NEW TODAY 12/21/2011 as of 11pm CT:
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/12/2...ssing-maine-girl-ayla-reynolds/#ixzz1hCT8m2Er
JR and TR quotes from article Dec.21st2011
Reynolds and her older sister, Jessica, were staying in a hotel Tuesday to keep away from the media frenzy.
"I'm watching my sister fall to pieces," Jessica Reynolds said. "I don't think she has any tears left to cry."
Trista Reynolds told The Associated Press that she and DiPietro never lived together as a couple. But Reynolds said a drinking problem prompted her to enter rehabilitation in Lewiston for 10 days in October; she said that although her mother and older sister cared for Ayla during that time, child welfare agents intervened to place the girl with DiPietro.
PC Dec. 21st 2011
http://www.wmtw.com/video/30048773/detail.html
not a full transcipt:
Chief: Let me start off by talking about Justin Dipietro's statement that he gave to investigators sometime around midafternoon yesterday. That was evenutally filtered out to the command staff in the early evening hours. There was a decision made to go ahead and release Justin Dipietro's statement to the Waterville Morning Sentinal. I understand there's been some concerns and issues about that, we talked about that today and we will certainly change that to make sure that in the future that type of information gets filtered on to all of you.
We continue to receive leads. We have approximately 165 leads that have come in since we started the investigation. That has been keeping investigators very very busy, as you might imagine.
A couple of other area's that we've expanded on the search for the Warden service: we've searched the Kennebec River, we are currently searching the Kennebec River, from the Waterville Winslow Bridge south. We've also expanded our search to a small pond on the 1st Rangeway, that pond was pumped down by the Waterville Fire Department, obviously we could see the bottom of it. We are also in the process of searching some trails off from Kennedy Memorial Drive across from Shaw's Plaza.
There are approximately 80 searchers. We have about 50 of those folks who are from the Maine Association of Search and Rescue. They are civiallians but they have a lot of training in search and rescue. They work hand and hand with the Warden Service when they are required. We have about 15 firefighters, more than a dozen Wardens and we also have Marine Patrol that are joining us today and they are providing a search of the river with their boats.
These searches are in places where we would logically want to go ahead and search based on their location. We want to rule out every possible area that we can in our efforts to find Ayla. That is our focus, that is our goal, that is our aim, we are not going to lose focus of that. We are going to continue this investigation until we locate her.
Q: Was Justin Dipietros statement given to you by him or by his attorney?
A: That was given to investigators by Justin.
Q: I recieved a call yesterday from a woman in a southern state saying that she thought she had spotted Ayla in a hospital waiting room and she said she has contacted police. Are you familiar with what I'm talking about?
A: I am not, but I am not aware of every lead that comes in. Those are filtered down to all the investigators and I don't neccassarily see every single lead. We may have gotten it, it may have been looked at, and acted on. I don't know.
Q: Is it true that you told Trista Reynolds not to search, and has Justin Dipietro and his family expressed an interest in searching to police?
A: I personally do not have any information that she has asked to participate in the searches, nor do I have any information that Justin has.
Q: Would you have given them permission? Is that something you would know about if it happened?
A: Not neccassarily. We have talked to the family, and as I said the family continues to be fully cooperative. If they at some point had offered that to investigators, i'm not sure.
Q: Would they be allowed to?
A: Uh, when we do a search, we detirmine the type of searchers that we need. In some areas, we need the specialized training that I talked about these folks have today. In other searches, we ask for volunteers, and we go ahead and coordinate that. That's something that the search coordinator would make some determination on.
Ayla Reynolds: Issues 12/21/11 - YouTube
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1112/21/ijvm.01.html
RR JR., Trista's brother:
VELEZ-MITCHELL: OK. I know you have an explanation as to why Trista, the mother of little missing Ayla, was not at the vigil tonight. Tell us.
RONALD REYNOLDS: Let me clear that up real quick, OK? We did not go because of the way the weather was. My father was afraid that if we got into a car accident because of the way the weather was, you know, we wouldn`t be here for Ayla. So that --
VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right, just take a deep breath. I know it`s frustrating and you`re going through a lot of emotions right now, Ronnie. So just hang in there. I have some more questions for you. The missing girl`s dad also explains why Ayla was in his custody instead of Trista`s. Listen to what the dad said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ayla was in my sole custody at the time of her disappearance per agreement between her mother and I because she was temporarily unable to care for Ayla. I have shared every piece of information possible with the police.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right, now, Jessica, Ayla`s mom, went into rehab for alcohol abuse back in October. She left the child with her sister, and my understanding, Ronnie, is that the father came in while the mom was in rehab and took the child with the help of child services. So he says they had an agreement. To me it sounds like they had a disagreement. What do you know, Ronnie?
RONALD REYNOLDS: OK, first off, they did have an agreement, OK. When Trista was in rehab, they did have an agreement for Justin to take care of Ayla while she was there. Now, DHS, on the other hand, said when Trista got out of rehab, she could take back Ayla. Ayla was supposed to go back to her mom. And that never happened.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: So Trista got out of rehab and she was trying to get her child back. And are you saying that dad wouldn`t give the child back?
RONALD REYNOLDS: No. Her father would not bring her back. He canceled doctor appointments. He canceled visitations with Trista. I`m sorry. This doesn`t make sense. Where is my 20-month-old niece? You know, he had the agreement with Trista and then violated it.
RONALD REYNOLDS: She used to come home every time from her father`s house and she would have bruises, or one time she couldn`t walk for three weeks. And now she has a broken arm, and now she`s missing? It doesn`t make sense. It doesn`t make sense.
Ayla Reynolds: Nancy 12/21/11 - YouTube
~Transcript of NG not available at time of post~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
LE Press Confereces/Statements:
PC Dec. 18th 2011
http://www.wmur.com/video/30024809/detail.html
PC Dec. 19th 2011
http://www.wmtw.com/video/30031794/detail.html
http://www.wmtw.com/video/30031834/detail.html
not a full transcript:
Q: Friday night, one of the neighbors said she heard a motor vehicle pull up to the house late..but she didn't pay much attention to it..would that have been something that you have been looking into?
A: Yes. We've looked into all the information that has been passed onto us.
Q: So a motor vehicle did come to the house, late?
A: Yes. There was a neighbor that reported a motor vehicle outside..that is with the investigators right now.
Q: Do we know who was in that vehicle, what kind of vehicle it was, where it came from?
A: The only information I have is that a resident reported vehicle outside at some point. That has been forwarded to detectives and they are following up on it.
Q: Is this a missing person or is it an abduction?
A: It's a missing persons case.
Q: The father, Justin Dipietro, he lives at 29 Violette with his mother, correct?
A: Yes.
Q: Okay, is he still in the area as far as you know, or is he...?
A: I'm not sure of his whereabouts at this time, I'm not sure if he is continued there or moved someplace else.
Q: At what point will the family be allowed back into the house?
A: I'm not sure. That would be up to the folks who are actually at the house.
Q: Who is at the house right now? No one in the family is allowed to be at the house right now? Is the house closed off, just investigators right now?
A: Yes.
Q: How long do you think that is going to be?
A: Again, I'd have to speak to those investigators that are there. I'm not sure.
Q: The search that is going on right now, is that along the banks of the river or divers in the river? How do you see that transpiring over the next day or so?
A: The search today was along the banks. Let me defer to Lt. Adams, uh, confined to the banks?
Adams: To the banks, yes sir.
Q: That is still going on right now?
Adams: Yes.
Q: Where does the mother live?
A: I don't think she has a permanent address.
Q: But is she homeless? Does she live with a relative?
A: I believe that she was staying with relatives, yes.
PC Dec. 20th 2011
http://www.wmtw.com/video/30040002/detail.html
http://www.wmtw.com/video/30040246/detail.html
PC Dec. 21st 2011
http://www.wmtw.com/video/30048773/detail.html
not a full transcript:
Chief: Let me start off by talking about Justin Dipietro's statement that he gave to investigators sometime around mid afternoon yesterday. That was eventually filtered out to the command staff in the early evening hours. There was a decision made to go ahead and release Justin Dipietro's statement to the Waterville Morning Sentinel. I understand there's been some concerns and issues about that, we talked about that today and we will certainly change that to make sure that in the future that type of information gets filtered on to all of you.
We continue to receive leads. We have approximately 165 leads that have come in since we started the investigation. That has been keeping investigators very very busy, as you might imagine.
A couple of other area's that we've expanded on the search for the Warden service: we've searched the Kennebec River, we are currently searching the Kennebec River, from the Waterville Winslow Bridge south. We've also expanded our search to a small pond on the 1st Rangeway, that pond was pumped down by the Waterville Fire Department, obviously we could see the bottom of it. We are also in the process of searching some trails off from Kennedy Memorial Drive across from Shaw's Plaza.
There are approximately 80 searchers. We have about 50 of those folks who are from the Maine Association of Search and Rescue. They are civilians but they have a lot of training in search and rescue. They work hand and hand with the Warden Service when they are required. We have about 15 firefighters, more than a dozen Wardens and we also have Marine Patrol that are joining us today and they are providing a search of the river with their boats.
These searches are in places where we would logically want to go ahead and search based on their location. We want to rule out every possible area that we can in our efforts to find Ayla. That is our focus, that is our goal, that is our aim, we are not going to lose focus of that. We are going to continue this investigation until we locate her.
Q: Was Justin Dipietros statement given to you by him or by his attorney?
A: That was given to investigators by Justin.
Q: I received a call yesterday from a woman in a southern state saying that she thought she had spotted Ayla in a hospital waiting room and she said she has contacted police. Are you familiar with what I'm talking about?
A: I am not, but I am not aware of every lead that comes in. Those are filtered down to all the investigators and I don't necessarily see every single lead. We may have gotten it, it may have been looked at, and acted on. I don't know.
Q: Is it true that you told Trista Reynolds not to search, and has Justin Dipietro and his family expressed an interest in searching to police?
A: I personally do not have any information that she has asked to participate in the searches, nor do I have any information that Justin has.
Q: Would you have given them permission? Is that something you would know about if it happened?
A: Not necessarily. We have talked to the family, and as I said the family continues to be fully cooperative. If they at some point had offered that to investigators, I'm not sure.
Q: Would they be allowed to?
A: Uh, when we do a search, we determine the type of searchers that we need. In some areas, we need the specialized training that I talked about these folks have today. In other searches, we ask for volunteers, and we go ahead and coordinate that. That's something that the search coordinator would make some determination on.
Mother and Family Statements w/transcripts:
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/video/investigators-search-ayla-reynolds-15182601
Dec.18th 2011 clips with family members.
RR: Oh, man, what I'm going through right now is..I want to go there, I want to search, I want to just go up there and search, and stay up all night to do whatever I need to do but the police are telling me to let them do their job.
Um, does somebody have her in a car? I, I mean, is she dead?
Ayla's aunt: This is type of thing that I watch on the news, I never thought, in a million years thought, that my sister or anyone that close to me would be dealing with this. I just want my niece to be found, that's all we can hope
for at this point.
http://www.wmtw.com/r-video/30031806/detail.html
Raw video interview TR Dec.19th 2011
TR: I guess there is, everyone is over there right now..and I just, I guess I just want to like, I want to pick her up and I want to hold her. And I just want to tell her like, she's going to be okay. And I just, I want to see her face. I want to see her eyes. I want to feel her touch. I want to tell her I love her and I feel like I can't protect her right now and I thought by me letting her go with her father and by me keeping her there for as long as she has been that it was the safest place for her to be because I knew that I wasn't able to take care of her but now I'm so wrong.
Like, since she's been there she got a broken arm, she's ended up missing, you know what I mean, and I wasn't trying to be secretive by going to the courts. I just, I didn't want to fight with him anymore. Like, me and her father have been fighting constantly and just..I didn't want to fight no more. I was tired of getting my hopes up that my daughter was going to get to come spend the night or even a weekend with me. And then when he wouldn't show with her..you know what I mean? Like..
Reporter: Plus you're in two far apart towns..
TR: Right. Like..she's all the way in Waterville and I'm here and there is nothing I can do right now. Except for sit here and put it out there that I hope that they find her. And I hope she is safe. And I hope she's okay, but like, my biggest fear is that she's all alone and she's scared..and she ain't got nobody to turn to. And I'm her mother, I'm supposed to be protecting her. There are other people out there looking for her, and not me. I should be in Waterville right now searching for my daughter but nobody will let me be there. Waterville PD are telling me I can't be there.
Reporter: Why is that?
TR: I don't know, they just keep saying like "interfere interfere" interfere with what? Like, you..there is an amazing woman out there that I wish I knew her name, I've seen her come up on TV, talking the same thing, you know, like, has Ayla eaten? Is she okay? I mean, like, this lady, she has her own family and she has sent her own kids with her mother so she could go search for my daughter. Like, I thank that woman right now for what she is doing because I can't be there.
Reporter: What if you went up there, like what are they gonna do?
TR: That's what I'm wondering like, what are they gonna do? My whole family is ready to go up there and do our own little search. But it's like, if the dogs can't even sniff her out from the outside, then where is she? If she's not outside, then who has her? Where is she?
Reporter: First there is the abduction theory, and then you hear people are pointing fingers, you're a suspect, he is a suspect, everybody is a suspect now. What really in your heart of hearts tells you happened here? Apparently he had some people over, somebody he didn't know or..?
TR: Uh, I'm really starting to believe that he has done something with my daughter. I'm really starting to feel that, as a mother, that somebody in his family or himself has done something with Ayla. And if he has, all he's gotta do is come out and just say it. Know what I mean? Just come out and talk to me. Just tell me where she is. Because I want to know where she is. I haven't seen her in over a month and then this is what happens? Like I can't..
http://www.wmtw.com/video/30033639/detail.html
clip with TR Dec. 19th 2011
Reporter: From the kitchen table at her fathers house in Portland, TR says she hasn't slept since the call on Saturday, that her 20 month old baby named Ayla was missing from a Waterville home where she stayed with the father, JD. Reynolds says the couple, who were never married, had no legal custody arrangement, but they did have an agreement. Including around the time Trista was in rehab.
TR: The agreement was, was that if he took Ayla, if I let him take care of Ayla for the time being, for me to get back on my feet, he had to live with his mother because I thought it would have been the safest place for her to be. And..I was wrong.
http://www.wmtw.com/video/30032359/detail.html
WMTV RR interview Dec.19th 2011:
Q: People are pointing fingers at the family..
A: Exactly, I mean, no no no no, see, what you don't understand is, my granddaughter wasn't with us. She was with her father, and has been. Where is my granddaughter? I'll keep saying it until I get closure. Where is my granddaughter? I want her home! Do people not understand that? I want her home and I thank everybody that is out there right now. The state police, the FBI, everybody that is involved, I thank them from the bottom of my heart. This whole thing is just tearing me up..I just..I want her home. I want answers. I want something...just..And if he did have something to do with it, god dammit, say something, come forth and say something, somebody say something out there, somebody knows something about my granddaughter. Okay. The poor helpless little thing right now, she is out there somewhere. She's scared. And I can't do nothing. All I can do is support my family, support my daughter..this whole thing is tearing me up..
Just let me, I'll go to his house. I'll knock on his door. I'll ask him face to face if it comes down to it, where's my granddaughter? But I know what will happen if I go there..I know exactly what will happen.
Q: You'll get arrested.
A: Exactly.
http://www.kjonline.com/news/Press-conference-today-on-missing-toddler.html
Dec.19th 2011 quoted from article:
The toddler had lived in Portland with her mother and grandmother until mid-October, said Becca Hanson, Ayla’s grandmother. The grandparents, who are not married and have separate addresses, said Maine’s Department of Health and Human Services had removed Ayla from her mother’s care in October. The maternal grandparents criticized the agency, although no details about the action were available Sunday.
Hanson was staying with Ayla’s mother, Trista Reynolds, in a South Portland motel Sunday as the search continued in Waterville.
“This is the worst thing of all because she doesn’t know where her daughter is at,” Hanson said. “I’m hoping that they call us soon and say they found her.”
Hanson said Trista Reynolds was not able to talk to the media. Trista Reynolds also has a 9-month-old son who is living with her at the South Portland motel, Hanson said.
Ayla’s grandparents described her as a bright, happy girl.
“Ayla started walking when she was 10 months old,” Hanson said. “She’s a really outgoing child. She always had a smile on her face.”
Ayla loves her little brother, Hanson said. “She tries to give him his bottle and his binky. They’re like two peas in a pod.”
http://abcnews.go.com/US/missing-ma...ll-custody-day/story?id=15186552#.Tu_yUlZIuOd
Dec. 19th 2011 ABC interview with TR
TR: He would help me out, he'd take care of her until I was on my feet. We've been unable to actually get along the last few weeks and "parent" together.
Reporter: Reynolds said she filed paperwork on Thursday to get full custody of the toddler, one day before Ayla went missing, but says she hadn't told Ayla's father.
TR: He didn't know I went to file them. He'll know now but I haven't told him and no one told him.
Reporter: Reynolds says she hasn't spoken to Ayla's father Justin since their daughter disappeared.
TR: I've had no contact with him. He's had no contact with me. Like, all I know is he's the last man to see my daughter and all I want to know is where she is.
RR: I want Ayla home with her family. With her mother, with her Pop Pop, with her Grandmother, with all of us. I want her home, I want her safe. And I pray right now that she is safe.
http://www.necn.com/12/19/11/Missin...ng_newengland.html?blockID=615320&feedID=4206
Dec.19th 2011 NECN interview with TR. The video at this link is changed, it no longer shows the same video, but I transcribed the video before it was deleted.
Reporter: Trista Reynolds says her 20 month old daugther is bright, fun, talkative, and energetic. Not knowing where she is or what has happened to her is heartwrenching.
TR: It's killing me. Every minute and every hour and every second that is going by and there's nothing about her, it's hurts.
Reporter: Reynolds, who has never lived with Ayla's father, says she is angry that this happened on his watched. Asked if she thought he would ever hurt their daughter...
TR: I don't know, like, I barely know who Justin is. We've never been in a relationship. I want to believe that no, he wouldn't hurt my daughter, but if he did...he just needs to tell me. But I feel deep down inside that..he didn't hurt her but I do think he did something with her.
Reporter: Trista Reynolds is holding out hope and praying for her daughters dafe return.
TR: I am praying that the next phone call or the next knock that I get coming at my door, they're gonna say, I want you to come with me cause we got your daughter.
http://www.wmur.com/r/30037216/detail.html
Dec.20th quoted from article:
Welfare agents had placed Ayla with her father weeks ago while her mother, Trista Reynolds, was in rehab for substance abuse, Reynolds' stepsister Whitney Raynor said Monday. The toddler's maternal grandmother, Becka Hanson, told the Morning Sentinel newspaper it was the Department of Health and Human Services that took custody of the girl and turned her over to DiPietro.
After moving in with her father, the toddler suffered a broken arm, said Raynor, who serves as spokeswoman for the Portland family, which has sought to regain custody of the girl.
http://abcnews.go.com/US/missing-ma...-unstable-home/story?id=15198125#.TvDtgFZIuOe
Dec. 20th 2011 short quotes from TR.
TR: I just want answers. I just want to know where my daughter is. And who she may be with. Just bring her home.
Reporter: At around 8 oclock on Friday night, Justin Dipietro, Ayla's father, says he put the toddler to bed. When he went to check on her Saturday morning, he says she was gone. He's had custody of Ayla since child welfare agents placed her with him in November, while Reynolds was in rehab for substance abuse. During that time, Ayla's mom said she became concerned when she saw bruises, and confronted him.
TR: He said well, you know, her and my neice like to go down on the stairs. Like, it could be from that. I just..I didn't believe it.
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/12/2...ssing-maine-girl-ayla-reynolds/#ixzz1hCT8m2Er
JR and TR quotes from article Dec.21st2011
Reynolds and her older sister, Jessica, were staying in a hotel Tuesday to keep away from the media frenzy.
"I'm watching my sister fall to pieces," Jessica Reynolds said. "I don't think she has any tears left to cry."
Trista Reynolds told The Associated Press that she and DiPietro never lived together as a couple. But Reynolds said a drinking problem prompted her to enter rehabilitation in Lewiston for 10 days in October; she said that although her mother and older sister cared for Ayla during that time, child welfare agents intervened to place the girl with DiPietro.
Father JD First statement to media Dec .20th 2011
http://www.onlinesentinel.com/news/breakingnews/Father-of-missing-toddler-speaks-for-first-time.html
First, I'd like to thank everyone involved for their continued support in finding our daughter, Ayla.
I have no idea what happened to Ayla, or who is responsible. I will not make accusations or insinuations towards anyone until the police have been able to prove who's 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 temporarily unable to care for Ayla. I have shared every piece of information possible with the police. Contrary to some statements floating around out there, I have been in communication with Ayla's mother over the last couple of weeks. The Waterville police have the transcripts from my phone for verification of those communications.
It has always been my intention to have a shared parenting arrangement with Ayla's mother and I will continue to work towards that when Ayla is returned to us.
My family and friends will continue to do everything we can to assist in this investigation and to get Ayla back home.
We appreciate the media respecting our privacy at this time. If anyone has any information that might be helpful, please contact Waterville police at 207-680-4700.
Nancy Grave and JVM Transcripts and Video (thank you to WS user Patty G for the videos):
Ayla Reynolds: Nancy 12/19/11 - YouTube
Ayla Reynolds: Issues 12/19/11 - YouTube
Ayla Reynolds: Issues 12/20/11 - YouTube
Ayla Reynolds: Nancy 12/20/11 - YouTube
Ayla Reynolds: Issues 12/21/11 - YouTube
Ayla Reynolds: Nancy 12/21/11 - YouTube
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1112/19/ng.01.html
TRISTA REYNOLDS: A few weeks ago, Justin had given me a call and said that he was holding Ayla and they fell up, like, two or three little steps, and he fell on top of her and her arm was broken. And he waited over -- almost 24 hours to bring her to the emergency room.
I want -- I want reasons -- I want to know reasons to why -- why do you wait almost 24 hours to bring a child to -- he himself told me she screamed bloody murder when they fell, so you wait almost 24 hours to go have her checked out?
REYNOLDS: No, when she started staying with Justin, she was actually sleeping in, like, a toddler bed.
REYNOLDS: Ayla knows how to open doors, but I also have taught Ayla that we don`t walk outside without Mommy or an older adult. And Ayla never once had ever tried getting outside, unless I was right there by her.
GRACE: I`m going to come back to Dr. Carter. But very quickly, Trista Reynolds is with us. This is Ayla`s mom. Trista, you went to court in secret just hours before Ayla goes missing, 20-month-old baby girl with a sling on her arm. Did you prevail? Did the judge suggest to you that you were going to get full custody?
REYNOLDS: I haven`t even gotten that far. All I have done is file the paperwork, and that was it. I haven`t seen a judge. I haven`t talked to a lawyer. I have done nothing but file...
GRACE: So you went all on your own without even a lawyer to help you, trying to get custody. Why, Trista, were you trying to get full custody?
REYNOLDS: Because her father has never had anything to do with her up until I needed to go and get a little bit of help for myself. And then when I left my daughter with my sister, that`s when he decided, You know what? I`m going to take Ayla.
And I want to put it out there that every time my daughter has gone with Justin, she would always come back with bruises on her or she had come back with a pulled muscle. And in the 18 months that I had had my daughter, not once did she ever end up missing, did she ever end up with a broken bone, did she ever miss a doctor`s appointment. And since she`s been with Justin, she has missed four appointments for shots. And this past Friday, she missed her bone specialist appointment.
GRACE: You know, yes -- you know, Trista, another question. I want to follow-up on what Renee Rockwell just said. Who all was in the home, Trista? And have you talked to the father?
REYNOLDS: No, Justin and I have had no contact.
RONALD REYNOLDS, MISSING CHILD`S GRANDFATHER (via telephone): I said -- I`m sorry, ma`am. I don`t know. Honestly, I don`t know. All I know is what was told what happened with her arm, and that she went to the doctors, got it checked out, and apparently, it was broken from the fall.
TIRSTA REYNOLDS, AYLA REYNOLDS` MOTHER (via telephone): No. I did not tell Justin that I was going to the court to file. Now, me and him had had the discussion within that week that he told me himself that he was going to file the custody papers against me. So I decided to go and file against him.
GRACE: All right. So he did not know, then? In your mind, he did not know that you had filed the papers?
TIRSTA REYNOLDS: No, I wanted him not to know that I was filing --
GRACE: Why? Why didn`t you want him to know?
TIRSTA REYNOLDS: Why didn`t I want him to know?
GRACE: Right.
TIRSTA REYNOLDS: Because he`s vindictive. He`s very verbally abusive towards me and anything that I say or do, he refuses to let me see my daughter, he`s refused to let me talk to her. I mean, he has never, like, once since he`s had her, since October 17th, had let me have her for one single day. So, I decided that it was time to do this the legal way and let a judge say who this child should be with. And my daughter does deserve to be with me. I`m the one who`s raised her for 18 months.
Trista, can you tell me, one of the callers asked why the dad had the baby to start with. I told them, as you heard, that you were briefly in rehab. You put yourself in rehab to get past some problems you had, but the night the baby goes missing, which is what I`m concerned, I don`t care what anybody did before that, where were you the night the baby goes missing, Trista?
TIRSTA REYNOLDS: The night that my daughter went missing, I was at the Maine motel in South Portland.
GRACE: And you have fully cooperated with police, is that true?
TIRSTA REYNOLDS: Fully cooperated. And Nancy, there`s one thing I want to clear up with you.
GRACE: OK.
TIRSTA REYNOLDS: Someone just said that -- it was said that Ayla had her own bedroom at her father`s house. She does not have her own bedroom. She sleeps in the same room with her cousin, who is, I think, two months younger than her. So, if -- so why wasn`t she taken? If my daughter went missing, why didn`t her cousin -- you know, at least make a noise or scream or be taken as well.
GRACE: So you`re telling me that, Trista, that there would have been somebody else sleeping in the room with her?
TIRSTA REYNOLDS: Yes! Like, I`ve been to that house myself, and I have been in the bedroom to where Ayla sleeps, and she sleeps in the same exact room as Justin`s sister`s little girl.
GRACE: And how old is the little girl?
TIRSTA REYNOLDS: I think she`s exactly -- I think she`s like two months younger than Ayla.
TIRSTA REYNOLDS: OK, well, let me clear one thing up.
GRACE: OK.
TIRSTA REYNOLDS: Justin and I have never been in a serious relationship, ever.
GRACE: OK. So that means that there was never any domestic abuse, because you never lived together?
TIRSTA REYNOLDS: No. We`ve never lived together, we`ve never been together. We were just two mutual friends.
GRACE: I want to go right now -- OK, hold on, I`m getting another question -- OK, another caller has another question, Trista, about a bone specialist. Did the baby see a bone specialist when she broke her arm?
TIRSTA REYNOLDS: Yes, we took her to Maine orthopedics, right in Portland.
GRACE: And what did they say?
TIRSTA REYNOLDS: They said that at first it seemed to be suspicious, and then they said the way that her arm was broken, it may not have been suspicious and it could have been accidental.
TIRSTA REYNOLDS: My daughter -- I don`t see Ayla doing it either. And Ayla would never wander off unless there was someone with her.
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1112/19/ijvm.01.html
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1112/20/ijvm.01.html
JESSICA REYNOLDS, AYLA`S AUNT: Hello?
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes, hi, Jessica. Can you hear me, Jessica?
J. REYNOLDS: I can hear you.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: OK. What was the child`s relationship with the dad? We`ve heard a lot about injuries. We know that the child had a broken arm. How did she get that, and did the child receive any other injuries when she was with the father?
J. REYNOLDS: I can tell you that the injury did come from being with dad. The story we have gotten was they had gone shopping at a local store. And he was carrying Ayla and a bunch of bags. And they fell up two steps that can`t be any more than six inches apart, and he fell on top of Ayla.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Do you buy that story?
J. REYNOLDS: Not at all. Not at all. I mean, a lot comes in -- like, why was he carrying her? She`s well able to walk.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Did you know of any other injuries that the child sustained under the father`s care?
J. REYNOLDS: I do, actually.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Tell me.
J. REYNOLDS: The very first time he took Ayla for like a visit, he brought her to Chuck E. Cheese, and she came home with bruises on the right side of her face. There was some bruises on her leg.
And the story he gave us was that she was playing in the ball pit at Chuck E. Cheese and fighting with another child. Now, any parent would remove their child from that situation. Instead, I guess he let her keep fighting, and that`s why she came home with the bruises. Didn`t make sense.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Jessica, why did he want the child? Why did he want to take the child, if, when he had the child, she kept falling and getting hurt and having, quote unquote, "injuries"?
J. REYNOLDS: I`m sorry. I didn`t hear the beginning of that.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Why did he want the child if the child was having so many problems and getting hurt so much on his watch?
J. REYNOLDS: Right. I -- I honestly -- I don`t know. I can tell you my sister was -- she absolutely, every time he called to take Ayla, she has hesitant about sending her. She did want her -- she wanted her child to have a relationship with her father. She was scared, though, because every time Ayla came home, there was something wrong with her.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, excellent question. Jessica Reynolds, you are the child`s maternal aunt. You were watching the little girl at the time that the mother went into rehab, and then the dad comes and takes the child away. Had you told Children Services, "Hey, she keeps getting hurt, reportedly, allegedly, when with the father"?
J. REYNOLDS: Well, I can say we have reported it many times, to department of health and human services, to answer that question that was just asked. I didn`t let the child go with him. I was told I had to give the child to him. It was not an option.
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1112/20/ng.01.html
BECCA HANSON, MISSING CHILD`S MATERNAL GRANDMOTHER (via telephone): Thank you for having me on.
GRACE: Ms. Hanson, I don`t understand how this whole scenario unfolded. The father is visiting with the baby. She`s at his home. He has just recently moved back in with his parents. I think his girlfriend is there at the time.
What I don`t understand is this, Ms. Hanson. She`s with the daddy, she goes missing. She`s with the daddy last time, she gets a broken arm. And now I`m hearing that Daddy had her at a Chuck E. Cheese, where some things are just -- it`s up for grabs. It`s chaos in there. You`ve got a 2-year-old -- not even 2, 20-month-old baby girl standing there at Chuck E. Cheese, and he says older children run by and maul her, maul her, and she`s covered in bruises? What happens when Daddy gets the baby?
HANSON: I don`t know. He just wasn`t watching her.
To Becca Hanson. This is Ayla`s maternal grandmother. Has the mom done any searching for Ayla?
HANSON: No. We were informed by the Waterville Police Department not to go to Waterville. We were just here in Portland.
GRACE: Why?
HANSON: They said they didn`t need us there searching.
GRACE: OK. I`m just trying to just drink that in. What exactly are you and your daughter doing to find the baby?
HANSON: We are doing everything that we possibly can, hitting all the newspapers, the news stations. We`re trying to do a candlelight on Friday evening for Ayla.
Nancy, I just want my granddaughter brought home safe, where we can hug her and kiss her and let her know that we`re all here waiting for her.
All right, Becca Hanson is here with us. This is Trista`s mom. I don`t understand it, either. I don`t. Explain to me why the mom is sitting 80 miles away from where the baby disappeared? Because I got to tell you, ma`am, I would be laying in the streets screaming, Where`s my baby, trying to find the baby. What is she doing 80 miles away?
HANSON: She was told by the Waterville Police Department not to be in Waterville.
GRACE: I don`t understand.
HANSON: She`s with me and her dad and her brother and her sister, and we`re waiting patiently for something to come up with this child.
Miss Hanson, thanks for being with us. I understand that the father had just moved back into his mother`s home, is that correct?
BECCA HANSON, MATERNAL GRANDMOTHER OF MISSING 20-MONTH-OLD BABY AYLA: That is correct.
GRACE: So, up until that time who had been taking care of baby Ayla, the father or the grandmother?
HANSON: Me and my daughter Trista had been taking care of Ayla since the day she was born.
GRACE: Yes, I know that. During this particular visit who had been taking care of the child?
HANSON: She had been with her father since October.
GRACE: OK. And during all of that time was he or his mother taking care of the baby?
HANSON: From my understanding, it was supposed to be him taking care of Ayla.
GRACE: Do you believe that to be true, Miss Hanson, or do you believe the grandmother was taking care of the baby?
HANSON: I believe the grandmother was taking care of her.
GRACE: OK. Now, remember, I`m just a lawyer. I`m not a dentist. I don`t know how to pull teeth. Why do you believe the grandmother was taking care of the baby before daddy moved home?
HANSON: Because daddy really never had anything to do with the baby much before the June of this year.
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1112/21/ijvm.01.html
RONALD REYNOLDS, JR., AYLA REYNOLDS UNCLE, (via telephone): I can.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: OK. I know you have an explanation as to why Trista, the mother of little missing Ayla, was not at the vigil tonight. Tell us.
RONALD REYNOLDS: Let me clear that up real quick, OK? We did not go because of the way the weather was. My father was afraid that if we got into a car accident because of the way the weather was, you know, we wouldn`t be here for Ayla. So that --
VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right, just take a deep breath. I know it`s frustrating and you`re going through a lot of emotions right now, Ronnie. So just hang in there. I have some more questions for you. The missing girl`s dad also explains why Ayla was in his custody instead of Trista`s. Listen to what the dad said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ayla was in my sole custody at the time of her disappearance per agreement between her mother and I because she was temporarily unable to care for Ayla. I have shared every piece of information possible with the police.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right, now, Jessica, Ayla`s mom, went into rehab for alcohol abuse back in October. She left the child with her sister, and my understanding, Ronnie, is that the father came in while the mom was in rehab and took the child with the help of child services. So he says they had an agreement. To me it sounds like they had a disagreement. What do you know, Ronnie?
RONALD REYNOLDS: OK, first off, they did have an agreement, OK. When Trista was in rehab, they did have an agreement for Justin to take care of Ayla while she was there. Now, DHS, on the other hand, said when Trista got out of rehab, she could take back Ayla. Ayla was supposed to go back to her mom. And that never happened.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: So Trista got out of rehab and she was trying to get her child back. And are you saying that dad wouldn`t give the child back?
RONALD REYNOLDS: No. Her father would not bring her back. He canceled doctor appointments. He canceled visitations with Trista. I`m sorry. This doesn`t make sense. Where is my 20-month-old niece? You know, he had the agreement with Trista and then violated it.
RONALD REYNOLDS: She used to come home every time from her father`s house and she would have bruises, or one time she couldn`t walk for three weeks. And now she has a broken arm, and now she`s missing? It doesn`t make sense. It doesn`t make sense.
Waterville PD fb
http://www.facebook.com/waterville.police
Photobucket account, thanks to WS user PlainJaneDoe
http://s1185.photobucket.com/albums/z344/PlainJane_WS/Ayla Reynolds/
WMTV live blog:
http://livewire.wmtw.com/Event/Search_For_Missing_Waterville_Toddler#ixzz1h10sEGaQ
Interview with neighbor that heard car:
http://www.wmtw.com/video/30033560/detail.html
Google map:
http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&c...esult&ct=title&resnum=1&sqi=2&ved=0CB0Q8gEwAA
Links to some local reporter Twitter accounts:
https://twitter.com/#!/DanielleWaugh
https://twitter.com/#!/carolyncallahan
http://twitter.com/#!/ccsquirrel
https://twitter.com/#!/wcvbkelleyt
Neither found.
