ME ME - Ayla Reynolds, 20 mnths, Waterville, 17 December 2011 - # 3

[ThoughtFox]

I can't pass judgement on the Dad at the moment, even with her broken arm, unless there is some more evidence of abuse. My daughter broke her arm at 7 months while we were over at a friend's house. Another baby pulled my daughter back from sitting and she hyperextended it. I felt horrible, just horrible and not once did the dr. or anyone question how it happened - but they very well could of. And I can imagine if that happened now, that I'm divorced from her dad, the outcome would be different.

Yes, but your child also didn't go missing from your house.

The Dad admitted he fell down with the baby, and even fell on top of her. Yes, it could have been an accident, or he could have been lying. I think once the child went missing we have to see the broken arm in a whole new light, which I think was the mother's point in bringing it up.

What I find odd are his choice of words, almost like he has a suspicion of who may have taken her, which could be why he's not 'actively looking' and why there is no kidnapper alert.

Part of me thinks he has her staying with family somewhere far away, and it's a result of the mom wanting custody. He will wait until the whole custody thing passes.

And then he'll be arrested for kidnapping his own child. I'm sure he's been told that and realizes the Feds are involved in this. At that point, wouldn't serious charges towards himself and fear of jailtime overcome his need to get back at the mother or win a custody suit? If he's in jail, he won't get custody, period.

Sorry, but I don't see that scenario as a possibility, JMO. :twocents: And there would have to be so many other people who know the truth, so someone would have cracked by now, I think.

I guess what I'm saying is that he comes across seeming like he knows where she is and this interview today was only because he had been feeling the pressure.

Oh, I think you're right and he knows where she is, and she may be hidden. She also might be dead and he knows where he hid the body. Knowledge can work both ways.

 

[ThoughtFox]

The attic bedrooms in those little New England cottages are barely like real bedrooms. They have very low ceilings and are mini-sized. Just like being in an attic. My husband grew up in a house just like that one in rural Massachusetts. His attic bedroom had a triangular shape in the ceiling. High in the middle and very low on the sides, much like an attic would have.

For two little toddlers it would be fine since they would only be there when asleep, most likely.

I'm beginning to wonder if the Dad and his friends were partying/watching TV downstairs and the baby woke up and fell down the stairs/ladder/whatever. So this whold thing might be a cover-up of a tragic accident.

I think people have told police they heard nothing and saw nothing that night, which is why they brought in the equipment that would prove that someone couldn't go up or down the stairs without knowledge from someone in that house. Stairs make noise. A baby crying in the attic makes noise - and there were two babies!

 

[cluciano63]

I don't believe in the "took the baby for her own good scenario" that keeps cropping up; can't think of too many cases where that has turned out to be true, at least by someone other than an actual parent. And I am pretty much convinced Ayla grandfather has no clue where she is; so unless Mom is cruel enough to let her dad suffer, I don't think she knows either. JMO

 

[gitana1]

Thanks. I'm going to look back and check out his demeanor and the public's/media's response.

Also Mark Lundsford, Jessica Lundsford's father.

Okay, so the question was whether there has ever been an innocent parent who has given vague answers or not spoken about their missing child. Ed Smart was not vague and did speak. Mark Lunsford was the next person named as having given no statement or been vague. I disagree. Here is one of his statements:

Jessica’s father described the change as a second phase of the investigation. After making a plea for her safe return while choking back tears, he expressed confidence that his daughter would come home.
“Just drop her off. I’ll come get her,” Mark Lunsford answered when asked what he would say to whoever had Jessica. “I know whoever has got Jessie, they have to have a heart.”
He also expressed gratitude for the outpouring of support. “It’s been overwhelming, the people that have shown up,” he said. “It makes me feel real good to know everyone’s trying to help me out.”
No abduction evidence
Lunsford said he remains convinced that his daughter did not leave home voluntarily even though authorities have uncovered no evidence she was abducted. He said it’s unlikely Jessica was lured away.
“She just didn’t go with strangers,” Lunsford said. He said authorities also are looking for a stuffed purple dolphin missing from his daughter’s room.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7030409...hase-begins-search-florida-girl/#.TwIa_VZwhK0

I find Justin's conduct a bit bewildering. As to his interview on the Today show, I don't know. Here is a link to the statement analysis referred to by a poster above: ETA: LINK EDITED OUT. I SEE IT IS NOT ALLOWED ON WEBSLEUTHS. (It's very easy to find on google. Just look for Justin DiPietro statement analysis).

I am always bothered when parents aren't out there yelling for their kid. (Of course, Ron Cummings was, and he got slammed for it, even though he showed appropriate rage and grief.)

However, this is a young guy who doesn't seem that articulate. His written statement was clearly written by an attorney. His grammar is poor and may be interpreted to mean he is being evasive when he just may not know how to use grammar correctly. He may not be speaking a lot about the details of his daughter, etc., because young men his age are just learning to be men - they haven't mastered being able to show emotion or "feminine" traits like expressiveness and detail, while still feeling "manly". Young guys often just clam up rather than betraying feelings that may make them look less masculine (in their minds). It takes years of experience before they learn they can be men and still express themselves. And this is not conscious, it's subconscious, so it could still apply in cases of extreme crisis, like now.

I look at the father as the most likely culprit because of his age, he was last to see the child, it appears he had not had much contact or time to bond before she was in his care long term, and an abduction out of a house full of people is unlikely, unless it was someone in that house. Statistically, it is most likely to be him.

His failure to take a LDT, if that is true, is bothersome, as was his failure to speak publicly, get involved in searches, vigils, etc. But, I'm open. I don't think the mother had a darn thing to do with this. She is acting with appropriate emotion and logistically, I can't see how she could have done and kept the child hidden all this time. My money is on dad for this, but not because of his demeanor in one taped interview.

 

[katydid23]

I'm beginning to wonder if the Dad and his friends were partying/watching TV downstairs and the baby woke up and fell down the stairs/ladder/whatever. So this whold thing might be a cover-up of a tragic accident.

I think people have told police they heard nothing and saw nothing that night, which is why they brought in the equipment that would prove that someone couldn't go up or down the stairs without knowledge from someone in that house. Stairs make noise. A baby crying in the attic makes noise - and there were two babies!

It is very possible. Those attic bedrooms have very steep and deep stairways. Very dangerous for little feet and legs, imo. And it is ,often, the kind of stairway that drops straight down.

Also, I do not believe that the grandmother and aunt would cover for the dad if he purposely injured or killed that baby. But an accident---maybe so.

 

[Donjeta]

He seemed a bit stiff, and kind of at a loss for the correct words. But he did not seem evil or phony, imo.

And it did not seem that weird or hinky to say it was a normal night. It may have been a 'normal' bedtime, a routine night. then suddenly she was gone. I don't know, but I don't see him as evil personified as many seem to.

He doesn't have to be evil personified but the lack of any details whatsoever is very significant to me. It was not a normal night, his child went missing. He should remember something. He clearly doesn't want to talk about any of what happened that night and maybe he has a good reason not to.

 

[EllaMae]

Also Mark Lundsford, Jessica Lundsford's father.

Not once did I ever have questions about Mark Lunsford's innocence. From the beginning, I saw a man whose suffering, and pain, and fear for his child were all right up front on his face. He couldn't speak without tears. I had no reservations about his innocence at all.

As for Ed Smart....I never suspected him either. But I was dismayed that the parents invited strange men to work around their home and allowed these men to be around their children. I know they were trying to help others, but it was very unwise, and as it turned out, had terrible consequences. I always thought Ed felt a lot of guilt about that issue. It sort of radiated out of him, and people picked up on it.


But Ayla's Dad....I suspect there's just something about that night that he is hiding. Was it "normal" to have people partying at his home every night? Was it normal to not check on Ayla for that long?

And I want to know if there was a witness to the tripping accident and the way Ayla's arm was broken. Did anyone else see what happened? Or was JD home alone with the baby?

 

[momshrink]

I was reading comments and something about dad had a party?
Has it been confirmed as to what type of party?
Big/small?
Drinking etc?
Who was at the party etc.

I don't know if this has been answered, but IIRC, it was a family party with dads girlfriend and his sisters boyfriend the only non family there. No mention of alcoholic drinks or coffee drinks. It sounded like a family gathering for the holidays.

 

[cluciano63]

Not once did I ever have questions about Mark Lunsford's innocence. From the beginning, I saw a man whose suffering, and pain, and fear for his child were all right up front on his face. He couldn't speak without tears. I had no reservations about his innocence at all.

As for Ed Smart....I never suspected him either. But I was dismayed that the parents invited strange men to work around their home and allowed these men to be around their children. I know they were trying to help others, but it was very unwise, and as it turned out, had terrible consequences. I always thought Ed felt a lot of guilt about that issue. It sort of radiated out of him, and people picked up on it.


But Ayla's Dad....I suspect there's just something about that night that he is hiding. Was it "normal" to have people partying at his home every night? Was it normal to not check on Ayla for that long?

And I want to know if there was a witness to the tripping accident and the way Ayla's arm was broken. Did anyone else see what happened? Or was JD home alone with the baby?

One would think if there was a witness, they might speak up on Dad's behalf?

 

[Indy Anna]

The attic bedrooms in those little New England cottages are barely like real bedrooms. They have very low ceilings and are mini-sized. Just like being in an attic. My husband grew up in a house just like that one in rural Massachusetts. His attic bedroom had a triangular shape in the ceiling. High in the middle and very low on the sides, much like an attic would have.

For two little toddlers it would be fine since they would only be there when asleep, most likely.

This is how I pictured it, too. I grew up in a cape cod style house. There were two small bedrooms upstairs with angled ceilings and walls on the sides. The ceiling at the center of the rooms was high enough that my Dad, who is 6' tall, had no problem standing upright. I don't know the layout for the DiPietro home, but you had to go all the way into our house to access the staircase and there was a wall on each side - i.e., no banister. And, as I mentioned earlier, the staircase and upstairs floorboards were very creaky.

 

[momshrink]

Yes, but your child also didn't go missing from your house.

The Dad admitted he fell down with the baby, and even fell on top of her. Yes, it could have been an accident, or he could have been lying. I think once the child went missing we have to see the broken arm in a whole new light, which I think was the mother's point in bringing it up.



And then he'll be arrested for kidnapping his own child. I'm sure he's been told that and realizes the Feds are involved in this. At that point, wouldn't serious charges towards himself and fear of jailtime overcome his need to get back at the mother or win a custody suit? If he's in jail, he won't get custody, period.

Sorry, but I don't see that scenario as a possibility, JMO. :twocents: And there would have to be so many other people who know the truth, so someone would have cracked by now, I think.


Oh, I think you're right and he knows where she is, and she may be hidden. She also might be dead and he knows where he hid the body. Knowledge can work both ways.

I am trying to catch up and have not read most of this thread, but I have not seen where dad said this child broke her arm when he fell with her. Could you please tell me the post # or link. I know I am being lazy, but it has been a rough day. My car battery died, I did not have my phone, had to borrow one to call emergency road side service, then buy a new battery. And missed my hair appointment. :doh:

 

[Donjeta]

I am trying to catch up and have not read most of this thread, but I have not seen where dad said this child broke her arm when he fell with her. Could you please tell me the post # or link. I know I am being lazy, but it has been a rough day. My car battery died, I did not have my phone, had to borrow one to call emergency road side service, then buy a new battery. And missed my hair appointment. :doh:

I don't know if Dad said it but TR said he did.

GRACE: So that`s how typical it is for children that age to wake up during the night. Now, let me ask you this, Trista. Another thing that`s concerning me. At the time baby Ayla goes missing, her arm was in a sling. Why?

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?

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1112/19/ng.01.html

 

[Indy Anna]

I found this interesting in that he was very emotionless for someone who couldn't speak before because he was too emotional. He did relax later in the clip but was still quite rigid.

When asked 'What makes Ayla so special' all he could say was that she was his daughter or similar, nothing about her personality, her behaviours (like the dancing) etc.

When asked about what he was doing to help, he merely repeat the question as an answer in different ways, never once did he actually say one thing he was doing.

JMO

While some people are very comfortable in front of a camera/audience, other people get stage fright. I am one of the latter. I become flushed, my mouth and lips get very dry, and a struggle for the right words. If someone 200 miles away accused my of stealing their twinkie and a reporter came to interview me, I would certainly appear guilty to most people.

I've had my suspicions about the dad because of the circumstances surrounding Ayla's disappearance. I believe that either he harmed her, or he knows who has Ayla. The comment from the interview I found most curious is this (directing his words to the alleged abductor):

To let them know that what you're doing isn't right, you may think what you're doing is right for Ayla. But it's not, you have no right. You're not her parent. She belongs home with her family.

JD implies he knows WHY someone took Ayla - that they believed they were protecting Ayla. He may be implicating one of TR's relatives, or a non-relation who may have been in his home the night before Ayla disappeared. Reports have stated that there was one non-relation who stayed overnight, after the party ended. Was that person still in the house when JD awoke the following morning?

 

[LvsAMystry]

does anyone know if its confirmed/fact that Ayla was asleep in attic bedroom? i've been playing around with different sites to get view of side of house/driveway to see windows and which may have been taken out by investigators, but the house i'm seeing from the side doesn't appear that it could possibly have space up there. if anything maybe pull down stairs to storage space.

http://maps.google.com/?ll=44.546074,-69.649694&spn=0.000514,0.002409&t=h&z=19&vpsrc=6&layer=c&cbll=44.546075,-69.649695&panoid=hZlv7Yq7sbwVogz5LkjFYQ&cbp=11,345.81,,0,-1.01

Not sure how to link to my prior post sorry, but I still find it hard given angle of roof and lack of space to have anything more than a crawl space storage attic with maybe a pull down ladder at best. I still haven't been able to find where it's confirmed she and the other baby slept in attic, only discussion I've seen is in room with the other child and in toddler type bed.

 

[Kat]

Speculation.

I know that there is always a remote possiblity that someone took Ayla from the home.

I've thought about Ayla for the past couple days off and on over the weekend. I don't think that is the case here at this point in time.

IMHO someone in that home knows what happened to her and knows where she is now located. I don't think she's alive at this point but I do hope I'm very wrong.

And specifically, I think that there's more than a good chance that the person that knows what happened to her and where she is at this moment would be her Father.

I do believe him when he says he would never harm Ayla. Because he probably wouldn't have intentionally harmed her. We see so many parents that do say that, and as time passes or there is resolution in a missing child case it turns out that they didn't intentionally harm their child, it was an "accident". Accidental in the fact that they may have snapped and hit the child and caused a death. Or that they were not as watchful as they should have been and the child drowned in a tub or etc....(not saying Ayla did just using that as an example).

I see no hard facts to say Dad did but at the same time I see no hard facts to exonerate him. The facts for me that I can't overlook is that she was in his physical custody when she went missing from his home more than likely in the middle of the night on a bitterly cold Maine night (bitterly cold to me because I'm in Hawaii anything under 40 degrees is bitter to me at this point )

Just sharing. I hope that I am completely way off base and that she is out there somewhere alive and healthy. I just don't think that's the case here unfortunately. JMHO

 

[katydid23]

This is how I pictured it, too. I grew up in a cape cod style house. There were two small bedrooms upstairs with angled ceilings and walls on the sides. The ceiling at the center of the rooms was high enough that my Dad, who is 6' tall, had no problem standing upright. I don't know the layout for the DiPietro home, but you had to go all the way into our house to access the staircase and there was a wall on each side - i.e., no banister. And, as I mentioned earlier, the staircase and upstairs floorboards were very creaky.

Sounds like my husband's childhood bedroom. You had to go all of the way inside their home as well, and go through the living room to reach the bottom of the creaky staircase. HOWEVER, he and his brother used to stand the ladder up against the side of the home and climb out the bedroom window when they were kids. They never got caught.

 

[Dee10]

HLN is going to do a segment on Ayla sometime this hour.

 

[matou]

DiPietro will only talk to a newspaper reporter who he called into the house. After this morning won't speak in front of a camerahttp://yfrog.com/nxh1lqrj

http://www.[link removed]/show/f3m579

 

[matou]

"It was just a normal night. I put her to bed... it was just a normal night."

But neighbors reported a party in the house that Friday night and police confirmed that there were several people in the home, including non-family members.

http://www.necn.com/01/02/12/Aylas-...ng_newengland.html?blockID=623462&feedID=4206

 

[Beagle]

While some people are very comfortable in front of a camera/audience, other people get stage fright. I am one of the latter. I become flushed, my mouth and lips get very dry, and a struggle for the right words. If someone 200 miles away accused my of stealing their twinkie and a reporter came to interview me, I would certainly appear guilty to most people.

I am the same and would be very nervous and scared in front of a camera...

I was merely stating an observation about his demeanour mainly that he stated he was too emotional to speak before and yet should no emotion during the interview.

I am on the fence regarding dad.

JMO