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NANCY GRACE

Tommy Croslin Says Cousin Joe Did It

Aired May 14, 2010 - 20:00:00   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. The last person to see her alive, new stepmother Misty Croslin, who goes on to flunk four polygraphs. Haleigh`s father, Ronald Cummings and stepmother Croslin both booked, drug trafficking. Search teams, cadaver dogs, scuba divers, helicopters all comb the St. John`s River, no sign of Haleigh`s remains.

As the search for Haleigh`s entire body and for the murder weapon, goes on, bombshell tonight. He cracks! Stepmother Misty Croslin`s cousin finally confesses 5-year-old Haleigh killed there in the trailer, in the home, the little girl allegedly murdered by cousin Overstreet as Misty Croslin stands by and lets it happen, or worse.

And tonight, is Haleigh`s father, Ronald Cummings, set to plead guilty? This as a stunning call from behind jailhouse walls emerges pointing the finger directly at Haleigh`s killer.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TOMMY CROSLIN, MISTY`S BROTHER: I need her to get my lawyer down here. It`s important.

GRACE: Your client knows what happened that night?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. I am dying for an arrest to be made in this case.

TOMMY CROSLIN: I got to do something. It needed to be done -- it should have been done already.

FLORA HOLLARS, MISTY`S GRANDMOTHER: She grabbed Junior and got into bed, and they covered up their heads completely.

CHELSEA CROSLIN, MISTY`S SISTER-IN-LAW: I don`t believe that -- anything that Flo Hollars is saying I think is a complete lie.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Tommy Croslin`s attorney claims his client has admitted that Haleigh died inside the trailer in Satsuma.

HOLLARS: And when she took the covers off of her head, Haleigh was gone.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Newly released audiotape shows Tommy Croslin points the finger at cousin Joe Overstreet, claiming he`s involved in Haleigh`s murder.

TOMMY CROSLIN: He`s got to pay.

HOLLARS: Is it the story that Misty`s saying?

TOMMY CROSLIN: Yes, but it -- yes, that`s it.

HOLLARS: Joe?

TOMMY CROSLIN: Yes?

HANK CROSLIN, MISTY`S FATHER: You need to tell them where Haleigh is. Bring Haleigh home.

MISTY CROSLIN, HALEIGH`S BABY-SITTER: I can`t just bring her home, you know?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Meanwhile, Haleigh`s father, Ronald Cummings, is trying to arrange a plea deal on his drug charges.

RONALD CUMMINGS, HALEIGH`S FATHER: I`ll get it for you. No problem. (EXPLETIVE DELETED) two weeks, I can make the money to pay for them and eat them myself.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Reports emerge Cummings is negotiating with prosecutors on a 15-year jail sentence for drug trafficking.

CUMMINGS: I don`t know if you do Roxies or whatever. I can get them. But they`re (EXPLETIVE DELETED) expensive.

HOLLARS: It`s Joe. I`ve been knowing this all along. I knew it was him.

TOMMY CROSLIN: It drives me crazy. He tried to kill all of us, so don`t be telling him until they get his ass because they`re going to get his ass.

HOLLARS: OK.

TOMMY CROSLIN: (INAUDIBLE) that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: Good evening. I`m Nancy Grace. I want to thank you for being with us. Bombshell tonight. He cracks! Stepmother Misty Croslin`s cousin finally confesses 5-year-old Haleigh killed, murdered there in the home, the little girl allegedly murdered by cousin Overstreet as Misty Croslin lets it happen, or worse.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TOMMY CROSLIN: I`m just scared. I don`t want no one to hurt my kids.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: According to Tommy Croslin`s attorney, James Werter, Tommy Croslin says Haleigh died inside her own home.

GRACE: Your client can ID the killer.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He`s, first of all, not culpable, but he does know what happened that night.

TOMMY CROSLIN: It needed to put to an end and that little (EXPLETIVE DELETED) needs to pay.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This as we obtain brand-new audiotapes showing Tommy Croslin allegedly pointing the finger at cousin Joe Overstreet, claiming he`s responsible for Haleigh`s death.

TOMMY CROSLIN: It wasn`t me. No, it`s not me.

HOLLARS: Joe?

TOMMY CROSLIN: Yes.

HANK CROSLIN: If they think Joe had something to do with it...

TOMMY CROSLIN: Go get his (EXPLETIVE DELETED) punk ass and put him in jail!

HOLLARS: I was told that Ron come home, and Haleigh had took one of - - found one of his pills and took it and was dead. And Ron called you to get you to come up there and help Misty...

TOMMY CROSLIN: That`s (INAUDIBLE)

HOLLARS: ... and clean the house up and -- while he disposed of Haleigh.

TOMMY CROSLIN: That`s (EXPLETIVE DELETED).

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Also today, Haleigh`s father is reported negotiating a plea deal on drug charges.

CUMMINGS: I like to get high. That`s why I was asking if you had any powder to let me know.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ronald Cummings could be sentenced to 15 years in jail in exchange for testifying against his ex-wife, Misty Croslin, and former brother-in-law Tommy Croslin in the drug case.

CUMMINGS: It`s not a retirement plan, but an extra kick (INAUDIBLE)

TOMMY CROSLIN: Someone need to do something to him. Someone needs to get his ass.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: Straight out to Art Harris, investigative journalist at Artharris.com, with breaking news. Art, what`s the news?

ART HARRIS, INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST: Nancy, the news is shocking, this tape of Tommy Croslin, where he now fingers in his own voice cousin Joe Overstreet. We`ve heard rumors of this. Misty has recounted this story to her grandmother and others. But now Tommy comes forward, and in this tape we`ve been anticipating because people have been doubting he had this conversation with his grandmother -- he now says it was his cousin who killed Haleigh.

GRACE: And where? Where is he saying it happened?

HARRIS: According to your sources, Nancy, he`s saying it`s inside the trailer. Doesn`t say it on this tape, but that is consistent with possibly what people have been speculating about a blanket that was seized and other things in the trailer that was just too neat for a crime scene.

GRACE: To Jean Casarez, legal correspondent, "In Session." What more can you tell me, Jean?

JEAN CASAREZ, "IN SESSION": Well, we can say that Flora Hollers, when she was on your show and she talked about the call between she and Tommy, that that is what we hear in this phone conversation. We hear Tommy. He`s breathless. You hear the emotion in his voice. He talks about that he`s got to get his attorney. He`s got to tell his attorney something. He does say it is Joe, but he admits no responsibility whatsoever.

GRACE: Take a listen to the call.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HOLLARS: I was told that Ron come home and Haleigh had took -- found one of his pills and took it and was dead. And Ron called you to get you to come up there and help Misty...

TOMMY CROSLIN: That`s (EXPLETIVE DELETED).

HOLLARS: ... clean the house up and while he disposed of Haleigh.

TOMMY CROSLIN: That`s (EXPLETIVE DELETED).

HOLLARS: OK. Well, I`m glad you`re telling me the truth, baby, because I`ve been wanting to hear it for a long time. But I knowed it. I knowed it in my heart. All this time I`ve knowed it.

TOMMY CROSLIN: He`s got to pay.

GRACE: What scenario do you believe unfolded? What do you think happened that night?

HOLLARS: Exactly what Misty told me about the rope and the cinderblocks and dropping her in the St. John`s River.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: Straight out to James Werter, Tommy Croslin`s attorney. What more does your client say?

JAMES WERTER, ATTORNEY FOR TOMMY CROSLIN: On the tape or off the tape?

GRACE: Off.

WERTER: Off the tape? I can`t really say that. I mean, on the tape, what I gave you was just a redacted version. We took phone numbers out of it. But that`s the entire tape that you have. And if you notice, he did not go through what happened that night with Flora Hollars. He told -- he pointed the fingers. He denied one version that Flora put to him.

Now, off, he told me that it did occur in the trailer and that he and Misty were not participants but were scared to death of Joe`s behavior. They grew up with this guy. They say even though he doesn`t have a criminal record, he did have a very violent past and they were afraid of him. And there was a weapon of intimidation there. And I don`t want to get into that because we`re still trying to make sure everybody is telling the truth this time, finally, and getting the story as it should be, OK, with the truth.

And if I give you too much, it`ll go over the air and then they can, you know, coordinate or collaborate their own stories together, even though they`re not in communications. So I am hesitant in giving you more.

GRACE: Well, Mr. Werter, basically, it sounds like you`re saying he told you more, but you can`t commit to it on air because his story might change.

WERTER: No. No. I did not say that. I want a pure interview of both of these. My understanding through Robert Fields is that their stories now, even though they haven`t been together to collaborate their stories, are pretty well matched up, you know, with a reasonable amount of tolerances that you would expect normal witnesses. They`re not mirror images and they`re not widely different. So that`s a normal -- that`s what you look for in trial.

And you know this. If you get two people who are mirror image, it causes suspicion. If they`re too widely apart, then their credibility is shot there, too. So what the thing is, is to see what the pure story is. And if they have communications, third party, whatever, you know, it may taint the purity of their testimony...

GRACE: Well, isn`t it true...

WERTER: ... such as it is right now.

GRACE: ... that Tom Croslin, your client, told you that Overstreet got very irate. Things happened from there -- I`m quoting. Overstreet went into the bedroom where Haleigh was, and Haleigh was no longer alive. Overstreet was in a rage.

WERTER: Yes. That`s correct. He went in there looking for this gun that they were going to go borrow. It was an automatic weapon. And out there, they do poach at night or shoot deer at night with the headlights and things of that nature. The gun was not there. Misty told him the gun was not there. That`s what set him off. And next thing I know...

GRACE: Hold on. Hold on. Ellie Jostad, you`ve heard another story, right?

ELLIE JOSTAD, NANCY GRACE PRODUCER: Well, Nancy, we`ve heard a bunch of different stories. We`ve heard a version from Flora Hollars where she heard that a rope was wrapped around Haleigh, she was thrown into the river. She wasn`t sure if she was dead or alive. Another version, Misty heard Haleigh being sexually assaulted and just hid under the covers.

But what`s on this tape is the version that she says came from Tommy, the version that he and Joe got rid of the body somehow, or even less than that, that Joe was responsible for what happened.

GRACE: We are taking your calls. Back to you, Ellie Jostad. When you are referring to the tape, be specific.

JOSTAD: Yes. Well, on the tape, what Tommy Croslin tells Flora is -- she says, you know, something to the effect of, I think I know what you`re going to tell me, and she says, Was it Joe? And he says, Yes. And he says repeatedly that he needs to speak to his lawyer and that he needs to pay.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TOMMY CROSLIN: Y`all don`t say nothing to him, all right?

HOLLARS: I didn`t. No, it`s Joe. I`ve been knowing this all along. I knew it was him.

TOMMY CROSLIN: Don`t saying nothing to nobody right now.

HOLLARS: Oh, I`m not. I`m not. I`m not.

TOMMY CROSLIN: Because I need to get my lawyer down here because you know what?

HOLLARS: What?

TOMMY CROSLIN: To help me anyway, you know, and -- it need to be put to an end, and that little (EXPLETIVE DELETED) needs to pay.

HOLLARS: That`s it. That`s it exactly. Exactly. Oh, me, me, me, me, me, me! You know, that don`t even hurt me to hear that that happened from him because I know it was him. I knew all along that it was him.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HOLLARS: There`s three grandkids of mine that`s involved in this, and I don`t know why!

GRACE: She is blaming Joe and Tommy.

MISTY CROSLIN: They`re going to know. They`re going to know.

GRACE: Tommy Croslin is blaming Joe Overstreet.

TOMMY CROSLIN: Someone`s got -- he`s got to be stopped, so...

GRACE: Joe Overstreet`s saying, I wasn`t there.

JOE OVERSTREET, MISTY`S COUSIN: I didn`t do it.

GRACE: All three are pointing the finger at each other.

HOLLARS: What Tommy told me...

-- or is it somebody else?

TOMMY CROSLIN: It ain`t me. No, it`s not me.

HOLLARS: He says, Nanny, I`ve got to break down...

TOMMY CROSLIN: It`s very important. I got to do something. It needed to be done and should have been done already.

HOLLARS: I`ve got to tell somebody.

TOMMY CROSLIN: I had nothing to do with none of that crap.

HOLLARS: I said, Are you going to tell me that Joe did this? He says, Yes, Nanny, Joe did.

Joe?

TOMMY CROSLIN: Yes.

HOLLARS: OK. That`s what I`ve been thinking all along.

GRACE: She would have been awake when the brother came over there banging on the door.

TOMMY CROSLIN: If she does, she needs to go ahead and tell the truth, man.

MISTY CROSLIN: When I woke up, she was gone!

TOMMY CROSLIN: And don`t be making up stories.

MISTY CROSLIN: I was, like, Oh, my God!

GRACE: One of them are lying.

TOMMY CROSLIN: Misty`s going to get her little butt kicked.

HANK CROSLIN: I know for a fact Tommy -- Tommy ain`t got the heart.

TOMMY CROSLIN: I`m not no drug trafficker or anything. You know that.

They can`t do nothing -- they can`t prove (EXPLETIVE DELETED). They cannot prove nothing. They got no proof.

MISTY CROSLIN: Oh, my God. I know. It`s funny.

HOLLARS: Well, I`m glad you`re telling me the truth, baby, because I`ve been wanting to hear it for a long time, but I knowed it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: We are taking your calls. Out to Veda in Idaho. Hi, Veda.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi.

GRACE: Hi, dear. What`s your question?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I have a comment and a question.

GRACE: OK.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK, my comment is, I`m really proud of the way you stand up for the children.

GRACE: Thank you, Veda. Thank you very much.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I have four children that have passed, and my question is, how can this woman, Misty Carlton (ph), pretend she knew nothing about this, marry the father of this little girl and still hold it in herself all the time that she knew where that baby was?

GRACE: You know, I don`t know how she`s done it. But in my mind, in light of her failing four distinctly separate polygraphs, she has lied from the very beginning.

And to Bethany Marshall, Dr. Bethany, psychoanalyst, author of "Dealbreakers," if she had passed out or she was high on drugs or if she wasn`t there that night, she could have said that on the polygraph.

BETHANY MARSHALL, PSYCHOANALYST: That`s right. But Veda brings an excellent point up, which is, How does someone hold a lie for this long? What is the mechanism by which the lie stays afloat? And I think it`s a couple of things. I think people like Misty tell a lie to cover their tracks, and then the lie becomes their truth. They begin to believe the lie and it becomes so much their truth that when they`re questioned about it, they actually become indignant.

And I actually think there`s an intergenerational pattern of lying in this family. That`s why all three of these players are lying. And part of it could even be genetic, a genetic predisposition towards sociopathy and anti-social behavior. And then you have all the drug use mixed in. Then you have an anti-authority attitude, and then them believing their own lies and turning on each other. And it is the perfect storm for holding onto a lie for ever and to the grave.

GRACE: You know, I think it`s a lot -- not that I`m disagreeing with you, Dr. Bethany, but I think there`s the simple element, Eleanor Odom, that the truth could result in the Florida death penalty. Now, that is an incentive to lie, Eleanor.

ELEANOR ODOM, PROSECUTOR: Exactly. And what Tommy may be saying is a complete lie as to what happened in the trailer because he`s trying to exonerate himself. He`s trying to get out of trouble. So I don`t know that I believe him 100 percent.

GRACE: And this is a huge bombshell tonight. If believed, that Tom Croslin says the murder, the death of 5-year-old Haleigh happened there in the family home, what about it, Renee Rockwell.

RENEE ROCKWELL, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Well, obviously, you can check that story out with any forensics, Nancy.

GRACE: Well, I don`t know about that, Peter Odom, because the child`s DNA would be in the home anyway. So to find her DNA might not be that unusual, depending on the location and the nature.

PETER ODOM, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Right. They`ve been through that house, Nancy, with a fine-toothed comb. I`m not sure that this really adds anything to the story. It`s just -- I mean, there`s so much vapor -- there`s such a huge vapor of lies out there, it`s so difficult to tell what`s true, that they`re not...

GRACE: I know. When you finally...

PETER ODOM: ... any closer to solving this.

GRACE: When you finally hear the truth, Peter, you may not know whether to accept it or not, there`s been so many lies amongst this bunch.

PETER ODOM: And nothing is going to happen in this case without physical corroboration.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TOMMY CROSLIN: Tell her I got to do something that I should have done a while ago.

HOLLARS: The first thing that I was told was that Joe had killed her.

TOMMY CROSLIN: Tell her I have to do something that I should have done a long time ago.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is a huge river.

HOLLARS: I don`t want to hear the answer to it because I already know it.

-- throwed her in the river.

TOMMY CROSLIN: I`m just scared.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TOMMY CROSLIN: His ass is crazy.

HANK CROSLIN: The only one that knows is the people that were there.

TOMMY CROSLIN: He tried to kill all of us.

HOLLARS: ... tied Haleigh up with a yellow rope...

TOMMY CROSLIN: Don`t be -- don`t be telling him until they get his ass.

HOLLARS: ... and tied a brickle block to the rope...

TOMMY CROSLIN: They`re going to get his ass.

MISTY CROSLIN: Yes. It was brick. Like, there`s brick on the floor, like...

HOLLARS: ... and dropped her into the St. John`s River.

MISTY CROSLIN: I never seen any bricks at all.

TOMMY CROSLIN: Don`t let him know, guys, for real because his ass is out to run (ph).

HOLLARS: No, baby. He won`t know. He won`t know.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: Bombshell tonight. We now learn that the cousin of Misty Croslin is stating Haleigh Cummings dies in the home, there in the trailer.

To Sheryl McCollum, cold case analyst. What do you make of it? And why is this so important to the case?

SHERYL MCCOLLUM, CRIME ANALYST: This is crucial. And I don`t look at this as a lie, I look at all of them as half-truths. Tommy has told you from the beginning he interjected himself at the crime scene. Then later, he tells Grandma, I was there when she died. And now she`s telling -- you know, now he`s telling the police even more information about what occurred inside the house, including the weapon of intimidation. He`s telling you bits and pieces as he gets more comfortable, Nancy. And I`m going to stay on my mantra. Tommy Croslin is the key to breaking this case, period.

GRACE: You know, you`ve said that since the very beginning, Sheryl McCollum. Why?

MCCOLLUM: He`s the one! He`s the one that talked. He`s the one that wants the story to come out. Tommy feels bad! He`s got kids, Nancy. And I`m going to tell you, they watch your show. So I`m going to speak directly to Tommy. Tommy, tell them. Tell them where the weapon is. Tell them who killed her. Tell them where Haleigh is! Let`s get this done! And I bet he does it within eight weeks, Nancy, eight weeks.

GRACE: But the thing is, Sheryl McCollum, the truth may implicate him.

MCCOLLUM: And he knows that. But he also knows, Nancy, the first one to talk gets the deal. He said he`s scared for his kids. You know what he really cares about? What they think about him. Bloody (ph), tell them what happened. Man up right now!

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HOLLARS: When Tommy called me, he was sort of whimpering, like, crying. I told him, I says, You failed your lie detector test, didn`t you. And he says, Yes, Nanny, I did. I said, OK, it`s time to come clean now.

TOMMY CROSLIN: He`s got to pay.

HOLLARS: Huh?

TOMMY CROSLIN: I said he`s got to pay for it.

HOLLARS: He`s got to pay for it, he says. He`s got to pay for it, he says.

TOMMY CROSLIN: He can`t hurt nobody.

HOLLARS: He can`t hurt nobody.

Do you know, Tommy?

TOMMY CROSLIN: What`s that?

HOLLARS: Do you know?

TOMMY CROSLIN: All I know is that he`s got to pay. you know, he can`t get to none of us, so it don`t matter.

HOLLARS: He`s got to pay, and he can`t get to none of y`all, so it don`t matter. But get his lawyer there.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TOMMY CROSLIN: Y`all don`t say nothing to him, all right?

FLORA HOLLARS, GRANDMOTHER OF TOMMY: I didn`t. I been knowing this all along. I knew it was him.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Tommy Croslin points the finger at cousin, Joe Overstreet, claiming he`s involved in Haleigh`s murder.

CROSLIN: All I know is he`s got to pay. He can`t get to none of us, so it don`t matter.

HOLLARS: I want that little girl to be put to rest.

HANK CROSLIN: I know for a fact Tommy, Tommy ain`t got the heart. I don`t give a (EXPLETIVE DELETED) what anybody says. Tommy had nothing to with that.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We were on the dock with Tommy and law enforcement --

CROSLIN: This (EXPLETIVE DELETED) sucks, dude. I want us out of here so bad. I would do anything to get out of here.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I do Joe Overstreet is involved in the disappearance.

HOLLAR: He says, Nanny, Tommy and Joe took a rope, a yellow rope, and wrapped Haleigh up with a yellow rope, tied it around here.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don`t believe that Tommy and Misty could do anything to harm a child.

HOLLAR: They tied rickle (ph) blocks to the end of it and dropped her into the St. John`s River. And if they dropped her into the St. John`s River, where was she at? How did she know? How did she see it?

CROSLIN: The damn police said you are facing three years in prison unless you help us find Haleigh. I said, I can`t help you find nobody. I don`t know where she is.

I don`t want no one to hurt my kids.

HOLLAR: I know it`s -- I know it`s -- oh, my god.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

NANCY GRACE, CNN HOST: Drug defendant, Tom Croslin, now admits that 5-year-old Haleigh was killed there in the family home, in the trailer. That is a major, major break in the case if it is found to be true. This, as we learn that Haleigh`s father, Ron Cummings, set to plead guilty. All the while, Lindsay Croslin finally going through with her plan to divorce Tom Croslin. What, if anything, will it mean to the investigation?

But first, to Ron`s guilty plea. What about it Eleanor?

ELEANOR ODOM, FELONY PROSECUTOR: Well, he`s pleading guilty to the trafficking and allegedly getting 15 years to serve. However, his sentence won`t come down until he truthfully testifies in a trial against Misty and Tommy. So, you know, there`s a lot more to come.

GRACE: Why do you say that sentencing won`t come down until after he gives testimony?

ODOM: Because part of his plea bargain will depend on him testifying truthfully at the trial of Misty. So he`s got to do that first, Nancy. And if he plays by the rules and does what he`s supposed to do, then he`ll get his 14 years.

GRACE: And to the lines. Alma, California.

Hi, Alma.

CALLER: Hi, Nancy.

GRACE: Hi, dear.

CALLER: Great to talk to you.

GRACE: Likewise.

CALLER: I live in Northern California. We see these kids being killed in all this. And I say to myself that the cousin, or the other guy, the storm -- what was his name. Not Tommy, but the cousin.

GRACE: Joe Overstreet.

CALLER: Yes. I think he did it. I think either the baby got a hold of an Oxycontin and she took it and overdosed, and they threw her in the river instead of calling 911.

(CROSSTALK)

GRACE: That is a working theory that police have based on letters, based on drug use, based on the use of and the selling of Oxycontin-type pills.

Right, Ella Jostad?

ELLA JOSTAD, NANCY GRACE PRODUCER: Yes, Nancy, that`s one of the possibilities. We do know that many of the players in this case are now involved in the drug trafficking. So it would make sense that there may have been drugs in the home.

GRACE: To Dr. Jake Deutsch, doctor of emergency medicine, joining us out of our Manhattan studio. Doctor, thanks for being with us.

DR. JAKE DEUTSCH, DOCTOR OF EMERGENCY MEDICINE: Thank you, Nancy.

GRACE: Over and over, we hear the defense attorneys arguing about the lack of evidence or DNA. That`s what they`re referring to in the home. However, there are many modes of murder that would not leave DNA behind.

DEUTSCH: Absolutely. If this was a suffocation, you wouldn`t expect to find any DNA evidence. Poisoning, as we have just mentioned, that would fall into the category where there wouldn`t be much forensic evidence. This drug use is interesting to me because it suggests possible routes of contaminating or actually killing the child. But maybe that leads insight into why this guy is starting confessed. Maybe he`s been using drugs for a long time. He has some permanent brain injury and is starting to hallucinate and become paranoid and therefore having more admission of guilt. So I am curious as to what kind of drugs they were trafficking. And that may be a clue into the answer here.

GRACE: All right, Harris, what type of drugs?

ART HARRIS, INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST: Let`s see, Oxycontin. They were using -- Misty calls them roxies, which is another form of Oxycontin. They also used cocaine. Ronald, you heard him ask in the car for a little -- little -- a little bit of marching dust. And now we have, you know, the whole drug -- the drug dealing backdrop.

But, Nancy, I also want to look at -- the reason that Tommy may be coming forward now is he was involved in this gun deal, I`m told, along with Misty. And they were planning to steal the gun and split the profits. If that`s the case, they had to be afraid that, what would Ronald do if he found out. And now, if it comes out, what can happen?

GRACE: Back to the lines. Bobbie, Missouri.

Hi, Bobbie.

CALLER: Hi, Nancy, how are you?

GRACE: I`m good, dear. What`s your question?

CALLER: I`m so glad to speak with you.

GRACE: Likewise.

CALLER: You are a sharp lady.

GRACE: Thank you.

CALLER: I tell you what, I have tried to call many times. But there`s something that lies heavy on my mind.

GRACE: OK.

CALLER: The day that the little girl went missing, they made comments there was an air conditioner man there, working on the air conditioner because it was out of use. It was not working. I know from experience that a lot of times they`ll prop open the backdoor and they`ll have to go in and out. And with that door being propped open, with that brick -- and no one ever mentioned, you know, questioning the air conditioner guy. Who was the air conditioner guy? It`s been totally left out of the picture. Besides, all of them are lying so much. And I can`t understand the father living there. I have a huge home, but I know what`s around my home. And he was not aware of any concrete blocks. He plays dumb to that question. And you just don`t know what to believe. But what about the air conditioner man?

GRACE: That`s a good point, Bobbie in Missouri.

Rosie, don`t we have the photos of the concrete blocks, the cement blocks around the home?

And to you, Jean Casarez, what about an air conditioning repairman being at the home that day?

JEAN CASAREZ, LEGAL CORRESPONDENT: You know, I think I remember something about that early on. But the sheriff`s department has an entire room that`s devoted to the case file of now this homicide case. They have left no stone unturned. They haven`t arrested anyone that they have investigated. And they obviously believe this man, if there is an air conditioning man, that he`s not a part of this.

GRACE: Everyone, quick break.

But tonight, best wishes and congratulations go out to Jolyn and Bruce. They`re getting married, finally. They were, back in 1968, very much in love, but Jolyn got cold feet, returned the engagement ring and sent a Dear John letter. Here they are in 1968. Well, Jolyn and Bruce found each other again 40 years later. Better late than never. You know, love finds a way. Here`s a true love story. Congratulations, Jolyn and Bruce.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MISTY CROSLIN: Ronald and Stanley are not as good as everybody thinks they are.

CUMMING: I`ve been slandered into a sorry father.

CROSLIN: They all take pills. They all do (EXPLETIVE DELETED).

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Haleigh`s father, Ronald Cummings, is trying to arrange a plea deal on his drug charges.

CUMMINGS: I was a dope boy and must have ripped -- ripped somebody off.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The catch? Ronald Cummings could be sentenced to 15 years in jail.

CUMMINGS: This is between me and you and whoever`s listening to our recording.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: In exchange for testifying against his wife, Misty Croslin.

CUMMING: I`m not hiding anything from anybody.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And former brother-in-law, Tommy Croslin.

CUMMING: If somebody had something to do with it, so be it, whoever it might be.

MISTY CROSLIN, MOTHER OF HALIEGH: I would never hurt her.

CUMMING: That`s who it is.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What does Ronald know in this too?

LISA CROSLIN: Her and Ronald fought that day.

CUMMING: She admits she`s the last one to see her.

LISA CROSLIN: And she told him she didn`t want to babysit.

MISTY CROSLIN: They look at me like their mom.

LISA CROSLIN: And he told her, yes, you are going to babysit.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: My grandchildren love Misty, and that Misty loves my grandchildren.

LISA CROSLIN: I think he knows more than what he`s saying.

CUMMING: I don`t think she knows any information that`s going to find Haleigh.

LISA CROSLIN: The fact that him leaving those kids with her, and her still high on pills.

CUMMING: Nobody knows where there`s a (INAUDIBLE).

LISA CROSLIN: Would you leave your kids with somebody who`s all doped up?

CUMMING: There really isn`t a relationship.

MISTY CROSLIN: Baby, get in. Get in.

CUMMING: Ex-wife/friend.

MISTY CROSLIN: I still love him.

LISA CROSLIN: I know you do, baby.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: Ronald Cummings set to plead guilty. This has a divorce is brewing.

What can you tell me about the divorce, Jean Casarez?

CASAREZ: I believe they are divorced now. At least, they were going through a divorce. But the thing is, this is what I have been told, is that he is going to plead guilty, but he has to do a statement, give a statement to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. That statement will be used as evidence against the other defendants. And I think that could be more pressure to Misty, even before there`s a trial and testimony, that even Ronald Cummings has turned against her.

GRACE: To James Werter, is it true that your client, Tom Croslin, is seen to be divorced from wife, Lindsay?

JAMES WERTER, ATTORNEY: No, that divorce action is on hold. Lindsay is giving it second thoughts, so that`s not happening at this time.

GRACE: Why did I know you would say that?

What about it, Ella Jostad?

JOSTAD: Well, actually Art Harris had been reporting that they were planning to file, that Lindsay has given up, I guess, and decided to file for divorce.

Is that true, Art Harris.

HARRIS: That`s right, papers were filed. She felt very betrayed. Believed in Tommy, stuck by him up to the end. Then she found out that he flunked the lie detector test, Nancy, and filed. And now, as we heard Mr. Werter saying, has second thoughts.

GRACE: So you believe, Art Harris, that she filed the divorce papers because her husband failed the polygraph?

HARRIS: And she learned that he had been lying to her over and over again. And she was so loyal to him. In many conversations I had with Lindsay, she was not going to believe this unless she had something concrete, Nancy.

GRACE: Out to the lines. Ryan in North Carolina.

Hi, Ryan.

CALLER: Hey, Nancy.

GRACE: Hi, dear. What`s your question?

CALLER: Is there any new evidence to test if the ropes and cinder block found in the water -- is there any evidence to watch the original location by chance?

GRACE: The fact that it`s all been under water would probably remove any fiber or blood evidence.

What do you make of that, Dr. Deutsch?

DEUTSCH: Yes, that doesn`t bode well. If this is a very active river that they`re describing, all of that evidence would be washed away. The things that I would be interested in finding, given the circumstances, was any evidence of trauma to the skeleton which may have -- lead to a cause of death at this late stage.

GRACE: Unleash the lawyers.

Eleanor Odom, felony prosecutor, with multiple death penalties under her belt; Renee Rockwell, defense attorney, Atlanta; Peter Odom, also a defense attorney in the Atlanta jurisdiction.

First to you, Eleanor. How would a plea, a guilty plea on the drug case from Ronald Cummings, and a divorce between Tom Croslin, who was there the night Haleigh goes missing, and his wife, Lindsay, how could those two events shape this case?

ODOM: I think somebody mentioned earlier, it`s going to put a great amount of pressure on both Tom Croslin and Misty Croslin to come forward and tell the truth, because those people are getting the best deals up front. They`re the first ones to plead, they`re going to get the best deals. So I`m hoping it will put some pressure on, so that Misty and Tom will finally tell the truth.

GRACE: Are you referring to the plea deal by Ron Cummings or the divorce between Croslin and Lindsay Croslin?

ODOM: Both, because you`ve got the plea deal by Ronald Cummings, which he could say something about Misty. And then if there`s a divorce, guess what, Nancy, there`s no marital privilege. You know, you`ve got to be careful about that. So that could put pressure on Tom Croslin.

GRACE: it`s my understanding Eleanor, that the way the marital privilege would work, even if they`re divorced, Tom Croslin could invoke husband/wife privilege, because it was protected at the time the comment was made.

ODOM: And I think that would be between communications between them, but not necessarily between certain actions.

GRACE: Good point.

ODOM: Things that she saw. So you`ve got to look at it that way.

What about it, Renee Rockwell. How will Ronald Cumming`s guilty plea and the divorce of Tom Croslin -- behind bars right now -- how would that affect the case?

RENEE ROCKWELL, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: First of all, I think he`s got on a great chance to make a move, because I have said all along, Nancy, that I felt the sorriest for him, because I didn`t think he had anything to come to the table with. But this is a fantastic move by law enforcement saying, hey, you come to us, you come to the table, we`ll give you a lesser sentence if you agree to testify. All he has to testify in is against these two in the drug case.

GRACE: Right.

What about it, Peter?

ROCKWELL: If he testifies in the drug case --

PETER ODOM, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Right. Of course, they have great cases against all these drug defendants without Ronald Cummings` testimony.

GRACE: Yes.

PETER ODOM: I don`t know that that`s going to have a huge impact. They`ve got it all on tape.

GRACE: They don`t need his testimony in the drug case. You`re right, Peter Odom.

He could get a light deal in the drug case in exchange for testimony in a possible Haleigh case.

What about that rope, Sheryl McCollum.

SHERYL MCCOLLUM: Nancy, they`re -- let`s say the rope was a 15-foot rope in the package that Tommy had in his house, and there`s five foot missing from it, and that`s the exact same link they found and pulled from the river, same color, same make, same width. That`s pretty good evidence to me. He described it to grandma. He led them to it.

GRACE: Quick break. We`re taking your calls, but now, "CNN Heroes."

(CNN HEROES)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

GRACE: What a week in America`s courtrooms. Take a look at the stories and, more important, the people who touched our lives.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICE: At approximately 9:15, a woman walking her dog in a remote area of Napa County found a body.

GRACE: The body of 24-year-old nursing student, Phuong Le, this absolutely gorgeous young girl, her whole life in front of her.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What we have here is a homicide with no suspects in custody or in sight (ph). But definitely the body is that of Phuong Le. Unknown who did this to her and why.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just released, nearly 50 pages of graphic text messages prosecutors say were exchanged between accused murder-for hire bride, Dalia Dippolito, and her alleged lover.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: LOL, nice. You`re great. Thanks for everything. So do you approve of my boobs?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Police in Nevada investigating the death of a 25- year-old pro woman golfer.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Something happened. She was supposed to leave for a tournament. That morning, she didn`t leave.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Police say they responded to a 911 call.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Erica`s body was found inside of her Henderson home.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Details of her death haven`t been released.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just devastating. We`re going to have to bury a 25-year-old daughter. That`s sad.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Search warrants reveal apparent blood stains found in both cars belonging to Venus` husband, Douglas Stewart.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I`m sure he took her as I am of my name.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Breaking news. A friend of the 16-year-old girl, allegedly raped by NFL superstar and former "Dancing with the Stars" contestant, Lawrence Taylor, comes forward. According to an unnamed source who spoke to the "New York Post," she claims the girl said no intercourse happened at all.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Lawrence Taylor did not have consensual sex with anybody.

GRACE: Did you hear the defense attorney just say he did not have consensual sex with anyone? I guess that was one of those Freudian slips.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: For almost one minute, this teacher was caught on a cell-phone camera terrorizing a student.

GRACE: Look at the little boy cringing. This is a sixth grader the teacher is beating. And if reports are true, other teachers stood by and watched it. I can hardly stand to look at it. Kicking, beating. And the way she approached him, she looked like she was a professional wrestler.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GRACE: Let`s stop and remember Army specialist, Kareem Khan, 20, Mantoloking (ph), New Jersey, killed Iraq, awarded the Bronze Star, Purple Heart. Unofficially joining the Army with his dad`s permission before he was 18. Loved the ocean, video games, Dallas Cowboys and flee markets with dad. Leaves behind grieving parents, Heros (ph) and Elshiba (ph), step mom, Neesha (ph), and stepsister, Oleigha (ph). Kareem Khan, American hero.

Thanks to our guests, and especially to you.

Reminder, May 16th, CNN Espanol has a special program on handicapped children, included, a story of sensory thera-fun, a huge indoor play station for children with special needs, Atlanta. Founded by a father with a daughter with special needs.

And tonight, good night from the New York control room.

Good night, Brett, Rosie, Norm.

Everyone, I`ll see you tomorrow night, 8:00 sharp eastern. And until then, good night, friends.

END