Crystal Sheffield on Inmate Letter (video), Article PCSO on Inmate Letter

Letter alleging Haleigh died of overdose called a 'farce'
Law Enforcement has said the Ronald Cummings is not a suspect in the taking of Haleigh Cummings. They have also said they are satisfied that he does not know what happened to Haleigh Cummings.
By Karen Voyles & Lise Fisher
Staff writers


Published: Thursday, September 24, 2009 at 7:49 p.m.
Last Modified: Thursday, September 24, 2009 at 7:49 p.m.
The Putnam County Sheriff's Office is using the word "farce" to describe a letter allegedly written by a jail inmate claiming another inmate told detectives Haleigh Cummings died at a party and that her body was disposed of in a pond.

Meanwhile, the Sheriff's Office is continuing to assign at least three investigators a day to the search for the 6-year-old girl, who disappeared from her father's home in early February.

"I don't have any reaction to that letter," Sheriff's Chief of Staff Gary Bowling said. "It is a joke that the media is even reacting to this letter. It's ludicrous."

The letter, dated Sept. 18, was allegedly written by Kristina Prevatt, an acquaintance of Misty Croslin Cummings, and released by The Sky 97.3 FM News Talk radio station in Gainesville.

Prevatt is being held at the Putnam County jail on charges including failure to appear in court, a probation violation, stalking, and drug and narcotic equipment possession, according to jail records. She was booked into the jail in mid-August.

The letter, written in pencil on a lined piece of paper to "Donnie," claims Prevatt was questioned by deputies last week and that another of Misty's acquaintances, Joe Pytko, gave deputies a sworn statement claiming Haleigh died after a drug overdose at a party she and her younger brother attended with Misty.

Haleigh and her 3-year old brother, Ronald Cummings Jr., were left in the care of Misty while their father, Ronald Cummings Sr., was at work.

Investigators have said Misty told them she put the children to bed and then did housework around 10 p.m.

However, a few days ago investigators confirmed that phone records showed Cummings Sr. had tried to reach her by phone 20 times. The investigators said Cummings then asked Misty's brother, Hank Croslin, to go down the street to the Cummings home and check on Misty and the children.

Hank Croslin, who is in jail on an unrelated gun theft charge, told investigators the house was dark and that no one came to the door when he went to the house around 10 p.m., sheriff's officials reported.

The person who wrote the letter provided this account: "(Pytko said) we were all over at a party at Chad's house and Haliegh (sic) got a hold of some oxycotton (Oxycontin) and died. We suposively (sic) freaked out and Greg put her (Haleigh) in a black bag in my car and we took her to a pond."

The letter writer denied she was at the party and said she was at another location.

An attorney for Prevatt could not be reached Thursday.

Bowling denied that his agency had the L Pond at Mondex in Putnam County drained on Saturday and Sunday in reaction to the letter.

"That letter was written after the pond was drained," Bowling said. He declined to comment on how he knew when the letter was written.

Instead he said, "The pond was drained, and we walked over every inch of it and never found anything. It seems like irresponsible journalism to be reporting on that letter."

Robert Fields, Croslin-Cummings attorney, also dismissed the letter.

"That letter carries about as much credibility as toilet tissue. Put a little bit of water on it, and it dissolves," he said.

Fields, however, said that the search at the pond apparently was tied to the letter.

The attorney also commented on the different arrests of people related to or acquainted with some of the key players in the investigation, such as Croslin-Cummings' brother.

"Some of these may be legitimate arrests, but one has to consider the fact that there may be some special consideration being given to some arrests and how they fit in with the disappearance of Haleigh Cummings," he said. "They've admitted it's given them more leverage," he said, referring to investigators.

"Her story has been the same without blinking," Fields said about Croslin-Cummings. "She's been questioned by arguably the best for seven months. I don't really know what else they want out of her."

Asked about his client's current whereabouts, Fields said she had gone to Orlando to visit a couple of theme parks.

The Sheriff's Office continues to search for Haleigh every day, Bowling said.

After indexing 4,000 leads, Bowling said new leads still are arriving, usually in clusters, and sometimes the leads are duplicated.

"We have three people working on this every day and up to 100 when circumstances dictate," Bowling said. "It varies from day to day depending on what we are working on."

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[vesterbule1]

Those2 idiots should never had that lil darling to startwith! Rons shooting dope eating pills sniffing coke and pimping trash off to his dealer pals he owed $ to!! AAAWWWW ISNT LOVE GRAND!! R . I .P LIL HAYLIEGH!! HAUNT THAT BITCH TILL SHE OPENS HERWRISTS OR HANGHERSELF!!

[DotiBump]

@vesterbule1 Sadly it seems nobody was qualified to have HaLeigh and sadly her father was the best option they had. My feeling is she was drugged to sleep at bedtime and something went wrong, with her fathers knowledge and that would be why her bedtime was at eight and his last call from Misty was at eight thirty. These type scumbags figure she is dead anyway why should we pay or loose the other kid and get Tommy to dump her body, so they can blame him later, or cousin Joe.

[allayna82]

I've been following this story as well as the Casey Anthony case since day one, and for the life of me I don't ever recall hearing what was in that letter that was delivered to the newspaper from that lady we just saw in the video. Was that letter ever released in the media???

[DotiBump]

@allayna82 Yes it said her friend was ex FBI and Haleigh was in a well near her home, it was bogus they searched again to be sure

[allayna82]

Ok never mind. I just read the description of your video. I got confused because I never knew that letter was given to the newspaper by that lady. I thought it was mailed to nay nays Mom.

[B4iGo2it]

quote from Crystal "She was the last one to see "HIS" daughter ..."

excuse me, wouldn't it be "our" daughter? I find this sorta strange!

thank U for posting this and all the others- you are keeping us more

abreast of the situation than Law Enforcement, that's for sure!

Justice for HaLeigh!

[havamind2say]

Tommy did it

[Pegbur]

And they took Haleigh away from Crystal, she couldn't have been any worse off staying with Crystal!

[DotiBump]

I agree. Just in case this child is out there this is very uncaring. To write her off like this with no proof.

[nannetta]

Yah the one from jail is one the I am talking about. Where she claims it is all bull what the guy said about her car and the girl OD on meds. yet the press tries to pass it off as if IT HAPPENED and like it was TRUE. That is what gets me angry.