http://www.palatkadailynews.com/articles/2010/02/10/news/news01.txtPutnam prepares to mark the dayBy Kristin Chambers
Published: Wednesday, February 10, 2010 1:11 AM EST
Putnam County's continuing mystery meets its one-year mark today with the anniversary of Haleigh Cummings' disappearance hanging over the heads of family, community and law enforcement.
Tonight, family members will commemorate the 6-year-old in a public vigil titled "Hope for Haleigh." Supporters are asked to join in the candlelit memorial in hope that the missing child will one day return home.
The vigil will take place at the entrance to the River Villas neighborhood in Satsuma, where Haleigh lived with her father, Ronald Cummings, 26, and then-babysitter, Misty Croslin.
It is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m.
Haleigh was reported missing by then-17-year-old Croslin at 3:27 a.m. on Feb. 10.
Within the days and weeks that followed her disappearance, numerous law enforcement agencies scoured South Putnam woods and waterways. Canines traced Haleigh's scent to the St. Johns River, but nothing was found below the murky water.
Croslin and Cummings wed a month after Haleigh was reported missing, but divorced after five months, citing public scrutiny.
Throughout the past year, Croslin has been at the forefront of the case, with allegations that she knows more of what happened the evening of Feb. 9 than she has revealed. Several inconsistencies include what bed Haleigh was sleeping in and what the 5-year-old was wearing has led investigators to call her "the key to the investigation."
The sheriff's office has also said it is unlikely that her disappearance is the work of a stranger.
"Evidence and information obtained during this investigation indicate a strong likelihood that Haleigh's disappearance is the result of foul play by someone known to Misty Croslin and/or Ronald Cummings," Lt. Johnny Greenwood, spokesman for the Putnam County Sheriff's Office, said. "Investigators still believe that Misty Croslin holds important answers in this case. She still refuses to provide any sort of detailed accounting of the hours during the late evening and early morning of Haleigh's disappearance. Furthermore, physical evidence at the scene contradicts Misty's sketchy account of her evening activities."
Even so, investigators have not named a specific person of interest.
Detectives have received 5,768 leads, all of which have been followed up on, Green-wood said.
About 600 of those leads have been received from psychics or those claiming special abilities.
"All of these leads have been reviewed by investigators, and leads containing specific information that can be verified have been followed up on," Greenwood said.
The majority of the leads received are suggestions from citizens who think they know who is responsible for Haleigh's disappearance and how the investigation should be conducted.
"These types of leads are reviewed by the investigative team, but many of these require little or no follow-up investigation," he said.
Exactly 644 "Haleigh sightings" were reported from various cities and locations throughout the U.S., Greenwood said.
"Investigators have either personally determined that these were false sightings, or asked for assistance from local law enforcement agencies where the alleged sightings took place to follow up on the information," he said. "To date, none of the reported sightings have been determined to be credible."
Formal interviews have been conducted with 76 individuals who were identified as having possible information in the investigation, Greenwood said. DNA samples were collected from many of those interviewed and compared to evidence collected in the case.
In addition, 218 separate interviews have been either audio- or video-recorded by investigators, who have at times traveled out of state to conduct those interviews, he said.
As the anniversary passes, Croslin and Cummings remain behind bars.
They were arrested in January for alleged drug trafficking of prescription pills, along with Croslin's brother, Cummings' cousin and a former EquuSearch volunteer.
Cummings and Croslin faced an additional two counts of drug trafficking from the continuing investigation last week.
Croslin is being held in the St. Johns County Jail on eight counts of trafficking with bond set at $1.35 million. Cummings is being held in the Putnam County Jail on five counts of trafficking with bond set at $900,000.
Investigators say the drug trafficking charges are not related to the Haleigh case, but they are willing to listen to those willing to talk.
All are welcome to join the family tonight in remembering the girl who forever changed what was once a small, quiet town.
And as the community joins together, the hope remains that some day Haleigh will come home.
kchambers@palatkadailynews.com
