Thursday, October 24, 2013

The Taking of Ayla Reynolds

Article HERE

Follow the pronouns.

131 comments:

Anonymous said...

http://www.wmtw.com/news/maine/Maine-State-Police-update-search-for-Ayla-Reynolds/-/8792012/22595524/-/kmd2jw/-/index.html

yesterday's press conference video

SALurkerOne said...

The TOA is one saddest things I've come across in a while.

It made me think. Think too much. What were Ayla's last weeks like? What did she see, feel, hear, experience?

It's so sad. So heartbreaking.

She slipped through every crack.

sidewalk super said...

Good, the only thing she missed is the relationship between baby abductor ma (barker) phoebe and good old karen small, who allowed her in-law to remove poor little financial burden Ayla from her maternal loving home.

We now see that ma (barker) phoebe was the brains behind this abduction. While claiming that as a Maine Revenue Officer !!!! she had the power to authorize and carry out this crime against Ayla.

Can both of these women still be employed by the State of Maine???

Karen Small is obviously corrupt.

Ma (barker) phoebe is mixing up personal life with business life and pretending she's J Edgar. I call her corrupt!!

Would I EVER leave my child where either or both of these harpies could even breathe on her? Hell no!

They are both prosecutable!

Anonymous said...

I agree it is horribly sad. I disagree that Ayla slipped through the cracks. She was shoved through those cracks by Ms. Small. I wonder how Ms. Small sleeps at night now.

Bigmtn said...

Like a baby until this article.

Karen SMALL I am calling Dhhs today to inquire as to whether you are still employed and why.

sidewalk super said...

What is the unemployment rate in Maine that karen small could not be replaced at DHS ?
What is the unemployment rate in Maine that phoebe dipietro would not easily be replaced in the Revenue Department?

Why does Ayla's murder case linger like this?
Exactly how much corruption is Maine willing to hide?
Is Maine willing to hide suspected murder?

seanacyblue said...

This article is heartbreaking. No child should be in fear of a parent or caretaker.

S + K Mum said...

Sorry OT

Apparently the Portuguese are to re-open the case of Madeleine McCann.

Apple said...

This is a very difficult article to read. I know that Ayla suffered escalating abuse but to read the details is heartbreaking. Ayla suffered.

Mainah said...

"Follow the pronouns."

I'm trying, but this is breaking my heart and making me angry as the Dicken's. I can't shut out the context - the pain and suffering Ayla must have felt.

On my second read through and still, I can't...be objective.

I did notice that Karen Small allegedly follows the personal pronoun "I" with soft language: "explained", "let her know" which seems unusual to me. As if, yes, her and Phoebe have a relationship of some sort which makes KS so inclined to ignore the rules.

Chipmunk said...

If I was a taxpayer in the State of Maine I would be outraged that Phoebe Dipietro and Karen Small are still employed and that I was contributing to their salary. This needs to go nationwide. They need to be immediately dismissed and charges should be filed against the both of them. They need to pay back their salaries with interest since the day Ayla went missing. They both have blood on their hands, Ayla's blood, and need to be prosecuted. What the heck goes on in this State that this could be allowed?

Anonymous said...

there was not a safety plan in place between DHHS and the family. nothing filed with the courts from either parties. Small was only trying to encourage the family to resolve their custody battle without DHHS because there was no grounds for DHHS to be involved. i do not see that Small did anything wrong, other than a possible misunderstanding the cop had in what his duties were.

this all lies on the mother's shoulders for choosing to use drugs.

the father's mother is the one who forced changes in the baby's normal family life. for what ever reason, imo, it was wrong for her to remove the baby from the baby's normal situation. but the law provides that can be done. the baby's caretakers tried to use DHHS to get the outcome that would have been right. if the father did kill the baby, then her death is on his mother's shoulders, she seems to be the one who initiated this, but failed to follow through with keeping the baby safe.
unfortunately the father may be the only one who will ever be held accountable.
my heart goes out to the caretakers, and this is just another case that reenforces my belief that a child's caretaker, be it the mother, the father, a relative, or even just a babysitter, should take the law into their own hands if their is a need to ensure a child's safety. do not involve the system, you will lose and the child will be wronged.

Anonymous said...

@ Mainah, i believe Small's "soft language" was due to the fact that she was of and had no "authority" in the matter. she was only trying to make a best situation for the baby beings the family was seeking DHHS help of which DHHS had no grounds to be forcefully involved.

Maggie said...

It is absolutely unconscionable that the state placed Ayla (a child not yet 2 years old) with a man who was known to have beaten her.
It seems there are more laws in place to protect animals from abusive owners.
Ms. Small, you handed a baby who had NO CHANCE of defending herself over to a man your agencies KNEW had beaten her. You forcibly placed her into his "care".
If I were Trista I would sue Ms. Small as an accessory to murder, as she is no better than some grunt working for the mob who grabs someone and throws them into a car so they can be delivered to their execution.
Then, it seems, the other vultures circled--Phoebe, Derek, and of course Justin.

One thing I wanted to point out: I feel that whoever concocted the AH story may have gotten ideas from the Lindburgh baby kidnapping story. If anyone cares to read it, go under the section titled "the crime" and there are similarities including

1) times
2) locations of individuals in the house
3) activity that took place in the house once the baby was discovered missing
4) type of person who discovers the baby missing
5) the amount of ransom demanded by the Lindburgh kidnappers matches the amount of the life insurance policy sold by Derek on Ayla's life
6) even the info about Charles Lindbergh thinking he heard an orange crate breaking during his son's kidnapping may have been introduced into the story as Justin "breaking the gate"

I am usually skeptical about people saying "oh, this person had seen this movie, read this book, etc, so they must have modeled their crime on whatever, book movie.
But I do believe that whoever fed info to Angela was fixated on the Lindbergh baby kidnapping. I don't know how Derek and Justin arrived at settling on the life insurance amount that would be worth $25,000 but it is worth noting that that is the same amount as the Lindbergh ransom. That along with the other similarities may mean there was premeditation and after Ayla was killed, the person was ready with the "kidnapping" story that they had modeled after the Lindburgh kidnapping. The question is who was fixated on the Lindbergh story? There are eery similarities if anyone wants to look at wikipedia.

Maggie said...

Here's the link to wiki on the Lindbergh kidnapping.
I need to correct myself--the ransom amount was not the same as the life insurance amount, it was $50,000 but the first breakdown of the money is stated as
$25,000.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lindbergh_kidnapping#The_crime

Mainah said...


http://maineopengov.org/index.php/payrolls/maine-state-government/


Year
2012
Agency
HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES
Subagency
HUMAN SERVICES
Position
HUMAN SERVICES CASEWORKER SUPV
Selection Statistics
Employee Records
1
Total Compensation
$72,599
Average
$72,599
Min
$72,599
Max
$72,599

Search by Name

2012
SMALL, KAREN J
HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES
HUMAN SERVICES
HUMAN SERVICES CASEWORKER SUPV
$61,494
$11,106
$0
$0
$72,599

Anonymous said...

sidewalk super said...
"We now see that ma (barker) phoebe was the brains behind this abduction. "

@sidewalk super, yes this article shows it was Pheobe's plan all along. She told to karen small that her son lives in Portland, but he is willing to move back to Waterville. It suggets she talked justin into taking Ayla, and moving back to her. She didn't care about how her son will care for a toddler.

Pheobe created the situation for disaster to happen, I bet she was the one who cleaned it up too.
I have a gut feeling from day 1 that pheobe was directly involved in hiding Ayla.

MSP should check her alibi AGAIN, her activities that day, the route she took to visit her friend that day. Pheobe is right in one thing, MSP should have new interviews with them and with their friends!

Anonymous said...

I've thought that all along--that Phoebe was behind the custody grab. Justin was very abusive to Ayla. The question is why did Phoebe want Ayla so bad?

Maggie said...

Why was Phoebe willing to deal w her druggie son moving home, just so she could get Ayla? what would be so beneficial to her that she would put up with this? The only answer that makes sense to me is money. Life insurance money.

ladyluck0317 said...

>>if the father did kill the baby, then her death is on his mother's shoulders, she seems to be the one who initiated this

That is some very skewed thinking in my opinion!

Mainah said...


Year
2012
Agency
ADMINISTRATION & FINANCE
Subagency
ADMINISTRATION & FINANCE
Position
MANAGEMENT ANALYST I
Total Comp
2012
DIPIETRO, PHOEBE M
ADMINISTRATION & FINANCE
ADMINISTRATION & FINANCE
MANAGEMENT ANALYST I
$42,186
$10,427
$2,367
$0
$54,980

Mainah said...


I must agree with you, Ladyluck. Skewed and ignorant. I couldn't form a dignified response. It's like saying if I killed someone today it would be my dead mothers fault for having me.

Anonymous said...

OT
Portugal reopens Madeleine McCann case.
http://news.yahoo.com/report-portugal-reopens-madeleine-mccann-case-122724598.html

Sus said...

Phoebe emphasises that her family is not UNSTABLE...said in the negative.

The AH letter spent much time on explaining how Justin was trying to become a STABLE influence in his daughter's life. And how industrious and steady his girlfriend is.

Justin bought life insurance to become a "good" father. Trista said it was Phoebe who wanted Ayla's ssn.

I see a pattern here. I think it was Phoebe who did not feel STABLE and in CONTROL with her children gone. Remember, Phoebe raised her children on her own and wouldn't let their fathers have anything to do with them.

Then she had Justin in Portland with a new family (Courtney's), Lance in his own home, and Elisha a mother herself.

What better way to STABILIZE her family than to grab Ayla and force Justin home. And now he is stuck forever under her thumb.

Phoebe is a controlling narcissist. Ayla was her pawn to get back control. Ayla was just "there" to those people. She didn't matter to them and when she got in the way, she paid the ultimate price.

rob said...

I am so glad this is seeing the light of day. One thing the Dips don't like is exposure.
Phoebe is the mastermind. As she seems to be the only person in the family who works, it may have been her paying the child support, to keep her baby boy out of jail.
Karen Small should already be fired, and sued by Trista.
Trista's family may not be perfect, but they obviously loved this child, and were willing to fight for her. Not ONE Dip ever has. They basicly kidnapped this child from a happy home, tortured her to the point of death, and disposed of her body. I couldn't treat a pet this way.
God help little Ayla, she's in your care now. And don't forget the Dip's when handing out punishments.

rob said...

Sus, I agree with everything you just said!

Shelley said...

Reading this is heart breaking.

To hear that this child already feared Justin just adds to how clear this case is. Yet nothing is happening.

I belive a jury would see what happened here.

All the actions are so clearly dileberate.

And Phoebe, I now feel like she was more involved due to her calling on Justins behalf.

Karen Small NEEDS TO BE FIRED TODAY

Phoebe needs to be fired and arrested.
Justin needs to be arrested.

Also interesting that it was the day after Trista filed that poor Ayla went "missing".

How are police doing nothing.

There is such a clear picture now that we more about what went on. I did not know about alot of this. In fact, I thought Trista left Ayla with Justin. Not that she left her with her aunt and Justin/Phoebe manipulated her removal.


Maine LE get off your a#$ and arrest them both.

I am done with all these cases and people not following the laws and being allowed to even stay in their jobs.

Karen clearly has no concern for the welfare of kids and aside from being fired, I would be suiing her personally! She violated laws approving that transfer despite the laws and what was clearly abuse going on.

Shelley said...

And how is it that Justin did not need to go to court to take Ayla despite not having had prior custody. But when Trista trys to take her back, she is denied?

This is the kind of stuff that just makes me so angry.

Why is it that the ones that meant Ayla harm had no problem taking her, but her mother who had custody from day one had a problem getting her back.




Per the article:
"Out of rehab, Trista tried to get Ayla returned but
was told it was a civil matter between parents."

Jen said...

"there was not a safety plan in place between DHHS and the family. nothing filed with the courts from either parties. Small was only trying to encourage the family to resolve their custody battle without DHHS because there was no grounds for DHHS to be involved. i do not see that Small did anything wrong, other than a possible misunderstanding the cop had in what his duties were."

Did you read the entire article? Karen Small was employed in Portland, Ayla, the Dips, etc, where NOT under her jurisdiction, nor did she have any authority to take the actions she did. Small had ZERO authority to even place an underhanded call to police, she subverted all protocols, skipped the home study, and decided custody, which only a judge can do...placing Ayla into the arms of a murderous monster!

She most certainly did EVERYTHING wrong! She even documented what she was supposed to do, only to turn around and do the opposite. Everyone who lives in Maine needs to be calling and demanding her termination and prosecution. She is being paid by taxpayers and she does not represent their interests..she has proven herself to be easily persuaded to break the rules, so she has no place in DHHS where her decisions are a matter of life and death for the children she oversee's.

Anonymous said...

Trista, Get them in court. Get Phoebe and Ms. Smalls for accessory to murder.
They took her from your sister who had not abused her, and put her with a man who had given her facial bruising (high risk sign for serious violence) and hurt her leg to the point where she was limping. They did not follow-up to check on her well-being in the DiPietro home. Her broken arm was not reported to DHHS. Shouldnt it have been--does Ms Small's agency have no system to receive information about broken bones given to a toddler who is knowingly placed with a child abuser? Or is that just another "treat" your agency affords the known abusers you place babies with--they can break bones with impunity.
Do the children in Maine a favor and sue Ms Smalls, Phoebe and DHHS. Use the money to hire a team of PIs who can actually get the case solved and you can have these 3 evil people theown in jail where they belong!!!

Shelley said...

I just read this in an article. The link is below.

Have any of you seen this or heard this about Karen being related to the family?


Karen J. Small is a caseworker supervisor at Maine DHHS. Some reports claim she is a relative by marriage to Phoebe DiPietro and a good friend as well.



http://news.yahoo.com/trista-reynolds-ve-never-met-courtney-231000271.html

Jen said...

Hi Shelley-

I noticed that too. Actually that is exactly what Justin should have been told and it would have been the end of him trying to get Ayla. If not for Karen Small subverting the system, then this change of custody would likely have never taken place. It would have taken time for JDip to file, and for a judge to schedule and hear the case (likely something JDip would not do, and a judge would not approve). Plus Trista would have been present for such a hearing ...so no go.

Sleep well at night Karen Small? Ayla's face should haunt every moment of your life..her blood is on your hands, as well as Pheobe's and the W3.

rob said...

Well, Shelley, there's the answer.

Jen said...

This has absolutely made my blood boil! I thought I was mad when I first heard how JDip grabbed Ayla, but this super shady and both of these women (Smalls & Pheobe) need to be charged with custodial interference, conspiring to deprive Trista of her parental rights, and any other charges that can be brought for their complicity in this plot.

BUT, I can tell you why it won't happen (and likely why JDip still walks free). Here it is in black and white....

"The Maine Attorney General’s Office prosecutes all homicides in Maine. The AG’s office also represents the Maine Department of Health and Human Services and defends and represents the state and its agencies in civil actions. Given the behavior of DHHS in this case, it’s not clear how the inherent confict of those roles can be resolved."

I am absolutely disgusted! Cover your own ass Maine, while a toddler is denied justice.

Sus said...

This is how it works when there is no custody agreement ...whoever has physical custody has the "say-so." The other parent has to file to get rights.

Up until Trista went into rehab she had physical custody, and Justin had to file for his rights....for visits, custody, etc. Anytime he spent with Ayla was just because Trista allowed it.

At anyone of those visits if Justin had taken custody of Ayla, Trista would have had to file to get Ayla back. She had not established her custody rights.

Soooo, as we know, Justin did grab custody. That put him in charge and Trista hadcto file for her rights to Ayla.

The point here is that DHHS and Karen Small should not have been part of the custody grab. Even LE should not have been. LE should have said "we don't have any papers showing custody."

Anonymous said...

@ ladyluck0317
@ Mainah

skewed or SKEoD? ignorant?
it was his mother that placed this baby in danger. she might as well have thrown her in front of a train. i didnt say she should be or could be charged. it is the morals issue of what she did.
motive was, so her son wouldnt have to pay child support for the next 17 years. she cared nothing about the baby's well being or what was in the best interest of the child. it is her fault if this baby is dead, imo.
i can live with you calling me ignorant, but can grandma live with the choices she made?

Anonymous said...

Jen, I share your anger. I believe as you do that there is a cover-up. As much as I believe evil often goes unchecked in this world, I am sure GOD himself longs for justice in this case of Ayla being handed over like a convicted criminal to these evil torturers. I am sure that the fact the state sanctioned this crime against a helpless innocent makes God much angrier. I hope and pray the wrath of God himself delivers Trista and Ayla from this profound injustice that has been unpunished for far too long!!!

Anonymous said...

Sus you are close.
i do not believe Small was a part of the custody grab, she just didnt have the power to stop it from happening so she tried to make the best of the situation.
also the cop is not at fault. the cop did have to make them turn her over to dad. cops will usually try to suggest they get lawyers and go to court to work it out, because they dont know the situation, but in the end, justin had every right to his baby so the cop had to, or otherwise, if the current caretaker could not prove on the spot a justifiable reason to kidnap the baby from dad, they go to jail, and dad gets baby anyway.

once Justin had custody, That put him in charge/custodial and Trista had to file for her rights to Ayla. with her rehab past and the fact that Ayla was staying with Justin, Trista was down two points. Justin still has a point for Ayla living with him, that Trista can never match or overcome. he will always have that extra point. one instance of abuse will not grant a custody change, it will only tie, and in the event of a tie, the child will stay where it has been staying. that is the ten point set that custody is ruled by.

Trigger said...

How could the DHHS let Pheobe Dipietro run with her plan to put the the life of Ayla Reynolds in harms way?

No wonder Trista wants to sue someone for Ayla's death.

Phoebe Dipietro was instrumental in destroying Ayla's life. No wonder she lied to the media in an effort to hide the truth. No wonder Justin lies just like his mother.

Anonymous said...

Pheobe created the situation for disaster to happen, I bet she was the one who cleaned it up too.

good point, if justin's mom felt it was her fault that the baby was dead, she may have been willing to "clean up".

Anonymous said...

to this day, has it been proven that Justin caused Ayla's broken arm?

Trigger said...

Karen Small should be fired and prosecuted for child endangerment. She abused her position and let Pheobe Dipietro call the shots.

Trigger said...

Sus brought up a good point.

Pheobe wanted to control Justin, so she initiated a plan to get Justin back in her home by baiting him with the promise of child support relief.

Justin must have really resented Ayla because she was a responsibility that he didn't want. Ayla also kept him under his mother's thumb, which is another reason to resent Ayla.

Justin concocted a plan to rid himself of Ayla, his mother, and put some money in his pocket.

JerseyJane said...

Read the second to last paragraph... There is a lawsuit that is on hold by Trista's lawyer until there is a resolution in the Ayla's case.

So basically, the State of Maine, Governor, Human & Social Services, etc etc... are the defendants. Sounds like a Catch 22, no justice for Ayla? Some of the Named DEFENDANTS have the power to solve the crime but justice will not prevail, Ayla forever, even in death, a scapegoat!!

This is their way of putting a stop on them being accountable by being sued.. No justice for Ayla=(equals) not being sued...

Baby Ayla forever in limbo....


ladyluck0317 said...

Anonymous 1:18..

after re-reading your original comment I see that I mis-read it..

when i saw you wrote "this all lies on the mother's shoulders for choosing to use drugs."

I thought you were blaming trista for going to rehab and saying she is at fault because he murdered her.

but i also have to disagree with you about blaming phoebe for the murder. i mean.. should she feel guilty? yes.. she probably made some selfish and bad judgements but I still don't truly blame her

elf said...

He admitted he did. He slipped and fell up some stairs and landed on ayla. On a dry night. Maybe. Who knows how long ayla went without treatment? The dipietros say they took ayla trista the hospital the next day but the dipietros lie alot too...

Masquerade said...

How could Justin go to court and file for Ayla? He apparently doesn't even know how to talk on the phone himself. If he filed, he'd have to stand up in court and speak for himself. His mommy wouldn't be able to do it for him.

If he wanted wanted to pick up Ayla, his daughter, from Jessica's, he would have made the phone calls himself. If he wanted custody of his daughter, he would have filed. He did not want Ayla, from the moment he knew Trista was pregnant, to the moment he supposedly found out he was Ayla's father, to his mother getting custody, to Ayla's disappearance, to never speaking out for her. Where is his want for her? Where is the love? The concern? There is none, no evidence of it whatsoever.

JerseyJane said...

This is a form of a conspiracy on the local government level. Trista needs to start sueing from the bottom up, starting with the father, Ma DiP, and this Ms Small.

What Trista needs is a high profile lawyer to step up for her. It's going to be ugly, it may ruin their career, not many would even consider to be a part of it.

This is a very good example of the ugly face of local government and it's justice system..

Anonymous said...


"..I let Phoebe know that we really needed to be communicating with Justin on this matter.........”

"We" is wrong. She, Small, should only be talking with parents. "We" makes it sound Small and PD are working as a team."

" I let them know they need to resolve issue between themselves.”

Not wishing parental rights on Dip, but the people who should be working it out are the parents. Small clearly never spoke to Justin, and I don't think Trista, so how did she tell "them"?

Buckley

Shayna said...

Could anyone be so kind as so copy and paste the article here? When I click "HERE" it tries and fails to download to my phone. Please and thank you!

Anonymous said...

Did she even have legal right to be dealing with Phoebe?

Anonymous said...

I don't think it can be copied, but you can read it here.


http://united4ayla.com/the-taking-of-ayla-reynolds/

Sella35 said...

@Shayna-

http://www.aylareynolds.com/anon/The%20Taking%20of%20Ayla%20Reynolds.pdf

Shayna said...

Thanks Sella!

Trishapatk said...

I am astonished at all of this. I have tried to "follow the pronouns" but am distracted by how the actions of this one person were a catalyst to whatever happened to a tiny little girl who was totally dependent upon adults to watch out for her well being. Here are just a few things that sum it up and stun me:

The Lewiston police officer had agreed to assist Dipietro only “After learning that Dipietro was the legal guardian....” And that was based on the say-so of Kar- en Small who arbitrarily made question- able assertions, and decisions both capri- cious and contradictory. Justin Dipietro’s mother had, in fact, earlier that same day told Small that Justin had not yet legally established his parental rights.
Small’s assertions with the Lewiston police completely circumvented the legal process.

Small writes that Jessica “also said that Justin re- cently had Ayla for a visit and she came back from the visit with bruises. She is concerned about Ayla in Justin’s care.”

In such instances, the parent disputing the current custody setup would file in Maine District Court a petition for parental rights and responsibilities, ac- cording to Maine Attorney Brian Condon, who is not involved in the case. And the matter would be legally decided in the family court division of district court. Small would have no standing in this process.
The matter would be decided by a judge - not by DHHS’s Karen Small.

Even if Small felt that a child should be removed because it was in danger, Small would have to file an affidavit with the court and obtain a temporary jeop- ardy order allowing DHHS to remove the child. And that order would be signed by a judge - not by Small.

Small also apparently decides to ignore the report of bruises and the concern for Ayla’s safety when with her father.

I don't think that Karen Small was aware of how much her actions would affect the life of little Ayla but she was certainly a catalyst and part of the problem.

The story is so very sad when you see how much effort was put in by Trista's sister Jessica and how much they wanted to follow the rules and get Ayla safely back in their care.

This is one of those stories where you can see that rules are there for a reason and that they should be followed. Those that break them should be held accountable. I realize we can't hold Ms. Small responsible for the actual death of Ayla but she was the one who allowed her to be put into the situation that led to her demise.

My heart goes out to Trista and all of her family. I hope and pray that their hearts will heal and that they can believe she is safely in God's care and carries no trauma.

Maggie said...

Those who are proposing Phoebe is a narcissist who wanted Justin back in the home: I believe Phoebe's plot was more nefarious than that. She wanted Ayla and it wasn't because she wanted to dote on her and bake her cookies. She knew her son was a child abuser. I see Phoebe as the mob boss, Justin as her thug--the plan: life insurance money or even possibly the plan may have initially involved a fake kidnapping and attempting to get a ransom from the DiPietro's thinking donors would raise money for it.
It is interesting how in the Lindbergh kidnapping a wooden box was handcrafted to put the ransom money in, and Phoebe speaks of "Pandora's Box". Phoebe also spoke of having someone watch her house and that she had a gun to protect against some mysterious threat.

sidewalk super said...

So, Ayla was reported to be terrified of justin? Or ma phoebe?
Or both of them?
Did the officer notice?

If the Maine attorney General's office has its hands tied since they represent DHHS, where is the JAG system? Where is the balance? When was the restrictive law written?

Sounds like more than time for a change doesn't it?



All of these people broke assorted laws while getting to their end result..no more child support payments, instead a life insurance windfall.

Public citizen outrage and legal law changing will help future Aylas, but for now we cannot leave this child out there alone and broken. Humans do not act that way! Give that baby the respect she deserves!

Maggie said...

Sorry--I meant to write "from the Reynold's family in post above

Jen said...

NO-she had no right to be involved in the matter with Pheobe OR Justin...she was in a different jurisdiction!

Anonymous said...

Depends on what you mean by "dealing with." Hear concerns? Sure. Heed the request of? No. *Even if* Small had jurisdictional authority, Phoebe had no legal claim to Ayla.

Buckley

Nic said...

This article ruined my day.

I haven't read the comments, yet, so my apologies if this has been brought up. Did it not come out early in the investigation that Small was related to DeP? *That's* how she got invovled and why she "conveniently" circumvented established processes and procedures (read: NEGLECTED to inform LE that there was no custody agreement.. or that she was working outside of her jurisdiction?) Had she operated within her boundaries, then LE would have *REMINDED* her that she needed a judge's signature? Obviously Small knew that she was working independently of what was RIGHT and JUST, which is why she LIED (by omission).

Ayla would be alive today if not for her.

Small should be fired. The article doesn't even say if she had been disciplined.

Go, Trista, go! Money won't bring Ayla back, but it will guarantee that your boys will have a good education and access to whatever sport (equipment, registration fees, tournaments, etc.) they want to play.

SALurkerOne said...

I read through this once and thought I was going to throw up.

I can't attempt SA on this - at this point.

I'm too emotional.

Anyone able to follow the pronouns & post here???

Anonymous said...

knox is doing some seattle tv interview(s). she cannot say - "innocent" - without followig it with -- "...,to be honest".

Anonymous said...

I take this case very personally. I was abused as a child by both parents. One is a sadistic sociopath. The other is not. I have seen firsthand how conniving sociopaths are, they have a keen intuition on how to manipulate others and will NEVER ADMIT WRONGDOING. The sadistic ones are very willing to go out of their way to harm an individual. They are very meticulous in their planning. Once they are carrying out a scheme there are no "coincidences". To them, timing is very important and her absence from the house the night Ayla disappeared was no "coincidence". Phoebe demonstrates these characteristics of planning and going out of her way to harm an individual. She was behind the scenes making phone calls. She exploited the knowledge her son had strong abusive tendencies to perpetrate great evil against Ayla. I believe Trista filing for parental rights was what instigated Phoebe to rush her plan to destroy Ayla, and I believe she was behind it--she may not have delivered the fatal blow, but I believe she somehow arranged it. She shows no compassion for Ayla "I was more concerned about Justin's wrist." She shows no compassion for Trista "Then believe she is alive and tell us what you did with her." I feel in every fiber of my being Phoebe is a sadistic sociopath. I feel that she went out of her way to get Ayla living in her home to perpetrate evil against her. (Knowing Justin would be abusing her is one way, but I believe there was a large scheme inside her head.)
I pray to God that in his grace he will allow evidence to surface that will put these two (Phoebe and Justin) behind bars.

Anonymous said...

Thank you. Yes, that's what I meant. Of course she could listen to concern/complaints from anyone. Yes, I meant should she have been conversing with Phoebe regarding Ayla's confidential case or her custody?

Anonymous said...

one thing that may help you all to understand, if you call DHHS on someone and tell them you think there is a problem.... can you prove it in a court of law? if you can't, neither can DHHS, which means your call is unfounded and nothing happens. i believe this to be the case here. Small had no reason to be involved other than the parties kept coming to her(as a go between trying to resolve their issues).

Small had ZERO authority to even place an underhanded call to police, she subverted all protocols, skipped the home study, and decided custody, which only a judge can do...placing Ayla into the arms of a murderous monster!
Jen
"She most certainly did EVERYTHING wrong! She even documented what she was supposed to do, only to turn around and do the opposite."

ok so she told what she supposed to do, skipped the home study, and decided custody, there was no authority to do that. that is why she did what she did. she did not have grounds for a home study, she did not decide the custody, she should have said too bad not my department, good luck. then people wouldnt be blaming her for it now.

Anonymous said...

Shelley said...
And how is it that Justin did not need to go to court to take Ayla despite not having had prior custody. But when Trista trys to take her back, she is denied?
----------

if i understand right, the mom went to rehab. the baby was not in her care anymore. the father has second dibs. there was no court custody in place, but even if there had been, he would have gotten the baby by default when mom went to rehab.
after she got out, dad had one point for the baby living with him. she was in the hole another point with her drug history. she had to prove she was better than dad by at least one point. he had two, so she needed 3 to counter and win. the childs living arrangements will not be forced to change on a tie.
if there was still no court custody in place when she got out of rehab, she could have made a custodial grab herself. then she would have a point for baby living with her, minus a point for the drug thing, equals a tie, and because child was with her, court would not force a change in baby's custody.

it sux, but that is the way it goes.

if you see a man, drunk, with a child, beating the child... so you knock him out and take the kid... can you prove he was drunk? can you prove he hit the kid? if you cannot prove the kid was endanger or any grounds for taking the kid, you will be charged with kidnapping.

Anonymous said...

Per the article:
"Out of rehab, Trista tried to get Ayla returned but
was told it was a civil matter between parents."

-----------
that is what cops will tell you. they do not want to get in the middle of it. seems she bought the cops advice and chose the lawyer route. custodial grabs are borderline kidnapping or other charges.
when dad took the kid, there wasnt much DHHS or babysitters could do, legally, he had every right to take her then. the cops followed the law. the babysitters denying him her was kidnapping or similar charges.

GetThem said...

I'm angry at the police officer who decided to take Ayla from Jessica. Jessica would have voiced all her concerns to this policeman and he chose not to use listen or do his job fully by ensuring that the legal steps to remove this child were in place. What authority would he have to remove Ayla based on a call from Karen Small? This is BS. That cop needs to be sued just for being an idiot. It was HIS job to protect Ayla. Nice job.

JerseyJane said...

In the article it said Trista and Justin agreed to the placement of Ayla with Jessica, Trista's sister during her rehab. It was a documented agreement at a meeting with whatever the name of their family services team or rep.

If the State fires this woman, they would be admitting error and blame. They won't do that til they are taken to their knees!! And with a lawsuit on top of their head, they definitely won't until the last second, that's for sure!!

GetThem said...

Everyone else involved knowingly agreed to kidnap Ayla. This cop was just a moron.

Anonymous said...

dad was there with the cops, where is mom, not there, with no court custody showing dad could not have the baby, cops have no choice but to hand baby to dad.

as far as i can tell, there was no DHHS case concerning alya. nothing was confidential as far as Small's involvement. aunt went to Small, grandma went to Small. doesnt matter where Smalls jurisdiction was. there was no DHHS case, only reports and complaints and parties discussing.

Anonymous said...

Trista and Justin agreed to the placement of Ayla with Jessica,
------------
i dont think that was a court approved document, if it was ever even put in writing. so justin changed his mind. too bad.

Jen said...

It amazes me how people can read something like this article, which clearly states the ILLEGAL process by which the DiPietros came into possession of Ayla...and still insist on blaming Trista! Smh

GetThem said...

Anon 5:12, I disagree. There are parental disputes all over the country. Just because a parent tells a cop he has custody, doesn't mean it's true. Jessica had to had to have explained her concerns about the process because based on the article, because her contact at DSS said DO NOT RELEASE AYLA to Justin until our meeting. That means, Justin, GrammyDearest and DSS (Karen Small) knowingly kidnapped Ayla by lying. They lied to the police. The police should have asked to see paperwork. He didn't. He's at fault too.

MsCabinFever said...

I don't have time to read all of the comments above. Can someone tell me if Karen Small was penalized for her part in this mess?

Mainah said...


Not completely OT:

I just came across this term coined by psychologist, Jennifer J. Freyd in “Violations of power, adaptive blindness, and betrayal trauma theory” (1997). It fits Justin and his kin folk to a T.

DARVO - Deny, Attack, Reverse Victim and Offender. A behavior of perpetrators of wrongdoing (especially sexual offenders), when accused of attacking their victim, reversing the roles of victim and offender.

Anonymous said...

One way to understand this case is to understand sociopaths prey on the human tendency to want to believe "there HAS to be another explanation for this".
Here is how this thinking played out:

Phoebe: sadistic sociopath who planned a murder
Justin: (abuser) Mom just wants me to get Ayla because Trista is a bad mother.
Smalls: (abuser of power) Phoebe just wants me to help get Ayla because she feels she can give her a better home.
Cop: This doesnt seem right but I'm sure this father just wants to be with his daughter.
Public: This seems like a murder for money, but it could have been a kidnapping.
Police: Phoebe is off our list of suspects because she wasn't there the night it happened.
In a case like this, look at the one who appears for a moment, pulling strings behind the scenes, orchestrating events, but then somehow becomes hidden as they make others dance like puppets to do their bidding. What we see in the beginning with Phoebe behind the scenes making her phone calls, this is the puppet master, pulling the strings. Her ultimate victory--disappearing during the final act.

Anonymous said...

Oh, and Phoebe's encore performance: Publically insisting to the mother of a murdered child "Then believe she is alive and tell us what you did with her."
Translation: Don't point the finger at me Trista, fall in line like all the others and do the one thing Phoebe expects, demands of all: Believe there is some other explanation!

Jen said...

Yes there was. Did you read the article? DHHS became involved when Trista's youngest baby came down with pnemonia (not due to any wrongdoing or neglect on Trista's part...Trista was deemed as appropriate care, and it was agreed by both parties that her sister would provide care in her absence (and her sister/home was deemed appropriate care). Karen Small provided the sister's address to the cop, and therefore the Dips from the agreement (which is confidential information that she abused). And yes jurisdiction does matter. It's all in the article!

Anonymous said...

Just because a parent tells a cop he has custody, doesn't mean it's true..... They lied to the police.
The police should have asked to see paperwork. He didn't. He's at fault too.
--------
maybe the cop did ask, but hey, that goes both ways, perhaps she couldnt prove to the cop by showing him paperwork. it was said Small didnt work up any documents.

Anonymous said...

ok Jen, you might have got me on that one.

DHHS became involved when Trista's youngest baby came down with pnemonia

maybe
we dont know if Small is who told the reporter that info.

and each child is a different case. that is why one child may be removed and not other children in the home. one childs case may not include the other children. therefore, perhaps Small did not break any rules....
if Alya was not included in the other childs safety plan, then there was nothing in place. and if she was included, did justin agree to it or was that just between mom and aunt? im guessing DHHS would not have been able to include justin in some other childs safety plan.

Anonymous said...

What is the connection between Trista's kid getting pneumonia and DHHS getting involved? My son had pneumonia when he was 21/2 and had to be hospitalized--this is not something that gets blamed on the parent and they get DHHS involved. That makes NO SENSE!!!

Anonymous said...

So much of this story makes no sense.
1). DHHS gets involved bc of pneumonia--this is the stupidest thing I've ever heard.
2) Trista gets ordered by who to go to alcohol rehab bc of drunken fight with her sister or her kids would be taken. WHO ordered this? Was Trista arrested? I believe she was not. So who ordered her into rehab? Only a judge can do that after an individual has been arrested and charged!

DHHS has no grounds to get involved on the basis of her baby getting pneumonia. Can someone explain this?

Anonymous said...

It sounds to me from the bunk reason for the initial DHHS involvement Phoebe had been planning to take and kill Ayla for a long time.

Anonymous said...

I can guess why DHHS got involved for a BS reason like Trista's baby having pneumonia. It's one word and it's got 6 letters: PHOEBE

s said...

Oh for God's sake, can't someone do right by this poor child?

Maybe Karen Small could stand up and admit her wrongdoing.

I think it is very telling that Phoebe was not there the night Ayla went missing. It's like a person who wants their spouse out of the way, so they hire a hit, but make sure they are out of town with an alibi when it happens.

There was talk a long time ago, when Ayla first went missing that Phoebe was with a female companion (lover). Maybe it was Karen Small? The talk was here in the comments section.

Little Ayla is lost in all this bullshit. So many things went wrong. So many people have something to cover up.

Somebody grow a pair and man up! It's time. Justin, maybe it's you. I am almost starting to understand why Trista yelled at you "I know you care". I could not figure that out, until I started to see the possibility that Phoebe is the evil one, and she was manipulating even her son.

I hope Trista goes to law school on Maine's dime and then sues everyone involved!

And, why won't a high profile lawyer get involved? He or she could be caught doing good!

Lemon said...

"I let Phoebe know that we really needed to be communicating with Justin on this matter...……"
__________

That pesky "we"...

Jen said...

"DHHS had initially become involved following the illness of her son, who was 11 months younger than Ayla. He’d sufered bouts of pneumonia and bronchitis".

-It says 'bouts', plural...so I guess if the baby was continually sick it may have raised questions about his care or the stability of the home (remember Tudela also claimed she was previously homeless, so that would also explain their involvment)? Babies get sick, and Trista was deemed appropriate to care for both children. Likely DHHS would have just run out the clock, and closed the file if not for Pheobe and all of her nonsense.

Sella35 said...

Karen Small keeps saying "we" when there was no "we" it was her.... does she say we, meaning the dept. or we as in her and Phoebe? She wants to share by saying we because she knows she screwed up now that the baby is dead...

Jen said...

Hi Anon 8:39

I just copied some of the highlights to illustrate the illegal steps taken by Small. She writes in her notes several times that she told Pheobe (who she was talking to instead of Jip) that DHHS (she) had no jurisdiction, and that custody would have to be sought through filing with the family court. She then inexplicably oversteps her authority, breaks confidentiality (which she also tells Phobe she can not do) and calls the Lewiston PD to tell them she has authorized the transfer.

"Small wrote, Phoebe “acknowledged that her son has not gone to court to establish his parental rights but they are going to be getting a lawyer and he will be going to court to do so.” The documentation by Small of the
statement by Phoebe Dipietro regarding Justin’s parental rights gives a clear indication that both women were aware of the prescribed legal process. In light of this, the actions of both women indicate clearly that both Phoebe and Small simply decided to ignore the law. Phoebe by going after Ayla and Small by misleading the police. Small’s assertions with the Lewiston police completely circumvented the legal process."

" Small informed Pheobe that according to the DHHS file Trista and Justin did have at least a short term custody agreement. It was an agreement in which Phoebe played no part. Altering the custody arrangement required a civil action - not a decision by a state child protective worker. In such instances, the parent disputing the current custody setup would file in Maine District Court a petition for parental rights and responsibilities. And the matter would be legally decided in the family court division of district court. Small would have no standing in this process. The matter would be decided by a judge not by DHHS’s Karen Small. Even if Small felt that a child should be removed because it was in danger, Small *(actually the assigned case worker)* would have to file an affidavit with the court and obtain a temporary jeopardy order allowing DHHS to remove the child. And that order would be signed by a judge - not by Small. It’s not clear why no documentation was required when Small told Lewiston Police she’d authorized custody. The scenario, as it unfolded, suggests that a DHHS employee “used the power of the state to efect or create an outcome in what should be a civil action between two parents.”

(Actually its worse than that because Small had no jurisdiction)

" Given that Ayla was being cared for at Jessica Reynolds’ apartment in Lewiston, the matter would have involved the Lewiston DHHS office. Karen Small is listed as a child protective services supervisor in Portland, not Lewiston. Small not only did not refer her (Pheobe), she ended up giving her confidential information."

Anonymous said...

Jen, Maybe but I don't buy it. Some kids are prone to lung infections. My kid was a preemie, so he is. Docs don't look to blame the parents for that kind of thing. It's not their fault. The 1st time my son had pneumonia he went into breathing distress--they never figured out if it was viral or bacterial and thought a small part of his lung had collapsed but never figured out for sure. Pneumonia is a strange animal. 2nd time he had pneumonia it was bacterial--that's a nasty thing and hard to get rid of. Docs know with pneumonia it's a germ that gets down into the lungs--that's all. Different people's lungs have different susceptibilities. My feeling is someone pushed DHHS in Trista's direction, they were looking for an excuse. No docs or nurses would have called them--they see sickness all the time.

Anonymous said...

Oh, and I just saw you (Jen) listed all the illegal steps taken by Small. THANK YOU!!!!!

Anonymous said...

S--Well put!!!!

BeenThere said...

When my youngest was in school, the school office made it clear that they couldn't prevent my daughter's father from picking her up even though he was a virtual stranger to her. There was no divorce and no court ordered custody. I still don't understand how they could just hand her over to someone without even having to verify that he was her bio dad. It seemed to me that in the absence of a custody agreement the child should remain with the parent that left them in the care of the school unless or until the unfamiliar person in the office can show legal proof of parentage.
The same with Ayla. Unless JD had custody papers in hand, how could the cop order the aunt to hand over the baby. I guess she should have just lied and said she had no idea who this man was.
I was also told by my attorney that, just as in the case of assets, "possession" is 9/10 of the law.
I was so frustrated by the legal system that it made me want to grab my kids and run but my fear was that I would be caught and then who would end up with them?
Everyone guilts the mother into including the father, no matter what kind of a person he is, then the poor kids end up being forced to go with evil, self-serving animals like the Dips. If a parent tries to keep their kids away from an abusive or negligent parent they run the risk of losing custody. If they don't do everything they can to protect their child, they can be prosecuted and lose custody. If you try to work within the system, as Trista did, it takes too long and look what can happen in the meantime. And to make it worse, these matters are handled by people that don't know the child or the parents, sometimes by people like Smith.

I've personally had nothing but negative experiences with family court, attorneys ad litem, and cps. It's a maddening process trying to prove what you know will happen, before it happens. If the parent has been there and established a long-term relationship with the child I can understand why the burden of proof should be greater, but when there has been no prior relationship, they need be extremely cautious granting unsupervised visitation. They should ALWAYS err on the side of the child.

BeenThere said...

I referred to Smith. I meant Small.

Jen said...

Continued...

(Although Small writes that she tells Pheobe that DHHS has no authority and they need to settle the civil matter 'between themselves'...Small begins taking steps to subvert the process by calling Trista's sister and informing her that JDip is coming to 'retrieve' Ayla. When Jessica resists and informs Small that the actual caseworker told her NOT to release Ayla to Justin, Small makes an excuse to about 'Betsy' being busy. Small does this to basically override 'Betsy's' authority, and to make Jessica believe that this decision has been reached WITH Betsy, and therefore she has no recourse and nobody to contact for help resisting the actions that JDip/DHHS are taking).

"Small noted that the mother’s and father’s “families are trying to involve DHHS in custody dispute. I let them know they need to settle the Issue between themselves.”

"At some point on the same day Karen Small contacts aunt Jessica Reynolds about Justin Dipietro picking Ayla up. Jessica asks when a 'family team meeting' is going to be held and is told by Small that “unfortunately Betsy (a DHHS caseworker) and I had been busy...” When pressed on Ayla going with her father, Small notes “Jessica became upset and said that she was told by Betsy not to allow Justin to have Ayla until after the 'FTM'."

(Now comes the illegal action that will lead to Ayla's abuse and death)

"Phoebe calls back -- and Small, for reasons she does not explain, decides to ignore the restrictions governing what DHHS can and cannot do -- as she has just previously outlined to Phoebe and recorded in written notes, documentation she likely assumed would never be scrutinized publicly. Small had said "we really need to be communicating with Justin....” But Phoebe called back, not Justin.
Small also apparently decides to ignore the report of bruises and the concern for Ayla’s safety when with her father. After informing Phoebe that the matter was a “custody dispute,” Small says the families “need to resolve the issue between themselves.” But Phoebe tells Small she’s on her way to get Justin and then they’re “going to the Lewiston PD to get assistance with picking up Ayla.”

"Small unexplainably capitulates, with Phoebe Dipietro dictating the terms, and speaking for her son, who had only days before gone on record with DHHS as being fne with leaving his daughter temporarily in the care of her maternal aunt. Small is apparently even OK with Phoebe, a Maine Revenue Service employee, taking care of the background check on her own family, with the straightforward characterization, “She stated that her family is not unstable....”

"After telling Phoebe she couldn’t provide Jessica’s address because it was confidential information in a confidential DHHS file -- Small writes, “I then contacted Lewiston PD and asked them to provide assistance and gave them Jessica’s address.” By doing so she knowingly provided the information to the Dipietros.
Small’s candor in documenting the situation did not extend to the inclusion of the vital detail that she was the one who had “authorized Dipietro to take custody of his daughter.”

(Sorry about any typos, my copy amd paste was leaving strange margins and dashes so I tried to make it more readable)

Jen said...

Continued...

(Oops, I almost forgot the most important part)

The officer told the aunt that Karen Small of Child Protective Services (a division of the Maine Department of Health and Human Services) had “authorized the custody.” Small is listed as an Office of Child and Family Services Supervisor at Portland DHHS.
When Dipietro had arrived at the Lewiston Police Station a short time before, requesting the police accompany him to “retrieve” his daughter, the officer who met with him recorded, “I consulted my supervisor....who stated that he had been on the phone with Child Protective Services and had spoken with Karen Small who in fact had authorized Dipietro to take custody of his daughter.”
Reportedly, no paperwork changed hands.

Anonymous said...

Poor Ayla never had a chance with so many irresponsible, negligent, uninformed, deceitful, abusers of the legal system and children. There is so much blame to spread around.

One thing I don't understand is how Phoebe get Jessica's address? Did Small give it to her or did the police?

Anonymous said...

thank you BeenThere at 11:23 PM , but let me tell you, that was exactly the way it was, only i am the father and they worked me in that same way.
It's a maddening process trying to prove what you know will happen, before it happens.
it sucd big time.
i did get custody in the end... an out of court settlement, despite the entire process.

i agree, daycare and schools or anywhere or anyone you pass caretaker on to, should only be able to give the child back to you and you only without prior consent.
even with a request not to let the other parent take the child, they would still have to let them if they did come for the child. that is wrong imo.

Anonymous said...

Karen Small who in fact had authorized Dipietro to take custody of his daughter.”

or did Small really say she didnt have any reason to deny?
that could be understood by a cop as authorization. see cops lie so much all the time.

Jen said...

Anytime-

I probably still missed a few things that will pop into my head later tonight, lol. There's so much deceit and entitled behavior among the Dips and their cronies, it blows my mind that they continue to get away with it AND even keep their state jobs! But as JerseyJane said, firing them would be admitting wrongdoing and they are already going to owe Trista millions for this farce.

I also wonder if these 'notes' of Karen Small were doctored after Ayla disappeared to cover her butt? If the Lewiston police had not documented her name, (luckily) then who would be able to say exactly what happened that day..maybe Jessica wrote down Small's name, but I would say that was the last thing on her mind after hearing Ayla was going to be taken. Small's notes are very strange, since she did the polar opposite of what she documented telling Pheobe. (what she wrote is obviously the procedure she was SUPPOSED to follow). More and more questions!

Sus said...

A couple of things:

Family services may get involved when a child has a lot of illnesses like pneumonia. I know because this is exactly why the Illinois DCFS became involved with my adopted daughter's birth family.

Secondly, it was brought out soon after Ayla went missing that not only does Karen Small have some familial connection with Phoebe Dipietro, she had direct involvement with Jessica Reynolds. I understood Karen Small was Jessica's case worker when her children were removed. Jessica and Trista both stated they felt Karen Small did not like their family and "had it out" for them.

Is it possible Karen Small informed Phoebe that Trista entered rehab and that Ayla was staying with Jessica...even before any of the custody grab. Is it possible that Phoebe didn't like Ayla with Jessica based upon Karen Small's opinion? Justin certainly didn't care until Phoebe seemed to force the issue...and turned to Karen Small.

I'm just looking at some other angles here.

Jen said...

But it really doesn't matter what she said, or how they took it. She broke the law by even making the phone call.

Karen Small could NOT authorize, OR deny a change of custody...ONLY a judge can.

All DHHS intervention, be it custody, removal of kids from a home, termination of parental rights, etc...is authorized by a judge. The DHHS itself has no legal authority.

Custody agreements between parents are completely unrelated to the DHHS. A child protective worker plays NO role is authorizing or denying custody between parents. Small knew this, and even documented telling Pheobe these things, yet she called the Lewiston PD and Jessica to initiate the "transfer of custody". By doing so she knowingly bypassed the legal process necessary for such an action.

But I agree tat the cops were wrong for not obtaining the proper documentation. They should never have accompanied JDip, or agreed to help initiate a change is Ayla's care without a signed order from a family court judge. I guess we can add them to the list of corrupt liars that helped send Ayla to her death.

Jen said...

Good point Sus!

All day I have been thinking that the key to this case lies at the beginning. You may be right...Karen Small was obviously familiar with the temporary custody agreement that she gave Pheobe and the Lewiston PD info from, and she initiated the 'transfer' of Ayla to the Dips. Small is likely the one who informed the Dips that Trista had filed for parental rights and responsibilities/return of custody (the day before Ayla went missing).

My mind is in overdrive! I'm thinking of so many statements like...'Did Trista really think it was a good idea to file for custody' (Tudela)...'I always thought you would be the one to take her from me, I shouldn't have to worry about that in my own house" (JDip to Trista, paraphr)...etc.

The question is...did Trista's filing for custody accelerate a calculated plan that was already in motion, forcing them to carry it out that night? (They knew from their hijacking of Ayla that they hadn't covered their bases legally, so Trista could show up at any time demanding Ayla back with legit paperwork).

Or, did anger toward Trista drive Justin into a rage that he unleashed on poor Ayla. There is no question he was already abusing her, and this legal step by Trista may have stoked his anger just enough for him to lash out at Ayla fatally. (Sort of a...if you think your going to take her back, I'll show you).

I'm thinking outloud, but your idea is intriguing...Small may have played a more active role than a simple bystander who was manipulated into breaking the rules by Pheobe.

Anonymous said...

The people involved in Ayla's disappearance act like a mix of children and psychopaths.

"Even when you haven’t been caught. As a boy, did you ever break something and then run away, hoping that no one would notice, and that if they did, they wouldn’t connect the crime back to you? This is how a CHILD handles his mistakes.

A MAN OWNS UP to his mistakes and offenses whether or not he thinks he will be held accountable."

People who are not psychopaths should not be ok living with that sort of guilt and injustice they commit each and every day against little Ayla.

No child deserves to vanish from this world like that!

People who are neither children nor psychopaths would TAKE RESPONSIBILITY for their actions.

JerseyJane said...

Some were wondering when Trista's younger child was sick, DHHS got involved...

Remember folks, Trista was getting help from government agencies and programs. Some of the criteria for benefits may be seeing the child/children and mom. Discussing housing situations, health issue, etc... Agencies share and recommend to each other, it NOT all about the 'bad' with DHHS. It's to improve, head-off situations before they happen.
What this Ms. Small did is soooo waaay illegal. Being in a supervisoral position makes it all the more disgusting! Makes me think if the caseworker associated with Trista and under Ms. Small was fired or disciplined(referred to as Betsy).

MANIAH- you were so cool to find Ma DiP and Ms. Small still employed with their jobs. Can u locate if this Betsy(first or last name??) person still is employed under Ms.Small or maybe transferred out?

Anonymous said...

there was no case for Alya? so no confidential info on Alya. Alya was not a client, so no privacy act protection. and how do you know they didnt all sign privacy releases or not?
Small may have advised them all of the way to go about it, and they all worked it out amongst themselves without a DHHS case being established. the safety plan they agreed on was just amongst themselves. there was no DHHS case on Alya.

Small may have told the cops they would have to assist justin because DHHS had no involvement or reason for them not to. her advice to the cops would be for them to do their duty to the law.
all the cop needed was for justin to say it was his child, jessica to agree.
is the baby's mother here, no
is this the baby's father, yes
any court paperwork saying you are to have the child, no.
ok then hand the kid over or be arrested.
maybe jessica told the cop to call Small, Small then returned the call, and had to concede that DHHS had no say in the matter and as far as she knew the cops would have to retrieve justin's child to him.
too much info missing to make the claim that Small did anything illegal, or to demand her job.
-------------

btw, i think justin, kicked the baby across the room, her head cracked open when she hit against the concrete wall.
prior and reflective injuries and his attitude, give me the vision he would forcefully brush her aside or kick her out of his way.

Anonymous said...

JerseyJane, true, it is not all bad, it was established for good. BUT, it is the tools that social workers have to work with and they can be manipulated to have evil outcomes. during that help, they are gathering evidence that can be used against you in a court of law.
a child with on going or reoccurring illness, is a sign that the parent is not following through with the doctors orders or medications. or that the child is not having its basic needs met such as a coat in winter while outside. so yes, it would warrant a mandatory report from a doctor to DHHS.

Jen said...

I don't understand why you are trying to excuse what Karen Small did, or speculate other possible scenarios where it was a misunderstanding or she did not do anything wrong?

It's all documented in HER own notes, and its backed up by the Lewiston PD and Trista's sister! Karen Small had NO AUTHORITY to call the Lewiston PD or Jessica to even discuss Ayla, much less give out Jessica's address from a confidential DHHS file, and request the PD assist with a 'tranfer of custody'. Small wrote in her notes that she informed Pheobe that the steps JDip must take are through the court...then she turned around and helped them bypass the court! Her job is the least of what she should lose...she should be worried about her freedom.

What she did is ILLEGAL. She knew JDip had not established his parental rights, she knew that a temporary 'safety plan' agreed upon by both parties was in place, she knew that there were allegations of abuse, she knew that JDip needed a court order to get Ayla and that no court order existed, and she knew she was not allowed to share demographic info from a confidential DHHS file. (She wrote in her OWN notes that she advised Pheobe of all these things). Small was a supervisor who was supposed to ensure that OTHERS followed the same rules that she chose to break. She abused her position at DHHS to bypass the legal process established for determining custody. ONLY a judge can authorize a 'transfer of custody', and send in DHHS or a police officer to forcibly remove a child.

Custody is determined and enforced, 'by order of the court'...(not, 'by order of the DHHS supervisor who wants to help out her trashy family who could never win legit custody, so she calls the local PD and tells them Dad trumps Aunt).

Anonymous said...

To Anon who said that a child's recurring illnesses are from not following through on a doctor's orders or from not having a winter coat to wear, are you a doctor?
The 2nd time my son had pneumonia, it was through my persistence that his pneumonia was even detected or healed. I know a lot about pneumonia because my son was born 3 mos. early and I have also read a LOT about pneumonia.
It can be difficult for a doctor to detect pneumonia--if a doctor does not hear the pneumonia through a stethoscope OR err on the side of caution to send the child for x-rays the pneumonia can go undetected. That is what happened the 2nd time my son had it (he has had it twice). Despite him running a high fever and coughing they were saying "we don't hear any pneumonia" on 3 different times I brought him in. I would sit up at night worrying because my mother's intuition told me that something was very wrong. I brought him back repeatedly until they finally "heard" the pneumonia, then sent him for x-rays also which also showed the pneumonia. From that point, it took them going through 3 different antibiotics to get rid of it, going on to prescribe different ones when the 1st and 2nd ones didn't work. The doctor said to me "we like to think this particular one will get rid of it, but sometimes it doesn't. It depends on what germ the child has. And sometimes it is a strong one." By the time the 3rd one was prescribed, the pneumonia had spread into his sinuses, and the doctor was very compassionate and said we like to think it easily healed but sometimes it is not and it has spread into your son's sinuses."
I stayed home with my son the whole time he had this pneumonia (40 days), followed doctor's orders, he has a warm coat, nutritious food and a regular sleep schedule.
I think it is very arrogant for anyone who has not had a child with pneumonia to say that pneumonia, bouts of pneumonia, or pneumonia which is not easily treated is a result of the parent's negligence.
Trista baby was 11 months old. How many bouts of pneumonia could he have had? I will tell you it is not possible he could have had more than 2 bouts of it, because once a child has pneumonia 3 times they begin wondering about underlying physical issues the child might have (for example cystic fibrosis) and will often begin testing for these issues, because it is extremely unusual for a child to get pneumonia 3 times or more, because of safeguards the body has that prevent passage of germs deep into the lungs. Once the doctor would see 3 times these germs have made it deep down into the lungs, the parent would not be blamed, rather serious concerns about a number of underlying physical issues would arise.
It is extremely ignorant to blame pneumonia or recurrent pneumonia on a parent. It shows that the person is not informed about pneumonia, the varied ways it can behave, the different susceptibilities a person may have, or the difficulty in treating it that often occurs.
My son's doctor was extremely supportive of my son and myself and during this extremely stressful time when he was being cycled through 3 different antibiotics after the intitial difficulty in detecting it. My son was sick for 40 days and during that time I had plenty of time to read about pneumonia, so if anyone has any questions I would be happy to answer.
My recommendation as far as this topic goes is to treat the stated reasons for the first referral of DHHS to Trista with great skepticism, questioning the validity of the reason. Keep in mind it was the illegal actions of DHHS that led to baby Ayla's death.
(continued in next post b.c I could not fit it all)

Anonymous said...

Here is my post on pneumonia and DHHS cont.
I stand firm in my position that recurrent pneumonia is NOT a valid reason to refer DHHS to a parent. And also don't let the language fool you about "recurrent bouts of pneumonia and bronchitis". Bronchitis in a baby is pneumonia (this is a misconception that baby's can have "bronchitis"). And keep in mind that if her baby had more than 2 bouts of pneumonia it would be highly unusual and would have concerned doctor's greatly that he might have cystic fibrosis or any number of other serious underlying physical problems.

Anonymous said...

Jen,

Thank you for fighting here to shine light on the illegal actions of Small.
Small threw Ayla to the wolves.

A lingering question I have in my mind is why Phoebe's alibi for the night Ayla disappeared has not been shared in any detail. Since many suspect her of disposing of Ayla's body, why does she not publically say exactly where she was and who with? Is it because she does not want members of the public searching in the areas she traveled or stayed? Was the person she was with Karen Small or someone else that would incriminate the state further in the matter?
It is just befuddling to me. If you look at the Kyron Horman case, everyone affiliated with the home he lived in and their friends have fully stated where they traveled and where they were during Kyron's disppearance (whether they are being honest or not). However, Phoebe, the homeowner who also lived at Violette Ave with Ayla--we don't know where she was or who with!!! My gut instinct is telling me LE or prosecutor does not want the public to know. Very messed up.
My gut also tells me that Phoebe does not want members of the public, perhaps even people who live along the route or near where she stayed searching their properties or wooded areas along the route.

Anonymous said...

I also have been wondering lately if the crime scene was "set up"--meaning it is not easy to figure out what happened there in the house, blood in so many rooms, on beds, couch, upstairs downstairs, TV, fan cord, car seat??? What I am starting to think is that yes Ayla was murdered but that the crime scene was doctored by Phoebe. What better way to make it so noone solves the crime? Keep in mind, she wasn't there (supposedly) so she won't be blamed, Justin will and that's OK with her. He may have been the killer (although I believe Phoebe arranged the killing) but I believe Phoebe doctored the crime scene. To confuse. I literally believe she spread blood around the house, put it on different objects--the doll in the bedroom, the slippers, the TV and fan cord down stairs, the couch.

JerseyJane said...

Anon 11:26am
it's crazy to be light on the fact that this Karen Small wasn't involved with the handoff of Ayla to her so-called father.
So basically, THIS IS WHAT YOU BELIEVE:


~~~Small may have told the cops they would have to assist justin because DHHS had no involvement or reason for them not to. her advice to the cops would be for them to do their duty to the law.
all the cop needed was for justin to say it was his child, jessica to agree.
is the baby's mother here, no
is this the baby's father, yes
any court paperwork saying you are to have the child,
no.
ok then hand the kid over or be arrested.~~~

OK .. Let's remember the child's legal name is Ayla Reynolds. NOT DiPIETRO. Did the policeman take a DNA on the spot? LOL or did he just look into a crystal ball, maybe he used a ouiija board?
OR maybe there was major full blown illegal involvement with a DHHS Karen Small!!! This woman had to be very very convincing and in it deep especially with the child having a different last name.. Lots of roadblocks! No papers, different names, no mother present, yes, lots of flags and lots of INVOLVEMENT by K. Small to make it happen...

Let's hope some day someone doesnt come knocking at ur newly found babysitters door and a policeman takes a babysitter and a stranger man( with a different name as ur child or grandkid) and takes their word that the stranger is the father and he is allowed to take off with your kid. O I forgot and a phone call from a supervisor from the local DHHS that 'anyone' can portray to be.

Anonymous said...

Physical search seems to be less likely to locate Ayla, LE should make one of the 3-4 to speak!

LE should name their person of interests now (without a body), and offer a deal publicly to ONLY one of them.

Anonymous said...

Anon @ 3:15--Right. But what I don't understand why is LE not appealing to the public to call if they saw Phoebe somewhere the night of Ayla's disappearance. Look at the Kyron Horman case how even the friend of Kyron's stepmother had to give her whereabouts and the public were asked "did they see step-mother's truck anywhere?"
Well, how about they do this with Phoebe? What about her phone pings too? Why not ask the public if anyone saw her or her vehicle or her "companion's" vehicle? It's like an intentional blind spot in the whole investigation. If the public saw her or her vehicle sonewhere, it could possibly lead them directly to Ayla!

Anonymous said...

sry anon at 1:33
i was saying it is a "redflag" and a doctor would have to mandatory report it. and that is in general, not just for pneumonia.
im guessing she was on welfare so her doctor probably wasnt all that bright, and she probably also liked to jump at mandatory reporting to DHHS.
and/or the doctor may have suspected drug use and was using the pneumonia thing to get DHHS involved to get that taken care of, as she did go to rehab without court order? and for the state to pay for rehab, it must have been through DHHS?

Anonymous said...

"im guessing she was on welfare so her doctor probably wasnt all that bright"

What? Are you kidding? I mean hey, I'm not happy with all that has happened to Ayla, but what do you think, if a doctor accepts Medicaid, they went to some other school, than the one's who don't?

Anonymous said...

JDip had not established his parental rights
Custody is determined and enforced, 'by order of the court'

the "standing" court order, w/o anything to say different, is that the father has a right. no other court documents were in place saying he didn't. if mom not there, then dad can take the child. period. he established his parental rights of custody, to do that when he got her pregnant. he did not need a court order to pick his kid up from daycare. if my kid was at your house, i myself could send the cops over there to get him. i dont need a court order for the cops to forcibly get my kid from you. that is basically what happened with this case.

'safety plan' agreed upon by both parties was in place.....
no paperwork done, no court papers, so no a plan was not "in place" where Small or aunt would have any say in dad taking the baby. no paperwork was filed. it was only a , hey can baby stay over there, yeh sure. but see, he can change his mind later. maybe they did duped Small to leave themselves the loophole oppertunity, i dont know.

allegations of abuse are only allegations, Small had no authority to deny dad of caretaking on allegations.

Small probably knew the address via the social friendship they had, wouldnt be covered under confident files rule. besides, if grandma and dad were at copshop, accusing aunt of kidnapping, cops would have a right to get that address. and also, perhaps they all obviously signed privacy wavers allowing DHHS to share info with other governmental agencies beings they were all going to Small trying to resolve the issue, and everything was being discussed between them all.
just because Small told them the proper way to do this, as she should have, and states that she did, does not mean that dad couldn't pull a fast one and do it with the cops for free and no hassel. dad is not held to following the steps through the court, when he can just take his kid at any time.

and i think it was more like, hey officer, because you are going there anyway, look for these things that may help with the legal matters on down the road please. she wasnt asking the cop to do anything he was gonna do anyway at dad's request.

Anonymous said...

Does anyone feel that the police have downgraded Phoebe's "activity" in the night of the disappearance is because LE knows of the connection between Karen Small and Phoebe DiPietro and Phoebe's alibi would reveal a person LE does not want revealed?

Anonymous said...

Anon @ 5:35, At this point it seems evident LE doesnt want Phoebe's alibi revealed.
I also wonder, as counterintuitive as it may sound, why the 911 call made by Justin is not being revealed to public. One idea I have is that the 911 dispatcher may have asked about who is the homeowner was and Justin may have said "Phoebe" and then, in his nervousness, revealed her whereabouts ie. "Phoebe DiPietro."
"Is she there at the home?" "No, she is (wherever Phoebe was)."

sidewalk super said...

My opinion is that all of Small's documentation occurred after the fact, when she realized she would need to cover her ass.

phoebe set this all up, she wanted the financial burden gone.

I'm also thinking Ayla was gone long before she was reported, the time frame I think fits is when justin would not let Trista talk to her on the phone.

I want to know what the Betsy case worker says about the phoebe-justin grab, what small has said to her about Trista and Ayla. And if small has threatened her if she talks.

And, any chance the policeman knew personally anyone involved?

Trigger said...

This "custody" issue was completed without due process of law.

Karen Small and Phoebe Dipietro are responsible for illegally taking a child from a safe home and sending her into a dangerous place.

I'll bet the policeman was uncomfortable with the "arrangements" of Ayla's removal. He must have cringed when he watched as Ayla saw Justin and fled in fear.

The poor cop must feel remorse.

This is what happens when children are turned over to violent offenders like Justin.

When I saw Phoebe's sarcastic reaction at the courthouse with Trista. I wanted to scream, "What is the matter with you?"

Phoebe was as cold hearted as they come. No wonder her son is a coward who runs when the cameras are on him.

Anonymous said...

Anon 5:06, LE doesn't normally get involved in civil custody issues. The only way they would help you, is if there was a crime being committed. More like if you were claiming someone (the aunt) kidnapped your kid. Karen Small even notes, herself, that this is a civil matter, yet she turned around, provided LE with Jessica's address, asked LE to "assist", and authorized custody.

Anonymous said...

I think she passed the buck to LE. Unfortunately they accepted her authorization, now that poor officer probably replays little Ayla's reaction to Justin over and over in his mind.

I don't think LE should get involved in this type of issue, unless DHHS proides written authorization, unless a child is in imminent danger without removal, unless there is a court order, or unless it is a criminal/kidnapping case. They took someone's word for it via telephone. I hope something has been learned by them. It doesn't help Ayla, but it might help another child at some point.

Anonymous said...

connections aren't coincidences.

http://justiceforayla.blogspot.com/2012/06/food-for-thought-karen-small-connection.html

Jen said...

Where in the world are you getting this information? I'm not trying to be rude, but you apparently do not know the process by which custody is established when the parents are unmarried, because your assertion that he was bestowed his "right to custody when he got her pregnant", is dead wrong. It is also obvious that you haven't read the article, which lays out very clearly what took place..no privacy waivers, no rights, etc.

I am passionate about this case, and I would love to discuss this more, once you read the article.

Jen said...

Where in the world are you getting this information? I'm not trying to be rude, but you apparently do not know the process by which custody is established when the parents are unmarried, because your assertion that he was bestowed his "right to custody when he got her pregnant", is dead wrong. It is also obvious that you haven't read the article, which lays out very clearly what took place..no privacy waivers, no rights, etc.

I am passionate about this case, and I would love to discuss this more, once you read the article.

Anonymous said...

Legal custody is a legal term and it can only be a material reality by order of a court. Until that happens either parent may take "legal" physical custody of a child, with or without the consent of the other parent, at any time.

rob said...

My brothers wife left him and took their son. His attorney told him to let everything cool off, ask to see the child, then when you get him, keep him, and immediately file for temperary custudy. It worked, he got him, and the judge let him keep him, based on her behavior.
I see the problem here, is the DSS employee making the call and giving out the address where the baby was. If she had stayed out of it, they probably would have never went to court to get her, based on Justin's inability to act on his own.