Investigators found "items of interest" in the dense woods surrounding the home of a missing Florida girl in a "productive day" of searching even as hundreds of volunteers swarmed the area Friday but found no sign of 5-year-old Haleigh Cummings.
"I can say we did discover some items of interest. I can't go into detail as to what those items were or are," said Major Steve Rose of the Putnam County Sheriff's Office, who would not comment how the items were being handled for fear of revealing what they are.
The finds came hours after investigators finished questioning 44 registered sex offenders living near Haleigh's home in Satsuma.
"All the sex offenders have been interviewed and their residences have been searched," said Putnam County Sheriff Jeff Hardy. "They're cleared as far as us contacting them and speaking to them."
Rose said more than 200 volunteers from Equusearch joined over a hundred law enforcement officials in a search of the tough marshes around Haleigh's house, expanding the search area nearly four days after she reportedly vanished from her bed before dawn Tuesday.
"It was very productive, it was very successful. We were very pleased with the number of volunteers who came forward to assist us in this search," Rose said, noting that Equusearch would return again during the weekend to continue to assist.
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Sheriffs haven't narrowed down their list of suspects in the case. They have gotten more than 350 leads.
"At this time, the world is a suspect and we really haven't excluded anybody," said Putnam, as he announced that family members would again be interviewed Friday.
Haleigh's father Ronald Cummings and his 17-year-old girlfriend, Misty Croslin, have been questioned by police.
They told FOX News' Greta Van Susteren that they had both submitted to polygraphs and "passed" the tests. Sheriff's officials would not release the results.
Croslin discovered Haleigh missing Tuesday morning. According to Ronald Cummings, Haleigh had gotten up to use the bathroom, and when she didn't return, Croslin went to look for her and noticed the back door of the mobile home they shared was open.
"I locked doors before I left for work. My child cannot unlock the deadbolt, you have to force the door shut all the way ... and she doesn’t open the door to strangers," Cummings said.
Croslin has told different stories to police and the media about what happened, according to MyFOXOrlando.com.
Investigators say Croslin told them she was sleeping in the same bed with Haleigh and her little brother Junior. She told media a slightly different version of events.
"I put her to bed around 8 o'clock and I woke up and she was gone and the back door was wide open," Croslin said. "The last time I seen her was when I put her to bed. She was in her bed in front of the TV, and me and Junior was in, were in, my bed."
Croslin and Cummings called 911 after discovering the girl was missing, according to the police report.
Police have ruled out the possibility that the girl ran away after house-to-house searches of the neighborhood turned up no evidence that Haleigh wandered off.
Cummings said Croslin was awake and frantic after she found Haleigh was gone. But in the police report, obtained by FOX News, Cummings reportedly told officers that his "dumb bitch girlfriend" told him Haleigh was gone when he got home from work.
Police had never been called to the home in the past, but there have been prior problems with Cummings, Croslin and Haleigh and her 3-year-old brother Junior, according to Putnam County Capt. Steve Rose.
"There have been some investigations done through the department of children and family," Rose told FOX News. He didn't elaborate.
John Harrell, spokesman for the northeast region of the Florida Department of Children and Families, said Thursday that his agency "was involved with the family." He wouldn't offer any details, citing state confidentiality laws.
In addition to Croslin and Cummings, the child's mother, Crystal Sheffield, has been questioned in the case.
Sheriff's officials said they would continue to search for Haleigh wherever evidence leads them.
"We have actively investigated and pursued over 350 leads that have come in to date. We are not going to limit this search to Putnam County — we'll go wherever it takes us," Hardy said.
Haleigh is 3 feet tall with blond hair and brown eyes. She was last seen wearing a pink shirt and underwear.
Anyone with information about the girl is urged to contact the Putnam County Sheriff's Office at (386) 329-0800 or 911.
Click here for more on this story from MyFOXOrlando.com.
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