WATERVILLE — On the ninth day since a local toddler was reported missing, members of a local church gathered Sunday to pray for the 20-month-old girl.

Congregants at the First Baptist Church in Waterville said prayers for Ayla Reynolds on Christmas Day and for the police who are searching for her.

Meanwhile, Waterville police said Sunday that they are continuing to investigate the disappearance of the girl, who was reported missing by her father on Dec. 17.

By nightfall Sunday, fresh undisturbed snow had accumulated around 29 Violette St., the home where Ayla was last seen. Candles flickered among toys and stuffed animals at a shrine on the front yard.

Last week, TV news vans, Maine State Police vehicles, investigators and curious onlookers had been at the modest gray bungalow every day. By Saturday morning, they were gone.

Evidence tape now seals all windows and doors, including the side door where investigators were seen entering the home last week. The garage door is also sealed with tape. An empty police car parked at the end of the driveway was covered in snow.

Waterville police held no press conferences over the weekend.

In a statement Saturday, Chief Joseph Massey said investigators were working on the case Christmas Eve, but they wouldn’t be communicating with the media for the time being.

The Morning Sentinel and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
 


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