiction with the parents` consent, it is not. The mother had withheld consent until age 18 but changed her mind following the disappearance of little Haleigh.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We are here to speak directly to the person or persons who knows something, anything about the disappearance of this little girl. It`s not all about the money. It`s all about doing the right thing. Even if it means that you have to be held accountable for your actions, do the right thing.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: Out to Dr. Bethany Marshall, psychoanalyst joining us from L.A.. Weigh in, Bethany.

MARSHALL: Well, I think it`s reprehensible that Crystal Sheffield is using this tragedy as an occasion to reopen a custody hearing. She lost those children years ago in a court of law. I also think if those children are endangered, call Child Protective Services. Have them come out and do a welfare check.

And if Junior is in danger, they will remove him from the home. But as I see it, this is sort of an unnatural procedure to go and do your own investigation behind the scenes. And I don`t think it will look good for the mother if they go back to family court.

GRACE: To Deanna in Georgia, hi, Deanna.

DEANNA, CALLER FROM GEORGIA: Hi, Nancy. Your show is invaluable. Thank you.

GRACE: Thank you for calling. What`s your question, dear?

DEANNA: My question is, has Ronald`s work -- has it been verified he was at work the night Haleigh went missing? And I`d also like to make a comment. I really think it would -- I think it`s inappropriate that he would go and be married at a time like this. I would have not had that on my mind. I would be searching night and day. But that`s my question. Thank you.

GRACE: Thank you, dear. T.J. Hart, got the answer to any of that?

HART: Yes, the answer to that was, yes, it was verified that he was at work by his employer and also by law enforcement following up.

GRACE: And the family is saying this is what little Haleigh wanted. She wanted them to be married. I know the timing is a little off, but so be it.

Let`s stop and remember Army Specialist Christopher Bartkiewicz, 25, Dunfermline, Illinois, killed Iraq. Awarded the Purple Heart and Bronze Star. Remembered as a go-to soldier you could always count on. Dreamed of serving the military since growing up in the military bases in North Carolina.

Leaves behind grieving widow, Emily, three daughters.

Christopher Bartkiewicz, American hero.

Thanks to our guests, but especially to you for being with us. And a special good night from friends of the show, UGA students, honor students, Dan and Katherine. Aren`t they precious?

Everyone, I`ll see you tomorrow night, 8:00 sharp Eastern. And until then, good night, friend.

END

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0903/12/ng.01.html

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0903/13/ijvm.01.html

ISSUES WITH JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL

Why Different Stories of Missing Girl?; Father Says Focus Should be on Haleigh; Rihanna-Chris Brown Outrage; Drugged to Death?

Aired March 13, 2009 - 19:00:00 ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL, HOST (voice-over): Tonight, strange love as Ronald Cummings, dad of missing 5-year-old Haleigh, ties the knot with girlfriend Misty Croslin. The two appear on "The Today Show" after yesterday`s massive ground search. Seemingly grasping for straws, cops reexamine inconsistencies in Misty`s story.

Meantime, Ron says Haleigh`s mom, Crystal, made up the story about Haleigh`s little brother seeing a man in black take his sister.

And shocking news as Anna Nicole Smith`s boyfriend is charged with eight felonies. Howard K. Stern accused of giving Smith thousands of prescription drugs leading up to the starlet`s deadly overdose in 2007. You will not believe the sheer number of pills authorities are talking about.

Then a crucial part of Casey Anthony`s defense strategy finally revealed as her dream team battles over more hair they say they found in Casey`s car.

CINDY ANTHONY, MOTHER OF CASEY ANTHONY: There`s something wrong. I saw my daughter`s car today. And it smells like there`s been a dead body in the damn car.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Could it be a break for Casey?

Plus, scandalous details emerge about the reported duet between Rihanna and alleged batterer, boy toy Chris Brown. Reports say it`s a sweet song about the challenges of love. The list of powerful women calling for Rihanna to leave Brown is piling up.

NANCY GRACE, HOST, "NANCY GRACE": FYI, I`m a woman, and I don`t have Brown`s back on this.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: When will Rihanna get the message?

ISSUES starts now.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Absolutely stunning news in the Haleigh Cummings investigation tonight. Authorities are reportedly questioning the many inconsistencies given to them by the missing girl`s new step-mom.

In a wedding shocker, Haleigh`s father Ron and his teen girlfriend Misty tied the knot in his grandmother`s backyard yesterday. The couple didn`t plan a honeymoon, but they did fly to New York to appear on NBC`s "Today Show." That`s where Misty, who was in charge of watching little Haleigh when the child disappeared, offered this stunning revelation about a recent shouting match with cops.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MISTY CROSLIN, WIFE OF HALEIGH`S FATHER: There was a new guy that was new to the case, and I didn`t feel comfortable with him. He was just being very rude to me. And I told John Merchant and the state attorneys I would talk to them, but I wasn`t going to talk to.

MEREDITH VIEIRA, CO-HOST, NBC`S "THE TODAY SHOW": What was he doing?

CROSLIN: He was rude, like yelling and telling me I`m a liar.

VIEIRA: So he was accusing you of lying to him?

CROSLIN: Yes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Is Misty getting defensive, given all the questions regarding her story about what happened the night little Haleigh went missing? "Today Show" host Meredith Vieira pressed Misty on those inconsistencies.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VIEIRA: Why were there -- help me out, Misty. Why were there inconsistencies? Why would you say one thing one time and one time the other?

CROSLIN: I don`t know.

VIEIRA: But you know you did do that?

CROSLIN: Yes.

VIEIRA: And you`re not sure why?

CROSLIN: No.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: She looks like a child to me. Is this the uncertainty of a 17-year-old or something else again?

Also, Ron lashed out at his ex, Haleigh`s biological mother. Remember that story from Haleigh`s little brought J.R. about a man in black taking Haleigh? Ron accused Haleigh`s mom, Crystal, of making all that up. But why? Why on earth would she have any reason to derail this investigation into finding her own daughter? Is this just part of the deepening rift between mother and father?

Right now, I am joined by my fantastic panel: Rebecca Rose Woodland, criminal defense attorney; Paul Callan, criminal defense attorney and former prosecutor; Steve Kardian, former criminal investigator; Jennifer Hartstein, clinical psychologist; and joining us by phone, T.J. Hart, program and news director at WSKY 97.3 FM.

T.J., you`ve broken a lot of details on this story. What is the very latest?

T.J. HART, WSKY NEWS DIRECTOR: The very latest right now, I just got off the phone with Captain Dick Schauland. I was talking about Misty`s appearance on television today.

And also a few things that she said in the past about passing the polygraph, to which he said the FBI takes that polygraph. No one knows if you completely pass or completely fail. Every question is pass/fail. And to blatantly say that you passed the polygraph is, well, maybe a bit disingenuous.

He also says that she continue to be the focal point of this because of those inconsistencies that was pointed out once again on the program this morning.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, Steve Kardian, you`re a former criminal investigator. To me, this young lady looks like a child. She`s a very young-looking 17-year-old.

Would it be possible for someone to have the sophistication to go on national television and lie in this way? I mean, either this woman is a very gifted liar or she`s a very young girl who is caught in a firestorm and doesn`t know exactly how to handle it.

STEVE KARDIAN, FORMER CRIMINAL INVESTIGATOR: It could be a combination of both, Jane. She doesn`t have an answer today. She didn`t have an answer the night that she reported the child missing. And I don`t think she`s going to have an answer in the future.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, I just look at her, and I see somebody who might have been like a deer in the headlights when you say inconsistencies because in her defense, if somebody asks you something three or four times, you`re not going to say it as if it`s a script. And I`ll bring this to our psychologist, Jennifer Hartstein. You`re going to say it in different ways.

Oh, did you walk the dogs this morning? "Well, yes, I took them both out." Then if they ask me again, "Yes, well I went down the stairs." They ask me again, "Yes, well, we talked south." You see what I`m saying? It`s going to change a little bit. That doesn`t mean that I`m lying each time.

JENNIFER HARTSTEIN, CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST: No, you`re just offering more information each time. And that`s really what it comes down to. And the question you have is initially she`s on the defensive. And so many times, with teenagers, their first reaction is to protect themselves, protect the situation. They want to get defensive. And then little by little, they`ll let out more and more information.

So there`s bold-faced lying. And maybe it`s a lie of omission in that maybe she`s remembering more things, remembering more details each time, which tweak the story a little bit. And it`s letting us know what`s true, what`s not true, the reality. And she`s so young. I mean, and who knows the maturity level overall.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Let`s get into this. Part of what has been so very bizarre about this search for little Haleigh has been these changing stories by Misty about what happened that night. So this morning, she was flat-out asked on "The Today Show" if cops suspect her of anything. This is what she said. Let`s listen carefully.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VIEIRA: And, Misty, as you sit here, do you believe in your heart that they see you as a suspect?

CROSLIN: No, I don`t.

RON CUMMINGS, FATHER OF HALEIGH: I don`t either. I talked to a lead detective. His name is John Merchant.

VIEIRA: And he said?

CUMMINGS: Nope. He doesn`t think that she`s a suspect.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right. Now, you heard that, T.J. You`ve been speaking to investigators. Is there an inconsistency between what the cops told you and what you just heard from "The Today Show" this morning?

HART: I think we`re talking apples and oranges. He says that the inconsistencies are focal point. He didn`t say Misty was a suspect. And that`s the difference there. So they`re going by the information that goes in a couple of different directions by the inconsistent statements.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: But Paul Callan, if she`s not a suspect, why not come out and say that, because this girl is under a lot of heat and a lot of pressure with everybody asking her.

And the suspicion is fueled by this information vacuum where authorities won`t confirm whether she passed the polygraph, or whether she`s still a suspect or not. Or ever was a suspect. In other words, they haven`t eliminated anybody as a suspect, but the focus has been on her because she was the last person, the last adult to see little Haleigh before she disappeared.

PAUL CALLAN, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Well, of course, and I think, Jane, it`s a stretch even to call her an adult. She`s 17 years old. And as you`ve indicated, you know, at that age, you know, everybody maybe has a tough time telling the same story twice the same way.

But I think she has not been ruled out. I mean, this is a wide-open investigation. Her story has got real holes in it anyway. I mean, this whole thing about, you know, her being in the house when the child was taken away and was she in the bathroom, or was she in the kitchen, who was in the bedroom. There are a lot of inconsistencies. And the police certainly are not going to rule her out definitively until their investigation is completed. So I`m not at all surprised that they`re unwilling to rule her out.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: But there`s something here that doesn`t add up. Rebecca Rose Woodland, everybody is talking about how she`s this kid, this 17-year-old, not sophisticated, but yet if, in fact, she were hypothetically involved in some way, she would have had to have pulled off something incredibly sophisticated to elude searches by hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of law enforcement authorities who are -- who are digging and searching all in that area.

REBECCA ROSE WOODLAND, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Yes. I mean, Jane, really, she doesn`t seem sophisticated at all. She seems quite like you said before, a deer in the headlights. And she was on "The Today Show" and Ms. Vieira asked her that question. She just kind of sat there and didn`t know what to say. She looked at her now-husband, which is, again, bizarre.

I mean, this whole story has taken some bizarre turns, but the reality is, there is a missing child. And to have a child go missing with absolutely no clue and a 17-year-old be responsible, wow. This is really a fascinating development. But I -- it`s hard to say that she could have possibly done this or acted alone.

CALLAN: Hey, Jane -- Jane, can I jump in on this husband/wife thing, too?

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes.

CALLAN: Because this is a question that`s come up to me all day long. People are asking this. Did he marry her, this 17-year-old girl, so that the spousal privilege, the husband/wife privilege will prevent the cops from doing further investigation?

You know, a lot of people may not be aware, but there`s a husband/wife privilege, and the police cannot question a husband about what his wife did in a crime and vice versa. So people are asking is that why he married her or is that why she married him?

The answer is, by the way, no, it can`t be, because that privilege only applies when people are married to each other. It would not prevent questioning about the disappearance of the child here. So it`s just a question that I think a lot of people are asking. Because you know, why is he marrying a 17-year-old girl at this time in this place? It just seems so inappropriate.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes. But your nuanced interpretation of the law is something that they might not be aware of.

CALLAN: Well, they may not be. You`re absolutely right about that. Maybe they need a good lawyer, Jane.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: We hear about spousal privilege in movies, you know and take our cues from the movies. All right, guys. Hang tight. Much more to come on the Haleigh Cummings case.

In other shocking news tonight, Anna Nicole Smith`s boyfriend charged with giving the starlet thousands of drugs that led ultimately to her fatal overdose. I will have the very latest.

And after getting married, Misty Croslin back under the microscope, as we`ve been saying. Cops looking at inconsistencies in her story. Here is one account of Haleigh`s disappearance.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CROSLIN: Usually Haleigh will wake up at nighttime. She gets cramps in her legs, you know. And I have to rub her legs to get the cramps out of her legs to get her back to sleep. And, you know, she didn`t make no noise that night. I would have woke up if I heard anyone. I didn`t hear anything at all. I was really exhausted that day, you know, really exhausted when I lay down, I guess. And I just was out.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CRYSTAL SHEFFIELD, MOTHER OF HALEIGH CUMMINGS: I just want to say thank you for everybody doing everything. Mommy loves you and your daddy loves you. We miss you. We`ll be right here. Please, bring her home. Please. We need her.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Back with my fantastic panel. Just yesterday, authorities conducted an intensive search with about 100 officers. I understand, T.J. Hart, it was just a couple of miles from the Cummings home. Tell us about this search.

HART: This search was there at Buffalo Bluff road, which is the turn- in road off U.S. 17 that leads back into hermit`s cove where they live in Satsuma. It was on U.S. 17 between County Road 309 and Union Avenue, Crescent City. For the first time, they took a little bit of that -- of that trip about 30 miles out of either side to see if anything had been tossed out along the road, which is a major artery through the area. Nothing helpful to the case was found. But some other evidence closer to home was taken in.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: What? Any idea?

HART: Yes. It was the home -- it was the back door to the mobile home where Ronald Cummings lived with Misty Croslin and the two children. Now, that house had been taken -- had been taken personally apart by investigators earlier, but they tore off the door and took that into the FDLE, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, for more forensic testing. And God only knows what they`re going to find. I know that I`ve got a fingerprint on there.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Wow. Yes. How did you get a fingerprint on there?

HART: Doing the -- doing shows for CNN from the house.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Wow. So Steve Kardian, too little too late? Maybe they should have taken that door the very first day.

KARDIAN: Oh, I agree. They should have taken that the very first -- the very first day, Jane, to compare that with anything that has developed up to that point and/or in the future. That`s something they should have done earlier.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: I heard that there was no tip involved in this latest search. Rebecca Rose Woodland, I find that hard to believe, that they would have 100 officers descending on an area and searching intensively based on absolutely no tip. Do you buy it?

WOODLAND: No. I don`t. I don`t buy a lot of this. The door absolutely, why did we not have that door taken off immediately? Because the allegation is -- or let`s say the story is that she`s sleeping, Misty is sleeping, Haleigh is sleeping next to her on the bed on the mattress on the floor, odd, and the child disappears. That means someone -- either she walked out of the home, so her fingerprints would be on the door anyway, or someone entered the home, as we saw in the Jessica Lunsford case years ago, where that man entered the home and took the child out.

Well, if that`s the case, why wouldn`t -- why wouldn`t we look at the door? And there must be something. Why are they focusing on that one area on, what did we say, Route 17? Why are they focusing on that main swamp area for evidence or something thrown out of a car? Maybe someone called and said, "Hey, that night I remember seeing something strange or bizarre."

VELEZ-MITCHELL: But they`re saying no tip whatsoever.

WOODLAND: I know. Come on, Jane. Maybe they don`t want to reveal it.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Why go out of their way to say no tip whatsoever? That`s what I`m saying. Say nothing at all?

KARDIAN: Jane, it would appear that their efforts have been concentrated on that area, are going to tell you a couple of things. No. 1, that they don`t have anything that`s directing them outside that area and/or, No. 1, that they do have some information that they`re not revealing that is making them concentrate on that area.

CALLAN: Well, or there`s a third possibility also, Steve, and that is, of course, that maybe they`re totally lost at this point. They don`t know where to look. And they`re just randomly selecting areas close to the home to search. And that`s a really bad sign for this child.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes. It sure is. There`s reportedly also another bad sign, a deepening rift between Haleigh`s dad, Ron, and Haleigh`s mom, Crystal. He now questions the story of the man in black. Remember what Crystal said last month? Let`s listen carefully.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: I know this sounds crazy, but to the best of your recollection, what were his exact words?

SHEFFIELD: He said, "Mommy, I want to find my sissy, and some man in black come in and took her."

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right. But on NBC`s "Today Show" this morning, Ron was quizzed about this mysterious piece of the investigation. Watch how this information differed.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VIEIRA: Your 4-year-old son and the fact that he said that somebody, a man dressed in black, had taken Haleigh out of the -- the trailer that night she disappeared. Did he tell that to either one of you? Misty, you were there at the time. Did he say anything to you at the time?

CROSLIN: Huh-uh.

VIEIRA: Nothing?

CROSLIN: No.

CUMMINGS: Me either. I think this is some of the garbage that Geraldo and Crystal, the mother, has made up, but I`m just going to leave that at that.

VIEIRA: So you don`t even believe that Ronald Jr. said this at all?

CUMMINGS: I don`t know. I wasn`t at home. I was at work.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: I wasn`t at home. That has nothing to do with it. Why would the mother have any reason to derail the investigation by making something up like this, Jennifer Hartstein, as a psychologist. It doesn`t make sense to me. Is this part of the deepening rift between mother and father?

HARTSTEIN: It could be. I mean, what motivation does she have? You`re right. She wants to find her daughter. You know, so there is definitely going to be a he said, she said, who`s in charge. She`s probably blaming him because Haleigh was in her house -- in his house, all of these things.

But there`s also the issue that it`s a 4-year-old child. And initially people descend on the house. He`s going to be frightened and afraid to say anything. So he`s going to -- and he sees his father uber worried with his girlfriend, now wife. He`s not going to know what to do. So he`s got to figure out who to go to, to talk to. Maybe he was more comfortable saying it to the mom. Maybe there isn`t anything and he`s trying to make everybody happy. There`s -- who knows the motivation of a 4-year-old?

And the issue between the two of them not being on the same page is really going to cause bigger problems overall.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes, and we only have about five seconds, but you had mentioned that it seems like Misty looks to Ron for answers. Five seconds. That has to tell you something, doesn`t it?

HARTSTEIN: Absolutely.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Absolutely.

I want to thank my excellent panel. To another high-profile case. Casey Anthony`s defense team in a fierce, and I mean fierce, battle over key evidence. We`re talking hair. Could this be a big break for Casey`s defense

<end of Haleigh coverage>

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0903/13/ijvm.01.html

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0903/16/ng.01.html

NANCY GRACE

Cummings Girlfriend Not Ruled Out as Suspect in Haleigh Disappearance

Aired March 16, 2009 - 20:00:00 ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

NANCY GRACE, HOST: Breaking news tonight, Satsuma, Florida. A 5- year-old girl tucked into bed, five hours later, she`s gone, vanished into thin air, the back door propped wide open. Dad comes home from the night shift to find not a single trace of little Haleigh.

Bombshell. In the last days, Haleigh`s father, Ronald Cummings, legally marries the last person to see little Haleigh alive, the girlfriend/baby-sitter allegedly sleeping in the bed next to Haleigh the night she`s kidnapped. The two jet to New York to honeymoon in the midst of the search for Haleigh, courtesy NBC`s "Today" show, but when given the chance to clear up inconsistencies in that live appearance fumble.

Now more questions as Florida police reiterate Misty Croslin Cummings has not -- repeat, not -- been cleared as a suspect and that they, too, can`t seem to get answers about the night Haleigh vanishes. In fact, police insist no one`s ruled out. They`re trying desperately to build a timeline but say inconsistencies in Croslin`s story cost them crucial time.

And tonight, is a custody battle brewing over Haleigh`s 4-year-old little brother? Haleigh`s mother hiring a lawyer and now her own PI. Primetime exclusive tonight, Haleigh`s father, Ronald Cummings, not afraid to answer questions. He is with us live tonight. Tonight, where is 5- year-old Florida girl Haleigh?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: In a wedding shocker, Haleigh`s father, Ron, and his teen girlfriend, Misty, tied the knot in his grandmother`s back yard.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Some critics say the timing is just downright wrong.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: After all he`s been through, I think it`s OK that he has a happy moment.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And after getting married, Misty Croslin back under the microscope.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Croslin was the last one to see Haleigh alive. She`s the one who tucked her into bed.

RONALD CUMMINGS, FATHER: She was the last one to see her. She had nothing do with this. I had nothing do with this.

MISTY CUMMINGS, STEPMOTHER: I was home because I did pass my lie detector test saying that I was home.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No one knows if you`ve completely passed or completely failed. Every question is pass/fail.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Meantime, Ron says Haleigh`s mom, Crystal, made up the story about Haleigh`s little brother seeing a man in black take his sister.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Haleigh, if you`re watching, Mommy loves you and I miss you and I want you to come home!

CUMMINGS: Please bring her home. Please bring her home safe. And if she`s watching, baby, I love you. I`ll never give up on you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: And breaking news in the desperate search for a 2-year-old Florida girl, Caylee. Six months of searching culminates when skeletal remains found in a heavily wooded area just 15 houses from the Anthonys` home confirmed to be Caylee, manner of death homicide. A utility meter reader stumbles on a tiny human skeleton, including a skull covered in light-colored hair, the killer duct taping and placing a heart-shaped sticker directly over the mouth, then triple-bagging little Caylee like she`s trash.

Tonight, lawyers heading back to court to try and force brother Lee Anthony to answer questions he refuses to address during sworn testimony. What is it? The question? Who is Caylee`s biological father? Why won`t brother Lee just simply answer the question? What`s there to hide?

And still tonight, no answer. Is there a plea deal on the table, a deal for a lighter sentence for tot mom? The Orlando jail secretly recording tot mom privately meeting with her lawyer minutes after she watches live TV when Caylee`s skeleton discovered. Sources inside the investigation reveal tot mom looked, quote, "fidgety" during the coverage and downright hostile in that meeting moments later. Little did she know it was all caught on grainy surveillance video.

Tot mom`s lawyers fighting mad. They do not want the video released nor video questioning of the lady sheriff who was actually with tot mom the day little Caylee discovered. What can this lady sheriff reveal?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CASEY ANTHONY, CAYLEE`S MOTHER: She`s not far. I know in my heart she`s not far. I can feel it.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We found a human skull.

911 OPERATOR: Oh, my gosh. What`s the location?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right off of Suburban and Chickasaw in the Caylee Anthony area, right by the...

911 OPERATOR: Oh!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CUMMINGS: Is one of the possibilities that has gone through your mind that your sister was the one responsible for the disappearance?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I`m instructing you not to answer that question.

CUMMINGS: Do you know who the father of Caylee...

LEE ANTHONY, CASEY`S BROTHER: I do not know...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Objection. Certify.

LEE ANTHONY: ... with 100 percent...

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You don`t have to answer that question.

CASEY ANTHONY: I`m being watched at all times.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This new video that we are learning about is Casey Anthony with her attorney, Jose Baez. Our sources are telling us that it appears Joe Baez is crying in this video, Casey Anthony with her arms crossed, looking away into the distance.

CASEY ANTHONY: We don`t want this to any longer be a tragedy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: Good evening. I`m Nancy Grace. I want to thank you for being with us. Primetime exclusive. Police confirm no one, including Misty Croslin, the last person to see Haleigh alive, is cleared as a suspect. Tonight, Haleigh`s father, Ronald Cummings, not afraid to answer questions, with us live.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A day after getting married in the back yard of his grandmother, Ronald and now Misty Cummings were in New York answering questions on national TV.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don`t know what to make of it. It bothers me.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One of the other issues brought up is Misty`s story about what happened that night here at the Cummings` home.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Misty Croslin, now Misty Cummings, was the last who saw the 5-year-old.

MISTY CUMMINGS: (INAUDIBLE) and she`s gone. And that`s all I know!

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She has been questioned now for over 30 hours with detectives, and still no solid timeline.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Her story`s changed several times.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She doesn`t have an answer today. She didn`t have an answer the night that she reported the child missing. And I don`t think she`s going to have an answer in the future.

RONALD CUMMINGS: My daughter came up missing out of my house in the middle of the night.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

911 OPERATOR: (INAUDIBLE)

MISTY CUMMINGS: I just woke up and my back door was all open, and I can`t find my daughter.

911 OPERATOR: OK, when did you last see her?

MISTY CUMMINGS: We were just, like -- you know, it was about 10:00 o`clock. She was sleeping.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Misty at first said Haleigh was in bed with her, then changed that to say Haleigh was in her own bed.

MISTY CUMMINGS: I didn`t do anything to that little girl. I would never hurt her.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Police believe someone snatched the 5-year-old from her Satsuma home. They say, at this point, everyone`s a suspect.

RONALD CUMMINGS: Please, all I want is my child. That`s it. I just want my daughter back!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: Police reiterating no one has been cleared as a suspect in the disappearance of this 5-year-old Florida girl, little Haleigh. Tonight, not afraid to answer questions on camera, Haleigh`s father, Ronald Cummings joining us in a primetime live exclusive. Also with him, Haleigh`s grandmother, Teresa Neves. You know Ms. Neves by now, appearing nearly every night, asking for your help in finding little Haleigh.

But first to T.J. Hart with WSKY 97.3. T.J., people are attacking the family, claiming there are inconsistencies in the baby-sitter`s -- now Ronald Cummings`s wife -- story. What are the inconsistencies in a nutshell?

T.J. HART, WSKY 97.3 FM: In a nutshell, it is basically the timeline of what time that -- who was in what bed and what time everything had took place, according the Putnam County sheriff`s office.

GRACE: I want to go to Ronald Cummings joining us tonight, he and his mother begging for your help in finding little Haleigh. Ronald, thank you for being with us -- to both of you. Ronald, as I see it, there are three main inconsistencies in Misty Croslin -- now Cummings -- statement. Number one, when she called police. Number two, why she went to a bathroom far away from where Haleigh was, as opposed to the one right there in the master bedroom. And possibly most significantly, an alleged inconsistency about where she was sleeping and where Haleigh was sleeping the night she was kidnapped.

Let`s take that one off the top. What did Misty tell you that night - - not later, but that night -- about where Haleigh was sleeping?

RONALD CUMMINGS: She told me that she was sleeping in the -- her and Junior were sleeping in my queen-size bed and that she was sleeping in the tot bed beside her.

GRACE: OK, and we have...

RONALD CUMMINGS: Three or four feet from her...

GRACE: ... gone into your home -- yes. Ronald, you have allowed...

RONALD CUMMINGS: So you know how far away it is.

GRACE: ... us into your home. We have that video. Elizabeth, let`s show exactly what Mr. Cummings is referring to. Now Ronald, how did it get so bassackwards that people construed it as them sleeping together in the same bed, Misty, Junior, your son, and Haleigh? How did that happen? How was that miscommunicated?

RONALD CUMMINGS: Ms. Nancy, I have no -- no answer for you. I don`t know how it was miscommunicated.

GRACE: Is that what she told police, Ronald? Did she tell police at any time that she was in the bed with little Haleigh?

RONALD CUMMINGS: I wasn`t there when she was questioned by police, Ms. Nancy.

GRACE: OK. Here`s the next question. Why didn`t she call cops immediately when she realized Haleigh was missing? Explain to us the timeline. What happened?

RONALD CUMMINGS: I pulled into the yard. The front door was wide open. She was standing in it. I asked her what she was doing up. She told me that the back door was wide open and Haleigh was gone. I turned the house upside-down and told her to call 911.

GRACE: And we have heard your 911 call. My third question -- why -- has she explained it to you why she didn`t go to the restroom in the middle of night right there in the bedroom`s attached bathroom? It`s kind of all one big, huge master bedroom. Why would she choose to crosses kitchen and go to a different bathroom?

RONALD CUMMINGS: I don`t know, Ms. Nancy. I`ve never really heard that side of the story, to be honest with you.

GRACE: Now, you want to clear up -- a lot of people are attacking you for going to New York for a honeymoon. Please, here`s your chance.

RONALD CUMMINGS: Absolutely. I went there for an exclusive with the "Today" show. I did not go there on a honeymoon at all. It was not a honeymoon at all. I went there for an exclusive with the "Today" show.

GRACE: Ronald, I know that you have been under attack. Misty Croslin Cummings has been under attack. Tonight, we are taking the viewer`s calls, Mr. Cummings not afraid to answer questions in front of the camera. And we are live. We`ll all be back in 30 seconds.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GRACE: Out to the lines. Terry in Florida. Hi, Terry.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi, Nancy. Something has been bothering me. If the story`s true that Misty was out partying and left the kids home alone, it`s possible Misty put the cement block by the back door so she could slip quietly back inside the house and not wake up the kids, but someone else could have gotten inside the house and took Haleigh before Misty got home.

GRACE: To Ronald Cummings, Haleigh`s father, who is with us tonight taking your calls live. Ronald, has the theory that Misty left the home some time during the night been disproved?

RONALD CUMMINGS: I`m not sure. I believe that it has, Nancy. I`m almost 100 percent sure, but I wouldn`t say that and lie to you. I`m pretty sure it has been disproved.

GRACE: Do you believe she left the home and left the children alone, Ronald?

RONALD CUMMINGS: Absolutely not.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Misty Croslin said that she realized that Haleigh was missing in the middle of the night when she woke up to use the bathroom. Now, there`s two bathrooms in the mobile home, one that is directly in the master bedroom and another one that is all the way across the living room.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

RONALD CUMMINGS: I just got home from work. My 5-year-old daughter is gone! I need somebody to be here now!

911 OPERATOR: OK.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MISTY CUMMINGS: I walked in the kitchen and the back door`s wide open. And (INAUDIBLE) and she`s gone. And that`s all I know!

RONALD CUMMINGS: Came home this morning to find out that I didn`t have a child! Somebody stole my child! It`s not like a bicycle or a car. Somebody stole my child from me!

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The back door has two locks on the door. The second lock, which you would have to turn, is a tight lock, so it wouldn`t be likely that little Haleigh would have been able to turn the lock and then let herself out the door.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: And tonight, as Ronald Cummings still tries to find his little girl, he is now facing the possibility that his 4-year-old little boy will be taken away from him. That`s right, the mother, the biological mother, who does not have physical custody of the children, is now considering a custody battle.

We are taking your calls live. Joining me in a primetime exclusive tonight, Haleigh`s father and her paternal grandmother. We are taking your calls live.

Ronald Cummings, what do you make of the potential custody battle that you`re facing on top of everything else?

RONALD CUMMINGS: I think that it`s absolutely and utterly ridiculous. All it does is take the focus off of my daughter being gone and put the focus on, Oh, let`s see who can get custody.

GRACE: Now, let me ask you, this Ronald. Your wife -- your former wife -- well, the mother of the children -- hasn`t had custody in how long?

TERESA NEVES, PATERNAL GRANDMOTHER: Nancy, can I say something?

GRACE: Sure. Go ahead, Ms. Neves.

RONALD CUMMINGS: She`s not my former wife, Ms. Nancy. She`s not my former wife.

GRACE: Right.

NEVES: They were never married, so...

GRACE: Right. It`s the children`s mother.

RONALD CUMMINGS: August the 17th, her 2nd birthday, is when I took physical custody of the children. And I was granted custody of the children in December of `05, and I do have the court paperwork to prove it.

GRACE: Now, Ronald, they seem to suggest that the only reason the mother lost custody was because she missed some court dates. Is that true?

RONALD CUMMINGS: Absolutely not. She missed her first court date. The judge gave her "wah wah" story another try. She showed up, lawyered up. And the truth is, I was a better parent, still am, better provider.

GRACE: Where is Junior tonight, your son?

RONALD CUMMINGS: Do I have to answer that question?

GRACE: I mean, who`s got him? Who`s taking care of him?

RONALD CUMMINGS: My grandmother.

GRACE: Ms. Neves, I understand you all have been living in tents outside or near the home. But you were forced to vacate the premises? Why?

NEVES: County ordinance is what -- the reason what they gave us. Every place we tried, there was an ordinance against where we wanted to go. So it`s just a county ordinance.

GRACE: To Marlaina Schiavo, our producer there at crime scene, joining us live from Satsuma, Florida. All right, the man`s got his daughter gone. He was at work on the night shift, like a lot of America is every night. Comes home, the daughter`s gone. Now, because of a county ordinance, they`re kicked out of their tents where they were being forced to live. Why?

MARLAINA SCHIAVO, NANCY GRACE PRODUCER: Well, you can`t -- you can`t camp on a parcel, Nancy. It has to be a designated campground. So they were given a timeline, and now they have to go.

GRACE: Well, excuse me, but Marlaina, were they bothering anybody? I mean, who cares?

SCHIAVO: Not at all. Not at all. It`s just a county ordinance. They wrote a letter to Ronald Cummings saying that they understand his circumstances, but by law, they have to vacate the premises. So they did, and now he`s staying with his grandmother and Teresa is staying in her home.

GRACE: We are taking your calls live. But first to Marc Klaas, president and founder of Klaas Kids Foundation. He is also a crime victim. His daughter, Polly, was taken out of her home. She ended up being murdered. And since that time, he has been a tireless victims` right advocate.

Marc, a lot of concerns. Weigh in.

MARC KLAAS, KLAAS KIDS FOUNDATION: Well, first of all, Ron, my heart goes out to you, buddy. I know where you`re coming from and I know how you`re feeling right now.

But there`s a reality here that has to be dealt with, Nancy. Law enforcement runs parallel investigations in these cases. They`re investigating the family. They`re investigating friends, acquaintances, registered sex offenders. And then finally, they`re investigating the stranger scenario. And until they can eliminate the various players in that -- in those scenarios, they`re unable to then put the full force of their investigation towards what actually happened.

So it`s incumbent upon Misty -- and I think Ron has to impress this upon her -- to do whatever is necessary to eliminate her from suspicion, so law enforcement then can move forward. Otherwise this thing may never be solved, and certainly, that is not -- that`s not an acceptable conclusion to this case.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Haleigh, if you`re out there, Mommy loves you and your daddy loves you and we miss you and we`ll be right here for you!

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: From the back door area, you can see that you have to walk up a ramp in order to get into the house. Now, what we do know is that Haleigh was afraid of the dark. And on both sides of the house, there is densely wooded area.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She (INAUDIBLE) Daddy`s little girl.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: Joining me tonight in a primetime exclusive, Haleigh`s father, Ronald Cummings, along with her grandmother, Teresa Neves, taking your calls live.

Ronald, one thing I want to clear up. I still don`t understand why she didn`t call 911 the minute she realized Haleigh was gone. Or was it a matter of timing?

RONALD CUMMINGS: I think she was still looking to make sure that Haleigh -- she wasn`t going to make a false 911 call. She was making sure that Haleigh was not, you know, up in the bathroom or in a...

GRACE: Got it.

RONALD CUMMINGS: ... got up and moved up to another room or whatever. You know, I think she was just being sure that...

GRACE: So when you pull up -- when you pull up, she`s still looking?

RONALD CUMMINGS: Absolutely.

GRACE: OK. All right. I get it.

RONALD CUMMINGS: I told her to call 911 while I turned the house upside-down.

GRACE: I get.

RONALD CUMMINGS: You call 911, I`ll turn the house upside-down.

GRACE: Let`s unleash the lawyers. Carmen St. George out of New York and returning tonight, triumphantly, from his battle against leukemia, attorney Richard Herman. Not going easy on you, Richard. Richard, welcome back.

RICHARD HERMAN, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Wouldn`t expect it.

GRACE: What about Misty Croslin, Herman?

HERMAN: Misty Croslin -- these are not inconsistencies, and if as Marc Klaas suggests, law enforcement are holding up their investigation because of what bathroom she went in or what bed she slept in, that is ridiculous! These are not inconsistencies. Law enforcement has to find this poor child.

GRACE: Carmen St. George, agree or disagree?

CARMEN ST. GEORGE, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: I agree, Nancy. At the age of 17, some of us might be more advanced or have different experiences. At this point, I think that her story is really just that she did not know at that time...

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TERESA NEVES, GRANDMOTHER OF MISSING 5-YR-OLD, HALEIGH CUMMINGS: Haleigh`s one of them children who fills up a home with smiles and laughter. And you just couldn`t be without her. I know somebody took that little girl.

RONALD CUMMINGS, FATHER OF MISSING 5-YR-OLD HALEIGH CUMMINGS: Somebody stole my child out of my bed. This is my heart and somebody stole my heart from me.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He is just, basically, getting to be more than he can bear. I mean he -- he stood up to all the scaredness and, you know, being afraid and tired and not eating right and everything. It`s wearing him down.

CUMMINGS: Somebody, please, who last seen my daughter, I want her to come home. Please bring my daughter home and if you`re watching, I love you.

MARLAINA SCHIAVO, NANCY GRACE PRODUCER, SPENT TIME WITH MISSING HALEIGH`S FAMILY: Well, we`re standing right here, right beside me on -- on my left is the bedroom where Misty Croslin was sleeping. And here on the right, we have the bed where little Haleigh was sleeping.

And you can see it is all but about 3 1/2 feet from each other. And this is right where Misty said she got up and she had to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night. Now where I`m facing right now, Nancy, is a bathroom. It`s the master bathroom. Through the living room behind me is the other bathroom in the house.

And you have to remember, that she -- when she got up to go to the bathroom, she saw that the kitchen light was on. The kitchen is over this way. So that means she would have had to have gotten up and gone out this door and then have noticed.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NANCY GRACE, HOST: With us tonight in a primetime exclusive, Ronald Cummings, the father of little Haleigh, and her grandmother, Teresa Neves.

Ronald, I see you shaking your head, no, no, no. Why? Do you disagree?

CUMMINGS: Because we can go in that house right now where they -- we can go in -- yes, absolutely. I disagree. We can go in that house right now with a camera and turn that kitchen that light on. And from the bedroom you can see it. It don`t matter if you go to the bathroom that`s across the house or the one that`s in that bedroom. You can see that the kitchen light is on. It shines. It`s black in the house.

GRACE: You know I`m interested to hear that because when Marlaina was -- and Teresa Neves was giving us access to the home, I asked specifically was the bedroom door open. Do you sleep with the bedroom door open and they responded yes.

CUMMINGS: Always.

GRACE: So I assume.

CUMMINGS: Always.

GRACE: I assume that the kitchen light would come through the bedroom. I understand what you`re saying.

Everyone, Ronald Cummings, Teresa Neves taking your calls live.

Out to Michelle in Michigan, hi, Michelle.

MICHELLE, CALLER FROM MICHIGAN: Hi, Nancy. How are you?

GRACE: I`m good, dear, what`s your question?

MICHELLE: I was wondering now that Ron and Misty are married, can they be forced to testify against each other if there was foul play involved.

GRACE: To Marlaina Schiavo, our producer there at the crime scene, Satsuma, Florida. You know I heard it misstated, I believe, if I`m correct on the law, on the networks over the weekend. Isn`t there a caveat in Florida law? Typically husband/wife privilege. You can`t testify against each other.

But when it comes to the injury or the abuse of a child, I don`t believe the husband/wife privilege applies in Florida. Yes? No?

SCHIAVO: Yes, Nancy, you`re correct.

GRACE: OK.

SCHIAVO: And anything said before the marriage is admissible.

GRACE: Thank you. That was my next question, Marlaina.

So Michelle in Michigan, contrary to a lot of haters that are claiming the two got married to avoid testifying at trial, incorrect. In Florida, when it comes to the welfare of a child, you can`t claim marital privilege.

Now the whole thing about marrying a 17-year-old has come up repeatedly. You know what? That`s a whole another kettle of fish to fry, all right? Let`s worry about bringing Haleigh home first. Then we can address the teen marriage.

Back to the lines. Lili in Louisiana, hi, Lilly.

LILI, CALLER FROM LOUISIANA: Hi, Nancy, how you doing?

GRACE: I`m very disturbed about this case because a month has passed and still no leads in the search for Haleigh. What is your question, dear? And hello to all of our Cajun friends.

LILI: I agree with you. And mine is more of a statement. Have they checked out the person that rented the trailer before? Because they would know where the cinder block is. They might even have a key to the deadbolt. They know where the light is and the switch to the light of the kitchen.

GRACE: OK. Lili, you might need a second job as a private I.

To Ronald Cummings. Ronald, isn`t the previous owner the reverend?

CUMMINGS: As I believe it is the reverend`s mother and father. And I think they deceased here in the home. I`m not sure. You would have to ask them. But I do know that I personally went to Wal-Mart and bought the deadbolts and the locks that were on there so nobody else had a key to this house.

GRACE: OK, because I believe that he told me, the former owner, the reverend, that he had placed a lock on that back door but you also placed locks as well, correct? Got it.

CUMMINGS: Yes, ma`am, they were there. I took them off and put my own on.

GRACE: To Barbara.

CUMMINGS: I don`t want nobody to have keys in my house because I didn`t want this to happen.

GRACE: To Barbara in Massachusetts, hi, Barbara.

BARBARA, CALLER FROM MASSACHUSETTS: Hi, Nancy. This is an answer to prayer. I`ve been trying to get you for a month.

GRACE: Thank you.

BARBARA: I just have -- oh, I love you. I just have a quick comment and then a question. I just want to say that the answer to this mystery is the deadbolt and access to it. And I want to say that Misty said there were three men there that night. I think it was a nephew, cousin, a -- an air-conditioning repairman.

But anyway, any one of them could have unlocked that deadbolt, slipped her a sedative and left the house and come back later and gone in and gotten the child. I think it`s someone that knew them. I think it had to be someone who was there in the house that night.

And I`ve called the tip line and I`ve talked to detectives. This is how disturbed I am for this little girl.

GRACE: Let`s go to the source and find out. To Marlaina Schiavo, joining us from Satsuma.

Marlaina, who was in the home that evening?

SCHIAVO: Misty was in the home with the two children that evening, Nancy.

GRACE: Had there been visitors prior to that?

SCHIAVO: She had a cousin visiting from out of town earlier. And so he was in the home at some point, but we`re still trying to figure out exactly how that`s all pieced together, Nancy.

GRACE: To Teresa Neves, Haleigh`s grandmother. Miss Neves, are you aware of anyone else in the home that evening? I don`t mean when they all go to bed, I mean earlier that evening.

NEVES: I heard there was a repairman there. My mother was actually over.

GRACE: I`m sorry, I couldn`t hear you. There was a repairman there. The cousin was there who police have investigated.

NEVES: Yes, ma`am.

GRACE: Who else?

NEVES: My mother came by that night.

GRACE: For what reason?

CUMMINGS: My cousin went in there.

NEVES: She brought some clean clothes over.

GRACE: OK.

NEVES: She had some of the kid`s clothes at her house and she had washed them and brought them over. That was sometime between 7:00 and 8:00 p.m. that night.

GRACE: Miss Neves, what do you say to those viewers that are disturbed about your son marrying a 17-year-old girl? Did her parents consent to the marriage?

NEVES: Yes, ma`am, they did.

GRACE: And to Brian Russell. Dr. Brian Russell, psychologist joining us out of Atlanta. Dr. Russell, look, nobody is -- to my knowledge -- not many people, are for teen marriage. All right? But are we getting sidetracked? Isn`t that a collateral issue?

They can`t claim husband privilege -- husband/wife privilege against each other in court. So can we -- can we just burn that bridge when we get there?

BRIAN RUSSELL, FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGIST: Well, you`re absolutely right, Nancy. All the research indicates it`s not best for the longevity and the stability of the marriage but you`re right, it is a sideshow to the main event which is trying to find this missing little girl.

I would be interested to know from Ron, though, whether he thought maybe -- whether the two of them might have thought there was any legal advantage to being married. Even though we know you and I know there was not.

GRACE: OK. Ronald Cummings, has anyone suggested to you that you married Misty so you two would not have to testify against each other if there`s ever a trial?

CUMMINGS: Absolutely not, Nancy.

GRACE: You know, the other night I had your -- the children`s biological mother on. And excuse me, I had her lawyer on. And she suggested that you had a history of dating teenagers. True/false?

CUMMINGS: I have dated teenagers in my time, yes, true.

GRACE: And your age is 25?

CUMMINGS: True.

GRACE: How long have you two known each other before you married?

CUMMINGS: Seven, eight months.

GRACE: Why did police take your back door off the hinges and take it away, Ronald?

CUMMINGS: I`m not sure. They took it for some further investigation. I think the locks and everything. They want to check some things that those -- you would have to ask them, the investigators on that one, Miss Nancy.

GRACE: Is -- and Ronald, is your new wife, Misty Croslin-Cummings, willing to speak to police again?

CUMMINGS: Yes, anytime. We`re all willing to speak to police. All we want is Haleigh back.

GRACE: Everybody, taking your calls live tonight. Haleigh`s father and grandmother. As we go to break, we ask for your thoughts and prayers for a Florida friend of the show, Robbie Lewis.

Robbie, you are beautiful. Stay strong.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SCHIAVO: Let me show you the back door and show you how both doors close automatically. So -- and I`m also going to show you the lock because the lock is about three feet from the floor. And we know that that`s about as tall as Haleigh stands. So here`s the back door and here`s the lock.

It sticks. So -- there you go. Now we open up the back door and here`s the back screen door. The one that was propped open with the cinder block, OK? Now if you see, when it closed, it slams. It makes a loud noise. But if you leave this door, this slowly closes as well.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: Joining me tonight in a primetime exclusive, Haleigh`s father, Ronald Cummings, and her grandmother, Teresa Neves.

We are taking your calls live. Out to Mary in Kentucky. Hi, dear.

MARY, CALLER FROM KENTUCKY: Hi, Nancy. My.

GRACE: I`m sorry, repeat.

MARY: My question to you is at 15, 16 years old I baby-sat, I`m a mother of five, grandmother of 11. And whenever I have children around and they sleep in my bed, or I`m sleeping with them, I will go -- I don`t go to the bathroom in my bedroom. I always go out into the hallway because I don`t want to wake them flushing the toilets.

GRACE: And what`s your question?

MARY: Well, I`m -- yes, I just don`t understand why they`re making such a big deal about that because that just seems like a common courtesy.

GRACE: OK. Why are they making a big deal about it? I don`t know. I think that it was construed as an inconsistency at some point. People thought it may not make any sense. Maybe they`re not the grandmother of 11 like yourself. So maybe the cops were suspicion.

Next question. Sheeba, Illinois, hi, Sheeba.

SHEEBA, CALLER FROM ILLINOIS: Hi, Nancy. We just love you. God bless for everything you do.

GRACE: Thank you.

SHEEBA: My question is, if the kitchen light were on, would Haleigh have walked out with like a stranger, or would it be more probable that the little thing would have walked out with someone she knew?

GRACE: What about it, Ronald Cummings? How was she with strangers? With my twins, John David will go to anybody. Lucy will hardly go to anybody. How was Haleigh?

CUMMINGS: Haleigh would not just go to anybody. She will only go to the people who she knows.

GRACE: I find it hard to believe she wouldn`t have cried out, if it had not been somebody she knew. Ron?

CUMMINGS: It could have, Nancy. It could have, Nancy. There`s a -- I don`t know. I can`t -- I have no answers. I wish I did. If I had answers, I obviously wouldn`t be sitting here.

GRACE: But you know what, on the other hand, you know when I get home from work every night I pick each one of the twins up where from where they`re sleeping and I carry them over and put them in their cribs. They never wake up. They never wake up. So that`s a whole another aspect.

What about it, Marc Klaas?

MARC KLAAS, PRESIDENT AND FOUNDER, KLAASKIDS FOUNDATION: I think that`s absolutely correct. If she was a very sound sleeper, she could have been anywhere before she woke up. Or whoever took her, could have placed their hand over her mouth. Could have placed an object. Could have placed chloroform over her mouth as we know has happened in other cases.

I think that this is just a big open question until this case is resolved.

GRACE: You know, Marc, Marc, I`ve got so many issues. If there are inconsistencies with Misty Croslin-Cummings` statement, that`s a problem. On the other hand, she is young. She is unsophisticated. And those inconsistencies may be due to semantics. Just wording. So I hate to jump on the bandwagon, you know, when they`re suffering and attack the family, that`s so easy to attack them.

KLAAS: Well, I don`t think that I was just attacking the family. I think I was trying to play out a couple of scenarios.

GRACE: Not you.

KLAAS: But, but.

GRACE: Not you. I`m asking you your thoughts on whether it`s conceivable that her inconsistencies were actually innocent.

KLAAS: Anything is possible. But I would -- I would caution everybody to understand that law enforcement has a massive task force working this case. And probably some of the best minds in the country on child abduction are involved and I don`t think that there -- it is anything eye -- I don`t think that it`s any mistake that after Misty.

GRACE: Yes.

KLAAS: . for the last four, five weeks have said that she`s passed her test and she`s not under suspicion that she all of a sudden admits that there are inconsistencies and that law enforcement confirms that. I think that there are real reasons for having done that.

GRACE: Marc Klaas, I agree. John Lucich, weigh in.

JOHN LUCICH, INVESTIGATOR, AUTHOR OF "CYBER LIES": Look, I think a big part of why they took that door was to start looking at the inconsistencies in the statement. Was that door locked? Was there marks from the outside?

I think what they`re trying to do now, instead of like, Marc said before, when we have to -- when they cannot remove people from the investigation, that just takes too much time going in all of these different directions.

I think what they`re trying do is remove the world now and saying, let`s look inside of this trailer and see what happened. And I think that has a lot to do why -- because they`re going to be able to show that this place was not broken into, it was locked. Then it had to be somebody in the inside.

GRACE: And you know, Lucich, when you can`t clear somebody, you have to keep going back and back and back to them. Going over and over and over the statement.

Tonight Ronald Cummings stating his wife is willing to go back to police and answer questions again.

To Dr. Zhongxue Hua, Union County, New Jersey medical examiner. Dr. Hua, thank you for being with us. What is the very best forensic evidence investigators could hope to get right now?

DR. ZHONGXUE HUA, UNION CO., N.J. MEDICAL EXAMINER: Probably not as this. I mean all of the important forensic evidence should be collected early on, early stage of this investigation. I mean you`re looking for any fiber, any hair follicles, any DNA evidence, (INAUDIBLE) and also -- obviously you`re looking for any prints, fingerprints inside the door also inside the apartment.

GRACE: To Ronald Cummings, Haleigh`s father. Ronald, if you can make a plea now, what would it be? What would you say? Would you say?

CUMMINGS: Bring my little girl home, please, whoever`s got her, bring her home. I`ll give you everything I`ve got to bring my daughter home.

GRACE: What is your day like now, Ronald? How do you start it? How do you end it?

CUMMINGS: Kissing my son good night in the bed with me.

GRACE: Miss Neves, how do you start your day? How do you end it?

NEVES: Praying for Haleigh, pray that she`s returned alive. Pray that God will just show somebody somewhere something that brings her home.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LEE ANTHONY, CASEY ANTHONY`S BROTHER: She could have told me that she was with anybody, you know, at that point.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Was it your impression that night that she was making it up, or did you believe that to be true?

ANTHONY: To this day, I believe everything that my sister tells me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: Straight out to Kathi Belich with WFTV, what`s the latest in the tot mom case?

KATHI BELICH, REPORTER, CNN AFFILIATE WFTV, COVERING STORY: Well, Lee Anthony`s attorney filed some paperwork today in court and basically he said that he doesn`t want Lee Anthony to have to answer the two questions about who Caylee`s father is, as well as whether he believes that Casey could have been involved in her death.

He doesn`t think one of those questions is relevant, and he believes that -- his opinion about his -- about his sister`s guilt is not relevant and says that whoever Caylee`s father is, it really has nothing to do with the case. There`s going to be a hearing in May.

GRACE: To Drew Petrimoulx with WDBO, if he knows who the father is, why not avoid all the attorney bills? If the father really died in a car crash, why can`t he just say so? What`s the problem, Drew?

DREW PETRIMOULX, REPORTER, WDBO RADIO, COVERING STORY: Well, what`s interesting right before his lawyer cut him off and did not let him answer that question, he said I do not know for 100 percent. So if you believe what he said before his lawyer cut him off, he doesn`t exactly know who the father of Caylee is.

GRACE: And quickly, Drew Petrimoulx, a lady sheriff was with tot mom when she found out Caylee had been found. Did she give sworn deposition testimony?

PETRIMOULX: Apparently did. Her name is Lt. Tammy Unser and apparently she did speak with prosecutors in this case and it`s just for us to find out what is actually she said. That hasn`t come out yet.

GRACE: Of course the defense is trying to stop that video deposition from being released as well.

Kathi Belich, Drew Petrimoulx, thank you.

Let`s stop and remember Marine Colonel Michael Stahlman, 45, Chevy Chase, Maryland, killed Iraq. One of the highest ranking officers to die in Iraq. Awarded the Navy Marine Corps commendation medal, Army Achievement Medal and Navy Marine Corps achievement medal.

A U.S. Naval Academy grad, also earned a law degree. He`s leaving behind grieving widow Kim, two daughters.

Michael Stahlman, American hero.

Thanks to our guests, but especially to you. And a special good night tonight from Georgia friends of the show, Chris, Bobby, a film student, and Rod, a cancer survivor who owns Bloom`s Floral Designs right here in Atlanta.

Everyone, I`ll see you tomorrow night, 8:00 sharp Eastern. And until then, good night, friend.

END

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0903/16/ng.01.html

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0903/17/ijvm.01.html

ISSUES WITH JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL

Mother Opens Up about Missing Girl; Do Inconsistency Stories Hide Truth about Haleigh?; Rapist Who Imprisoned Daughter on Trial

Aired March 17, 2009 - 19:00:00 ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL, HOST (voice-over): Tonight, a hair-raising twist in the frantic search for Haleigh Cummings. Crystal Sheffield, Haleigh`s mother, joins us tonight to talk about her new foundation and a possible custody battle over Haleigh`s little brother, all this as police say Ron`s new wife Misty has changed her story several times. Why all the inconsistencies? Could Misty hold the secret to finding this precious missing child?

Plus outrage in Austria. Day two in the horrifying incest trial leaves jurors traumatized. More harrowing testimony about the man who now tries to hide his face as he`s led into court. He kept his daughter locked in a basement bunker for decades while repeatedly raping her, farthing seven children with her and then allegedly letting one die.

Then the ugly rumor about whether Lee Anthony is, in fact, the father of little Caylee is finally put to rest. You will not believe the stunning court documents examined just hours ago involving DNA tests for Lee, Casey and little Caylee.

And shocking new details emerge in the deadly case of football stars lost at sea. A Coast Guard report says the lone survivor talked of one man getting unruly, fighting with the others and throwing punches. We`ll look at the psychological and physical torment of their ordeal.

Plus, outrageous new octo-drama. Frantic preparations made to make Nadya Suleman`s new home safe for her babies` arrival. We`ll bring you the very latest on the octo-saga.

ISSUES starts now.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: The shocking answer to the paternity question that has long surrounded the Caylee Anthony murder case. Who is the little girl`s father? Newly-released documents reveal stunning DNA information. I will have the very latest details on that breaking story.

But we begin tonight with Haleigh Cummings` distraught mother, Crystal Sheffield. She is speaking out right here on ISSUES.

Her ex, Haleigh`s father, Ron Cummings, appeared on "NANCY GRACE" last night where Nancy asked the very tough questions, as she should. He didn`t throw any punches. In fact, he threw a few jabs at Crystal.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NANCY GRACE, HOST, "NANCY GRACE": They seem to suggest that the only reason the mother lost custody was because she missed some court dates. Is that true?

RON CUMMINGS, FATHER OF HALEIGH CUMMINGS: Absolutely not. She missed her first court date. The judge gave her wah-wah story another try. She showed up, lawyered up. And the truth is I was a better parent. Still am. Better provider.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Last week, Cummings also accused Crystal of making up a false lead in the case, namely that their 4-year-old, Ronald Jr., saw a black man in black take little Haleigh. What on earth would a distraught mother have to gain by leading the investigation astray?

Crystal`s response to all of this is moments away. She`s going to set the record straight for us tonight.

Meantime, Misty Croslin Cummings, Ron`s new bride and the last person to see Haleigh before she went missing, has spent more than 30 hours talking to investigators, but cops still have no clear timeline. How is that possible? Why is Misty hiding key information? We will examine the very day little Haleigh went missing.

Joining me now, my expert panel: Rebecca Rose Woodland, criminal defense attorney; Brian Russell, forensic psychologist and attorney; and Don Clark, former FBI special agent charge.

But first my very special guest, Haleigh`s mom, Crystal Sheffield, joins us by phone, as does her attorney, Kim McCazio (ph).

Crystal, I would like to start with Haleigh Bug, the foundation you just started to find your precious child. You have set up headquarters in town and painted it purple which was Haleigh`s favorite color. I understand you`ve also hired a private investigator.

Crystal, tell us all about this new strategy you have for finding your daughter.

CRYSTAL SHEFFIELD, MOTHER OF HALEIGH CUMMINGS: It`s just something where everybody can come. I mean, anybody that wants to do any donations, I mean, call. I mean, it`s just a place for me to be where I don`t have to be out in a tent or, you know, because I`ve got my 11-month-old baby. I mean, it`s just a safer place, and it`s just something I wanted to do for Haleigh.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: And why did you hire a private eye?

SHEFFIELD: I didn`t. I didn`t hire him.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: OK. All right. I -- that was a report and we want to set the record straight.

Crystal, I also want to give you an opportunity to set the record straight about something else. On "The Today Show," Ron claims you made up the story that you made Ron Jr. saw Haleigh`s abductor. Let`s listen to what he said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MEREDITH VIEIRA, CO-HOST, NBC`S "THE TODAY SHOW": Your 4-year-old son, and the fact that he said that somebody, a man dressed in black, had taken Haleigh out of the trailer that night she disappeared. Did she tell that to either one of you? Misty, you were there at the time. Did he say anything to you at the time?

MISTY CROSLIN, WIFE OF RON CUMMINGS: No.

VIEIRA: Nothing?

CUMMINGS: Me either. I think this is some of the garbage that Geraldo and Crystal, the mother, has made up. But I`m just going to leave that at that.

VIEIRA: So you don`t even believe that Ronald Jr. said this at all?

CUMMINGS: I don`t know. I wasn`t at home; I was at work.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Crystal, that`s kind of harsh on Ron`s part. What is your response to this claim that you made this up?

SHEFFIELD: Well, I know for a fact my son told me that. I`m not lying. I did not ask him no questions.

The following weekend after Haleigh went missing I asked him no questions. As soon as I picked him up he said, "Mommy, I want to find my sissy. A man in black took her," and that is what he told me.

I swear I`m not lying. You can say I`m making it up if you want to. That`s fine. I -- I have no reason to lie. I want my daughter back, and that`s what my son told me. If it`s true or not, so be it. I mean, he told me that, and that`s my baby, so...

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, Crystal, just to understand, first we heard that he said a man in black took little Haleigh. Then apparently, we heard a couple of days later that he said a black man in black. Did his story change or did -- was it just an error in reporting?

SHEFFIELD: Well, at first he did say it was a man dressed in black. And then I asked him the following -- the two weeks later when I got him again I asked him about it. But I didn`t want to question him about it, because I know it`s hard on him enough. And I asked him about it and I was, like, "What about the black -- the person dressed in black." And he said it was a black man dressed in black, and he had squeaky shoes. And the I`m not lying. I have no reason to lie.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: That`s why we have you on tonight, first of all because we want to do everything we can to find your precious child and put her face out there so that somebody, anyone out there who has anyone any kind of clue, please, we`re begging you, come forward.

Now let`s talk about Misty Croslin, Ron`s new wife. Was the last person, of course, to see little Haleigh the night she went missing, but her story has been full of holes. She was asked on "The Today Show" Friday about all the inconsistencies. Let`s listen to what she said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VIEIRA: Why were there -- help me out, Misty, where were there inconsistencies? Why did you say one thing one time and one time the other? One thing the other?

CROSLIN: Um -- I don`t know.

VIEIRA: But you know you did do that?

CROSLIN: Yes.

VIEIRA: And you`re not sure why.

CROSLIN: No.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: That`s pretty amazing -- Kim McCazio (ph), you`re Crystal Sheffield`s attorney -- that she doesn`t know why she`s telling inconsistent stories, for example, when did she first call 911? We initially heard something about, hey, Ron was at work and she called 911 and he rushed in at the tail end of the conversation, because we hear him on that call. But now Ron is saying he got home, saw Misty standing there. The child was missing, and he told her to call 911. What do you make of it?

KIM MCCAZIO (PH), ATTORNEY FOR CRYSTAL SHEFFIELD: Well, I think that all of the inconsistent statements are making it very difficult for the police investigation to go forward, and I wish we could clear up these statements. I don`t know why they are being made.

I don`t know if Misty is just a naive child who`s trying to make up stories that may make her look better or her husband, or if she has something to hide. And I guess the investigation will -- will figure that out.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right. Quick question, Crystal. What about this potential custody battle between you and Ron over your little boy, Ronald Jr.?

SHEFFIELD: I -- I don`t feel safe with him. I mean, my daughter is missing. He has a 17-year-old that he is married to now. She`s a child. Obviously, she`s -- I mean, she`s been out doing drugs. He`s caught her with drug dealers, and I don`t feel safe with him there.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: I want to say, first of all, that I have no independent confirmation of that, and we don`t have any information or confirmation of that at all. A lot of stories circulating. A lot of point, counterpoint, charge, countercharge.

But one thing I know for sure is that Crystal Sheffield is suffering tonight.

And Crystal, I want to thank you so much for being on. And I wish you the very best of luck with your new foundation and the Haleigh Bug house. And, of course, that`s little Haleigh`s nickname. And we just pray that she`s brought home alive and safe. Thank you, Crystal.

All right. As always, our thoughts are with that little child. And we`re going move now onto my expert panel, fantastic group here.

You`ve been listening in. Don Clark, what do you make of it? The fact that there are all these inconsistencies that this Misty doesn`t have any explanation for, and she just blankly says, "Yes, I`ve told different stories and I have no explanation"?

DON CLARK, FORMER FBI SPECIAL AGENT IN CHARGE: Yes. In one way, Jane, it`s a -- it`s a bad thing that these inconsistencies are going on. But from a police investigation, they ought to be really cataloging these things, really working at them and really trying to find out why one counters the other, other than the fact that she said that.

They`ve got to keep in mind here that everybody is a suspect in this case, Jane. Everybody is a suspect. And clearly, the people close to the environment and the situation, particularly those in the house, they have to be suspects in this case. I don`t understand how anybody could be released from this, and particularly when you have all of these inconsistencies, just flowing back and forth.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right. Rebecca Rose Woodland, if everyone is a suspect, and she`s the one who`s telling the inconsistent stories, is there any way that they can bring her in and arrest her on some kind of very lesser charge just to put pressure her to try to get the story straight?

REBECCA ROSE WOODLAND, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Not yet. I don`t think so. As far as what we know so far, Jane, there`s not enough here. I think what the authorities are doing is trying to question her, interrogate her. I`m sure there`s certain pressure they`re putting on her while they`re interrogating her.

If you remember last week she refused to speak to one of the detectives and said, "I won`t speak to him. He made me nervous." Probably because he was putting pressure on her to explain the story. What`s the actual story here, Jane? That`s what we want to know.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes, we`ve got to find out. Everybody, stick around. Lots more to cover in the desperate search for this precious 5- year-old girl.

And I want to hear from you. Do you think the inconsistent stories Ron`s new wife has given police require further scrutiny? Give me a call: 1-877-JVM-SAYS. That`s 1-877-586-7297.

Then just miles away, explosive new developments in the Casey Anthony case. New discovery documents just released answer the question of whether Lee Anthony is, in fact, the father of little Caylee, an ugly rumor that`s been out there. We will have the answer in a moment.

But first, as we enter the fifth week in the search for Haleigh Cummings, a reminder of what Misty Croslin had to say just days after her disappearance.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CROSLIN: At 3 a.m. in the morning I got up and -- I got up because I had to use the bathroom, but I didn`t make it to the bathroom. I seen the kitchen light on. And I walked in the kitchen, and the back door was wide open. And I didn`t notice about Haleigh until I seen the back door open. And then I go in the room and she`s gone. And that`s all I know.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you know who the father of -- of Caylee...

LEE ANTHONY, CASEY ANTHONY`S BROTHER: I do not know 100 percent.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You don`t have to answer that question.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Lee Anthony dodged the question, but will he have to answer it now? Breaking news on that story coming right up.

But first Ron Cummings` new wife, Misty Croslin, has a big problem keeping her story straight. Is that hampering the search for little Haleigh?

Back with my expert panel, and the phone lines are lighting up. Charles in Missouri, your question or thought, sir.

CALLER: Yes, Jane. I want to thank you for taking my call. I watch your show. I watch it every night.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Thanks.

CALLER: What I`m -- I`ve been watching the interviews with Misty and I can`t help but go back to the time of the Susan Smith case. You`ve got two women fighting over the affections of a man. It was earlier reported that Haleigh was daddy`s little girl, and I just wondered if there`s anything to that.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Don Clark, you were familiar with that case. What do you make of it?

CLARK: I`ll tell you what. He makes a good point there. I mean, in particular, you saw the same thing with Susan Smith back in those days and the same type of activities there. So it is something to think about.

But, you know, Jane, I really do think that at some point that the police may -- might have to look at some obstruction of justice charges here, because she is telling stories that leads one direction, telling stories that leads another direction, and they`re all inconsistent with each other. And I really do think that that can be listed as obstruction, and maybe they`ll move forward after that charge.

CLARK: Jane, can I jump in?

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes. Sure.

CLARK: I agree with Don and I disagree. On the one hand, I think he`s right. I think that she may be obstructing.

On the other hand I`m not seeing Susan Smith-like behavior. What I`m seeing is some possible confabulation, and that`s where people try to fill in details that they really don`t remember. And I think that she may not be 100 percent sure what exactly did happen that night. I don`t know this, obviously. I haven`t tested her blood, but imagine if she were under the influence of some substance that night. And she didn`t...

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Wouldn`t they have tested her?

CLARK: They may not have. They may not have taken toxicology on her, because it really might not be 100 percent relevant yet. But if she were under the influence of something, she may not want to admit that. Just think about, for example, if she were underage drinking or using some illegal drug. She might not want to admit, but that would explain some of the inconsistencies.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Wow. Well, as you said, Misty Croslin has spent more than 30 hours being interrogated by cops. They don`t have a clear idea of what happened that day.

Here`s what we do know. At about 5 p.m. an air-conditioning repair man visited the home. At 7 p.m., Haleigh`s great-Grandma, Inez Sykes, came by with clean clothes. And she says she saw Haleigh with Misty.

And last night on "NANCY GRACE," Ron and his mom Teresa Neves gave differing opinions of whether or not a cousin stopped by. Listen closely.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NANCY GRACE, HOST, "NANCY GRACE": There was a repairman there. The cousin was there who police have investigated. Who else?

TERESA NEVES, MOTHER OF RON CUMMINGS: My mother came by that night.

GRACE: For what reason?

CUMMINGS: My cousin wasn`t there.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Did you hear, very, very softly Ron says, "My cousin wasn`t there"?

So they can`t agree over even whether a cousin was there. And now investigative journalist Art Harris is saying Misty put the kids to bed at 8 p.m., washed their blankets and then went to sleep herself.

How come -- and I`ll put this to Rebecca Rose Woodland. Investigators can`t get a clear handle on a timeline, given that it looks like she`s claiming she was at the trailer home all night long. I mean, it`s not a mansion. It`s a trailer home. How can you not get a timeline on what somebody was doing inside a trailer home?

WOODLAND: I`m very -- that`s what`s disturbing about this case, is that how big can a trailer home be? She can probably put her both arms out and feel both sides. The baby went to sleep without blankets. She was washing the blankets, came back. She claims she put the blanket on the baby, then went to sleep herself, but she doesn`t even remember when that was.

Well, you know how long wash takes. You wash, you dry and put it in the washing machine and the dryer. You know, this isn`t that difficult to figure out. So there must be issues and so many inconsistencies that we don`t have a timeline.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Sharon in Virginia, your question or thought, ma`am?

CALLER: Yes, I just want to tell you that it`s not coincidental, that the person who took Haleigh, you know, had to have known that that screen door had to be propped open.

And Ron said that there were no cinder blocks in his backyard. So they would have had to brought a cinder block with them, prop that door open and get in and out.

And also, where would these kids sleep when Ronald and Misty are, like, making love. I mean, surely they`re not sleeping in the bed with mom and now their new stepmom.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, I`m going to throw that one to the psychologist, Brian Russell. I don`t want to touch that one.

BRIAN RUSSELL, PSYCHOLOGIST: Well, look, I`ve said many times that these things very, very, very rarely happen randomly. Polly Klaas is an example of an exception. But I think that somebody knew that that little girl was in there, poorly supervised, in a place that was likely to be unlocked, with no father there to defend the home, and it`s probably somebody who knew him or her.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right. I want to thank my fantastic panel for their wonderful insights. Please come back.<end of Haleigh coverage>

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0903/17/ijvm.01.html

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0903/18/ijvm.01.html

ISSUES WITH JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL

Rift Between Haleigh Cummings Family Grows Worse; Natasha Richardson Reportedly Near Death; Casey Anthony Case Witness List; Incest Trial Shocker; Octo Madness

Aired March 18, 2009 - 19:00:00 ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL, HOST (voice-over): Tonight, tensions boiling over in the search for 5-year-old Haleigh Cummings. Shocking new details point to a fierce custody battle for Haleigh`s little brother, Junior.

Haleigh`s mom has now hired an attorney who has gone to Florida`s child services with shocking claims of a child beaten in the home until bloody. Others are saying Ron`s marriage to Misty could be a move to keep custody of Junior. I`ll have both sides of the story in this intense battle.

Then, outrageous details flood in about Casey Anthony`s murder trial and provide a stunning look inside the prosecution`s case. I`ll analyze the witness list from key family members to an ex-boyfriend to a childhood pal. Will they paint a picture of a pathological liar capable of murder?

And I`ll have a sneak peek at the defense strategy. Casey`s attorneys already grilling a cop who may have ignored tips on the location of Caylee`s remains way back in August. An interrogation not slated to end for another two weeks.

Plus, it`s a wild out-of-control mob scene as Octomom Nadya Suleman brings two of her babies home from the hospital. It was so out of hand that cops showed up. So when are the other six coming home, and how will this paparazzi circus impact all of them? I`ll have the bizarre details.

And the absolutely heart-breaking story of actress Natasha Richardson. After a minor skiing accident, the star reportedly near death. Her famous family, including husband Liam Neeson and mom Vanessa Redgrave, by her side for what could be her last moments. I`ll have the latest details in this tragic story.

ISSUES starts now.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Tonight, dramatic twists in the disappearance of little Haleigh Cummings. A custody battle over Haleigh`s brother, Ron Jr., set to explode at any moment. The gloves are coming off as police enter the sixth week of desperately searching for Haleigh. Her parents have started attacking each other with new claims of child abuse and drug use.

Here on ISSUES, last night, Haleigh`s mom, Crystal Sheffield, made a stunning claim about Misty Croslin, who is the new wife of her ex, Ron Cummings, and the last person to see little Haleigh the night she went missing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CRYSTAL SHEFFIELD, MOTHER OF HALEIGH CUMMINGS: She`s been out doing drugs. He`s caught her with drug dealers. And I don`t feel safe with him there.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: No comment from Misty. Cops reportedly say there is no available criminal history on Misty.

We have also learned that just yesterday, Crystal Sheffield`s new attorney met with Florida`s Department of Children and Families, begging them to investigate claims -- and I repeat claims -- of abuse that allegedly left a child bloodied at the Cummings home.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KIM PICAZIO, CRYSTAL SHEFFIELD`S ATTORNEY: When a parent beats a child until the child is bloodied, that is a crime. It`s legally and morally wrong. And he needs to be brought to justice.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Someone has told you that?

PICAZIO: Yes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Ron`s grandmother, Annette Sykes, says she is enraged by these charges and responded to these horrifying allegations.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANNETTE SYKES, RON CUMMING`S GRANDMOTHER: This is ridiculous. Ridiculous. Ronald spanks his children just like -- like he said, just like children services say you can spank them. On the rear end.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Will this rift between Haleigh`s parents take the focus off finding their precious daughter? And could Misty and Ron`s wedding be a strategy to boost their chances of retaining custody of Ron Jr.?

Meantime, the new Haleigh Bug Foundation, created to coordinate tips, had an unwelcome guest. Get this. An accused child molester showed up, hoping to donate office supplies? Unbelievable.

We will have all the details, and I will be taking your calls. Give me a holler: 1-877-JVM-SAYS. That`s 1-877-586-7297.

But first, my fabulous expert panel: Belisa Vranich, clinical psychologist; Jayne Weintraub, criminal defense attorney; Paul Callan, criminal defense attorney and former prosecutor; Mickey Ziegler, divorce attorney; plus Rick Robinson, former West Virginia state trooper and professor at Dexville (ph) College in Ohio.

All right. Let`s jump right in. Jayne, do you think all these allegations are going to lead us to little Haleigh, who`s missing, or are they more about the brewing custody battle for little Junior?

JAYNE WEINTRAUB, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: I think it`s just jockeying positions for the custody. And unfortunately, it`s distracting from looking or talking about finding Haleigh.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: But, Rick Robinson, I mean, you`re a former state trooper. If this mom feels her son is in danger -- and let`s face it, she does have a couple of points. There was another child of hers that went missing under the same watch of these two people. Shouldn`t she do everything to get that child?

RICK ROBINSON, FORMER STATE TROOPER: I`m wondering about a couple of things. One, I`m wondering why Crystal didn`t have custody to begin with. What was going on with that? You`ve got a guy who`s 25 years old and a young lady who`s 17. And I`m wondering how did that guy -- you and I both know men rarely get custody. So I`m wondering about that.

And then, looking at these allegations of abuse, it`s very common anytime there`s any type of investigation, whether it be a murder investigation or a missing person or whatever, where someone along the way will start saying the other person was spanking their kid and so on.

But Ron, in the very first interview about did he abuse his child, he rolls off the words about Department of Children and Family Services. Like Department of Health and Human Services. Those words don`t just typically roll off of people`s tongues. So I`m thinking this is the guy...

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes, unless they`ve been visited by the...

ROBINSON: There`s been something going on for some time.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes. And in fact, we had gotten a report through a reporter -- we can`t confirm this ourselves -- that police had been called to the home but that it was because neighbors complained of loud arguments. So that`s not the same thing as -- as a beating, which this family, Ron Cummings, completely denies.

Let`s listen to what Crystal said last night on this very show here, ISSUES, about Ron Jr. living with his father and step-mother.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHEFFIELD: My daughter is missing. He has a 17-year-old that he is married to now. She`s a child. Obviously, she`s been out doing drugs. She`s caught her with drug dealers. And I don`t feel safe with him there.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Now, these are very serious accusations. We have to say, we tried to reach Misty for her reaction to these charges. Got no response. She has an open invitation to appear on this show and tell her side of the story. We want to be fair. We want to tell all sides.

Meantime, law enforcement says Misty has no available criminal history.

ROBINSON: That`s because she`s a juvenile.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, yes, it is a cryptic comment, but that`s the only comment we got. And that`s why we`re sticking with it.

ROBINSON: But Ron, on the other hand, has a rather lengthy criminal history.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: We`re going to get to that in a second. Misty spoke to investigative journalist Art Harris just a couple of days ago, claiming the kids love her more than their biological mom.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MISTY CROSLIN, WIFE OF RON CUMMINGS: Love Haleigh more than anything in this world. That was like my baby. They used to call me step-mom. You know, they`d rather be with me than their own mother.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: We need a shrink on this one. Belisa Vranich, it`s getting nastier and nastier. I think it`s because there`s a vacuum of information about where little Haleigh is. People are getting agitated and tense, and they`re taking it out on each other.

BELISA VRANICH, CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST: Absolutely. We are missing information here, and I think people sense that, that there are distracters. There are things that have to do with the complicated family, but what about Haleigh? So we are missing information. You`re right on target. Your gut on that is correct.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right. Now, we made some calls, and as we said, no criminal history available for Misty, who`s only 17 years old. However, as Rick Robinson mentioned seconds ago, Ron Cummings has numerous drug charges in his history, including possession of cocaine, cannabis, use of drug paraphernalia, maintaining a drug vehicle.

WEINTRAUB: And image, he was awarded custody.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: But -- OK, it goes on and on and on. But what I can say is that Ron Cummings, and it`s important to point this out, has never been convicted of any drug charges, OK?

He and Misty have known each other for years. They might run in the same circles.

Rick Robinson, would cops be wise to test Misty for drugs as part of their investigation? Should they have done that the very first night? Do you think they`ve done it?

ROBINSON: They may very well have done that. And to be perfectly candid, Jane, I`m not convinced that that child went missing that night. That`s what everybody is reporting. That`s what everybody is being led to believe.

But for all we know, that child went missing days prior to that, maybe two weeks. I know that Crystal said that she had seen the child two weeks prior to the disappearance when Haleigh disappeared. So I`m just wondering did the child really disappear that night? Did something else happen?

PAUL CALLAN, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: And, you know, Jane, when you`re looking also, you`re talking about if she doesn`t have a criminal record, I mean, what do we have to look at? Her elementary school records? Her middle school records? Her high school personnel record? That`s where you`re going to find her record. I mean, she was a 16- year-old girl. Now she`s 17. She`s married.

This whole thing is just a colossal circus. Can you imagine this poor missing child? We see a marriage take place, and now there`s a custody battle going on. Does anyone remember this Haleigh?

VELEZ-MITCHELL: That`s a great point.

WEINTRAUB: Crystal was only 17 when she had Haleigh to begin with. So, you know, for her to be casting dispersions on Misty because she`s 17 years old and she`s just a child, I mean, that`s just not fair.

VRANICH: But also remember, Crystal lost custody of the children back in 2005. There has to be a reason. I think both parties were alleging that each other was -- had these substance abuse problems.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: You know what?

VRANICH: But the judge made a finding -- I mean, maybe based on something obviously concrete. And usually the mother is awarded custody. Isn`t that right?

VELEZ-MITCHELL: That is.

This is going to be an ugly custody fight, but apparently the mom hasn`t filed for custody yet. Why not?

VRANICH: She hasn`t since, apparently, December of 2005 when she lost custody of both of these children, and these new allegations of a beating -- and I`m assuming it`s Junior at this point. We don`t know when these beatings occurred and if it was Haleigh and/or Junior.

So the question really becomes is -- are these allegations credible? Will family services move forward with an investigation? Are they current? Are they current? We have no idea when they happened, who they happened to.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: If they happened.

WEINTRAUB: Exactly.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: If they happened.

(CROSSFIRE)

ROBINSON: The dad already said that he spanked the kids.

VRANICH: But that`s corporate punishment. That`s not child abuse.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Settle down. We`re going to talk more about this in a second. Much more to analyze. Stunning abuse claims.

What do you think of all this, this war between missing Haleigh`s mom and dad? Give me a holler: 1-877-JVM-SAYS, 1-877-586-7297. Let me know.

In other shocking news tonight, details flood in about Casey Anthony`s murder trial. I will take a look at the prosecution`s new strategy.

But first, the custody battle for Haleigh Cummings` little brother heats up big-time. Some wonder if dad, Ron, married Misty to keep custody of Junior. Here`s Misty`s take.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CROSLIN: Everybody is going to take this marriage thing the wrong way, but it`s not. It`s still focused -- everything is still focused on Haleigh. This is what Haleigh wanted. She`s always talked about it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RON CUMMINGS, FATHER OF HALEIGH CUMMINGS: I just got home from work. My 5-year-old daughter is gone. I need somebody to be here now. I`m telling you.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Listen to me, we`ve got two officers.

CUMMINGS: If I find whoever has my daughter before you all do, I`m killing them. I don`t care if I spend the rest of my life in prison. I`m telling you, you can put it on the record.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: A father`s desperate phone call as he frantically looks for his missing little girl. Ron Cummings says he`s fighting for Haleigh. By the looks of it, he`ll have to start fighting for his son, Junior, as well. The custody battle heating up. We`re taking your calls.

Betty, North Carolina, your question or thought, ma`am? Betty?

CALLER: Yes.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: How you doing, ma`am?

CALLER: Just fine.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Your question or thought, please?

CALLER: I wanted to know if they tested Misty`s hair or her for drugs the night Haleigh was missing.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, let`s go to the former trooper, Rick Robinson. Is that something that they would do right away?

ROBINSON: There`s actually a number of things. I`m sure that they -- and I remember that we talked about the polygraph examination. They more than likely did ask her if they would do that, but they would need a subpoena to make her do it. I don`t know that they did. And we would know that. We would know that. Search warrant for her blood. You`re exactly right, yes.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: I hear Jayne Weintraub talking.

WEINTRAUB: They would need a search warrant, not a subpoena. But -- but nevertheless, they don`t do that right away. They -- these are victims reporting a crime. And when the police show up, that`s not the very first thing they ask. And they didn`t ask her to take a polygraph until the next day.

They take first what they have at face value. They see if they can get statements from the parents. Remember how cooperative both Ron and Misty were.

ROBINSON: Well, they appeared to be.

WEINTRAUB: They did give polygraphs. They said they were cooperative. And we d

Scared Monkeys Discussion Forum

Missing, Exploited and True Crime => Haleigh Marie Cummings - Florida => Topic started by: klaasend on February 11, 2009, 08:38:42 PM