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Nancy Grace
Misty and Ronald Plead Not Guilty to Drug Charges
Aired March 31, 2010 - 20:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
NANCY GRACE, HOST: Breaking news tonight, Satsuma, Florida. A 5- year-old girl tucked into bed, five hours later, she`s gone. Daddy comes home from the night shift to find not a trace of little Haleigh. Last person to see her alive, new stepmother Misty Croslin, who takes to the airwaves, claiming she`s innocent. But even in one brief interview, she can`t keep her story straight, including a 180 on a lie detector she flunked. Little Haleigh`s own father, Ronald Cummings, and baby-sitter- turned-stepmother Misty Croslin both handcuffed, arrested, booked. Charges, drug trafficking.
Tonight, we obtain more secretly recorded jailhouse tapes, hours of Croslin yakking to Mommy, Daddy, you name it, all caught on video. As police comb these jailhouse tapes for clues as to Haleigh`s whereabouts, where is the 5-year-old little girl?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Breaking news in the case of missing 5-year-old Florida girl Haleigh Cummings. Haleigh`s father, Ronald Cummings, and former stepmom-slash-baby-sitter Misty Croslin were in court today, both claiming they`re not guilty of trafficking thousands of dollars worth of prescription painkillers. Undercover video allegedly captures Cummings and Croslin selling drugs to an undercover police officer over five times during a one-month period. Cummings and Croslin remain in jail on high bonds, as reports emerge the investigation into Haleigh`s disappearance heats up, with sources telling investigative journalist Art Harris that Misty Croslin has failed another police poly.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: I want to go straight out to Marlaina Schiavo, our producer on the story from the very, very beginning.
MARLAINA SCHIAVO, NANCY GRACE PRODUCER: Nancy, both Ronald and Misty were in court today. Both pled not guilty to the drug trafficking charges that they are facing. Now, we know because we`ve showed on this show that we have seen both Ronald and Misty in the drug sting operation that the police caught on tape. So we`re not really sure how this is all going to play out. Ronald has a new court date in May. Misty will be back in court in June.
And also, Ronald`s cousin, who was also seen on the surveillance tape handling the drugs, pled no contest. So that will be interesting. She`ll be sentenced at the end of April. And we`re going to see how this all plays out in about a month.
GRACE: Straight out to Art Harris, investigative journalist at Artharris.com. You told me last week that there was going to be a polygraph of Tommy Croslin. It hasn`t happened. Why?
ART HARRIS, INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST: That`s right, Nancy.
GRACE: Did he back out of it? Is he afraid?
HARRIS: Nancy, they want the right circumstances for this polygraph. They want the right polygrapher. And so they are in the process of trying to find someone they trust, someone -- not the police yet, but someone who Tommy will feel comfortable with. It will take them about two weeks, I`m told, and cost about...
GRACE: But why should it take two weeks? Because you`ve got Joe Trimarco, one of the most well-known polygraphers in the country, who says he`ll do it. Padilla is willing to set it up. What`s the problem? You`ve got Bill Majeski, licensed polygrapher, who`s on the show tonight. What`s the hold-up?
HARRIS: Problem is, you`ve got -- well, you`ve got to get Tommy out of jail first, and he`s got a big bond he`s got to put up. So that`s one problem.
GRACE: So you`ve got Jack Trimarco and Majeski standing by, and what did you say the problem was?
HARRIS: Well, Tommy`s in jail. If they wanted to fly down there, they would have to work that out with the authorities and give it to them in the administration building, where they gave it to Misty.
GRACE: "They"? "They" would be the defense team. And the defense team speaks for Tommy Croslin. Let`s go back to the significance, why we want a poly on Tommy Croslin. What can you tell me about the letter written by baby-sitter-turned-stepmother Misty Croslin, the last person to see Haleigh alive?
HARRIS: Nancy, I can tell you that I spoke to the people who got that letter, two family members, Chelsea Croslin and father Hank Croslin. It says -- it claims that Tommy was at the trailer that last night with a cousin named Joe from Tennessee and that they were there to steal a gun Ronald had been bragging about. It wasn`t there. Tommy said, I`m going home. Cousin Joe, according to Misty in her letter, took Haleigh and left. He was mad.
GRACE: So she`s saying after all this time that Tommy and Joe were there and that cousin Joe leaves with the baby. OK. What about her polygraph she just flunked? This would be, I think, her third or fourth poly. She`s flunked a stress test, a voice stress test. And she would not -- either walked out or would not submit to a hypnotist.
HARRIS: That`s right, Nancy. Well, this polygraph she flunked miserably, the first police polygraph since she`s put the story out, I broke on Artharris.com. And this is a problem. She has flunked it. That means that her story about Tommy and cousin Joe and everything else is -- comes into question. So Tommy wants to clear his name. The family is concerned. They don`t know who to believe yet. And they are eager for Tommy to pass a polygraph so that they can believe at least in him.
GRACE: Weigh in, Jean Casarez, legal correspondent, In Session.
JEAN CASAREZ, IN SESSION: Here`s the reality, Nancy, all right? Tommy has said that he went to the trailer that night, he knocked on the door repeatedly, nobody answered. Now his attorney, James Werter, has said that he wants a polygraph taken so we`ll know the truth as to whether he was really there at the trailer that night. So it`s ironic, Nancy, to give your client a polygraph to show he actually lied to authorities, but at the same time, you`re clearing him from being at the scene the night Haleigh went missing.
GRACE: To Bill Majeski, former NYPD detective, now Majeski Associates, Inc., out of New York, licensed polygrapher. How hard is it to set up a polygraph under these circumstances?
BILL MAJESKI, LICENSED POLYGRAPHER: It`s not that difficult to set it up. It`s just a question of coordinating schedules. Like, Jack is in California, I`m in New York and New Jersey. Depending on where you would have to go, sometimes the client comes to you. In this particular case, the examiner would have to go to the client.
The other issue with polygraph is that the right questions have to be asked in any polygraph examination. You hear about people passing tests, failing tests, but then you want to take a look at the questions. What questions did they fail? What questions, you know, were they truthful about? So clearly, the questions are a very key ingredient in the overall process.
But in terms of setting it up, it shouldn`t take, you know, that long. It depends on the urgency of the situation.
GRACE: I want to go to Dr. Robert Cartwright, pediatrician, joining us out of Atlanta. Haleigh suffered from Turner syndrome. I know she was out of school a lot. I know that it stunts your growth somewhat. She was a tiny little girl. You have other related health problems with Turner syndrome. What do you know about it?
DR. ROBERT CARTWRIGHT, PEDIATRICIAN: Turner syndrome is a genetic syndrome that involves the loss of one of the X chromosomes. Normal females have two X chromosomes. With Turner`s, you have just one. It`s associated with a variety of defects, cardiac defects. They are typically short. They can have endocrinological problems with their hormones, so -- and oftentimes, they`re incapable of having children. But it`s a widely encompassing syndrome.
GRACE: You know, Dr. Bethany Marshall, based on what Dr. Cartwright is telling us -- Bethany psychoanalyst, author of "Dealbreakers," joining us out of LA. You know, a caller called in wondering if the father, Ronald Cummings, didn`t give Haleigh a lot of attention -- she`s his only daughter, and she was also ill with Turner syndrome -- how that would have affected the baby-sitter-turned-stepmom, Misty Croslin?
BETHANY MARSHALL, PSYCHOANALYST: Well, certainly, what we could guess is this little girl had a lot of special needs, and if Misty was already jealous of the little girl or wanted Ronald all to herself, that would engender a lot of hostility towards this little girl.
But you just played some tape of Misty`s mother saying that she was going to bring some pictures of Junior and Haleigh to the jail. And Misty says, Oh, Ronald, Ronald, too. She dismisses the pictures of the little ones, and she wants the pictures of Ronald`s instead. So that really tells you where her loyalties lie. It`s with him, not with the children.
GRACE: Let`s unleash the lawyers. Joining us tonight, felony prosecutor Eleanor Odom -- she has handled many death penalty prosecutions -- Renee Rockwell, veteran defense attorney out of Atlanta, and also out of Atlanta, Peter Odom, defense attorney.
You know, Renee, I`m sure you`ll say this has nothing to do with anything, but I`ve got here a lot of her jailhouse orders. In one month last month, she spent $400 -- you know, that could be rent somewhere -- on junk food alone. She whines incessantly about her food, her bed, the TV, the movies they get to watch behind bars. Candy, lotion, chicken sticks, strawberry fruits -- I mean, it goes on and on -- $400 worth of this!
RENEE ROCKWELL, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Nancy, thank God that can`t be used against her in any kind of trial. But all this jailhouse stuff, all these tapes...
GRACE: She certainly hasn`t lost her appetite about little Haleigh gone missing!
ROCKWELL: No, but have you looked at her, Nancy? It`s almost painful. When you see her on these tapes talking, going on and on, first of all, as a defense attorney, that just makes you cringe. But look at how young and immature she is. She may never be...
GRACE: You know what?
ROCKWELL: ... implicated...
GRACE: You know what, Renee? You know what, Renee? Yes, go ahead and look at her, but then look down at the bottom of your monitor right now, Renee, at little Haleigh, the most innocent. She wasn`t out selling dope or high as a kite or drunk that night. This was an unprotected, defenseless child, and she by all accounts is most likely dead. And the reality is, either Misty Croslin had a hand in her death, knows about her death, or was so negligent in taking care of this child, the baby is dead. And we don`t even know where her body is.
Peter Odom, of course, Renee Rockwell says it doesn`t matter. But it matters to me...
PETER ODOM, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Nancy...
GRACE: ... that Miss Thing has not lost her appetite whatsoever behind bars!
PETER ODOM: If I`m her defense attorney, I`m going to take that list that you just read and I`m going to show to the jury. I`m going to say, This is a girl that might be 19 or 20, but she acts like a 10-year-old and she has the mentality of a 10-year-old. To me, I think it`s pathetic.
GRACE: OK. Fine.
PETER ODOM: I think it`s pathetic.
GRACE: Fine. Say she`s got the mentality of a 10-year-old. Liz...
PETER ODOM: And you can hear that -- you can hear that when she talks.
GRACE: Really?
PETER ODOM: You can hear it in her phone calls.
GRACE: Because -- Liz, if you could cue up that pinhole video from inside a cop car, where she is selling hundreds of Oxycontin. You know, Eleanor Odom, I hardly think a 10-year-old could have pulled that off.
ELEANOR ODOM, PROSECUTOR: No, Nancy. And I just think of the lie after lie that comes out of her mouth. And you`re right, she is responsible. She`s criminally responsible. And I`m wondering why the cops maybe haven`t charged her with criminal neglect of a child for the night Haleigh went missing. I wonder what the cops maybe know that they`re holding back.
GRACE: What would your theory be, Eleanor?
ELEANOR ODOM: Well, the fact that the child went missing under her care. She should have been more aware of the child.
GRACE: So again, Peter Odom says that she has the mind of a 10-year- old. We`re about to play you her inside a police car organizing, orchestrating a major sale.
What about it, Dr. Bethany Marshall, the mind of a 10-year-old?
MARSHALL: No. I mean, I think what we`re seeing is anti-social personality disorder. I mean, when you think of that, you think of reckless disregard and lack of concern for the rights and the safety of others. And we`ve seen that in all this tape.
She tries to sell her own brother up the river by pinning it on him. That`s reckless disregard. She has no memories of this little girl. That`s reckless disregard. She says she doesn`t remember what`s going on that night. Let`s say she was on opiates. That`s reckless disregard.
And I`ll tell you what. With opiates, you don`t black out, you nod out, which means you nod out and then you come back and forth, in and out of consciousness, which would imply she would remember some of what went on that evening, if not all of it.
GRACE: Take a listen to Misty Croslin orchestrating a dope deal with an undercover cop.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, you want to -- you want to hop in?
MISTY CROSLIN: Baby, get in. Get in. Who is that?
RONALD CUMMINGS, HALEIGH`S FATHER: Someone unlock the door.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, (EXPLETIVE DELETED)
MISTY CROSLIN: I know that`s somebody. I know her. I just want to know who she is.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I`ve got them. I`ve got them 10 in little (INAUDIBLE) baggies. If you want to count them out real quick, we`ll make sure they`re all (EXPLETIVE DELETED) there.
CUMMINGS: I`m positive they are, man.
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There`s a hundred there, there should be a hundred there.
MISTY CROSLIN: ... 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100 in there.
CUMMINGS: There`s 100 in here. They`re all in 10-packs. There`s 100.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There should be -- should be 10 in each one. So just whenever...
CUMMINGS: It should be -- it`s going to take a couple days for you to get rid of 200 of them, now.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, I mean -- I mean, I`ve -- I mean, I`ve got - - I`ve got two weeks to play with so, I mean, you know, (EXPLETIVE DELETED) two weeks, whatever.
CUMMINGS: OK. I`ll get it for you. No problem. (EXPLETIVE DELETED) two weeks, I can make the money to pay for them and eat it myself.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right.
MISTY CROSLIN: Uh-oh!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This (EXPLETIVE DELETED). Hey, do me a favor...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get on the ground! Get on down! Get on down! Get on down!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: New details emerge in the case of missing 5-year- old Florida girl Haleigh Cummings. Haleigh`s former stepmom-slash-baby- sitter Misty Croslin, who police say is the key to finding Haleigh, in court today facing over 100 years in jail for allegedly trafficking hundreds of illegal narcotics. Croslin`s ex-husband, Haleigh`s father, Ronald Cummings, also appeared before the judge today on similar charges. He has pled not guilty. But what does this mean for the Haleigh investigation? Police say they continue to follow all leads that come in and will not stop the investigation until Haleigh is found.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: First to Ellie Jostad, our chief editorial producer. What more, Ellie?
ELLIE JOSTAD, NANCY GRACE PRODUCER: Nancy, Art Harris is reporting that Misty Croslin has taken yet another polygraph test. Now, apparently, according to Art, what Misty was polygraphed about is this letter that she wrote. In this letter, she claims that the night that Haleigh went missing, her brother Tommy, as well as her cousin Joe Overstreet, were at the house.
Now, law enforcement very interested to know whether or not this latest account of what happened that night is accurate, and Art is reporting from his sources that that is why they took her out of her cell, into a private conference room. They had actually flown in a polygraph examiner, the top female polygraph examiner in Florida. They asked her to ask specific questions about this letter to try to suss out whether or not there is actually something that would implicate either her brother, Tommy, or cousin Joe.
Now, remember, Nancy, back at the very beginning, we heard that Tommy Croslin might have been over that night. He says he was there, he knocked on the door no, one answered. We`d also heard about this cousin, Joe Overstreet, who lives in Tennessee. Now, police told us way back at the beginning that both cousin Joe and brother Tommy had been questioned at length, that they weren`t considered suspects. But now this new letter sheds some light on what Misty is saying happened that night.
GRACE: On secretly recorded jailhouse tapes, we see Misty Croslin whining, complaining about everything from food to TV and movies that are piped in for her at the jail. She complains about her mattress, all of her ailments. And tonight, the video.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MISTY CROSLIN: I`m burning up.
LISA CROSLIN, MISTY`S MOTHER: You`re hot?
MISTY CROSLIN: Yes. I just got out of the shower, like, because my hair was all messy and greasy and (EXPLETIVE DELETED). So I took a shower, and then I had to do all that running.
LISA CROSLIN: You had to run?
MISTY CROSLIN: Yes, I had to run up and down the stairs carrying my stuff. I got all my food. Oh, my God! It was like Christmas last night.
LISA CROSLIN: Was it? Did you get a lot of stuff?
MISTY CROSLIN: Yes, I got some (EXPLETIVE DELETED) munchies, man.
(LAUGHTER)
LISA CROSLIN: Did you?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LISA CROSLIN: You get up and eat breakfast at 4:00?
MISTY CROSLIN: Yes.
LISA CROSLIN: What did you eat?
MISTY CROSLIN: Cereal and -- plain cereal and bread and jelly.
LISA CROSLIN: Do y`all get milk with every meal?
MISTY CROSLIN: Just with breakfast. I hate it here.
LISA CROSLIN: Huh?
MISTY CROSLIN: I said I hate it here!
LISA CROSLIN: I know you do, baby. Don`t cry, please! Just stay strong. Have faith in your lawyers.
MISTY CROSLIN: I`m trying!
LISA CROSLIN: Just hang in there, baby. I want you out just as bad as you want out of that nasty place.
MISTY CROSLIN: I get so bored!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Haleigh`s father, Ronald Cummings, and former stepmom-slash-baby-sitter, Misty Croslin, were in court today, both claiming they are not guilty of trafficking thousands of dollars worth of prescription painkillers.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: If convicted on all six drug charges, Misty could be looking at a 150-year prison sentence. Lawyers say if she knows anything about what happened to Haleigh, now might be a good time to talk.
MISTY CROSLIN: I`ve been the one, the main focus. They just need to move on and look for the right person.
All I know is when I woke up -- when I went to sleep she was there, and then when I woke up, she was gone!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: After her arrest on multiple drug trafficking charges, and all the time Haleigh Cummings has been missing, knowing full well cameras are rolling, Misty Croslin finally brings herself to ask for a photo of Haleigh. In a stunning twist, Croslin admits she, quote, "can`t bring Haleigh home."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LISA CROSLIN: I don`t know, sis.
MISTY CROSLIN: It`s crazy.
LISA CROSLIN: Yes, it`s crazy. About drove me up the wall and down the wall.
MISTY CROSLIN: I know I cried.
LISA CROSLIN: I do, too.
MISTY CROSLIN: I mean, I prayed, and that`s all I can do. And you know, people are saying I`m not -- I don`t think about Haleigh. You can ask everybody in this cellblock right here, right now. Everybody in this block knows that I think about her all the time, that I talk about her all the time.
LISA CROSLIN: I know, sis. They had me and you talking...
MISTY CROSLIN: And I cry. I cry all the time about Haleigh, pray all the time about Haleigh.
LISA CROSLIN: Yes, I know.
MISTY CROSLIN: So they can all kiss my ass, and I hope they put that on -- and yes, they`re going to put the visitation from the other day of me saying all that stuff. But you know, I was upset. It was the day -- and I just wanted out of here.
LISA CROSLIN: I know.
MISTY CROSLIN: But now, you know, I know my lawyer is doing his job and he`s doing the best that he can for me. And I appreciate that.
Can you send me a picture of Junior and Haleigh and one of Ronald and me at our wedding or something?
LISA CROSLIN: What I`ll do, I`ll take the collage you have and take the pictures off of it.
MISTY CROSLIN: Well, I only want one picture of Junior.
LISA CROSLIN: OK.
MISTY CROSLIN: And a picture of Haleigh. And one picture -- I don`t know if I really want one of Ronald.
LISA CROSLIN: I don`t know...
MISTY CROSLIN: Just send me one of Ronald and Junior together.
LISA CROSLIN: We called Leonard last night, and he`s going to call us back sometime today.
MISTY CROSLIN: So what is he saying?
LISA CROSLIN: Huh?
MISTY CROSLIN: What is he saying?
LISA CROSLIN: He says the only way he`s going to get you out is if you help him find out what happened to Haleigh.
MISTY CROSLIN: So how am I going to do that if he don`t get me out?
LISA CROSLIN: Huh?
MISTY CROSLIN: How am I going to do that if he don`t help me get out?
LISA CROSLIN: I know, baby. He knows that, and he`s going to call us back sometime today, said.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE) tried to call him?
LISA CROSLIN: Have you tried to call him?
MISTY CROSLIN: No.
LISA CROSLIN: Let me give you his phone number.
MISTY CROSLIN: I don`t have a pencil.
HANK CROSLIN, MISTY`S FATHER: Misty, I don`t know if it`s a good idea because I don`t want you to lose your lawyer.
MISTY CROSLIN: All right. What are they saying, though?
HARRIS: He says that the only way he`s going to get you out is if you tell him where Haleigh is, bring Haleigh home.
MISTY CROSLIN: I can`t just bring her home, you know?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: When we come back, it`s all about Misty Croslin as she whines to Mommy and Daddy, focusing only on herself, more of their jailhouse visits caught on tape.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Breaking news in the case of missing 5-year- old Florida girl Haleigh Cummings. Haleigh`s father, Ronald Cummings, and former stepmom/babysitter Misty Croslin were in court today, both claiming they are not guilty of trafficking thousands of dollars` worth of prescription painkillers.
Undercover video allegedly captures Cummings and Croslin selling drugs to an undercover police officer over five times during a one-month period.
Cummings and Croslin remain in jail on high bonds as reports emerge the investigation into Haleigh`s disappearance heats up with sources telling investigative journalist Art Harris that Misty Croslin has failed another police poly.
NANCY GRACE, HOST: I want to go straight out to Marlaina Schiavo, our producer on the story from the very, very beginning.
MARLAINA SCHIAVO, NANCY GRACE PRODUCER, COVERING STORY: It was breaking news today, Nancy. With Ronald and Misty, they were in court today. They pled not guilty to the drug trafficking charges.
Now we know that Ronald is facing five counts. Misty is facing eight. They are both facing very high bonds. They are not getting out anytime soon.
Now we know that Ronald will be back in court on May 13th and Misty will be back in court on June 3rd. And the defense -- Misty`s defense attorney is waiting on discovery. But we already have seen much of what they have, which is the surveillance video of the drug -- the drug deals going down.
So it will be interesting to see what that defense is going to be in the future. And also, now that Misty knows she`s not getting out of jail, Nancy, we are waiting to see if she will talk and tell us more about what happened the night Haleigh went missing.
ELLIE JOSTAD, NANCY GRACE PRODUCER, COVERING STORY: And another thing, Nancy. We were recently hearing that Misty Croslin has been given yet another police polygraph. Art Harris is reporting this at artharris.com.
He says that law enforcement took Misty out of her cell, gave her another polygraph test, which he`s hearing from his sources she failed.
Now by my count this is about the fourth polygraph test that Misty Croslin has taken. She was given one by the FBI at the outset of the case. Also given one by Putnam County. Now neither of those agencies ever revealed what those results were.
Misty was also given a private polygraph, administered by someone on the behalf of Texas EquuSearch. Now according to Texas EquuSearch founder Tim Miller, Misty Croslin failed that polygraph miserably.
She was also given a private layered voice analysis test, which again showed deception, according to the administrator, and she was attempted to get -- or they attempted to give Misty Croslin some sort of hypnosis to see if that might help her recall the events the night Haleigh went missing.
However, that hypnosis was apparently unsuccessful. So this latest polygraph just adds to the mystery about what happened that night and what Misty Croslin may know.
MISTY CROSLIN-CUMMINGS, RONALD CUMMING`S WIFE, LAST SEEN HALEIGH: I`m turning by the school. All right. All right. Bye.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is 190 right there.
MISTY CROSLIN: All right.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Over here?
MISTY CROSLIN: Yes, go this way.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, like I told her earlier, I`ll just give y`all a call when I`m done out there and start heading this way and we`ll see what`s up at that point.
MISTY CROSLIN: All right.
RONALD CUMMINGS, FATHER OF MISSING 5-YR-OLD HALEIGH CUMMINGS: Yes, if I can`t. I mean, I don`t know if you do roxies or whatever, but --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: Straight out to Bethany Marshall, psychoanalyst. Bethany, these shots clearly show, this is undercover police video from a pinhole camera. It clearly shows she -- Misty Croslin understands what she`s doing. She is not, as defense attorney Peter Odom says, got the mind of a 10-year-old.
BETHANY MARSHALL, PSYCHOANALYST, AUTHOR OF "DEALBREAKERS": No. And you notice the chain smoking, the lip licking, the scratching of her nose. That means she`s high on opiate. That`s -- opiates. That`s a classic sign of opiate abuse.
I think all of this behavior is really indicative of anti-social personality disorder, not being in a regressed 10-year-old state.
GRACE: Back out to Jean Casarez. Where are cops going now? And what do you think of her just popping up with this story she detailed in a letter, according to Art Harris, that Tommy, her own brother, Tommy Croslin, and cousin Joe are responsible for Haleigh`s disappearance that night.
JEAN CASAREZ, CORRESPONDENT, "IN SESSION": I think they need to go back to basics. You know, often going back to basics is a very good thing. And Nancy, if we do that for a second, remember, the 911 call, the call that started all of this, it wasn`t made by Misty. It wasn`t made until Ron got home. Ron requested her to do it.
GRACE: Take a listen to Misty Croslin behind bars. You decide for yourself.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MISTY CROSLIN: I`m going to start a letter tonight for you guys. I`ll start writing it tonight. I`m going to write Timmy. As soon as I get his address. And send him a thing. I`m going to write nanny and you and mom and nanny and Timmy. Tell Uncle Jerry to tell Nicole to write me. And Aunt Margo and him. Please?
HANK CROSLIN, MISTY CROSLIN`S FATHER: All right. I will.
MISTY CROSLIN: I`m going to write Grandma June tonight to because she wrote me again. I`m going to write her tonight.
LISA CROSLIN, MISTY CROSLIN`S MOTHER: Did you let her know that Chelsea`s letter got to you?
MISTY CROSLIN: Yes.
L. CROSLIN: Because she was worried about not getting to you. (INAUDIBLE)
MISTY CROSLIN: Yes, I got it. I`m going to write her back.
L. CROSLIN: Huh?
MISTY CROSLIN: Yes, I got it. I`m going to write her back.
L. CROSLIN: Yes. You write her, she`ll continue writing you.
MISTY CROSLIN: I know. I`m going to write her back.
L. CROSLIN: I still can`t see you.
MISTY CROSLIN: I`m going to write you tonight, start writing the lawyer tonight.
L. CROSLIN: OK. All right. You know, when I leave here I`m going to go by Lindsey`s and get them pictures for you.
MISTY CROSLIN: Yes.
L. CROSLIN: Of Haleigh and Junior.
MISTY CROSLIN: Yes. I want one of Haleigh and Junior and one of Ronald.
L. CROSLIN: All right. I`ll get them all to you.
MISTY CROSLIN: I mean, I still love him, Ma. But --
L. CROSLIN: Huh?
MISTY CROSLIN: I still love him.
L. CROSLIN: I know you do, baby. I`m sure he still loves you.
MISTY CROSLIN: I know he does.
L. CROSLIN: I know. That`s what Teresa was talking about. That she don`t even get to see Junior. That was part of her letter.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: Speaking of Junior, that is Haleigh`s little brother, Ronald Cummings Jr. Where is he, Jean Casarez?
CASAREZ: Well, he`s with Crystal Sheffield, his birth mother. She has temporary custody right now. She got it after all of them were arrested and put into jail.
GRACE: Art Harris, what`s happening with the drug charges? What`s become of them?
ART HARRIS, INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST, WWW.ARTHARRIS.COM: The drug charges -- you mean against the mother --
GRACE: Misty Croslin, yes.
HARRIS: OK. They are going forward. There`s going to be a hearing at the end of the month where she is going to plead not guilty and then she will have to face how she`s going to proceed.
If she is convicted, Nancy, you`re talking about 114 years behind bars. She now doesn`t have anything to bargain with, especially since she`s flunked this polygraph. No information that`s reliable to offer up right now.
GRACE: Back to the polygraph, what more can you tell me about her flunking it?
HARRIS: Well, I can tell you that she was given every advantage, Nancy. Law enforcement tried to make her comfortable. They brought her up, they gave her a cigarette, and she was in a very good mood before she took it.
It was given by a woman named Patty Knight, a veteran polygraph examiner in Florida, about 30 years in the business. And they went over, as the experts have said, the questions, so she knew what she was getting into, and as they proceeded through the story of Joe and Tommy she did not pass.
GRACE: Unleash the lawyers. Eleanor Odom, Renee Rockwell, Peter Odom. Typically, what happens next in a trial?
Eleanor, she`s going to plead not guilty. How fast will we see these drug charges, drug trafficking charges go to trial?
ELEANOR ODOM, PROSECUTOR: Well, in Florida you have automatic speedy trials. So it`s going to happen pretty quickly. But since she`s pled not guilty, the defense is entitled to receive basically a copy of the prosecutor`s whole file.
That`s called discovery. And then we`ll get ready for trial, or maybe there will be a plea bargain, but we`ll have to see. It sounds like a pretty good trial for the state.
GRACE: And to you, Renee, will they be tried together?
RENEE ROCKWELL, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Nancy, this is not a case that`s going to go to trial. I cannot imagine it. The one you have to feel sorry for, though, is Ronald. Because obviously he has nothing to bargain with. He`s just going to be sunk.
I don`t see a trial. I see a plea bargain. And I see Misty not spending a whole lot of time in jail just because of her age. I see Ronald just going down a lot harder.
GRACE: You know, I see it completely differently, Eleanor, because they want out of Misty what happened. And the prosecutors are going to take her to trial and give her the max if the judge will do it if she won`t talk.
E. ODOM: Well, that`s exactly right, Nancy, and besides, the prosecutor -- the defense attorney may want them to plea, but the prosecutor may say hey, I`m not offering anything but 125 years. Well, that`s going to force the defense to go to trial. This needs to go to trial.
GRACE: Peter?
PETER ODOM, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Nancy, what you have to keep in mind is that there`s really not -- there aren`t that many drugs. There`s not that much drugs involved. It`s only $4,000 worth of drugs.
Now I know it qualifies under Florida law for a 25-year minimum, or minimum mandatory penalty. But in perspective, these are not big players. She`s not going to do that much time.
GRACE: Liz, cue up for me them on video selling dope to an undercover agent.
Jean, how did this come about?
CASAREZ: Well, it was an undercover. And it was very, very specifically done so that they would have exhibit A, which is the videotape of all of the drug deals. They`re all on tape.
GRACE: How many charges? How many times did Misty Croslin sell dope?
CASAREZ: Well, her charges, she`s got eight counts right now of drug trafficking. Several are 25-year minimum maximums. And then Ronald has five counts right now. So he`s right up there.
GRACE: Tonight, as we are in the midst of holy week for many of us that still seek the Prince of Peace, Happy Easter from the twins.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
GRACE: We obtained even more recorded jailhouse tapes. Hours of Croslin whining to her family, demanding, begging, angry. Behind bars on serious drug charges, Croslin convinced she can make it all just disappear by getting herself into drug court. Even after admitting to repeat drug sales on video. All the while complaining about everything in her private jail cell.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MISTY CROSLIN: I`m going to tell the judge that I have a drug problem and try to get drug court because I have smoked pot and -- you know?
L. CROSLIN: That`s what you need to do, Misty.
MISTY CROSLIN: I`m going to try. I mean, I tell my lawyer I don`t -- and you guys are going to be at the court, right?
I have I drug problem.
CHELSEA CROSLIN, MISTY CROSLIN`S SISTER-IN-LAW: The problem is you`re not even a drug addict.
MISTY CROSLIN: I am. I smoke marijuana. OK?
C. CROSLIN: And you got caught up in the mix.
MISTY CROSLIN: I know I got caught up. But I do drugs.
(CROSSTALK)
MISTY CROSLIN: I just want probation, house arrest. Something, you know? I don`t want to go to prison. But -- I mean, it`s a mandatory. You know the -- you know what -- you know?
C. CROSLIN: Oh, yes. They`re saying -- I mean, it`s mandatory minimum 25 years in Florida. So.
MISTY CROSLIN: I can`t do that.
C. CROSLIN: You`ll be 40 years old, dude. I mean, you wouldn`t get the whole 25. You know you would get probably like with good time and (EXPLETIVE DELETED), I don`t know, what, like 19 years or something.
MISTY CROSLIN: No, they`re not going to do that for me. I`m telling you. No. They can`t give me that much time. Seriously, no, they can`t. They cannot do that.
C. CROSLIN: You`re just (EXPLETIVE DELETED) --
MISTY CROSLIN: Caught up in the wrong thing.
C. CROSLIN: Helping out friends.
MISTY CROSLIN: Exactly. No, they`re not going to give me that long. God had given me any -- gave me a sign that they`re not going to put me away for that long. Maybe five years, but not that long.
H. CROSLIN: Has your lawyer called or seen you?
MISTY CROSLIN: Yesterday. I seen him yesterday.
H. CROSLIN: Any good news?
MISTY CROSLIN: I mean, just, you know, whatever. Doing the best we can. I take a shower right before I --
H. CROSLIN: Don`t think he`s not -- don`t think he`s not working for you. He`s working for you.
MISTY CROSLIN: Oh, he is. I know he is. And I was just upset the other day because the day it was, it was the 9th and I was upset and I just wanted out of here. But now I don`t want him -- I don`t want nobody to bail me out unless -- I mean, if someone bails me out that`s fine. I`ll get out or whatever.
But no strings attached. If they`re going to want to talk to me, then no. Don`t bail me out. Because I`m actually right now, I`m serving time right now. You know? I`m here 23 days. I am serving time on my sentence.
So I`m going to see if I can try to get like drug court or something. I don`t know if I can or not. But I`m going to try.
H. CROSLIN: You`ve got to have money to do that.
MISTY CROSLIN: Yes, I know.
TIMMY CROSLIN, MISTY CROSLIN`S BROTHER: It (EXPLETIVE DELETED) snowed last night. It was all slushy and (EXPLETIVE DELETED).
MISTY CROSLIN: Oh, man, I bet you it`s so pretty up there.
T. CROSLIN: Snow sucks.
MISTY CROSLIN: I love the snow. I want to go sledding and (EXPLETIVE DELETED).
T. CROSLIN: Yes, when you get up here and you see the snow you`re in the snow, you`ll be like (EXPLETIVE DELETED), get me out of here.
MISTY CROSLIN: It`s like cold -- I mean I hate the cold. So -- I`m like it`s cold.
T. CROSLIN: Yes, it`s (EXPLETIVE DELETED) freezing up here right now.
MISTY CROSLIN: I bet you it is. I don`t care. I`d rather be up in the cold than this (EXPLETIVE DELETED) hell hole.
T. CROSLIN: Oh, yes. I`d rather be anywhere besides that hell hole.
MISTY CROSLIN: They be telling me some crazy stories like there was this one lady. She wrapped herself in toilet paper, her whole body in toilet paper saying that she was arising from the dead. There`s crazy people in here.
H. CROSLIN: Yes, I know.
MISTY CROSLIN: But nobody bothers me. That`s a good thing. Nobody bothers me at all. But I`m upstairs now. So I can -- that`s where I wanted to be anyways. But like I`m all the way at the end. But I wanted to be in the next one. I want to be in 3 instead of 4.
So tonight I`m going to see when they move this girl out if they can move me in 3 instead of 4.
I asked them not to play the news because it was hard enough for me today. What do they do? Play the news. And they talk (EXPLETIVE DELETED) about me.
T. CROSLIN: Did you watch Nancy?
MISTY CROSLIN: No. We watched the news. Action News.
T. CROSLIN: What did they say?
MISTY CROSLIN: That I`m still the key, and yes, they don`t have enough -- they don`t have enough to arrest me on and all that (EXPLETIVE DELETED). But I`m just -- I went to a counselor today because I specifically asked them please do not play the news.
Today`s a very bad day for me. Tomorrow is going to be a bad day for me, too, OK? So I asked them, just please, OK? I mean, how hard is it to -- you know?
T. CROSLIN: Yes. That`s messed up.
MISTY CROSLIN: What`s on the newspaper?
FLORA HOLLERS, GRANDMOTHER: Well, according to your mama, day before yesterday it was that you had stated that Timmy and -- I mean Tommy and Joe had run away with Haleigh.
MISTY CROSLIN: That wasn`t on the newspaper.
HOLLERS: Huh?
MISTY CROSLIN: That wasn`t in no newspaper.
HOLLERS: She said the whole front page of the newspaper was covered with it.
MISTY CROSLIN: Huh-uh.
HOLLERS: Yes.
MISTY CROSLIN: She`s silly. That wasn`t on the newspaper.
HOLLERS: That`s what she told us. We`ve got -- you know, we`ve got our private investigators up here that`s good at computers.
MISTY CROSLIN: Yes. That wasn`t all on the paper.
HOLLERS: Huh?
MISTY CROSLIN: That wasn`t on the paper.
HOLLERS: Said that wasn`t in no damn paper?
MISTY CROSLIN: Huh-uh. Because I have, I keep every article that comes out.
HOLLERS: Yes.
VIVI, AUNT: Why the (EXPLETIVE DELETED) is your mama and daddy lying about it for?
MISTY CROSLIN: I don`t know.
VIVI: It come from her daddy.
MISTY CROSLIN: I don`t know.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Haleigh`s former stepmom/babysitter Misty Croslin who police say is the keep to finding Haleigh in court today facing over 100 years in jail for allegedly trafficking hundreds of illegal narcotics.
Croslin`s ex-husband, Haleigh`s father, Roland Cummings, also appeared before the judge today on similar charges.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: On hours of secretly recorded jailhouse tapes we see babysitter-turned-stepmother Misty Croslin yakking to mommy and daddy and who knows all else. All on video.
At the same time, police combing these very jailhouse tapes for clues as to Haleigh`s whereabouts. Still, to this day, no sign of the 5-year-old little girl.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MISTY CROSLIN: When the detectives come they give me a cigarette.
L. CROSLIN: Do they?
MISTY CROSLIN: Yes.
H. CROSLIN: What now?
L. CROSLIN: When the detectives come to see her, they give her a cigarette. Well, you know what, Mimi, you don`t need them. Tell them you don`t want them.
MISTY CROSLIN: Well, when I`m with them, I need them.
L. CROSLIN: Huh?
MISTY CROSLIN: When I`m with them I need them.
L. CROSLIN: Oh, I can imagine. Oh, god. When is the last time they`ve been there?
MISTY CROSLIN: Last week sometime.
L. CROSLIN: Last week. What all are they saying?
MISTY CROSLIN: Nothing much.
L. CROSLIN: Did you tell them what you know?
MISTY CROSLIN: My lawyer.
L. CROSLIN: You`ve only told your lawyer.
MISTY CROSLIN: My lawyer knows.
L. CROSLIN: And what`s he saying?
MISTY CROSLIN: I can`t really say. He`s comfortable. That`s all I can say.
L. CROSLIN: Huh?
MISTY CROSLIN: He`s comfortable.
L. CROSLIN: As long as he`s comfortable OK. He asked when you all coming up here now. I`m not going nowhere right now. As long as my daughter and my son`s locked up, I won`t be leaving here.
MISTY CROSLIN: No, you`re not.
(CROSSTALK)
L. CROSLIN: Huh?
MISTY CROSLIN: No, you`re not leaving.
L. CROSLIN: What?
MISTY CROSLIN: Yes, you`re staying here until I get out.
L. CROSLIN: Yes, I know I am. I`m not leaving.
MISTY CROSLIN: If they send me somewhere like -- you know, if they send me to prison, whatever county I`m in you need to move there.
T. CROSLIN: You need a (EXPLETIVE DELETED) try to get you a (EXPLETIVE DELETED) edumacation in there.
MISTY CROSLIN: Edumacation? I`m trying to. I`m trying to get a GED book right now.
Edumacation?
(LAUGHTER)
MISTY CROSLIN: I`m going to get my edumacation. I am for real. I am for real. I`m going to get that while I`m locked up, I`m going to -- I`m coming out with a diploma.
T. CROSLIN: Yes, I mean, well, you might as well, I mean --
MISTY CROSLIN: I got nothing else to do. Nothing better to do.
T. CROSLIN: Nothing else. Nothing better to do besides learn, and that`s what you need, you need to learn some (EXPLETIVE DELETED).
MISTY CROSLIN: Yes. Learning how to read and (EXPLETIVE DELETED). When you guys, when I write you your letter, you can tell you`ll be able to tell that I`m doing a lot better because I can spell a lot better. I wish they would give my house arrest probation or something.
L. CROSLIN: I know. I got you --
MISTY CROSLIN: Because you know when I go to court, they might let me out. If they -- they might let me out and then I have to come back and -- you know?
L. CROSLIN: I know. That`s what I`m saying. They might. You never know.
MISTY CROSLIN: I mean, they can give me probation for 10 years. I don`t care.
L. CROSLIN: I know. You got to get a place to live, too, Sis.
MISTY CROSLIN: I know.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: Let`s stop and remember Army Private 1st Class Cody Grater, 20, Spring Hill, Florida, killed Iraq. Awarded the Bronze Star, Purple Heart, National Defense Service Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal.
Dreamed of a military career since he was a boy, collecting micromachines, loved military books, hip-hop, restoring his Honda Civic. Leaves behind grieving mom Anita, stepfather Larry, sister Cheyenne, girlfriend Iris.
Cody Grater, American hero.
Thanks to our guests but our biggest thank you is to you for being with us. See you tomorrow night 8:00 sharp Eastern, and until then, good night, friend.
END
