Settlement Reached in the Ayla Reynolds Wrongful Death Lawsuit

Both parties in a wrongful death lawsuit regarding toddler Ayla Reynolds have agreed upon a settlement.

The Toddler Was Staying With Her Father When She Disappeared

It was a case that held residents around the state captive, hoping someone would find the beautiful blonde toddler. Ayla Reynolds went missing while in the custody of her father in December 2011. People in the house that night told authorities that Ayla was put to bed, but was not in the house when the family awoke the next morning.  A massive search that stretched far beyond Waterville, where she was staying when she vanished, failed to turn up any sign of the 20-month-old.

After the police searched the home where Ayla was staying with her father, Justin DiPietro, and evidence of a large amount of blood was discovered, Ayla was declared legally dead in 2017.

READ MORE: Maine's Weather-Predicting Lobster Gives His Winter Forecast

A Wrongful Death Lawsuit Was Filed 7 Years After Ayla Vanished

Ayla's mother, Trista Reynolds, filed a wrongful death lawsuit on the seventh anniversary of the toddler's disappearance. At first, the suit was filed against Justin DiPietro, with whom she had once been in a relationship. That case was later expanded to include his mother, Phoebe DiPietro, and his sister, Elisha DiPietro.

Get our free mobile app

Terms of the Settlement Are Confidential

NewsCenter Maine reports that while some of the lawsuit's claims are disputed, everyone involved believed the best course of action was to settle. The terms of that settlement have not been released, and a confidentiality agreement bars all involved from discussing them.