WATERVILLE
The mother of a missing toddler again asked supporters on Tuesday, the second anniversary of her daughter’s disappearance, to demand answers from law enforcement officials.
Trista Reynolds and her family issued a statement this month saying they “cannot truly know the peace of Christmas” while her daughter, Ayla Reynolds, remains missing and no one has been brought to justice.
“To honor Ayla this December, we ask that you press for justice,” the family said in the statement.
The 22-month-old was reported missing on Dec. 17, 2011, from the Waterville home where her father, Justin DiPietro, lived with his mother. DiPietro told police he last saw his daughter when he put her to bed the night before.
The toddler’s disappearance set off a massive search that transformed into the biggest criminal investigation in Maine history. Police believe Ayla was a victim of foul play and that she’s no longer alive.
In hopes of pressuring prosecutors to bring charges against DiPietro, Trista Reynolds has released details in recent months that she says police told her about Ayla’s blood being found in multiple spots inside the DiPietro home. She renewed that effort Tuesday.
“Demand answers from the state,” the statement read. “Why are those present in the house where Ayla’s blood was shed decorating their trees and hanging their stockings, while Ayla is out in the cold unknown for another Christmas?”
The family of Trista Reynolds has been pressuring law enforcement to make an arrest. There’s an online petition that asks Attorney General Janet Mills to bring charges.
The investigation remains active with a team of detectives meeting nearly daily to work on the case, said Stephen McCausland, spokesman for the Maine Department of Public Safety.
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