Emotions flow at vigil for Haleigh Cummings

Emotions flow at vigil for Haleigh Cummings
Wednesday marked the anniversary of Putnam child's disappearance.



Crystal Sheffield, the mother of missing child Haleigh Cummings, is consoled by her father, Johnny Sheffield, during a vigil in Satsuma on the year anniversary of the girl’s disappearance Wednesday.

By Cindy Swirko

Published: Thursday, February 11, 2010 at 6:30 a.m.
Last Modified: Wednesday, February 10, 2010 at 11:24 p.m.
SATSUMA - Letters from a jailed father, a poem from a grieving grandmother, prayers and tears marked the first anniversary of the disappearance of Haleigh Cummings at a vigil Wednesday night within yards of the home from which she vanished.

Several family members and others pleaded with people who have information about Haleigh, who was age 5 when she vanished, to come forward to help solve the case. Wednesday's vigil in this town about 60 miles northeast of Ocala attracted a crowd of at least 50 people.

The most emotional message came from Teresa Neves, the paternal grandmother of Haleigh, who read part of a letter from Haleigh's father, Ronald Cummings. He is in the Putnam County Jail in Palatka on drug charges.

"Momma, I hung a picture of Haleigh and [Ronald Cummings] Junior on my wall right above my pillow ... When I turn over and go to sleep, and wake up, they are the first thing that I see and the last thing before I go to sleep," Neves tearfully read. "I miss them so much ... Haleigh is such a little tomboy. She is her daddy's little girl."

Cummings' sister, Crystal Cummings, read another letter from him in which he dreams of sheriff's officials taking him somewhere without telling him why. "And then it will hit me - there's Haleigh, there's my daughter right in front of my eyes," he wrote. "I long for that day more than I long to live."

Haleigh was living with Cummings and his girlfriend, Misty Croslin, when she went was discovered missing on Feb. 10, 2009. Cummings was at work at the time, while Croslin was home. Croslin told authorities she awoke about 3 a.m. to find Haleigh gone.

Rest of article here:

http://www.ocala.com/article/20100211/articles/2111008&tc=yahoo?p=1&tc=pg

That was sad reading it and seeing that picture of Crystal grieving broke my heart.

Thank you so much for your post.

You are welcome, emmahudson88, and Welcome to VH!!!!

This is the case that still gets to me the most and probably always will!!