Posted on 02/21/2009 7:23:34 PM PST by kcvl
"What we've been told is that he's a sexual pedophile," said Haleigh's mother Crystal Sheffield. The child's grandmother, Teresa Neves, said Croslin described him as a "jerk" and she was worried.
"I couldn't tell you anything about him," a distraught Neves told reporters Friday, adding that she only knew of the cousin by his first name Joe. "I can't tell you how they could have taken her from a family that absolutely adores her."
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Why can't I get that banjo tune from Deliverance out of my head?
I have believed since the beginning that this would go back to the family. It started with the story that someone took the child from the same bed the girlfriend claimed to be sleeping in.
The father has another child (daughter) by another 17 year old girl friend (not the one he is shacking up with now).
I have learned to reserve judgment in cases like this. When that little girl, Danielle Van Dam disappeared and it came to light that her parents were swingers, I thought that there was too much attention on the neighbor. It was found out that the the night the girl disappeared, the parents had swingers at the house for an after bar party.
I am reserving judgment. The neighbor received the death penalty.
Then both the father and the cousin must be slaughtered. If I hear of something like this happening where I live, they better hope the cops catch them first.
Oh boy, we’ve got a real family of winners here.
The nogoodnik father’s nogoodnik girlfriend’s nogoodnik cousin is a prime “person of interest?”
Were the girl’s GRANDPARENTS even married to each other, let alone her parents?
It’s in chaotic, messed-up “families” like this where little children are most easily taken advantage of.
But I think we all knew that already.
I am leaning toward the dad too....
Family members told Channel 4 that a relative named Joe visited the Cummings’ home and left hours before Haleigh disappeared.
Friday morning, Croslin told Matt Lauer on the “Today Show” that she doesn’t trust that cousin and doesn’t know if he’s involved in Haleigh’s disappearance.
“He’s a criminal, pretty much,” Croslin said. “He’s been in trouble his whole life.”
Earlier in the day, Cummings’ girlfriend, Misty Croslin, was taken to the sheriff’s office once again for more questioning. Detectives have remained tight-lipped about what was discussed with the 17-year-old.
“I hope she’s telling the truth … because my kids they love her. I hope she wouldn’t do nothing to hurt them,” Sheffield said.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29303085/
“One family member said a fight had taken place between Ron, the biological father, and Joe, the cousin, where Ron says, ‘No, that didn’t take place,’” Van Zandt said. “Evidently a gun disappeared from the house and it was found in a ditch later.”
Van Zandt said, typically, investigators try to rule out immediate family as suspects first before branching outside of the home. But he said, in this case, it appears that authorities are looking at both at the same time.
Lord God, please rescue this precious child.
Many fathers have hit their girls before. It’s (most of the time) called discipline.
Still can’t figure out how they left that child alone to go to dinner...bizzare.
How many fathers do you know who have given their girls a black eye?!
None, but I do know of fathers that spank their young daughters.
So do I.
I don’t call giving a daughter a black eye ‘discipline’.
I watched video of the Dad online. He had what looked like a bandaid on the left side at the bottom of his hairline on the back of his head/neck. I wondered if he’d been in a fight. It was odd.
Have worked on to many cases of child abuse and family murder with the County Attys.
People don’t know the half of it when it comes to what
is done to the children
For one thing, could the father be charged with statutory rape for shacking up with that 17 year old?
If that’s the case (I’ve not kept up with this case) and it can be proven that this is the case (not some unverified accusation), then I think the father should first be investigated for involvement in this disappearance and then if possible be punished for giving his daughter a black eye.
The age of consent is 18 in Florida?????
Since the daughter is missing (and possibly dead) I doubt the father will be investigated for the child’s possible black eye.
I don’t know. That’s why I asked.
Well I did see Tanyaiqua walking down the street after
LeeRoytrell had whooped his little girl for smoking
the last of the rock... her eye was black
I just did a quick Google. I think that is the age of consent, but there are some exceptions depending on the age of the partner.
He may be 24 chronologically but he's probably not any "older" than the GF. I doubt they'll charge him but they should. And she isn't old enough or mature enough to care for 2 kids full time.
“Paddle faster, I hear banjo music!” is a popular t-shirt down here.
The age of consent in Florida is 18, but close in age exemptions exist
From what I can see, NOBODY in either extended family has an IQ over 80.
You said — “Then both the father and the cousin must be slaughtered. If I hear of something like this happening where I live, they better hope the cops catch them first.”
That’s why we have a system that people go through, prescribed by our Constitution, in which details are dispassionately examined and the real facts are developed. That’s why we have trials, to protect all parties involved. It would do no good to get the wrong guy and leave the real perpetrator out there, ready to do something like that again.
I remember seeing a tombstone in Tombstone, Arizona, on Boot Hill — which said “Hanged by mistake”... It turned out that a mob chased a guy down and hung him, however, they later found out that they had the wrong guy... ooops...
So, that’s the reason why we have the system that we do...
I think I heard something about the family being investigated by Social Services before. No reason why, though.
You’re quite right but where emotion is involved, common sense is not. And these threads are always emotional.
Well, supposedly the kid did it. It’s not really known for sure. It’s like some defense attorneys say — if you’re sitting in the defense side of the table, you must be guilty or you wouldn’t be there in the first place... LOL...
“Many fathers have hit their girls before. It’s (most of the time) called discipline.”
I’m not digging you on this thread but you have a very good home page and make many, very smart observations on it.
Sometime you should do a vanity post on the general/chat forum and let us discuss your presidential breakdowns, it is darn good, but not perfect. I think that it would be a great thread.
You said — “You’re quite right but where emotion is involved, common sense is not. And these threads are always emotional.”
It’s sort of disturbing to me that FReepers would be so eager and quick to abandon the very system that the Constitution gives us, along with the presumption of innocence until proven guilty in a court of law (and in many cases, by a jury of one’s peers).
It’s like many are saying — “I’m 100% for the Constitution and all our founding fathers gave us, until I get mad about something...” LOL...
Then *everything* gets thrown “out the window”...
Did you hear what he said to the shack up girlfriend when she was trying to call 911?
CUMMINGS: How the F*** (DELETED) can you let my daughter get stole B**** (DELETED)!
Of course it’s usually better to let the courts determine guilt or innocence. However, we may soon reach the point where the courts will be too corrupt or inept to do this. Then we will have to do our own detective work...and the rest.
We are not a court of law and not bound by that principle.
I agree. Sometimes I try to reason and use common sense on these threads but....And I understand how they feel, you want to weep for that lost baby. But we are either a Nation of laws or we aren’t.
No. I missed that. I don’t have TV and only watch what’s online. Yikes! But he left his kids with her.
If society really had to follow the ‘presumption of innocence’ we would never arrest anyone!
Exactly!
You said — “If society really had to follow the ‘presumption of innocence’ we would never arrest anyone!”
That’s not true, because we arrest people on probable cause and evidence that the prosecuting attorney believes can get a conviction “beyond a reasonable doubt” with a jury of one’s peers.
I’m surprised you don’t know that.
All the while, during the time that one is at trial and before a judgement is delivered, one *is presumed* innocent under the law. That’s our system. AND, furthermore, many are declared “Not Guilty” too. So, there you go...
When I heard those two on Greta’s show, I got the creeps. The girl seems to be under the control of this guy, she seemed afraid to speak, but my spirit was really troubled. I feel they know a lot more than they’ve said, and maybe they’re the ones who killed her somehow. I hope they find out the truth soon.
You said — “Of course it’s usually better to let the courts determine guilt or innocence. However, we may soon reach the point where the courts will be too corrupt or inept to do this. Then we will have to do our own detective work...and the rest.”
That day will never come, as long as we have any kind of government at all. And if we don’t have a government, then we simply have mob rule and anarchy and then it really doesn’t matter, because at that point, whoever has the biggest guns will get the “rule of law” (that he sets up himself).
You better hope that the day never comes when we no longer have a functioning government, because mob rule is never just, never gets to the real issues and is more concerned with power and keeping control rather than justice. Under that kind of “rule” (anarchy, mob justice and rule) I can see much more child molestation than what we have at the present, and that kind of “anarchy” will protect the perpetrators of this kind of child molestation, because the ones who have the power and control will usually be the ones to commit the most horrendous crimes under anarchy...
You don’t want to look forward to that kind of “day”...
All the while, during the time that one is at trial and before a judgement is delivered, one *is presumed* innocent under the law. That’s our system. AND, furthermore, many are declared “Not Guilty” too. So, there you go...
I know that. I am not surprised that you would post falsely about me, though. AND
"presumed innocent" ONLY in the court of law.
Why do you not know that?
You said — “We are not a court of law and not bound by that principle.”
The law does not prescribe the types of opinions that you must have and in that way, you’re free to those. But, when your own opinions go against the very kind of government that many here whole-heartedly approve of (from our founding fathers and our system of justice) — then one has to question whether you really do adhere to those founding fathers’ principles or not. At the least, it’s hypocritical, saying that I give “lip service” to the principles laid down by the founding fathers for this country — but — I really don’t believe them or practice them myself... LOL..
However, with that being said — one *is bound* — by law — to adhere to the legal methods for addressing situations like this, which *does* happen to be by those founding principles — *no matter* — what your opinion is...
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