20-month-old Ayla Reynolds missing from bed

[Darsa]

Well, it's starting to look a lot worse for dad in this one; although, I can't say I'm terribly surprised. This sweetheart looks so much like my daughter did at that age, it just TERRIFIES me:

http://news.yahoo.com/ayla-reynolds-...nR9zTEc8Ms#_=_

What's Suspect?

* DiPietro never had a hand in raising Ayla. He allegedly saw her only five times from Dec. 2010 until Oct. 17, 2011 when he brought Ayla to his home. On Oct. 20, he agreed to return Ayla to her mother's full-time care Oct. 22, Trista said.

* Although the DiPietro-Reynolds agreement, said to have been made with DHHS input, called for DiPietro to care for Ayla for a total of five days, more than two of which had already passed, he purchased insurance on her life. He also reneged on returning Ayla to Trista, she said.

* Ayla suffered a serious injury within days of the insurance purchase. Trista places the purchase in the approximate window Oct. 17 to 24. Ayla's arm appears to have been broken Oct. 19 or 20.



* DiPietro said Ayla's arm broke on a rainy night before the last day of his truck driver class at Lawrence Adult Education. That class ran Tuesdays and Thursdays for 16 sessions starting Sept. 6, placing the class end date Oct. 27.



* According to weather underground, the only nights it rained in Waterville, Maine between Oct. 17 and Nov. 5 were Oct 19, 20, and 22. Of those dates, only Oct. 19 preceded a scheduled class day of the truck driver class. Because driving sessions were sometimes held on Fridays, Oct. 20 is arguably a possible date for Ayla to have broken her arm. Oct. 22, a Saturday, would not fit the night before the last class scenario.

* Trista said DiPietro notified her Saturday Nov. 5 that he and his mother were taking Ayla to the emergency room. If Trista's account is correct, either DiPietro waited far longer than overnight, as he claimed, to seek treatment or the injury did not occur on a rainy night before his last truck driver class.

* Doctors initially expressed suspicion about Ayla's arm, Trista told Nancy Grace, but ultimately decided an accident was possible.

* Even with the spotlight on him due to treatment delay and the suspect nature of the injury, DiPietro skipped Ayla's follow-up appointments, according to Trista and her sister Jessica.

* DiPietro spoke to the condition of Ayla's arm before he reported her missing, "She wasn't bending it, but she would take (the splint) off sometimes, and she was getting to the point where she was starting to use that arm again." The report that a 20-month-old removed her splint seems questionable.

* Six weeks after buying life insurance, DiPietro reported Ayla missing. Police told WGME his kidnapping story doesn't meet the straight face test.

Whether the insurance policy was the motive for Ayla's reported disappearance or not, the circumstances surrounding its purchase are highly suspicious, and anything but ordinary.
.

[Whisper]

so if theres suspicion do they have to pay that insurance policy???
Im not up on those kinda things

[sintax]

I don't like this lady....


Ayla's relatives thank vigil attendees

The paternal grandmother of missing toddler Ayla Reynolds stood Saturday on the City Hall stairs and tearfully addressed a crowd of about 100 people at an outdoor vigil.

"I'd like to thank the Waterville community and the ladies that put this on for Ayla today," Phoebe DiPietro said. "I love her very much, and I want to thank everyone's efforts for trying to bring her home. I pray that she will be home."

It was the fourth vigil in Waterville for Ayla, who was reported missing by her father, Justin DiPietro, on Dec. 17.

DiPietro's sister, Elisha DiPietro, stood in the crowd with her young daughter. She said she was pleased to see the community rally together.

"I'm glad that people are helping to keep Ayla's name out there in the media, and they're still supporting Ayla," she said.

DiPietro said the past few months have been difficult for her family. They are dealing with a child's absence, and public opinion is often against them.

"It's hard to see how many people hate my family without actually knowing my family. We didn't do anything wrong, and we just want Ayla home. We love Ayla, and we want her home," she said.

Heidi Tudela, a friend of Justin DiPietro, attended the vigil with members of her family. She said DiPietro wanted to attend the vigil, but he was advised that his safety might be at risk at the public event.

"He's received verbal threats and letters," she said.

Tudela declined to say who advised him. DiPietro couldn't be reached for comment.

The Teddy Bear Vigil was organized by Ayla's Angels, a Facebook group of nearly 500 members, which was started by Waterville resident Laurie Bingham.

Participants brought about 100 teddy bears, which later were doanated to the Waterville Police Department in Ayla's name.

Bingham said police could give teddy bears to children during times of family crisis or other emergencies.

http://www.kjonline.com/news/aylas-r...012-03-03.html

[Dakota Valkyrie]

Ayla Reynolds’s disappearance has captivated people all over the nation and prompted strangers to start support pages online and organize vigils like the one held in Waterville on Saturday.

All of the attention brings both hope and pain to Ayla’s mother, Trista Reynolds.

Reynolds sees all of the interest in Ayla’s case as a double-edged sword: on one hand, every online post keeps the story in the spotlight but on the other hand, some of the comments are mean, hurtful and do nothing to help bring Ayla home.

Reynolds says investigators have told her not to take part in any search efforts and says the well-being of her son, Raymond, keeps her from defying police orders.

"People think that I don't care or that I'm not a grieving mom but not one of those people are here on a daily basis. Not one of them see what I go through on a daily basis. Yes, I will put that smile on my face and, yes, I will keep going with my day because of that little boy that I have that needs me," Reynolds told News 8's Paul Merrill.

http://www.wmtw.com/r/30612898/detail.html

[Dakota Valkyrie]

The mother of missing toddler Ayla Reynolds said she doesn't believe her daughter was kidnapped.

Trista Reynolds made the comment in response to a March 11 article in the Morning Sentinel in which Ayla's father, Justin DiPietro, and his supporters expressed their belief that Ayla was abducted and said their reasons for believing so would be revealed "when the time is right."

Reynolds questioned their assertion.

"Who says something like that unless you know something? The way I'm reading it, it's like they're telling me they know where my daughter is, and what happened to her."
[...]

"I don't think she was kidnapped. I really don't," she said. "I believe deep down that Justin knows what happened or where she is. He could change this in a matter of seconds. All three of them could -- him, Elisha and Courtney. I point the blame at all of them; I can't just point the blame at Justin."
[...]

Ayla's stepgrandfather Jeff Hanson has launched a blog to post what he describes as inside information about the ongoing case of the missing toddler, now entering its fourth month.

Hanson, a hobbyist Web designer in Portland, said www.answersforayla.com will represent the personal observations and opinions of the Reynolds family along with facts, including links to scanned copies of medical, court and Department of Health and Human Services records that the family acquired late last week.

Hanson said the blog allows the Reynoldses to disseminate stories that news organizations will not publish. Ever since Ayla was reported missing three months ago, Hanson has served as the family's spokesman. In that new role, Hanson said he has learned that journalists cannot implicate people without independent verification from law enforcement.
[...]

"There are so many rumors going around," he said. "This (blog) is about setting the record straight and venting. We're getting frustrated, and a lot of this is what Trista has wanted to say. There are a lot of things in here that needed to be said."

Hanson, who also maintains www.aylareynolds.com -- a site meant to raise awareness about the todler's disappearance -- said he plans to post daily updates to the new blog.

The family plans to hold a vigil for Ayla at 6 p.m. April 4 at 22 Monument Square. The event coincides with Ayla's second birthday.

http://www.kjonline.com/news/trista-...012-03-18.html

[Whisper]

Crews find remains of man in search for missing Maine tot

WATERVILLE, Maine – With the ground clear of winter's snow, about 100 searchers aided by tracking dogs failed to turn up any new clues Saturday as they renewed their search for a Maine toddler who's been missing for more than three months.

Volunteers, firefighters and game wardens met with police Saturday morning, then began searching woods and fields in Waterville for any sign of Ayla Reynolds, Department of Public Safety spokesman Steve McCausland said.
earchers targeted places that were not thoroughly searched over the winter when the ground was covered with snow.

"The weather conditions were ideal, and the snow's gone, so that's why the ground search was resumed today," McCausland said.

Investigators continue to interview people and the crime lab continues to analyze items connected to the case, but talks with DiPietro, his girlfriend and sister have broken down, McCausland said.

"They have stopped talking to us," he said.

DiPietro did not immediately respond to a message left Saturday on his cellphone.

Although searchers found no signs of Ayla, they found the remains of 53-year-old Steven Brandon of Waterville, who was reported missing in 2004, along Messalonskee Stream, McCausland said.

[...]

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/03/24...#ixzz1q5pS91yB

[Chaindrive]

I'll be damned. How weird is that?

[Whisper]

'Is my daughter dead or alive?' Mother of missing toddler Ayla wants answers as her daughter's second birthday approaches

The mother of a toddler missing since December says she was in denial for three months but has come to accept the heart-wrenching possibilities of what may have happened to her daughter, whose whereabouts remain unknown as her second birthday approaches.

Trista Reynolds says she continues to pray for Ayla's safe return but needs answers - good or bad - about her daughter's fate. She believes Ayla's father, Justin DiPietro, has the answers. Police also believe DiPietro knows more than he has told investigators.

'I'm tired of wondering and I'm tired of worrying,' she told The Associated Press. 'It's just not fair. And Justin is the one who could end all of this in a matter of minutes.'
[..]
Last weekend, about 100 volunteers aided by tracking dogs renewed their search for Ayla, who turns 2 next week.

Although searchers found no signs of Ayla, the receding snow revealed the remains of a 53-year-old Waterville man who was reported missing in 2004.

Ron Reynolds, Trista's father, says he is grateful that searchers did not find Ayla because that means there is hope that she will be found safe and sound.

'It's a good sign that they didn't find anything,' he said, adding that the family needs answers one way or the other. 'Family members need to have closure.'

The passing of time has not brought many answers. State police declared Ayla's disappearance a crime, confirmed the presence of her blood in DiPietro's bedroom and debunked the possibility that someone sneaked into the house and whisked the little girl away.

But there have been no signs of Ayla. Nor have there been any arrests. Investigators continue to work on the case every day, said Lt. Christopher Coleman, commander of the state police major crimes unit for the northern half of Maine.


'This case remains very active,' Coleman said on Thursday from his office in Augusta. 'We're still getting results back from the Maine State Police crime lab. We're working as hard as we can on it. We're hoping we get that one lead that helps to break the case wide open.'
Ayla was placed in her father's care after Trista Reynolds entered a substance abuse rehabilitation program in Lewiston in October. Reynolds completed the program and filed court paperwork seeking Ayla's return two days before DiPietro reported her missing.

Trista Reynolds says she initially gave DiPietro the benefit of the doubt - despite a broken arm that occurred while Ayla was in his care - and acknowledges that Justin was 'amazing' at times with Ayla.

But she worries that DiPietro may have had a difficult time dealing with Ayla because she was high-strung and used to being the center of attention in her home.

'What's really on my mind on a daily basis is I'm wondering every day whether my daughter is dead or alive. That's what I want to know. Is she alive or is she dead?' Reynolds said. '... At least tell me that little bit.'

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...#ixzz1qwDZxEey

[Whisper]

100 Gather in Maine on Missing Tot's 2nd Birthday
The mother of a toddler who disappeared from her father's home days before Christmas pleaded for people to continue praying and keeping an eye out for her as the community joined Wednesday evening in celebrating her second birthday.

A crowd of about 100 people joined the family of Ayla Reynolds in singing "Happy Birthday" during the vigil in Monument Square in Portland, the state's largest city. Her mom cut the birthday cake.

"I want her to know that even though she's not here, she's still in my heart," said her mom, Trista Reynolds. "This is for her. This is her birthday. This is about her."

The event featured music including Maroon 5's "Moves Like Jagger," to which Ayla liked to dance. People presented flowers and keepsakes with Ayla's name of them to Reynolds, who lives in Portland. T-shirts and buttons with Ayla's face were aimed at raising awareness.
[...]
Ayla's maternal grandfather, Ronald Reynolds, said that after more than three months the family continues to cling to the hope that there will be a happy ending.

"She's out there somewhere. I know she is," he said. "It's a matter of time. It's a matter of time law enforcement will find her and bring her home, where she belongs."

Trista Reynolds, who also has a 1-year-old son, said it meant a lot to see the community come out on behalf of Ayla. She broke down while talking about her daughter.

"If she sees me on the TV, I want her to know that mommy says happy birthday and that mommy loves her a lot," she said through tears.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/1...thday-16075350

[Darsa]

http://www.wabi.tv/news/29621/breaki...-investigation

Waterville - TV5 has learned some new information that could be related to the case of missing Waterville toddler Ayla Reynolds.

State Police spokesman Steve McCausland tells TV5 news that investigators recovered some items that might be connected to the case.

The items were found behind the Hathaway Creative Center in Waterville, but police aren't saying what those items are.

McCausland says they were retrieved yesterday and immediately taken to the Maine State Police Crime Lab in Augusta for analysis. "Those items will be looked at in the same fashion as the hundreds of other items related to the case have been looked at," McCausland said Thursday.

McCausland says investigators at this point have no idea whether these newly found items are related to the case.

While it would be nice to have closure, this saddens me so very much. I had the feeling the river was involved from the very beginning :(

[Darsa]

Hardly a surprise, but still so sad. We see cars driving around pretty often with messages regarding "Justice for Ayla", and green ribbons...
http://www.onlinesentinel.com/news/A...aterville.html

WATERVILLE — It is highly unlikely that missing toddler Ayla Reynolds is alive, police said today at a press conference.



A $30,000 reward being offered in the case will be withdrawn in 30 days, said John Nale, a Waterville attorney who initially posted the money on behalf of several area businesses and individuals.

Nale and police urged anyone who knows what happened to Ayla to come forward.

“Your continued silence can only hurt,” Nale said. “This case is not going to go away. Some day you will be held accountable.”

The 20-month-old Reynolds disappeared from her Violette Avenue home Dec. 17. State and local police say they believe the three adults who were in the house the night she disappeared — her father, Justin DiPietro, his girlfriend, Courtney Roberts and his sister, Elisha DiPietro — know more than they are saying.

Stephen McCausland, spokesman for the state Department of Public Safety, said police told Justin and Ayla’s mother, Trista Reynolds, of Portland, around noon today that police think it unlikely that their child is alive.

He said Trista Reynolds understood and was thankful for the call. A witness at the scene said Trista Reynolds and other family members wailed and sobbed on hearing the news.

As for Justin DiPietro's response, “his reaction was no reaction,” McCausland said.

Asked if such a reaction is unusual, McCausland replied in two words. “Ask him.”

:(

[Icy]

Reward expired yesterday.
http://www.kjonline.com/news/ayla-re...012-06-29.html

WATERVILLE -- A $30,000 reward for information on the whereabouts of missing toddler Ayla Reynolds expires at midnight today.

On Dec. 26 -- nine days after Ayla was reported missing from her Violette Avenue home -- a group of local businesses and individuals posted the reward. Then, during a May 31 press conference, a spokesman for the group said he and the others decided to withdraw the money in a month.

"We were hoping the reward money would cause someone to come forward and put an end to this ordeal," attorney John Nale said.
But, so far, it hasn't happened.Ayla's mother Trista Reynolds said Friday she was holding out hope that someone would come forward with information and collect the money. It's telling that no one has, she said.

"I honestly feel that if Ayla was really kidnapped, someone would want that $30,000, especially if they knew it was running out," she said.
On Dec. 17, Ayla was reported missing by her father, Justin DiPietro. He contends Ayla was abducted. Police say a kidnapping did not happen and Ayla's blood was found in the basement of 29 Violette Ave. During the May 31 press conference, Department of Public Safety Spokesman Steve McCausland said investigators believe Ayla is likely dead. No suspects have been named.
Reynolds said McCausland's announcement has made the past 30 days difficult for her.

"It's killing me," she said. "It hurts. It hurts so bad to know my little girl is probably never coming back to me."
Reynolds said investigators recently told her they're not giving up, she said.

"They told me to hang on, to have as much faith as I can," she recalled. "I'm trying. I'm trying to keep my faith, but it's really hard when there's nothing positive to keep my faith up."
McCausland said police continue to receive tips from the public throughout June. He added that the vast majority of those were phoned in by self-described psychics.
Despite the expiration of the reward, the investigation will continue, McCausland said.

"The reward had no play in our investigation whatsoever. The investigation would have proceeded to this point whether there had been a reward or not," he said. "We're very thankful to John Nale and the other business-people who came forward with the money, but it has not affected the investigation up to this point and it will not from this point onward."

Nale said Friday he wanted to renew his exact plea from the May 31 press conference, which he crafted to appeal to the conscience, guilt and sense of humanity of anyone involved in Ayla's disappearance.

"To the person, or persons, responsible for her disappearance, we ask that you now come forward," Nale said in May. "Accept responsibility for what you have done. Show us that you are human, and relieve yourselves, Ayla's family and this community of this burden. For surely, your voluntary acts of admission will far outweigh your continued acts of silence and denial."

[Dakota Valkyrie]

Lance A. DiPietro, an uncle of missing toddler Ayla Reynolds, of Waterville, was convicted Thursday of an assault that occurred in February and was apparently related to allegations that the toddler's father, his brother, was involved in her disappearance.

The victim, Justin Linnell, then 22, of Waterville, who has a child with DiPietro's sister Elisha, suffered a cut forehead in the assault.

Lance DiPietro, 27, of Waterville, pleaded no contest to the charge and was automatically found guilty by Justice Donald Marden in Kennebec County Superior Court. Marden imposed a $300 fine, which was the sentence negotiated between the prosecutor and defense attorney David Geller.

Linnell had wanted DiPietro to serve jail time, Assistant District Attorney James Mitchell Jr., told the judge.

Both attorneys agreed that the altercation was a result of bad blood between the DiPietros and Linnell.

Mitchell also asked for restitution up to $700 for medical bills which Linnell would submit, but the judge did not order restitution.

Mitchell said DiPietro admitted striking and knocking down Linnell as well as kicking him in the head. He said it was self-defense.
[...]

Linnell said the dispute was based on a mix of things, including his relationship with Elisha DiPietro and his comments about the disappearance of Ayla Reynolds, Justin DiPietro's daughter.

Lance DiPietro's attorney, David Geller, said Linnell had posted a comment on Facebook indicating he believed Justin DiPietro had something to do with Ayla's disappearance from her father's home on Dec. 17.

"That will have a very emotional effect on a father who has consistently said, 'I had nothing to do with Ayla's disappearance,' " Geller said. "I don't think Mr. Linnell was trying to instigate that family, but that's what happened."
[...]

http://www.onlinesentinel.com/news/l...012-07-05.html

[cubby]

Just because your client keeps saying he didn't have anything to do with his daughter's disappearance doesn't mean that he didn't. People lie. All the time.

[Dakota Valkyrie]

Next Monday will mark a year since Ayla Reynolds disappeared from her father's home in Maine. She was reported missing on Dec. 17, 2011.

The Ayla Reynolds case has become one of the most baffling mysteries in Maine.

Almost a year has passed since the toddler disappeared from the Waterville home she was staying at with her father. Investigators say they have made progress in the case but they appear no more closer to announcing an arrest than were soon after the child disappeared.

State police say it has now become the biggest criminal investigation in state history and no doubt one of the most emotional ones.
[...]

Here is what police have said publicly about the case. They have ruled out that the child left the house on her own or was abducted. They believe 3 people in the house know more than they're saying. The child's father Justin Dipietro, aunt Elisha Dipietro and Courtney Roberts. They also believe the child is dead.

"To investigators December 17th is a date on the calendar and doesn't change a thing about the scope of this investigation. We continue to follow the leads", said Public Safety Spokesman Steve McCausland.

Police won't comment about what evidence they have gathered. They did acknowledge two small searches out of the public eye one in Mayfield Township, Maine, the other in Stoddard, New Hampshire.

They say they do expect more searches in the coming months.

http://www.wcsh6.com/news/article/22...st-anniversary

Trista Reynolds still has many of her daughter's possessions. She's hoping to one day be reunited with her.

Before Ayla disappeared she was in the care of her father because Trista had gone into rehab for alcoholism.

"Everyone keeps saying I'm being hard on myself and I just need to stop, but there's always going to be that one little part of me that's going to blame myself, beat myself up and just hate myself for everything that's happened," said Reynolds.

http://www1.whdh.com/news/articles/l...disappearance/