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Ayla Reynolds' Mother: Time Is Running Out to Find Father in Wrongful Death Lawsuit

Ayla Reynolds' mother filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the toddler's father, who reported his daughter missing in 2011, but Trista Reynolds says time is running out to serve Justin DiPietro with legal papers

The mother of a toddler whose disappearance prompted the biggest criminal investigation in Maine history says she's been unable to locate the father.

In a Facebook post that has gone viral, Trista Reynolds wrote that no one can find Justin DiPietro, who reported then-20-month-old Ayla Reynolds missing in 2011 in Waterville.

Court documents show DiPietro's last known address was in Winnetka, California.

State police have long believed the girl is dead, and a judge declared her legally dead in 2017.

Reynolds has blamed DiPietro for the toddler's death. But the body has never been found and no charges have been filed.

Last year, Reynolds filed a wrongful death lawsuit but she says her team is running out of time to serve DiPietro with legal papers. She asked for information about his whereabouts in her social media plea.

Maine toddler Ayla Reynolds has been missing for five years, and her mother says she may have to wait even longer for answers in her daughter’s death.

Reynolds also said she seeks to depose DiPietro's sister and his ex-girlfriend, who were with DiPietro at the time of Ayla's disappearance. Investigators say those three people have not been forthcoming and may hold the key to the case.

"I hope they do kind of contradict each other [in their testimony] and someone slips," Reynolds said in 2017. "I hope somebody tells the truth."

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