Ayla Reynolds Missing: Cops Accuse Baby's Dad Of Withholding Information

State Police blasted a New England television station claiming that officials believe a missing Maine toddler is dead on the same day that they told reporters the girl's father is witholding information.

Boston's WCVB published the update on 2-year-old Ayla Reynolds -- originally titled "Police Believe Missing Maine Toddler Dead" -- early Monday evening, only to have Stephen McCausland, public information officer with the Maine State Police, release a statement hours later calling the report "unattributed, irresponsible and inaccurate," according to the Bangor Daily News.

The story, filed by journalist Michele McPhee, contains details regarding Reynolds' father, Justin DiPietro, allegedly avoiding a police interview. It also outlines developments in the investigation, including an unattributed source claiming that officers believe the girl to be dead.

"That is why I issued a release," McCausland told the newspaper. "I've never spoken those words and I'm not going to repeat them. I'm not going to pick apart something that is unattributed, irresponsible and inaccurate."

Maine Police also stated Monday that they believe DiPietro, as well as two other adults allegedly present the night Reynolds vanished, have not been cooperative, the Associated Press reports.

DiPietro reported his daughter missing on Dec. 17, explaining that he had put her to bed only to find her gone the next morning. McCausland, however, says that police are increasingly skeptical that the girl was abducted.

"We've followed every conceivable piece of evidence that would follow their version of events, and we have found not one piece of evidence that supports an abduction," he told the AP.

At approximately 10:40 p.m. on Monday, WCVB updated the story, which now has the headline, "Hope Fades For Missing Maine Toddler."

McPhee did not return the Huffington Post's request for comment by press time.

UPDATE: According to an email from station management sent to the Huffington Post, "WCVB stands by its original story."

Related on HuffPost:

Comments

[Carol Harvey]

02:40 PM on 02/06/2012

I hope this editor gets into trouble for rushing ahead and printing this story. Whether or not it is true is not the issue. To give out information too soon gives the father or abductor a heads-up, which may not be the plan. As for this father, this is where "force" should be allowed. I don't know how this would be done, but when someone is so obviously witholding information that could lead to the an arrest or finding a victim, I just don't think the police should have to beg for info that someone close to the victim refuses to give. I know this has to be frustrationg to law enforcement.

[wa0cal]

06:39 PM on 02/02/2012

Why is it that so many innocent little children are disappearing from their beds and where were the parents when these abductions were taking place? I hope that the police keep little Aylas father's feet to the fire and hope that the police can solve this case soon.

[Carol Harvey]

02:45 PM on 02/06/2012

I agree, I hope they keep the pressure on this man. This breaks my heart. What a beautiful child. This father is as good as guilty if he knows something and refuses to cooperate. And we are sure he does know something. The child could have died in his care and he is covering up. Whether or not he killed her, don't know, but he is guilty of something. .

[The Dude67]

02:03 PM on 02/02/2012

No.  I'm sorry if your child goes missing and it wasn't your doing then YOU are the one crawling all over police to find out what they are doing - not the other way around.  

Guilty.  Unless, of course, he hires Jose Baez.

[glengc72]

01:55 PM on 02/07/2012

Hiya dude, i agree, there definitely seems something very suspicious about the fathers behaviour.

[saint bernard mom]

02:19 AM on 02/02/2012

I hope they find this little girl but I have a bad feeling this is not going to end well. 

[wonderfulnews]

10:55 AM on 02/01/2012

If he did it, he just needs to come clean! Give this baby the peace and proper burial that she deserves. Give the family the closure that they need.

[The Dude67]

02:05 PM on 02/02/2012

Why?  He probably did this as a direct result of the Casey Anthony verdict.  I hope every juror in that trial realizes this.

[wonderfulnews]

03:07 PM on 02/02/2012

Yea, you are most likely right.

[Carol Harvey]

02:54 PM on 02/06/2012

You're not dealing with a normal human being. You're dealing with a possible psycopath or a parent that does not have the protective and loving feelings towards thier child like you and I. I cannot fathon how anyone, especially a parent could hurt this child. But they do everyday and with no guilt. God help our children has been my prayer. I suppose in a way, maybe he did by taking her out of what appears to be a horrible situation.

[wonderfulnews]

09:29 AM on 02/07/2012

Carol, you are right. Our children are defenseless against twisted people in this world. Many prayers for all. However, we must also pray for the people who are sick and do this type of thing to our children.

[Ayesha Khan]

10:29 AM on 02/01/2012

Its not difficult to understand that who is the prime suspect, the situation is quiet visible. The father seems to be a Psychopath, when the mother can land up in Rehab, why would the child remain safe? These sort of criminal people have very sharp intellect, and at times they can fool the most observant and sane people, they have an art to safe guard themselves which at times can be really amazing. Their attempts are subtle and behavior stable. They survive by commuting crimes for them admonishing has no value. Who knows that baby Ayla was dead much before the father informed the authorizes of her abduction to get rid of her remains. Abduction seems to be the easiest way of shifting the blame now a days, we have already see the case of Lisa Irwin and many more----------

[Carol Harvey]

02:49 PM on 02/06/2012

I agree with you. Seems to way to get rid of an unwanted child is to pretend she was abducted with no trace. This makes me sick. I hope justice is served on this case.

[SukieeBee]

10:00 AM on 02/01/2012

To look at these little faces, while having a child the same age, I think... HOW? How could ANYONE hurt a child. Especially their own!!!

[Henssis1]

09:44 AM on 02/01/2012

I think that Ayla is dead and that her father had something to do with it...Too many injuries that Aylka recieved while in his care...I sure hope and pray that I am wrong...

[foxefire10]

09:36 AM on 02/01/2012

More proof that Liberal main stream media lies.

[rltballer]

09:28 AM on 02/01/2012

I think before any trial is had they need more evidence. Without hard proof I as a juror would vote not guilty rather than possibly sending someone to jail for life that is innocent. I agree with the Casey Anthony verdict. Very sad about the child. Lack of evidence tho.

[Nieschk]

09:15 AM on 02/01/2012

Unfortunately, in so many cases like this, the baby is gone and unlikely to ever be seen alive again. An abduction??? I seriously doubt it. I do feel that someone close to this situation knows the story but is not talking.

[nativesigrl]

09:12 AM on 02/01/2012

Four different stories were told by the father, all contradictory. If you watched his apppearance with the childs mother, he looked like he couldn't be so bothered, he was there because he had to be. The truth will come out, and he can't keep up the facade forever.

[smiles41]

09:11 AM on 02/01/2012

i agree about our legal system failing victims of violent crimes. However, the US laws have been gutted by the ACLU and liberal politics. Ayla Reynolds and Lisa Irwin are but two of the system's failures. I have a theory about Lisa Irwin's disappearance, however. I believe she was sold to pay off illicit drug purchases. The discovery of Ayla Reynold's blood in daddy's house signals are far worse fate. But, the hands of law enforcement are bound. Daddy is somehow responsible for that little girl's fate, and short of beating the SOB into coming clean, her whereabouts will probably remain a mystery until someone comes acrossed her bones God help little Lisa Irwin and God Bless little Ayla Reynolds' soul...

[The Dude67]

02:08 PM on 02/02/2012

"These people crawled out of the sewer, Mr. Ward.  Now maybe the gutter is where we should be" - Agent Anderson (Gene Hackman) - Mississippi Burning. 

Your comment made me think of this quote. 

[blevins1]

09:02 AM on 02/01/2012

It seems Like ever since the Casey Anthony trial, theres been more cases like these, did that trial cause some crazy epidemic?

[Catherine Lynch Monks]

08:41 AM on 02/01/2012

Every single time I see a story about yet ANOTHER missing child I can only think 'where the Hell is the system?'. What can be done to ensure that children are not left in at risk situations? Her mom was in rehab, shouldn't SOMEONE have been assessing the home? Has the government cut child protective services funding that much?

It's no longer about this poor baby. It's about all the other ones that could be saved if the money, time and effort were put into it.

[Dmpolis]

08:55 AM on 02/01/2012

The mother was in rehab.why do these people keep having children that hey are not capable of caring for.I am so sick of reading this daily! Use birth control. Go get sterilized. then you can do all the drugs you want. If you can't handle caring for children then give them to someone who will care for them and love them.There are so many people who wan t children byut can't have them. Gays are ready to adopt. So far I have not seen one story of a gay couple killing of mistreating the children they have. I expect opposition from this remark but then we live in a hate filled society born of predjudice.

[rltballer]

09:19 AM on 02/01/2012

As a gay man I have no desire to murder or rape a child. I.would like.to.adopt.tho. being called daddy by my son or daughter is a dream I have.

[SpencMom]

11:49 PM on 02/03/2012

The religious right wing evangelical christians are doing absolutely everything in their power to keep gays from adopting. Even the older kids in foster care (most likely until they age out of the system at 18 and get turned out into the streets with nothing) who have attachment difficulties due to abuse and neglect. They also want to make most forms of birth control illegal (it's a person from fertilization they say, not from implantation of the egg in the womb but when the sperm meets the egg) and end ALL welfare programs. Truly sad.