The young Tennessee mother who disappeared in June had lost custody of her daughter just weeks before she was last seen, and her relatives say her disappearance could “absolutely” be drug-related.
Layla Santenello, 21, had been struggling with addiction and family issues when she was last seen in Kingsport around June 26, her stepmother, Brittany Zeitler, told The Post on Wednesday.
“Layla was spiraling downward,” Zeitler said of the weeks before the mother disappeared.
Santanello had been addicted to fentanyl and heroin for the past few years, Zeitler added, noting that the drugs could “absolutely” be linked to the young mother’s disappearance.
“This all revolves around drugs,” he insisted.
Two weeks before her last sighting, Santanello lost temporary custody of her 2-year-old daughter to her mother, Jennifer Santanello, Zeitler told The Post.
The next appearance in family court was scheduled for June 28, two days after Zeitler and Santanello’s father reported the girl missing to police.
Layla Santonello struggled with drug abuse for years before she disappeared, her stepmother said. Courtesy of Jennifer Santanello
Santenello was last seen barefoot and looking disoriented at Marble Slab Creamery in Kingsport’s East Stone Commons shopping center, according to initial reports.
Now, however, the family believes these early claims may not be reliable, Zeitler told The Post.
Thanks to a private investigator, he explained, Santonello’s father and stepmother believe his last whereabouts may have been near the Americourt motel, where Santonello is believed to have stayed after surfing with friends before disappearing.
In the days before her disappearance, Santonello was in the process of separating from her boyfriend, Zeitler said.
Layla Santonello (left) lost custody of her young daughter a couple of weeks before she was last seen. Brittany Zeitler
“She was separating from her boyfriend. “She probably at some point realized that she could have and do better,” noted the stepmother.
As part of the process, Santonello’s loved ones believe she may have become close to another man.
“She didn’t have a ‘secret lover,’ I wouldn’t say that,” Zeitler said, referring to previous reports.
“She was looking for tender loving attention because she was running,” Zeitler said.
The new man, who Santonello’s family has not named, even let Santonello stay with him for a few nights before she disappeared.
The young mother has been missing for more than five months. Brittany Zeitler
As the family tries to piece together what may have happened to Santonello, they are now reviewing months-old footage from a business near Americourt in hopes the young woman will appear on screen.
“I know something is wrong and his father thinks something is wrong too,” Zeitler lamented.
“[Layla] I would have called, she would have approached. She depended a lot on her family. Without knowing anything about her, in five months [is not normal]” she added.
Layla Santonello was last seen in Kingsport in late June. Brittany Zeitler
Zeitler and Santonello’s father are currently at odds with Santonello’s mother, who has said she believes her daughter may have been the victim of a serial killer or trafficking.
“Even if someone had it, or if it was a traffic issue, I really think they still would have found out about it,” Zeitler told The Post.
“Let’s go with what [Tennessee Bureau of Investigation] has, and that is [she was seen] June 26 near Americourt,” he stated.
Five months after Santonello was last seen, his loved ones are exhausted but vowed they won’t stop until they get answers.
Layla Santonello’s little daughter is now in her mother’s custody. Brittany Zeitler
“Did we think we would be in this same position now, five months later? Absolutely not,” Zeitler said.
“We need to get the closure we need not only for ourselves but for his daughter as well,” he added.
“Saying ‘I don’t know what happened to your mom’ is not feasible.”
Local authorities still “do not know the circumstances” of Santonello’s disappearance and “are open to all possibilities,” the Kingsport Police Department told The Post in a statement.
Zeitler and other members of Santonello’s family have launched the GoFundMe, “Layla’s Search & Rescue Mission” to raise money for the private search.
Categories: Trending
Source: vtt.edu.vn