Ayla Reynolds Missing, Police Suspect Foul Play (VIDEO)
Twenty-month-old Ayla Reynolds has been missing since Dec. 16, 2011, and dive teams have now joined the search. Ayla is the daughter of Trista Reynolds and Justin DiPietro in Maine.
The little girl was reported missing on Dec. 17 by her father, who stated that he had put her to bed the night before but discovered her gone when he awoke. Ayla was last seen wearing pajamas and a sling on her left arm. She was in her father’s custody because her mother was in a rehabilitation program; Trista had filed papers for sole custody on Dec. 16.
On Dec. 18, the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) joined the search for Ayla, while her parents issued statements denying their involvement and hope for return. Justin stated, “I will not make accusations or insinuations toward anyone until the police have been able to prove who is responsible for this. Ayla was in my sole custody at the time of her disappearance, per agreement between her mother and I, because she was unable to care for Ayla. I have shared every piece of information with the police.”
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Trista has stated that she blames Justin for Ayla’s disappearance and blames him for not keeping her safe. She has appeared on “Good Morning America,” the “Today” show, and on Nancy Grace, while Justin has chosen to remain fairly quiet. On Dec. 30, the Waterville police announced they suspected foul play in the case.
Police Chief Joseph Massey told the press, “At this point, we believe that foul play has occurred in connection with Ayla’s disappearance. We base our conclusions on evidence gathered by investigators during the past two weeks. This case has evolved from the search for a missing child to a criminal investigation.”
The police refused to describe what had made them change the case’s classification, but cadaver dogs have been brought in to assist with the search. Today, divers began searching the Kennebec River with little result. Again, the police have not stated what led to this particular action.
Phoebe DiPietro, Ayla’s grandmother, initially told CNN she was home at the time of the abduction but did not hear anything. She later changed her statement to say that she was not actually home. As she told CNN, “Law enforcement explained to us that if we discuss details of this case, what happens is [that] as they get tips, they can’t prioritize those tips.” She added, “I’d give everything I owned if we can have her back.”
Community members have helped police with the initial search, and have offered a $30,000 reward for any information.
