Besides toddlers allegedly disappearing from their beds, here are some other common threads shared in the two cases:
* In both cases, the parents of the missing toddlers have never been married to one another. Deborah Bradley and Jeremy Irwin live together and told the media they are engaged to be married; however, Bradley remains legally married to another man, according to the Daily Mail. Trista Reynolds and Justin DiPietro never lived together, according to a different Daily Mail report.
* Substance abuse played some role in both cases. MSNBC reported that Lisa’s mother admitted being drunk when her daughter disappeared and possibly passed out. She also said she drank often after the children were in bed. Ayla had only recently been placed in the care of her father, the Daily Mail said. DiPietro had previously not had a hand in raising Ayla, but child welfare agents gave him custody when Trista Reynolds voluntarily enrolled in a 10-day alcohol rehab program, leaving Ayla in her sister’s care.
* There were other children in the home at the time each toddler allegedly disappeared. Baby Lisa’s parents each have a child from a previous relationship and those 6 and 8-year-old half-brothers were in the house when Lisa disappeared. Baby Ayla’s cousin, also a baby, was living in the same house where Ayla was staying with her father and was sleeping in the same room as Ayla, CNN said.
* Substantial rewards were offered. Tuesday, Waterville attorney John Nale said in a press conference that local residents and businesses had contributed $30,000 to help facilitate Ayla’s safe return. One or more anonymous benefactors offered $100,000 for the safe return of baby Lisa or conviction of the person responsible.
* Suspicious late night activity was reported in the vicinity of both homes the night the toddlers disappeared. In the Irwin case, neighbors reported seeing a man carrying a baby wearing only a diaper in the cold night air. Neighbors of Justin DiPietro told police of a strange car at his home late at night and noise loud enough to set the dog barking, as reported by News Blaze.
* There were no reported, credible signs of forced entry in either case. Deborah Bradley and Jeremy Irwin originally reported that someone tampered with a front window screen; however police have dismissed the front window as a potential means of entry to the home. Irwin also reported that the front door was unlocked. In the Reynolds case, police have been mum on almost every aspect of the investigation. Neither the baby’s parents nor the police mentioned forced entry to the home in any of the media reports. Trista Reynolds has suggested that DiPietro may know what happened to Ayla.
