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Another Arrest In Haleigh's Family
Missing Girl's Father, Step-Mother Plead Not Guilty To Drug Charges
Published On: Oct 13 2011 03:26:24 PM EDT Updated On: Feb 19 2010 09:18:03 AM ESTOn the day Haleigh Cummings' father and former stepmother were arraigned on charges of distributing drugs, there was another arrested in the extended family of the missing 6-year-old girl.
Lisa Croslin was arrested outside the Putnam County Courthouse on an outstanding warrant for grand theft.
About an hour later, Ronald Cummings' ex-wife, Misty, and a cousin of Ronald were arraigned on charges of trafficking in prescription pain killers.
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Ronald Cummings was excused from the arraignment when his lawyer entered a not guilty plea on his behalf on Wednesday.
Misty Cummings, 17, and 18-year-old Hope Sikes, Ronald's cousin, were brought into the courtroom in handcuffs and shackles. They also entered not guilty pleas.
Haleigh's father and stepmother, along with Misty's stepbrother, Hank Croslin Jr., and three others were arrested almost a month ago after an undercover investigation in both Putnam and St. Johns counties.
While Misty Cummings and Sykes were in a second-floor courtroom, Haleigh's birth mother, Crystal Sheffield, was downstairs meeting with the Department of Children and Families.
Sheffield and Haleigh's grandmothers, Marie Griffis and Teresa Neves, met with DCF officials to discuss the custody of Haleigh's younger brother, Ronald Jr. Sheffield is still working to obtain full custody. Griffis said it was a total coincidence that the meeting with DCF and the arraignment were scheduled on the same day.
"I know they are facing a lot of years," Marie Griffis said. "I just hope whoever has the information on Haleigh gives it up. More than likely if they do that, a lot of that stuff will be taken away from them."
These are the latest development in a swirl of legal activity that Putnam County investigators say is independent of the ongoing search for Haleigh, who disappeared one year ago last week from Ronald Cummings' mobile home in Satsuma.
Misty -- Ronald Cummings' girlfriend at the time -- was the last person to see Haleigh before she disappeared.
These developments come as more jailhouse conversations between Misty and her parents were released.
When talking about Haleigh, Misty Cummings said she hopes that the missing child will come home.
In a separate phone conversation, Misty's father and brother express skepticism about whether she's telling investigators everything she knows about Haleigh's disappearance.
"It makes the family life look worse, but it keeps Haleigh's face out there," Griffis said. "Even though this is negative on the family, it still keeps her face in the media."
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