WATERVILLE, Maine — The parties involved in Ayla Reynolds' wrongful death lawsuit have settled the case.
It has been more than a decade since 20-month-old Ayla vanished from a home in Waterville in December 2011. Her body was never found, and a judge declared her legally dead in 2017.
On the seven-year anniversary of Ayla's disappearance, her mother, Trista Reynolds, filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Ayla's father and her ex-partner Justin DiPietro. The case was later expanded to include Justin DiPietro's mother, Phoebe DiPietro, and sister, Elisha DiPietro.
Specific terms of the settlement are not public, and a confidentiality agreement bars the parties from discussing details.
Laura Maher, counsel for Phoebe DiPietro and Elisha DiPietro, told NEWS CENTER Maine the claims made in the lawsuit are disputed, but the parties thought it was in their best interest to resolve the case this way.
NEWS CENTER Maine reached out to attorneys representing Justin DiPietro and Trista Reynolds for comment on the settlement but have not yet received a response.
On the 10-year anniversary of Ayla's disappearance, Waterville police Chief Joe Massey said the case has haunted him from day one.
"This is one of several that you know you always say to yourself you'd like to see it solved," he said. "The Ayla Reynolds case was the largest criminal investigation in the state of Maine and it had a significant impact."
In December 2022, NEWS CENTER Maine took a deeper look at the case with "Vanished: Where is Ayla Reynolds?"