The mother of the Ayla Reynolds is suing Ayla's father, Justin DiPietro, whose whereabouts are unknown, for the death of their daughter.
Trista Reynolds filed the civil lawsuit Monday in Cumberland County Superior Court in Portland.
Ayla Reynolds was 20 months old when she was reported missing by her father, Justin DiPietro, seven years ago on December 17, 2011. DiPietro claimed that someone broke into his family's Waterville home and abducted the toddler. The claim sparked one of the largest investigations in Maine's history and drew national attention.
Investigators say there was never any evidence to support DiPietro's claim and eventually determined that Ayla was likely the victim of foul play, though no charges were ever filed in the case.
Last year, a judge officially declared Ayla is dead.
"Not a day goes by that I am not haunted by what happened to Ayla," said Trista Reynolds, Ayla's mother.
Reynolds told reporters Monday that she is fighting to get closure for Ayla and that she believes DiPietro murdered their daughter.
"I ask myself... when did she really pass away? Where did Justin put Ayla's body? And the final question that I ask myself every day is, did she cry out for me?" a visibly upset Reynolds told reporters outside the courthouse.
Reynolds' laywer, William Childs, said they are hoping the media attention on the civil lawsuit with a renewed investigation will help locate Justin DiPietro whose whereabouts have not been known for several years.
"The process server in California did a pretty exhaustive search... looking in jails, looking in hospitals," said Childs. There is another way to serve people and that's by what we call publication. And we may have to resort to that, but that's not going to get a deposition subpoena to DiPietro, which is really what I intend on doing in this matter."
Childs said DiPietro's last known address is a parking lot near a Los Angeles courthouse.
Reynolds' used the Monday news conference to speak directly to DiPietro, something she says she hasn't done for six-years.
"As we hit Ayla's anniversary, I wonder if this is haunting you, Justin. I wonder if our daughter haunts your dreams or if you see her blue eyes when you close your eyes at night. I wonder if you even think about that night, the night you murdered her," Reynolds said. "You can't hide from this forever. Eventually it will eat at you, and I know I will get justice for Ayla, and I won't stop fighting for justice."
The judge's ruling paved the way for Trista Reynolds to file a wrongful death lawsuit against DiPietro. If found responsible in the civil suit, he would face a monetary judgement, not jail time.
Ayla disappeared in 2011 while staying at her paternal grandmother's house on Violette Avenue in Waterville. Police say DiPietro, his sister Elisha DiPietro and his ex-girlfriend Courtney Roberts were in the home the night Ayla went missing.
Investigators don't believe they've shared all the information they know about Ayla's last night in the house.
Childs said the Reynolds' family is looking to hire a criminologist to continue the investigation. They are looking to raise $25,000 with a GoFundMe page.