Is Someone Sending LE ON A Wild Goose Chase?

The Putnam County Sheriff's Office seems to agree with your take on the first letter awaiting. Sheriff's Chief of Staff Gary Bowling told the Ocala Star-Banner that it's a joke that the media is even reacting to the letter. He also told them that the letter was written after the pond was drained, but would not tell them how he knew when the letter was written.

http://www.ocala.com/article/20090925/ARTICLES/909251009

Two-Time Emmy Award-Winning Journalist Backs WSKY's "Jail Letter" Story

TJ Hart

Two-time Emmy award-winning journalist Art Harris wrote to WSKY Friday in support of a "Jail Letter" we reported in the case of missing 6-year-old Satsuma girl Haleigh Cummings.

Wednesday, 97.3 properly investigated and vetted the Putnam County jail house letter from an inmate and party pal of Haleigh's step mother, Misty Croslin Cummings, to her Palatka boyfriend.

The letter made reference to questioning the inmate received regarding a signed affidavit that said the young girl was with Misty and the inmate at a party, ate OxyContin, died, was placed in a black bag and tossed in a pond. The letter was dated 9/18/09---the same day a pond in the area was being drained in the search for the young girl.

Putnam County officials referred to the story as "irresponsible journalism" and a "farce" despite later saying, "Even if it was one of the theories we were working on, we're not going to talk about it."

Two-time, Emmy award-winning journalist Art Harris emailed this message Friday to 97.3 The SKY supporting our presentation of the facts as he also did on his website www.artharris.com :

“Right on, TJ. It was highly newsworthy, not just as a letter from a Misty party friend who was with Misty in the days and hours leading up to Haleigh gone poof, but even more so because it detailed investigators line of questioning of her—and a theory they were actively exploring over Misty’s possible role in what happened to the child.

I must have put in half dozen calls to Johnny Greenwood and Maj. Gary Bowling, and when got no response all day, had to make a call. As you do, we both share utmost respect and admiration for the Haleigh task force and the daunting task of trying to break a case that may seem easy from the outside. We both understand the kind of witnesses they are dealing with, from interviewing rocks to juggling jello.

As you did, I sent the letter to the show, but also went directly to the person who gave it to Cobra to confirm its authenticity, and of course knew the players and had interviewed Nay Nay on tape here at artharris.com.

I decided to go with it as did you before the show because believed the public’s right to know investigators might have powerful theory that could lead to a break in the case outweighed any potential damage to the investigation, and the players involved had all been interviewed by pcsd.

Not only that, but others in the department, while stunned at first we had the letter, seemed upbeat that it might put more pressure on certain parties to kick a break into play.

But bottom line, when I was able to confirm that what nay nay said in the letter was accurate--that investigators had in fact interviewed her about this as she stated – that made it a bombshell worthy of breaking, where the public’s right to know outweighed any possible fallout to people who were already directly or tangentially related to the key players.

It was a good call for both of us to go with it and a gutsy call for Nancy’s show to break our reporting it on CNN. And I’m told it may have helped police in stirring the pot even more and keeping pressure on those they want to feel it.”

Art