WATERVILLE, Maine (NEWS CENTER)- Investigators say they realize a lot of people have been following the case of missing toddler Ayla Reynolds and many of them were hoping it would have a happy ending.
But they now say everything they've learned about the infant's disappearance leads them to believe that is highly unlikely. After 166-days of searching and following up more than 11-hundreds leads and tips, police for the first time say they have reached a sad conclusion about this case.
"We think it is highly unlikely Ayla Reynolds will be found alive. Nothing points in that direction", said Public Safety Spokesman Steve McCausland.
Investigators are still not talking about evidence they've gathered in the case. They say everything they have uncovered leads them to believe the infant is no longer alive.
They say Ayla Reynolds did not leave the house on her own and they also believe she was not abducted. That leaves investigators keying in on the 3 adults in the home that December night she was last seen, her father Justin DiPietro, his sister and his girlfriend.
"Justin, in his case he was her father obviously. She was in his custody and we believe he knows more than he's told us", McCausland said.
Police say they made separate phone calls to Ayla Reynold's parents, Justin DiPietro in Waterville and Trista Reynolds in Portland.
NEWS CENTER