Trista Reynolds Was No Mom

by Dr. Michelle Golland

Okay, I feel like I am in an alternate universe on the sad story of missing baby Ayla. Am I the only one who is not buying a word from Trista Reynolds or even her father? This week on The Vinnie Politan show for HLN the focus was to be of the grieving grandfather and victimized mother Trista. My impression of the grandfather’s reaction was totally opposite. Here is a man whose daughter Trista was in drug rehab for alcohol and “other” drugs. Why is this family responding the way they are with nobody addressing how Trista has been as a mom. She was living with an aunt doing drugs. She needed to be forced into rehab and her kids taken from her by the child welfare agency and given to the father. All of this while she has a 9 month of baby from another man. Hello? Are we asleep here people?

Trista Reynolds was no mom. Justin Dipeitro who is being vilified by the media of course being lead by poor victimized not responsible Trista just makes me sick. What we do know is that even when she came out of her drug rehab program she only physically saw her daughter two times between November and when baby Ayla went missing on December. How she can claim bruises and even the broken arm as abuse when she has had no time in the home of her daughter with Justin is suspicious. The way the grandfather kept repeating that why didn’t Justin check on Ayla during the night is just ridiculous. A 20month old child can sleep through the night. If she goes down at 8pm and doesn’t wake up that is not strange to me at all. What is strange is that the Reynolds family is pointing to that as some evidence of neglect and guilt. All it says to me is that they obviously have not been taking care of this child to even know what a normal pattern of care would entail. 

Why is that? Because Trista was never really caring for Ayla. She is a drug addict who then secretly goes to the court to get custody for Ayla. Given her history I would be surprised if the court was going to grant her full custody. Also, has anyone wondered how she is doing with her sobriety during all of this major stress? Has anyone in the media been curious what drug was she abusing? Why are we not pushing for more open honesty from the Reynolds family? When I see the Reynolds family on CNN, HLN, ABC and NBC I don’t see a traumatized desperate family I see people trying to manipulate the media and spin the story how they want it be and nobody is asking the questions that might start to unravel some obvious truths. For example, “Trista were you angry that Justin had custody of Ayla? Trista who was taking care of your other child while in rehab? Trista please explain why as a mom you didn’t see your daughter on a regular basis after coming out of drug rehab? Trista do you see how it seems the court may not be willing to grant you custody given your neglectful behavior as a mother to your children, correct? “

So please next time this family is on the air with you stop lobbing softballs and get real already about how this doesn’t sit right at all. It seems to be that Justin Depietro is taking his direction from the police at each step and if you listen closely they are confirming each thing he states in the media. When I see him speak I see a father who is in shock and trying to cope beyond his limits so he is turning to who he believes he can trust which is the police and not Trista. This may be why he hasn’t contacted her or her family. I also think the lack of contact may be directed by the police to increase the anxiety of the Reynolds family because they believe they may have orchestrated this whole mess. When I look at behavior as a parent and behavior right before this poor little girl went missing the only place my finger keeps pointing is straight at Trista Reynolds and her enabling “victimized” family.