AYLA REYNOLDS - 20 Months - Waterville ME

PORTLAND, Maine – A
day after police declared a 20-month-old girl's disappearance a crime,
her grandfather pleaded Saturday for her return, urging anyone with
information to come forward.


"We're all out here begging and pleading for
the return of our baby girl, safe and sound. Call the state police,"
Ronald Reynolds, grandfather of Ayla Reynolds, said outside his home.


"What did they do to my little girl? What
did they do to Ayla? What did they do to a helpless defenseless child?"
asked Reynolds, who wore a green ribbon, the symbol for missing
children.


"Every day I get up and wait and wonder.
Yesterday I kept looking out the window, waiting for someone to come by
and tell me something."


Saturday marked two weeks since Ayla's
father reported her missing from his home in Waterville, 75 miles north
of Portland. Justin DiPietro told police he saw her the night before
when he put her to bed. He said she was missing from her bed on the
morning of Dec. 17.


A massive search began, with wardens and
volunteers combing through the woods and neighborhoods and searching
streams. Police and FBI agents went door to door.


A $30,000 reward, the largest in state
history for a missing person case, has been offered for information
leading authorities to the child.


On Friday, Massachusetts state police
brought special equipment to DePietro's home, and crime scene
technicians were seen taking measurements. Investigators concluded that a
crime had taken place and the State Police Major Crimes Unit took over
the investigation, Waterville Police Chief Joseph Massey said. State
police reported no new developments Saturday.


Of the 500 tips submitted to investigators,
Waterville police say 75 have been from psychics. Deputy Waterville
Police Chief Charles Rumsey told the Central Maine Morning Sentinel of
Waterville that each tip, no matter who it's from, is assigned to an
investigator.


Ayla was placed in her father's care while
her mother, Trista Reynolds, was in a substance abuse rehabilitation
program, which she completed. Ronald Reynolds said he was proud of his
daughter for seeking help.


"I know what my daughter did. She did the right thing," Reynolds said.


During Ayla's stay with her father, she broke her arm in what police described as an accident.


The Reynolds family said they were concerned
about Ayla's care, and they've also criticized DiPietro for not
pleading publicly for his daughter's safe return.


DiPietro, who has issued a statement denying
he had anything to do with her disappearance, couldn't be reached for
comment Saturday.


Reynolds said the family is trying to
maintain hope that Ayla is safe and will be found. He said he wakes up
every morning and kisses a photo of Ayla, praying that she's OK.


Reynolds said he sometimes spends his day
looking out the window, hoping someone will drop by with new
information, something positive for the family to latch onto.


"Someone took her. Somebody took her out the home. Who is what's I'd like to know," he said.


"I beg of these people: Bring her home safe. Bring her home safe and sound."

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/12/31/missing-maine-toddlers-granddad-begging-for-return/#ixzz1i9R3edz1

It's a little odd to me that even though his daughter isn't sure Ayla's father isn't involved, Reynolds seems to have no doubts a stranger took Ayla, despite how it looks to most of us.

Avocado wrote:Does anyone know if the father has taken a polygraph yet?

I haven't seen anything to indicate that he has taken one. If he did, it appears LE hasn't released that info to the public.

I find it suspicious that she had a broken arm from a "fall". My kids didn't break any limbs from falling at that age.

Also, he has refused to speak to Ayla's mother since she disappeared.

I don't think this baby girl is missing. I think this is another murdered baby case, dead at the hands of her father.

JMO.

For the first time since his daughter was last seen on Dec. 16,
the father of a missing Maine toddler spoke publicly Monday about the
search for Ayla Reynolds and appealed to her abductor to return her safely.

Justin DiPietro, who was the last one to see his 20-month-old
daughter when he put her to bed more than two weeks ago, spoke
exclusively with TODAY’s Peter Alexander about his daughter’s
disappearance, which was ruled a criminal investigation Friday by police
in Waterville, Maine.



Ayla Reynolds, 20-months-old, disappeared December 16, her father said.

“By coming here, it was in hopes of reaching out to the person that
does have my daughter to let them know that what they’re doing isn’t
right,’’ DiPietro said from Maine in the live interview Monday morning.
“You may think what you’re doing is right for Ayla, but it’s not. You
have no right. You’re not her parent. She belongs home with her family.

“I just want my daughter. I’m doing anything possible that I can to
get my daughter home. It feels like a hopeless situation at some points,
but I’m doing what I can.”

No suspects have been named by police, but DiPietro’s parenting
skills have been questioned by the girl’s mother, Trista Reynolds, who
appeared on TODAY last week. Reynolds underwent a 10-day stint in a
rehabilitation program for alcohol abuse in October, during which time
she and DiPietro agreed that he would take care of their daughter.
Before her disappearance, Ayla had a soft cast on her left arm in what
police called an accident.

'She's the world to me'

Throughout most of the interview, DiPietro spoke in an
unemotional monotone, but his eyes lit up when asked about his feelings
toward his daughter and he smiled, becoming slightly choked up.

“I love my daughter,’’ DiPietro said. “I would never do anything to harm my daughter. She’s the world to me.’’

In a statement released exclusively to TODAY Sunday night, Reynolds
said, “When I found out from law enforcement that this has become a
criminal investigation I got chills up and down my spine, but I am
keeping my faith. I am not giving up.’’

Ronald Reynolds, the child’s grandfather, also has been “begging and
pleading’’ for Ayla’s return and has been wearing a green ribbon, which
is the symbol for missing children.

Authorities have scoured nearby lakes, woods, fields and private
properties for weeks and have spent significant time investigating
DiPietro’s home in search of the child after determining that Ayla, who
had recently started walking, did not leave the house on her own. A
privately-funded $30,000 reward also has been posted, leading to nearly
400 tips from as far away as California regarding her disappearance.

On Friday, authorities announced that it has become a criminal investigation.

“We believe that foul play has occurred in connection with Ayla’s
disappearance,” the Waterville Police Department said in a statement.
“We base our conclusions on evidence by investigators during the past two weeks.’’

Defending his silence

While Reynolds has appeared publicly multiple times since
Ayla went missing, Monday marked DiPietro’s first public appearance. He
had previously released statements through the Waterville police and has
been cooperating with authorities during the entire investigation. On
the night of Dec. 16, he said he put Ayla to bed as she wore polka dot
pajamas that read “Daddy’s Little Princess’’ on them. At 8 a.m. on Dec.
17, DiPietro went to check on her and found she was gone, officially
reporting her missing at 8:50 a.m.

“He said he’s not in hiding, but why won’t he come out?’’ Reynolds
told TODAY last week. “Why won’t he talk to me? Why is he staying away?
What is he so afraid of, to not come out and talk to me?’’

In Monday's interview, DiPietro defended his silence. “Initially, the
first few days I was emotionally incapable of coming out to do an
interview,’’ he told Alexander. “I had been advised that by coming on
and doing an interview by law enforcement that it could possibly hinder
the investigation, and I’m here to help in any way I can.’’

Reynolds said last week on TODAY that she and DiPietro have not
spoken since their daughter’s disappearance and that she had concerns
about her daughter’s safety while living with DiPietro. Reynolds lives
75 miles away in South Portland, and she last saw her daughter on Nov.
21. A day before Ayla’s disappearance, Reynolds filed for “parental
rights and responsibilities’’ regarding custody of Ayla.

“He would never let me see her,’’ Reynolds told TODAY. “I would call
to talk to her, and he would get mad about it. If I did see her and I
would notice something on her like a bruise or just something, instead
of reacting in a calm manner, he would lash out about it or kind of go into defense.’’

“As far as I know, there was never any concerns,’’ DiPietro said
Monday. “We both agreed that me having her at this point in time was the
best thing for her. She’s my child. She’s my world. She’s everything to me.’’

Although the investigation has now become a criminal one, DiPietro
has not been made aware of any other major developments by investigators.

“As far as I know, that’s just been a change in terminology,’’ he
said. “As far as I know we’re at the same place that we were at on Day One with this.’’

Anyone with information regarding the child’s disappearance is urged to contact the Maine State Police at 207-624-7076.

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/45846319/ns/today-today_people/#.TwG78oGcySo

I can't understand why supposedly it took him 50 minutes to call LE after he found Ayla was not in her room. It would have taken only 3 minutes to establish that she was not anywhere else in the house and the next thing a parent would do would be to call 911 surely.

WATERVILLE — Justin DiPietro wants his daughter back.
"I hope that whoever had the courage to come into this house
and take her has the courage to bring her back. It’s gone on long
enough,” DiPietro said during a Monday interview with the Kennebec
Journal.

DiPietro’s daughter, 20-month-old Ayla Reynolds, has been missing
since Dec. 17. For two weeks, her disappearance has been the subject of
national media attention and the focus of a massive multi-agency
investigation.

On Monday, DiPietro, 24, sat in the sunlit living room of 29 Violette Ave., the home where Ayla was last seen.

His mother, Phoebe DiPietro, and older brother, Lance DiPietro, sat nearby.

DiPietro said he wanted to clarify a widespread rumor regarding the
hours before Alya was reported missing. He said some media outlets and
blogs reported there was a party at the DiPietro home on Dec. 16.

“There was no party,” he said.

Phoebe DiPietro nodded in agreement. She also offered a simple plea to anyone who might know about Ayla’s whereabouts.

“I just want her back,” she said, tearfully.

DiPietro said he wanted to thank the community for posting a $30,000 reward for information that leads investigators to Ayla.

“It’s amazing,” he said. “I don’t know John Nale or any of the people
involved in raising money for the reward. To think that they would do
something like that for people they don’t know is just overwhelming.”

John Nale is a Waterville attorney who announced the reward during a Dec. 26 press conference.
For two weeks, DiPietro had remained quiet. On Dec. 19, he released a
written statement through Waterville Police saying he didn’t know who
took Ayla. On Dec. 28, he released a second written statement to thank
the community for their support during the search.

On Monday, DiPietro appeared in front of television cameras for the
first time. A few hours prior to his interview with the Morning
Sentinel, DiPietro spoke to NBC’s “Today,” and explained his silence.

“Initially, the first few days, I was emotionally incapable of coming
out to do an interview.” Police also initially advised him against
doing media interviews because it could hinder the investigation, he said.

But, he said a national interview could help break the case.

“I’m here to help in any way I can. By coming on here it’s in hopes
of reaching out to the person that does have my daughter, to let them
know that what you’re doing isn’t right. You may think what you’re doing
is right for Ayla, but it’s not. You have no right. You’re not her
parent. She belongs home with her family.”

DiPietro also addressed criticism from Ayla’s mother, Trista
Reynolds, who has made several television appearances in the last two
weeks. DiPietro said Reynolds’ questions about his parenting skills in
the weeks leading up to Ayla’s disappearance are new.

“As far as I know, there were never any concerns,” he said. “We had
both agreed that me having her at this point in time was the best thing for her.”

Ayla’s parents had agreed that the toddler would stay with her father
when her checked into rehabilitation for substance abuse in
mid-October, according to Lewiston Police records.

DiPietro said he’s unaware of any new developments in the case.

“As far as I know, we’re at the same place that we were at on Day One with this,” he said.

There were no updates from police Monday.

Maine State Police ended their investigative work Saturday at the
home, which is owned by Phoebe DiPietro. Police also “released the house
back to the occupants,” according to Department of Public Safety
Spokesman Steve McCausland.
http://www.kjonline.com/news/In-interview-father-of-missing-girl-.html

kiwimom wrote:I can't understand why supposedly it took him 50 minutes to call LE after he found Ayla was not in her room. It would have taken only 3 minutes to establish that she was not anywhere else in the house and the next thing a parent would do would be to call 911 surely.

I know why. Read my post a few up from this. Any loving, normal parent would report a missing child immediately. IMMEDIATELY.

This is becoming more and more prevalent.

Happy new year to you Kiwi. I hope 2012 is very good to you and yours.

I agree that he most likely accidentally killed her, and then covered it up. Here's what I don't understand in cases like this, does this guy think he's actually fooling anyone? Or is the idea just to cover it up long enough and well enough to avoid conviction? And if you lost your temper and caused your child's death, wouldn't you still call 911 in the hopes they could be revived?

I feel so bad for Ayla's mother. It sounds like she was trying to get her life together so she could be a better mother, and this happens.

Whatever he did to her, I don't think it was accidental. He may have not intended to kill her, but his actions IMO were not accidental.

You don't hide an accidental death. Casey Anthony knows that.

I don't think her broken arm was an accident either.

He's also a POS for not being man enough to speak to Ayla's mother. IMO.

twinkletoes wrote:He's also a POS for not being man enough to speak to Ayla's mother. IMO.

you got that right Twink!! you must ALWAYS put the best interest of the child FIRST no matter what the circumstances are - put your differences ASIDE for the sake of the child FGS!! it happens EVERY DAY in divorced families. I've been "friends" my son's father for over 20 years - we divorced when he was 3 and it wasn't easy at first, but it CAN and MUST be done. we're ALL better for it today. I gave up child support right off the bat to help keep the peace - just wasn't worth the fight.

I agree with you all. What are the odds of a toddler having a broken arm and not long afterwards disappearing from the home as well? These things on their own are unusual enough but combine the two and it's obvious to me, especially when you take into account the father was left to care for the toddler while the mother wasn't around, which is another set of circumstances we see at the heart of many cases. I've said it many a time and call me sexist, but raising babies is womans work. Caring for babies and testosterone just don't go well together.

Laura Recovery Center assists with search for missing Maine toddle

Updated: 4:18 pm, Fri Jan 6, 2012.

The Laura Recovery Center for missing children is assisting the
father of missing toddler Ayla Reynolds of Maine.

Reynolds was abducted from her bedroom in Watersville, Maine on
Dec. 16. “The center was contacted by Ayla's father to help find
Ayla and to increase public awareness of her disappearance,” said
Dawn Davis, senior case manager for the Laura Recovery Center. “We
realize that distributing Ayla's photograph is one of the most
effective tools to help bring her home. It takes only one person to
recognize her photo and make that call.”

Davis said this is not the first case the center has worked on
in which the child disappeared from a bedroom. “The public doesn't
want to believe that children can be taken from the safety of their
home, but it does happen. Certainly it's a rare situation and I'm
glad for that because it is truly what nightmares are made of.”
Danielle van Dam was only 7 years old when she disappeared from
her home in California in 2002. “The community really rallied to
help find Danielle. The LRC, along with community volunteers,
organized ground searches, worked with the media, distributed her
photograph and did public awareness events aimed at finding any
information that would bring her home,” said Davis. Danielle's
remains were found by the volunteer searchers. “It was definitely
not the outcome we wanted but it brought some resolution and the
community is a tremendous resource for law enforcement.”
The Laura Recovery Center is asking that volunteers throughout
the United States and even Canada help post and distribute
Reynold's photograph. The flyer is posted on the Laura Recovery
Center website, www.LRCF.org, and can be downloaded, printed,
e-mailed or faxed directly from the site.
Other activities planned to raise awareness include distributing
t-shirts and buttons, as well as asking pizza businesses to put her
flyer on each of the boxes they deliver.
“Look at Ayla's photo,” Davis said. “Ask yourself if you've seen
her. Be aware of those around you. Has someone in your neighborhood
brought a child home that looks like her or cannot be explained?
You may hold that one piece of information that can help answer the
question, where is Ayla?”
The Laura Recovery Center is a nonprofit organization that was
founded in memory of Laura Smither. The center focuses on
education, search and prevention in the area of missing children.
The LRC has offered free abduction prevention programs to over
240,000 children throughout the greater Houston area, worked with
more than 1,500 families with missing loved ones, and has organized
more than 100 community searches for abducted children nationwide.
To learn more about the Laura Recovery Center, visit
www.LRCF.org.
http://www.yourhoustonnews.com/bay_area/news/laura-recovery-center-assists-with-search-for-missing-maine-toddle/article_3a1909de-bd34-5aed-80ea-0da69c8c935e.html

http://www.cnn.com/2012/01/07/justice/maine-missing-girl/index.html

The grandmother of a missing Maine toddler says no family members in the home the night the girl vanished had anything to do with her disappearance.

"I feel violated. Somebody came into my home and took my granddaughter who was sleeping," Phoebe DiPietro said during her first television interview about Ayla Reynolds, the now 21-month-old toddler.

Ayla disappeared December 17. Police have said they believe foul play was involved. They also say the DiPietros have fully co-operated in the investigation.

Sitting in her living room, steps away from Ayla's bedroom, DiPietro said she heard nothing while she slept that night. She wasn't the last one to go to bed that night and wasn't sure whether the doors were locked. She and her son suspect the child was abducted.

A $30,000 reward has been offered in the search for 20-month-old Ayla Reynolds.



"I'm sure that eventually they will be able to let us know how someone go into the house whether it was an unlocked window, an unlocked door, I don't know," DiPietro said. 'If I knew, it wouldn't have happened," she added.

Investigators have said there were several adults in the DiPietro home that night, including DiPietro and her 24-year-old son. Police won't identify the others, nor reveal much else.

Neither will Phoebe DiPietro. She says detectives have asked her and her son not to divulge details of what happened that night to avoid possibly hindering the investigation.

"I can tell you there was not a party here at the house. Just beyond that, I can't answer any questions." She says her son put Ayla to bed every night.

DiPietro says it was her son Justin (Ayla's father) who told her Ayla was missing. She would not say what time, where she was when she heard or elaborate


Police have said the little girl was put to bed about 8 that night and that her father reported her missing the next morning just before 9.

DiPietro revealed she told investigators about "oddities" in the house after Ayla disappeared. She would not describe what they were. She added that she doesn't think police want her to disclose that information.

Ayla's grandmother also said she allowed police to immediately search her house without a warrant, and that she and her son have undergone several interrogations. She says she answered all their questions and prepared several written statements of what happened that night at their request.

The police had full access to the house for about three weeks from mid-December until the end of the month. DiPietro says police searched everywhere, fingerprint dust was all over the place. They left her a list of what was removed, including laptop computers and cell phones that belonged to her and her son. The phones and computers have now been returned.

Ayla's room, she says, has been turned upside down by investigators searching for clues.

Maine State Police took the lead in the investigation, at the request of the Waterville police, because they now consider it a criminal investigation based "on evidence gathered by investigators."

The FBI and Maine Warden Service are also involved in the case.

Ayla was last seen wearing pajamas that said "Daddy's Princess."

DiPietro says she believes investigators are doing all they can to find Ayla.

She also discounted claims by Ayla's mother that Justin DiPietro may have abused or mistreated his daughter. The toddler's parents don't live together. Ayla's mother previously has been in rehab.

Ayla had been wearing a soft sling on her left arm.

Her grandmother says Ayla's arm was injured during an accidental fall. At the time, she says her son was coming home with Ayla. DiPietro says she heard a thud at the back door.

It was dark at the time, and she says her son had slipped on the stairs outside the side door and fell with Ayla in his arms. DiPietro ran to help them both. The youngster was crying but didn't immediately appear injured. The next morning, one of her hands swelled and she was taken to an emergency room for treatment.

She says her son would never harm Ayla.

"Justin is a great dad. He truly, truly is. And I know he loves Ayla," his mother said.

Ayla's grandmother gently stroked a sparkly red dress with a sales tag still hanging on it. it was supposed to be a Christmas present for Ayla.

Tears rolled down her cheek.

"I'd give everything I owned if we can have her back."

WATERVILLE, Maine – A
20-month-old Maine girl who's been missing for three weeks broke her
arm in November when her father, who was carrying groceries in one arm
and her in the other, accidentally slipped and fell on top of her, he said.

Justin DiPietro said he is coming forth with
details of the accident to end speculation on how his daughter, Ayla
Reynolds, broke her arm. Police continue to investigate her disappearance.

"There's value in explaining it," DiPietro
told the Morning Sentinel of Waterville. "But to me, I know what the
truth is, and it's unbelievable for people to make the accusations that they've made."

DiPietro reported his daughter missing from
his mother's home in Waterville, where he also lives, the morning of
Dec. 17. Despite an intensive search and investigation, her whereabouts are unknown.

DiPietro was taking care of Ayla while her
mother, Trista Reynolds of Portland, was in a substance abuse
rehabilitation program, which she completed.

DiPietro could not be reached for comment Saturday. His message box on his cellphone was full.

At the time of her disappearance, police
said Ayla was last seen the night before her father reported her
missing. She was wearing green one-piece pajamas with polka dots and the
words "Daddy's Princess" on them, and she had a soft cast on her left arm.

Waterville Police Chief Joseph Massey has
said the girl broke her arm in an accidental fall, but the 24-year-old
DiPietro had not offered an explanation until now. He does not mention
in the newspaper report why he hadn't explained the fall earlier.

On a rainy night in November, he said, he
walked into his home with a bag of groceries in one arm and Ayla in the
other. He slipped while walking up a short set of stairs leading to the kitchen, he said.

"It happened so fast, I don't know exactly
how I fell on her, but I fell on her," he told the newspaper. "It's burned into my brain."

DiPietro's mother, Phoebe DiPietro, said she was sitting in the next room and came running after hearing a big thump.

She said her son's wrist was injured in the
fall, but that Ayla seemed to be OK. They took Ayla to a hospital the following day after her arm began swelling.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/01/07/father-explains-missing-maine-girls-broken-arm/#ixzz1ios8niZb

If DiPietro has nothing to hide why is he just now "coming forth with
details of the accident"?

Why has he refused to speak to the mother of his baby? Human decency would dictate that he would have contacted her immediately.

Too much protesting and not enough logical explanations for me.

http://www.cnn.com/2012/01/08/us/maine-missing-toddler/

As the search for missing Maine toddler Ayla Reynolds enters a fourth week, the grandmother of the 21-month-old girl offered new information to CNN on Sunday about the night Ayla disappeared.

Ayla's grandmother, Phoebe DiPietro, who first spoke exclusively with CNN on Friday, said she now wants to clarify a detail about her interview.

DiPietro now tells CNN she was not among the adults at the home from which Ayla disappeared that night but instead was at another location that she wouldn't publicly disclose.

DiPietro said she told police about her whereabouts that night from the very start. She added that it's her impression detectives followed up on her information early on.

Police, who suspect foul play in the case, have declined to say publicly who was at DiPietro's home the night Ayla disappeared other than to describe the occupants as several adults including one person who is not a member of the family.

Police are searching for 21-month-old Ayla Reynolds.



Ayla's parents are not married and don't live together. Ayla's mother recently completed rehab, family members have said. Investigators have said both families have cooperated with police.

Justin DiPietro said he put his daughter to bed at 8 p.m. on December 16 and called police the next morning just before 9 a.m. to report her missing, according to authorities.

Justin DiPietro and his mother both say they believe the child was abducted.

During her interview with CNN, DiPietro said Friday that she "didn't hear anything" when asked if she heard any noise the night Ayla disappeared. She added that there was not a party at the house, noted she wasn't the last one to go to bed and said she wasn't sure whether the doors to the house were locked.

On Sunday, DiPietro said she wanted to make clear that she wasn't home the night Ayla disappeared and that her information about what happened that night came from others.

She said she didn't specify that she wasn't home that night in her initial CNN interview because she was trying to follow the directions of police, who have instructed her not to discuss details about the night Ayla disappeared.

Both Justin DiPietro and his mother told CNN they want whomever took the little girl to return her safely.

The grandmother says her main concern is finding Ayla. As part of that, she said, she doesn't want to say anything that could hurt the investigation.

Police had no comment Sunday on DiPietro's latest disclosure.

"We're not getting into investigative details," said Stephen McCausland, spokesman for the Maine State Police, the agency leading the investigation.

During the course of her interview with CNN, Ayla's grandmother repeatedly declined comment when asked about various aspects of what happened the night of her granddaughter's disappearance, including who was there, what the adults were doing that night, and where she was when her son told her Ayla was missing, citing her concern for the integrity of the investigation.

"Law enforcement explained to us that if we discuss details of this case, what happens is as they get tips they can't prioritize those tips that is going to bring my granddaughter home," she said.

DiPietro said she fully supports her son, who has said he "would never do anything to harm my daughter."

She says she just wants her Ayla home unharmed.

"I'd give everything I owned if we can have her back," she said Friday, her voice breaking.

WATERVILLE, Maine -- The mother of a missing Maine toddler says she has spoken to the girl's father but still has unanswered questions about the disappearance.

Trista Reynolds said Tuesday that she still isn't getting "the whole truth" about what happened in Justin DiPietro's Waterville home on the night that 20-month-old Ayla Reynolds went missing.

Reynolds had criticized DiPietro for refusing to speak to her after Ayla's disappearance. She said Tuesday on NBC's "Today" show that they've now spoken, but she still wonders why he waited more than two weeks to make a public appearance to appeal for the return of their daughter.

DiPietro told authorities he last saw Ayla on the night of Dec. 16. He called the police the next morning when he discovered she wasn't in her bed.

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2012/01/10/4176652/mom-of-missing-girl-im-not-getting.html#storylink=cpy

The search for missing 20-month-old toddler Ayla Reynolds will now involve dive teams from the Maine Warden Service who will search bodies of water around the Maine town where the girl disappeared nearly a month ago.
The search for Ayla, who went missing from her father's home Dec. 17, will continue today, according to Department of Public Safety spokesman Steve McCausland, who told the Associated Press that the warden service selected the underwater areas that will be searched.

Divers will search in the early morning and into the afternoon and, McCausland said, the locations of the dives will be made public today.

A stretch of Maine's Messalonskee Stream was drained last month so authorities could get a better look for the missing tot, but the search, which took place on the ground and from an airplane overhead, was fruitless.

Ayla's father, Justin DiPietro, reported the toddler missing on Dec. 17, telling police he put the girl to bed the night before and found her missing in the morning.

The girl had been placed in his custody weeks before by the Department of Health and Human Services because her mother, Trista Reynolds, had entered rehab for substance abuse, according to Trista Reynolds' relatives.

The toddler's grandmother, Becka Hanson, told the Morning Sentinel that she had been watching Ayla while her daughter, Trista, was in rehab, but that Ayla was taken by the DHS and placed with DiPietro.

Trista's other child, a 9-month-old boy, remained in the Reynolds' family custody.

Searches of a nearby river and aerial searches have turned up nothing. Waterville police chief Joseph Massey said the police are following every lead that comes in from the public, and have not ruled out abduction.

Waterville police, state police, game wardens and the FBI are all involved in the search, with more than 75 law enforcement agents now helping the investigation, Massey said. Twenty-five agents helped conduct the river search, which Massey called a "logical" step because of its proximity to where Ayla was last seen.

The state police department has now taken over the investigation.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/missing-maine-toddler-ayla-reynolds-dive-teams-search/story?id=15337064

Snipped from article above:

"Trista's other child, a 9-month-old boy, remained in the Reynolds' family custody."

Ugh. What is wrong with these girls...having babies while on drugs and no husband to help support and raise the child. So many babies living in unstable environments. I'm glad her mother is taking care of the 9 month old baby but where is the father? And why can't she shut those legs or get on BC. Trista needs to get her life together and be responsible for her children or QUIT having more babies.

Waterville, Maine (CNN) -- Divers in Maine were
scouring a river Wednesday in their search for a missing 21-month-old
girl, but had found no sign of her in the frigid waters, authorities
said.

"We're making progress. I can tell you honestly that as the days go
on, our concern grows, as it's been 26 days. But I can also tell you
that we remain hopeful that we will bring her back to her home," Maine
Department of Public Safety spokesman Steve McCausland told reporters.

The search for Ayla Reynolds focused Wednesday on a half-mile area of
the Kennebec River that stretches from downtown Waterville to the
Carter Memorial Bridge. Officials said they had received more than 600
tips, but nothing that specifically pointed to that area.

The river still has open water despite air temperatures in the teens.
Divers in special suits to protect them in the frigid waters rotated
in and out of the river, which was around freezing temperature, Maine
Warden Service Lt. Kevin Adam said.
"The water is clear. When the sun is out, they can see 4-6 feet. ...
We picked today because the weather's good and it was the most efficient
time to do it," he said.

The search for the little girl is in its fourth week. Police have said they suspect foul play in the case.

"All we know is that Ayla's missing. We've ruled out no scenario.
We've ruled out no one. And we're not going to get into investigative
details," McCausland said Wednesday.

He described the search as the most intense investigation Maine's state police had been involved in for two decades.

Ayla's parents are not married and don't live together. Her mother
recently completed rehab, family members said. Investigators said both
families have cooperated with police.

The little girl's father, Justin DiPietro, said he put his daughter
to bed at 8 p.m. December 16 and called police the next morning just
before 9 a.m. to report her missing, according to authorities.

DiPietro's mother, Phoebe DiPietro, told CNN she wasn't at the home
the night Ayla disappeared. But she said she fully supports her son, who
has said he "would never do anything to harm" his daughter.

She said she just wants her Ayla returned unharmed.

"I'd give everything I owned if we can have her back," she said last week, her voice breaking.
http://edition.cnn.com/2012/01/11/us/maine-missing-girl/index.html

Justin DiPietro, the father of missing Maine toddler Ayla Reynolds, has taken a polygraph, the spokesman for the Maine State Police said.
"He was told the results," Stephen McCausland added.

McCausland would not say when the test was given, nor did he say whether Ayla's father passed, failed, or if the results were inconclusive. He also would not elaborate on what questions DiPietro was asked.

However, DiPietro told the Morning Sentinel newspaper in Waterville, Maine, that he took the test early on in the investigation.

"I know I went in there and smoked it," he said. "I told the truth, and that's it."

The newspaper reported Ayla's father would not reveal the results, and would say only, "They can tell me whatever they want. Again, I didn't physically see the results."

Polygraph results cannot be used as evidence in court.

It's been four weeks since Ayla disappeared.

Alya, now 21 months old, was reported missing by her father the morning of December 17. Police said DiPietro told them he put Ayla to bed at 8 p.m. the night before.

Police said Friday that three children -- not two, as they previously said -- were at home the night Ayla went missing.

Ayla's grandmother, Phoebe DiPietro, has told CNN that Ayla was in her bedroom she shared with her cousin, who is three months younger.

DiPietro now confirms to the Morning Sentinel that his sister Elisha -- the mother of Ayla's cousin -- was there along with DiPietro's girlfriend, Courtney Roberts, and her young son.

The family's one-story home is owned by DiPietro's mother. She told police she was not there that night. It appears DiPietro has a room in the basement.

DiPietro has not spoken publicly about what happened the night his daughter vanished other than to say, through his mother, that he put her to bed.

Investigators said they have told DiPietro family members they're free to discuss what transpired that night despite any previous possible misunderstanding. When Ayla first disappeared, police told them not to disclose details because of sensitivities of the case.

DiPietro told the newspaper he's deferring to police on that subject.

"I would rather let them be the ones to come out and talk about that night, if they feel it's necessary," DiPietro told the Morning Sentinel.

"I don't really feel that's up to us. If there are certain details they want to share, they should be the ones to come out and share those details," he told the paper.

A missing children's center in Houston, Laura's Recovery Center, said it has advised DiPietro to talk about Ayla as much as possible to keep the case in the public eye.

http://www.cnn.com/2012/01/14/justice/maine-missing-girl/

January 16, 2012 21:38 GMT
Missing toddler's mom says she'll take polygraph
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) -- The mother of a 21-month-old girl who went
missing a month ago says she's arranging with investigators for her and
others in her family to take polygraph tests regarding her daughter's
disappearance.
Trista Reynolds told the Bangor Daily News
(http://bit.ly/wvYv07) on Monday that she has been offering to take a
lie detector test since the day her daughter disappeared.
Ayla
Reynolds was reported missing Dec. 17 by her father, Justin DiPietro,
who told police she wasn't in her bed that morning in his Waterville
home.
DiPietro last week said he had taken a polygraph test
shortly after Ayla disappeared, but neither DiPietro nor police would
say what the results were.
Police are continuing their investigation into Ayla's disappearance.
http://www.wgme.com/template/inews_wire/wires.regional.me/25b950af-www.wgme.com.shtml

Ayla Reynolds' Mom Unable to Complete Polygraph
By COLLEEN CURRY

Jan. 19, 2012

The mother of missing Maine toddler Ayla Reynolds attempted to take a polygraph test with investigators but failed to complete it due to a medical condition, she said in a message on her website.

Trista Reynolds announced she took the polygraph test Wednesday to answer questions about the disappearance of her 1-year-old daughter from the girl's father's house in December.

"According to the test administrator, who was very courteous and professional, I was unable to complete the test due to a medical condition," Reynolds wrote. "It was suggested to me that after treatment by a medical doctor I might be able to finish the test, but the investigating authority is content with the general outcome of the incomplete test (as it stands)."

She does not explain what the medical condition was and could not be reached for comment. The Maine State Police department would not comment on the polygraph test.

Reynolds had promised to make public the results of her polygraph test after Ayla's father, Justin DiPietro, took a test but did not release the results.

Kenneth Blackstone, a forensic polygraph examiner based in Atlanta, said that individuals sitting for polygraph tests are usually screened ahead of the test for any medical conditions that might interfere with the test.

"If a person is having physical problems, something that is observable, like coughing or saying 'I don't feel good,' you don't test them. But that is brought up in the pre-test interview, which is the longest part of the whole thing," Blackstone said, noting that a person who is ill when taking the test could use the condition later to discredit the test's results.

Blackstone said he did not know why Reynolds was allowed to take the test and then stopped in the middle, but said he was surprised administrators said they were satisfied with the test.

"There's no way to be satisfied with an incomplete test," he said.

The toddler disappeared sometimes between the night of Dec. 16 and the morning of December 17, after her father put her to bed and before he checked on her in the morning. Police have said they are treating it as a kidnapping, but have not named any suspects in the girl's disappearance. They have said the family has cooperated with authorities.

DiPietro and Reynolds were estranged at the time of the disappearance, and Ayla was living with her father while Trista Reynolds was in drug rehab, according to both families. Reynolds was in the process of trying to regain custody of Ayla, and had filed papers in court the day before the girl disappeared, she told ABC News.

Ayla was last seen wearing a green one-piece outfit with a soft cast on her arm, which was broken in an accidental fall just weeks before her disappearance, according to police.

Maine State Police, along with the Maine game warden service, and FBI, searched rivers and lakes in DiPietro's neighborhood in addition to checking area Dumpsters and canvassing neighbors. The searches turned up nothing, police said.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/ayla-reynolds-mom-finish-polygraph/story?id=15393857

Is Ayla Reynolds Victim of Illegal Custody Grab?

Trista Reynolds, mother of missing toddler Ayla Reynolds, and her family, released an online statement Sunday on Facebook addressing events leading up to Ayla's disappearance. The Reynolds family provided information on Ayla's custodial arrangements prior to the girl's disappearance. The account questions whether a child protective services supervisor acted outside of her authority in transferring the little girl to her father Justin DiPietro.

According to the statement, Maine's Department of Health and Human Services took action after Trista Reynolds, under the influence of alcohol, had an altercation with her sister Jessica Reynolds Oct. 12, resulting in a police visit. Trista Reynolds says the next day a DHHS official told her to "kick the alcohol or lose the kids," and she entered into substance abuse treatment, starting that day.

Ayla's Care

DHHS allowed Trista Reynolds' mother Becca Hanson and sister Jessica to care for Ayla at Jessica's apartment during Trista's treatment, the statement said. But on Oct. 17, a DHHS caseworker and CPS supervisor contacted Jessica and told her to give Ayla to Justin DiPietro. The reason given, according to the Reynolds, included the statement "dad trumps the aunt - any day."

That same day, Lewiston police removed a kicking and screaming Ayla from the Reynolds apartment, the report said, and brought her to DiPietro who was waiting downstairs.

Agreement Reached and Breached

At a family team meeting held Oct. 20 that included Trista, Justin, Jessica and her attorney, two doctors, two DHHS case workers and the CPS supervisor, an agreement was reached, the Reynolds say. Justin would bring Ayla to visit Trista at the treatment facility on Oct. 21, and on Oct. 22 he would release her into Trista's care at Jessica's apartment. If Justin failed to comply, the CPS supervisor reportedly said "there would be consequences."

Trista and her family say Justin did not comply with either requirement. She says she was "stonewalled" by DHHS. Finally, she agreed that Justin could care for Ayla if she and her daughter had regular visits.

Filing for Parental Rights and Responsibilities

Trista filed a petition with Cumberland County Court seeking a declaration of parental rights and responsibilities Dec. 15 at noon. This account is consistent with what various media including ABC News reported last month. The reasons Reynolds gave for her court filing included infrequent visitation, lack of communication with Justin, and Ayla's injuries while under Justin's care. In January, DiPietro told the Morning Sentinel that Ayla suffered a broken arm when he fell on top of her while carrying her and groceries up steps. Trista alleges that Ayla suffered facial bruises in mid-September when Justin took her on a day visit to Chuck E. Cheese, and also returned home from an overnight visit with Justin with a pulled muscle in late September.

The statement says Trista, her mother and brother last saw Ayla on November 21 when Trista accompanied Justin and Ayla to a bone specialist.

Commenter Insight

The comment section of timeline post offered these insights as of Sunday night:

* Justin told Trista that the bruises on Ayla's face happened when he put her in a Chuck E. Cheese ball pit and other babies beat her up, Trista's statement said. There is only one Chuck E. Cheese in Maine, according to the Chuck E. Cheese website (it's in Portland where Trista lives), and the commenter said it does not have a ball pit.
* The site administrator noted two points of interest in the comment section: Trista sought and obtained a green light from the State Police before releasing her statement to the public; and the pre-release version apparently named the CPS supervisor, unlike the version ultimately released.

* According to a Sunday night post on the timeline and posts elsewhere on the net including the Hinky Meter, CPS employee Karen J. Small is related to Justin's mother Phoebe DiPietro by marriage, and the two are good friends. No one has provided evidence of Small being involved in the custody decisions regarding Ayla. Small is a caseworker supervisor at Maine Department of Health and Human Services, according to state records.



Criminal Investigation



Contrary to many news headlines, the Waterville Police Dept. didn't say Ayla was kidnapped when turning the case over to the State Police. The police statement said the case evolved from a missing persons case to a criminal investigation. Either a stranger kidnapping scenario or an unauthorized custodial snatch accompanied by a missing persons report would fall within the parameters of that police statement because either one would involve criminal activity.

http://news.yahoo.com/ayla-reynolds-victim-illegal-custody-grab-211625924.html

Bolded by me...great article and talked about last night on HM and now on Yahoo!.