Tag Archive for: Ronald Cummings

My Thoughts: Annette Skyes

It has been interesting to watch public opinion on Annette Sykes sway. Early on more people believed Sykes than did not, but in the last day or so, the pendulum swayed to disbelief (see original post and poll here). What makes deception so difficult is there is no sure clue to deceit.

In the beginning of the interview, Sykes is visibly annoyed that reporters for a variety of reasons. Some of you believe that she is deflecting instead of answering the question, but I disagree. Sykes was annoyed that people had to ask her how she was feeling. To her, it is obvious that a parent or grandparent would be miserable when their child is missing, so asking the question seems ridiculous to her. It annoys her, which is logical. So instead of answering the question, she asks the reporter to think how he would feel. It’s logical, normal and nothing unusual.

Read moreI do not see any micro expressions of happiness as some of you thought you saw at time marker 1:25.

I also don’t think you can judge someone from a lack of tears. Its much more important to focus on the emotions expressed. Are they genuine? Are they sincere? Are they consistent with the situation? Do they make sense for the situation the person is in? With Sykes, the answer for me was yes for all of those questions. She does break down at one point and it is absolutely genuine. It’s not inconsistent at all.

Some of you felt when Sykes closed her eyes and blinked at key times that this was an indication of deception. For me, these are never clues to deception because honest people do them just as frequently as deceptive people do. The most important thing any detective can do is look for inconsistencies. Looking and focusing on behavioral ticks will almost always give you a false reading.

While Sykes is annoyed and perhaps angry at the questions asked of her, there is a calm about her that is undeniable, that I would not expect to see if she was being deceptive. She answers questions effortlessly and without thought. Her words flow. She does not show any indications that she is thinking on her feet.

When Sykes is asked if Misty was gone that night and she replies, “That’s a crock!” Sykes has a lot of emotions. She is mad and isn’t shy about showing it. Often times liars will attempt to hide their emotions to cover their lies. Sykes is very comfortable letting out her genuine anger here, and if she feels that Misty is being unfairly picked on she should feel anger. This, again, is normal.

With Sykes statement, all we can conclude is that she likely did see Misty and Haleigh at 7:00 PM, but that is all we can gather from it.

To me, Sykes is believable and honest here. I do not see one hot spot or indication that Sykes is being deceptive.

Annette Sykes: Haleigh Cumming’s Grandmother

Click here to watch Annette Sykes talk about Misty (nee Croslin) Cummings on the night of Haleigh’s alleged disappearance.

Haleigh Cummings disappearance in Satsuma, Florida

Do you believe her?


Read My Thoughts here.

Ronald Cummings Reading from a Teleprompter

There is new video of Ronald Cummings at www.FindHaleighNow.com. It is obvious Ronald is reading from a teleprompter (or some other medium).

As the video launches, Ron gives us a fake smile (I suspect as a result of being asked to do so), but then, before and after his emotional pause, there is a genuine glow underneath it all that he cannot conceal.

Even with coaching, you still can’t hide the truth. I personally believe when people are coached, it only exasperates the inconsistencies even more. Coaching only adds to a person’s overburdened cognitive load, if they are lying.

To read all of my opinions on this case, click on the labels below.

Thanks, TJ, for the story lead.

Modified 5-16-2009

My Thoughts: Ronald Cummings on Nancy Grace

What is so fascinating about this video is that Ronald Cummings isn’t on the defensive like he usually is (see video here). He is fine with everyone tightening the reins on Misty, and ironically, that doesn’t seem to bother him at all. His posture is relaxed, and his hands are splayed in front of him in a calm manner.

Read moreBut what is even more interesting is that you would expect Cummings of all people, here to be the most perplexed, mad and concerned about Misty’s inconsistencies, if he is innocent and uninvolved, but he isn’t! Cummings, like everyone else, should want to know why there are inconsistencies. He should be all over them like a wet blanket, so he can get to the truth, but he isn’t. Instead, he marries Misty and acts like it isn’t his concern or worry that she is inconsistent. This behavior does not support honesty. Is that because he already knows the answers?

Throughout the interview, Cummings is feeling positive emotions. He almost has a “glow” about him. I can’t quite put my fingers on it, but it is palpable. He is on the edge, at times, of breaking into a smile. He clearly tries several times to hold it back. I captured this image below when he said “no” at one point.

Image no longer available

Try saying “no” when you are serious. Your lips don’t curl up like this (see above). He is saying no and smiling very faintly at the same time. To move your lips upward like this when you feel serious and say no is very awkward to do, unless you are feeling a positive emotion.

Nancy Grace starts out by asking Cummings what Misty originally told him regarding their sleeping arrangements that night with respect to Haleigh. Notice how Ronald does what is considered a “false start”? Cummings starts talking, then stops and changes his direction.

Cummings says, “She told me that she was sleeping in the beh…, um, her and junior were sleeping in my queen size bed and that she was sleeping in the tot bed beside her…”This is quite telling. I suspect he was going to said “bed” above, but stopped mid-sentence.

Was he going to say that she was sleeping in the bed with Junior and Haleigh? When Cummings says the words”beside her,” he makes an expression of doubt with his lips and squints his eyes. He pulls his lips up on one side, like when some people say, “I don’t know.” He continues with more expressions of doubt when he says, “…three or four feet beside her, or whatever.” He squints his eyes like he is trying to recollect this, and his lips move to the opposite side this time, which is unusual for this type of memory, which should be concrete because he has talked about it so many times, if he is telling the truth.

Grace asked how everything got so mis-communicated about where Haleigh slept, and when Cummings replies, the very first few words he says, he has the slightest smirk on his face, “Ms. Nancy, I have no, no answer for you. I don’t know how it was mis-communicated.”

Grace goes on to ask if Misty told the police that Haleigh was in a separate bed, to which Cummings replies, “I wasn’t there when she was questioned by police, Ms. Nancy.” At the end of that comment, you can clearly see a grin on his face. It’s subtle but definitely there.

Grace than asks why Misty didn’t call the police immediately when she realized Haleigh was missing. Notice Cummings doesn’t answer the question, and Grace never calls him on it! Instead, he just goes into what I could call a rote speech about the events of that night. He repeats what he has repeated a thousand times. Also, notice how Cummings’ voice inflection changes? All the inflection in his voice disappears, and he talks as if he is drone, just recollecting data. He has no emotions whatsoever.

Why doesn’t Cummings feel any emotions about that devastating night? He should feel tremendous pain and anguish when thinking about the realization that his daughter is missing, or at least feeling fear, or worry he experienced that night, but he doesn’t. It’s a huge red flag. He also gets nervous, and starts wiggling in his leg again. Why is he nervous when he talks about this? Notice he feels nervousness, but he does not feel any emotions when it comes to his daughter? That’s a huge red flag.

Do you also notice how Cummings said he turned the house upside down, and then told Misty to call 911? Why didn’t he ever look outside? Isn’t that odd? Misty said the front door was propped wide open. Why wouldn’t he start canvassing the neighborhood while Misty called police? It’s just another inconsistency in his story.

Clearly, what we should be seeing in Cummings, such as serious questions for Misty, if he is truly uninvolved in Haleigh’s disappearance, are not present, and worse, he is showing signs of positive emotions, which absolutely make no sense whatsoever.

To read more of my opinions of this case, click on the labels below. To read my original opinion, you’ll need to scroll to the bottom of the page.

Ronald Cummings on Nancy Grace

Many of you have asked me to review Ronald Cummings on the Nancy Grace show last night. Please bear with me. My mind is distracted today because my cousin is going through a very challenging time. I hope you’ll be patient with me.

See my thoughts here.