Yikes...I'm confused!
The other day I heard RR (TR's brother?) say that TR and JD DID have an arrangement that he would look after Ayla while she was in rehab, but would return her when she was out and ready ~ they were angry that this did not happen.
I have read that TR has stated something along the same lines. Although why she would agree to allow him to take her for any length of time when she was battered and bruised every time she was returned from visits with him is mind boggling.
Then I hear TR saying that CPS removed Ayla and placed her 'illegally' with JD.
If Ayla lived with her maternal grandmother and TR (possibly TR's sister) ~ why would CPS even become involved? Why wouldn't the grandmother and/or aunt, who were helping take care of her originally, not be considered adequate? And where was TR's 9 month old son during this rehab? If with grandma, even more screwy that Ayla was taken away.
I've tried to keep up here as much as possible between work, shopping, family, visits, gift wrapping...well you get it ~ and I'm just wondering why most people seem to be 100% convinced that TR and/or her family had absolutely nothing to do with this? Not saying I think she did, but wondering why she seems to be ruled out totally by so many...please and thank you
jumping off your post. (Hi Sparklin! :seeya
here is most of the statements made by TR or family members about custody, i might be missing some, let me know.
http://www.wmtw.com/video/30033639/detail.html
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.kjonline.com/news/Press-conference-today-on-missing-toddler.html
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.
http://www.wmur.com/r/30037216/detail.html
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.
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1112/19/ng.01.html
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.
~~
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.
~~
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.
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1112/20/ijvm.01.htm
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/1112/21/ijvm.01.html
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 jr: 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 jr: 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.
ETA:
http://video.today.msnbc.msn.com/today/45775493#45775493
Q: There's a lot of questions and speculation about the custody situation, I know that Ayla was put into, by child protective services, into custody, uh, Justin got custody of Ayla in October...
TR: He did not get custody of Ayla.
Q:...temporary custody in October? He did not?
TR: No, he did not, no, he did not.
Q: Why was she in his care?
TR: Nothing stating..Because Department of Health and Human Services violated my rights. That is why she ended in Justin's care. There was no court order, there was no nothing that had to do with any custody at all. None, whatsoever.
Q: Did you file for sole custody though, the couple of days before she disappeared?
TR: On Thursday, yeah, I went to Portland courthouse and I filed for parental rights and responsibilities.
JD mentions the custody in his statement:
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.
