Dec. 16, 2007: Singer-songwriter Dan Fogelberg, 56, dies of prostate cancer at home in Deer Isle, where he has lived for 25 years.
Fogelberg, a native of Peoria, Illinois, also lived many years in Colorado and recorded his music there. Achieving his greatest success in the 1970s and 1980s, he was known best for songs such as “Same Auld Lang Syne” (1980) and “Leader of the Band” (1982). His song “The Reach” (1981) is about fishing in Maine.
Dec. 16, 2011: Ayla Reynolds, age 20 months, disappears from her father’s home in Waterville. She is reported missing from her bed the next morning, leading to the largest search for a missing person in Maine history.
State police discover some of Ayla’s blood at the home, and they say they believe her father, Justin DiPietro, has not told them everything he knows about the incident; but DiPietro never is charged.
On Jan. 11, 2012, dive teams search the Kennebec River and Messalonskee Stream in Waterville for traces of Ayla. The divers’ efforts produce no results.
In 2017, the state declares Ayla dead. On Dec. 17, 2018, Ayla’s mother, Trista Reynolds, who did not live with the girl, files a wrongful-death lawsuit against DiPietro, alleging that he caused Ayla’s death through “intentional wrongful actions,” but lawyers are unable to find him to serve him with a court summons.
Joseph Owen is an author, retired newspaper editor and board member of the Kennebec Historical Society. Owen’s book, “This Day in Maine,” can be ordered at islandportpress.com. To get a signed copy use promo code signedbyjoe at checkout. Joe can be contacted at: jowen@mainetoday.com.
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