WATERVILLE — Maine Deputy Attorneys General William Stokes and Andrew Benson visited the home Thursday where 20-month-old Ayla Reynolds was last seen. Before entering the home, both men put on gloves and booties.
Shortly afterward, a Maine State Police trooper cordoned off the home with yellow crime scene tape.
Waterville Police Chief Joseph Massey said the increased activity at 29 Violette Ave. was a routine step in the search for clues.
“We’re just at a different point in the investigation,” he said during a press conference. “Don’t read any more into it.”
Massey said investigators continue to treat Reynolds’ disappearance as a missing person case, not a crime. He also said investigators invited the assistant attorneys general to the home.
Stokes is the chief of the attorney general’s criminal division, which includes the state’s homicide unit.
The assistant attorneys general of the homicide unit “respond to all homicides and advise the law enforcement agencies that conduct investigations,” according to the attorney general’s website.
Massey declined comment when asked if there are any persons of interest in the case.
Investigators have received nearly 200 leads, some from out of state, he said.
Ayla was reported missing by her father, Justin DiPietro, just before 9 a.m. Saturday, about 10 to 12 hours after he said she was put to bed.
She was last seen wearing green one-piece pajamas with polka dots and the words “Daddy’s Princess” on them. She is 2 feet, 9 inches tall and weighs about 30 pounds. Her arm is in a soft splint.
Ben McCanna — 861-9239
bmccanna@centralmaine.com
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