Courtney Roberts and the 'Cinderella Effect'

A commenter noted the lack of speculation regarding Courtney, and that was a very valid observation. Here it goes!

Even though Justin and Courtney were not married, they are said to have been in a long-term (5 year) on/off again relationship. This is sort of weird, considering they both had children under 2 by different people.

For the purposes of this post, Courtney will be viewed as a "step parent" to Ayla; she somewhat fits into this role, and she may have been a caregiver for Ayla during the short time Justin had custody of her. The emphasis on "step parent" is to highlight the fact that Ayla and Courtney have NO biological ties.

What Do We Know About Courtney?
-She lived across the street from Justin and his roommates in Portland
-She is a young, African American female with a small child
-Her sister, who also lived in the apartment with her, was arrested on federal drug trafficking charges
-She had a rough pregnancy, and her boyfriend wanted her to have an abortion
-She is a college student, most recently working to be admitted to a graduate level program

What Role Did Courtney Play in Ayla's Life?
-We really do not have any solid information about this, which in itself is shocking. We have not seen anyone say "She loved Ayla like she was her own" or anything to that effect
-Is it possible that Courtney was left to watch Ayla and her own young son while Justin was out doing whatever he does

How Did Justin Getting Custody Affect Courtney?
-Justin would have to have more contact with Trista, who he may very well have cheated on Courtney with
-Justin would be moving more than an hour away to live in Waterville with his mother
-Justin would be splitting his time between Courtney, Ayla, and Ayden (the similarity in the names is o.O)
-Justin would have to stop working in Portland (if he ever was) and lose his income at least for awhile
-Courtney was said to have spent the weekends in Waterville, that may have affected her as well
-Not related to custody, but Justin was also ordered to pay child support. Did Courtney share the costs if Justin could not pay himself?

Why Is It Important to Look at Courtney?

She may have had any or all of the following:
-Jealousy or ill feelings toward the mother and/or child
-Opportunity
-Means
-Access
-Family members involved in criminal activity

She does not have:
-an alibi, and we know she was in the house
-any public statements or explanation for her involvement, or any public supporters for that matter (her mother has not even come out and said "I know my daughter, and she'd never do anything to hurt a child")
-any reason to hide, but she is
-clearance from the State Police; and there is speculation that she refused to take a lie detector, because she didn't "trust" it
-a biological relation to Ayla

The 'Cinderella Effect' basically describes how young children are more likely to abused/killed by step-parents. The name of the theory is obviously taken from Cinderella's story, and we all know how horribly she was treated by her step-family. Think about how often we see a child killed or abused by a step-parent, mom's new boyfriend, or dad's girlfriend. We see it a lot actually, and the fact that Courtney is one of the three who has not given a full story means that there is a possibility that she was directly responsible for whatever happened to Ayla. Did Justin stand by and let Courtney treat Ayla badly? I would hope not, but again, Courtney is not talking and giving any clue as to what that relationship was like.

The video from Cumberland Farms shows Justin--Ayla is not with him nor is Courtney. Was Courtney left at home to provide care for both Ayden and Ayla? Did something happen, accidentally, or did Courtney snap? Did Ayla do something to her own child, and Courtney overreacted harming Ayla in the process? Only time will tell. Courtney has been on my radar from the beginning, but she seems to have a lot to lose in this.

The only problem is, why would the DiPietro family cover for an outsider? Isn't BLOOD THICKER THAN WATER?