Relisha Rudd - Baby Girl Missing
In the spring of 2014, an eight year old girl named Relisha Rudd vanished from the nation's capital. But the most horrifying part of her story isn’t just that she disappeared, it’s how long it took the world to notice.
For weeks, Relisha’s seat in her elementary school classroom sat completely empty. Days bled into weeks, and weeks into a month. Yet, no alarms were raised. No emergency calls were made. Relisha and her family were living at the notorious D.C. General Family Shelter, a place meant to be a refuge, but one that instead became a hunting ground.
8 year old Relisha Rudd was last seen on 3/1/ 2014 in Washington, D.C.
A building janitor named Kahlil Tatum had embedded himself into her family's life, buying their trust with quick cash and small gifts. By the time hotel surveillance footage finally exposed Tatum walking down a corridor with the little girl, the trap had already sprung.
Before detectives could even sit Tatum down in an interrogation room, the timeline erupted into violence. His wife was found executed in a Maryland motel room. Days later, Tatum turned a gun on himself in Kenilworth Park, taking the truth to his grave.
Investigators believe Tatum killed Relisha, but her body was never recovered.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) still offers a reward of up to $25,000 for information leading to her location. Her disappearance remains an open investigation.
Shamika Young, left, Relisha's mother, and Shamika's godsister Kinnicia Williams
Remembrance celebration of Relisha Rudd at the Deanwood Recreation Center in Washington, D.C. on Feb. 27, 2016.
Today, we look past the red tape and the systemic failures to ask the question that still haunts everyone who cares about this baby: Where is Relisha Rudd?
Head to the Black and Missing Foundation to see active alerts, share verified details, and help bring this baby home.