SATSUMA, Fla. -- We are getting a new look at Haleigh Cummings. Action News obtained an age progression photo of Haleigh, showing what she might look like now, at the age of 9.
This weekend marks a dark anniversary for Haleigh's family. Every day for four years, they've wondered what really happened to the little girl. And the sad truth is, it's still one big mystery. And her family worries Haleigh will be forgotten.
"They don't realize that she's still gone, you know. They've quit thinking about her," said great grandmother Annette Sykes. "She's getting older, and changing. She's not the same little girl she was when she left here."
Sykes has seen the new photo. And she says there's something major missing, a peanut shaped birthmark on Haleigh's left cheek. "That's the one thing that won't change. No matter how much she grows or changes."
Haleigh was in the care of her dad's girlfriend the night she disappeared. Misty Croslin said Haleigh had been snatched out of her bed as she slept. But the truth of that statement has always been questioned. And even as Misty serves time in prison on drug charges, police and Haleigh's family still believe she is the only one who really knows what happened.
"She knows something, I'm sure," said Sykes.
Until Misty talks, all Sykes can do is hope. Her house is filled with photos of Haleigh, filled with presents Haleigh never got, and filled with memories of happier times. Through tears, Sykes said, "It's just hard because we want people to remember that she's still out there somewhere."
Action News spoke with the Putnam County Sheriff's Office to check the status of this case. They say the investigation is still very much alive.
Sgt. Hancel Woods says the Haleigh Cummings mystery haunts him, and every other police officer who was working then. "There's just something about that innocent little face I think just grabbed people and tugged at their heart strings," he said.
Sgt. Woods says they had several outside agencies review the case last year to see if they had missed something. They didn't.
"It turns out that we had done a pretty good investigation," he said.
Then just last week, he says a possible sighting was reported from out of state. They sent investigators photos of what Haleigh looked like when she was 5, and the new age progression photo. He says those investigators tracked down the little girl and her mom.
"To the point of even verifying the birth certificate and interviewing the birth mother to verify that this child was not in fact Haleigh Cummings," he said.
But no matter how many leads they get, fingers continue to point to Misty Croslin. "Yes, absolutely we believe that Misty is a key to ultimately solving this case," said Sgt. Woods.
While the case has not officially been ruled a homicide, Sgt. Woods say detectives do not believe Haleigh is still alive. But they still want to find answers for her family.
Haleigh's family is holding a vigil for Haleigh this weekend. It starts at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, at Annette Sykes home in Satsuma.
