EP. 193: WASHINGTON D.C. - She Gave Her Child To A Pedophile: The Disappearance of Relisha Rudd

In 2014, a young girl named Relisha Rudd disappeared from a homeless shelter in the Washington D. C. area, and the story of what happened afterwards will shock you to your very core. You’re listening to MURDER IN AMERICA. - Listen to our new show, "THE CONSPIRACY FILES"!: -Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/5IY9nWD2MYDzlSYP48nRPl -Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-conspiracy-files/id1752719844 -Amazon/Audible - https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/ab1ade99-740c-46ae-8028-b2cf41eabf58/the-conspiracy-files -Pandora - https://www.pandora.com/podcast/the-conspiracy-files/PC:1001089101 -iHeart - https://iheart.com/podcast/186907423/ -PocketCast - https://pca.st/dpdyrcca -CastBox - https://castbox.fm/channel/id6193084?country=us - Stay Connected: Join the Murder in America fam in our free Facebook Community for a behind-the-scenes look, more insights and current events in the true crime world: https://www.facebook.com/groups/4365229996855701 If you want even more Murder in America bonus content, including ad-free episodes, come join us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/murderinamerica Instagram: http://instagram.com/murderinamerica/ Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/people/Murder-in-America-Podcast/100086268848682/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MurderInAmerica TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theparanormalfiles and https://www.tiktok.com/@courtneybrowen Feeling spooky? Follow Colin as he travels state to state (and even country to country!) investigating claims of extreme paranormal activity and visiting famous haunted locations on The Paranormal Files Official Channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheParanormalFilesOfficialChannel - (c) BLOOD IN THE SINK PRODUCTIONS 2025 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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• 0:00Speaker 00

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• 1:12Colin Brown?

  Warning: The following podcast is not suitable for all audiences. We go into great detail with every case that we cover and do our best to bring viewers even deeper into the stories by utilizing disturbing audio and sound effects.

• 1:24Courtney Brown?

  Trigger warnings from the stories we cover may include violence, rape, murder, and offenses against children.

• 1:31Colin Brown?

  This podcast is not for everyone. You have been warned.

• 1:36Speaker 05

  If my daughter is watching this right now, I would say, "I love you. And come back home to your mother safely and unharmed, and I love you."

• 1:51Speaker 05

  And when you do return back, and if you do return back unhomed, you will never, ever go with anybody else. You will be next to my side at all times.

• 2:01Courtney Brown?

  In today's story, we are going to tell you about the Rudd family. In 2014, Shamika and Antonio, along with their four children, were living in a Washington DC homeless shelter called the DC General Family Shelter. But this was no place to raise a child. It was dirty and filled with bedbugs. The rooms and hallways were lined with drug addicts, vagrants, and drifters who were down on their luck. And for the children who lived there, there wasn't even a place for them to play. So for eight-year-old Relisha Rudd, it was not a happy place to spend her childhood. However, there was one person there who helped make things better,

• 2:44Courtney Brown?

  the shelter's janitor, 51-year-old Khalil Tatum. He would often buy Relisha gifts. He would take her out to get her nails done and buy her new clothing. To an eight-year-old little girl living in a homeless shelter, these acts of kindness were everything, especially because she didn't have much. But in reality, Khalil Tatum was not doing this because he wanted to help her out. Relisha Rudd was being groomed. And on February 26, 2014, she and Khalil Tatum were seen leaving the shelter for the very last time. So this is the tragic story of Relisha Rudd, a young girl who was failed by the system and preyed upon by a predator

• 3:29Courtney Brown?

  who manipulated her and her family. I'm Courtney Brown.

• 3:33Colin Brown?

  And I'm Colin Brown.

• 3:35Courtney Brown?

  And you're listening to Murder in America.

• 4:42Colin Brown?

  Washington DC, the city and capital of the United States, full of history, iconic landmarks, and world-class museums. From the White House to the Lincoln Memorial, the city remains a living tribute to our nation's past. Each year, millions of tourists come in to explore its rich history, cultural diversity, and scenic beauty. However, for some residents of Washington DC, the allure of the city's political power is overshadowed by high crime rates, homelessness, and the skyrocketing rent prices, which was definitely the case for the Rudd family in 2014. After being evicted from their apartment, eight-year-old Relisha Rudd and her family were forced to move into the DC General Family Shelter. According to Relisha's stepfather,

• 5:26Colin Brown?

  Antonio Wheeler, it had been Relisha's mother, Shamika, who suggested they go to the shelter. After being forced out of their small apartment, the family had crashed on family members' couches, but each time, they were put out until eventually they exhausted all of their options. With nowhere else to turn, Shamika decided it would be best to move into the shelter temporarily, until they could get their feet back on the ground.

• 5:50Courtney Brown?

  Now, before we tell you about the life of Relisha, it's important for us to talk about the upbringing of her mother. Shamika Young had grown up in foster care from the age of nine. Her mother, Melissa Young, was a drug addict who struggled with cocaine and alcohol addiction, and her father was not a part of her life. Throughout her own childhood, Shamika knew the insecurity of not having a stable home. While in her mother's care, she bounced around to different homeless shelters. While living at a homeless shelter in Alexandria, Virginia for several months, Shamika and her siblings witnessed their mother assaulting a police officer. In 1995, after Melissa Young was convicted for the assault,

• 6:33Courtney Brown?

  Shamika, her brother Antonio, and her sister Ashley went to live with their grandmother. But for whatever reason, it was too much for her to handle. And after that, she placed the children into foster care. In April of 1996, just one month shy of her 10th birthday, Shamika was taken to a home in Fairfax County. And from the beginning, Shamika exhibited behavioral problems. According to The Washington Post, her foster mother Violet Nichols stated that when the children arrived, they were "wild." They threw things around the house and allegedly harassed the family's pet rabbit. Then in 1998, after only two years of being there,

• 7:16Courtney Brown?

  Violet requested that the children be removed from her home, with the case file stating "problem behaviors: stealing, lying, being uncooperative, bedwetting."

• 7:28Colin Brown?

  Shamika would spend the next four months with another foster family, but was once again removed after she "threatened to kill everyone in the house." Shamika's third foster home was with Mabel and Artie Bethia, a couple who lived in Fredericksburg, Virginia. And they said that they were often given the worst of the worst when it came to foster children. For the eight months Shamika lived with the Bethia family, and during that time, she attempted to run away on numerous occasions. She reportedly threatened to kill both Mabel and Artie, and fought with the other children in the home. Finally, after threatening to hurt herself, Mabel decided it would be best to take Shamika to a mental health facility called Grafton. Shamika would later say,

• 8:09Colin Brown?

  "I felt alone. I felt like I ain't have nobody. I felt like I was in a hole." She also complained that she had been restrained to the bed and given injections to help her calm down. Now, after spending some time at this mental health facility, she eventually returned back to the Bethia home, where her brother Antonio had been fully adopted. However, After a few months, Shamika's behavioral problems returned, and her foster parents decided to take her back to Grafton. This time around, Shamika was diagnosed with a mild mental disability and was described by her caseworkers as "a very sad, angry youth. She does not make eye contact or speak without considerable encouragement to do so. She cries easily and has reacted angrily to sudden transitions."

• 8:54Courtney Brown?

  So as you can see, Shamika had a rough upbringing. Growing up in foster care was hard on her, and she vowed that when she had children one day, she would never let them grow up in that environment. For years, Shamika counted down the days until her 18th birthday, the day that she could finally leave foster care for good. And when that day came around, Shamika signed herself out and never looked back. For the first time in her life, she was able to live independently. Now while she was in her late teens, Shamika met a man named Irving Rudd, who is 16 years her senior. Irving worked as a custodian at Catholic charities.

• 9:35Courtney Brown?

  And after a brief romance, their first child, a daughter they named Relisha, was born on October 29th, 2005, after 18 grueling hours of labor. Shamika remembered her mother telling her, quote, "Be the best mom that you can be, because it's easy for your children to go into foster care, but it's hard to get your children back home with you where they belong," end quote. Shamika said that she was completely smitten with her daughter, saying, quote, "I was blessed. She came out at the end of the day and looked smack like me," end quote. Now Shamika and Irving would go on to have another child, a son named Irving Junior. He was born in November of 2006.

• 10:17Courtney Brown?

  But shortly after his birth, Shamika and Irving would split up for good, which was probably for the best. Now, something I haven't mentioned was that Irving Rudd already had children of his own. In fact, in 1991, he had twin girls. But unfortunately, one of the girls would pass away only 18 months after her birth. And the story of that little Girl's death was a tragedy in and of itself. In August of nineteen ninety-two, baby Tariqa Rudd was rushed to the Children's Hospital in Washington DC. She had a cracked lip, her skull was fractured, and she had bruises all over her tiny little body.

• 10:57Courtney Brown?

  Unfortunately, Tariqa would not survive her injuries, and her father, Irving Rudd, was ultimately charged with first-degree murder. The investigation into the baby's death would reveal that the twins had been suffering from horrific abuse at the hands of their father, Irving Rudd. On the night of his daughter's death, a witness stated that Irving had thrown her into a table and then pounded on her chest with his hands. He then grabbed her body and forcefully slammed her down on the couch, saying, quote, "Okay, you don't want to stand up? I'm gonna sit you down on the couch," end quote. Horrifically, when he threw her down, Tariqa's head hit the wooden back of the couch, and

• 11:40Courtney Brown?

  she immediately fell unconscious. Keep in mind, this little baby was just eighteen months old. When Irving Rudd saw that his daughter was unconscious, he began to panic. He knew he was about to get in a lot of trouble. He even began telling the people that were with him that he was going to tell the doctors that something had fallen on top of her. However, when she was taken to the hospital, the doctors knew that this was no accident. They could tell by one single look that Tariqa had been subjected to cruel and horrific abuse. When police officers arrived at the Children's Hospital, they pulled Irving aside and asked if he had ever assaulted his daughter before.

• 12:21Courtney Brown?

  Shockingly, he admitted that he had never abused Tariqa, but that her twin had received spankings. He stated, quote, "We both was involved in spanking the other twin too hard, and we broke her leg," end quote. When investigators arrived at Irving's house on the four-hundred block of Florida Avenue Northwest, they discovered that Tariqa's twin also had similar injuries, and she only weighed about ten pounds. According to the World Health Organization. An eighteen-month-old baby girl should weigh at least twenty-three-point-four pounds. Clearly, not only were the girls subjected to abuse, but they were also being neglected.

• 13:02Courtney Brown?

  According to court documents, Irving eventually confessed to the police, but he still stated that Tariqa's death had been an accident. He said, quote, "Although I killed her, it's not intentional. I realize that I have done something wrong," end quote. He told the police that he grew irritated when Tariqa started crying, so he, quote, "picked her up by the neck and then let her neck go," end quote. But she refused to stop crying. He said he then took her into the bathroom, end quote, "put her under the faucet. Her mouth was open from whining, and the water just went in," end quote.

• 13:39Colin Brown?

  Following this, Irving Rudd was convicted of involuntary manslaughter and sentenced to just fifteen years in prison. And surprisingly, in two thousand and two, Irving was released. But according to his criminal record, he has never had another offense. Now, sometime after he was released, Irving would cross paths with Shamika Rudd. And like we mentioned, the two would go on to have two children together, Relisha in two thousand and five and Irving Jr. in two thousand and six. But according to Shamika, Irving wanted no part of raising his children. Shamika told The Washington Post, "He walked out of Relisha's life at the age of one, and he walked out of Irving's life at the age of six months."

• 14:20Colin Brown?

  Now, family members admitted that Irving tried to be a good father to his children, but the tension between him and Shamika caused some problems. Shamika's sister, Ashley Young, stated that Irving often picked up Relisha and Irving Jr. from her house. Both children were always ecstatic to see their father. But for whatever reason, Shamika did not want to be around when Irving showed up. In fact, in February two thousand and twelve and September two thousand and twelve, Irving had even filed for legal custody of his children. It seemed as if this time around, he wanted to be a good father. Each time he filed for custody, he paid the eighty-dollar fee, and he did this because he believed Shamika was not taking good care of the kids.

• 15:02Colin Brown?

  In both filings, he stated that, quote, "joint custody was not in the best interest of the children," end quote. However, both times, it was thrown out due to both Shamika and Irving not showing up to court.

• 15:15Courtney Brown?

  For years, Irving Rudd believed that Shamika abused and neglected Relisha and Irving Jr. In fact, in 2007, when Relisha was only two years old, social services received a tip that Shamika was abusing her children. When they arrived at her apartment to conduct a welfare check, they discovered that there was inadequate food, poor living conditions, and that Relisha appeared to have bruises on her body that indicated physical abuse. However, the charges were eventually dropped when it couldn't be proven how Relisha received her injuries. And since the charges were dropped, the children were never removed from the home. Shamika would later say that this proved she was a good mother,

• 15:58Courtney Brown?

  who was doing her best to provide for her two children. But things would start to change in Shamika's life when she crossed paths with a man named Antonio Wheeler. Now, like Shamika, Antonio had also grown up in foster care. He was the oldest of nine children, and he didn't have an easy life. In fact, when Antonio was just 12 years old, his stepfather, Michael Tudman, murdered his four-year-old sister Monica. According to The Washington Post, in 1997, Michael was in a drug-fueled rage when he beat the child to death so he could finish smoking his PCP. And surprisingly, just three years prior to that, in October of 1994,

• 16:42Courtney Brown?

  Antonio's two-year-old brother Andre was also found deceased in the bathtub. Andre's cause of death was ruled as an accidental drowning, but investigators had their suspicions. Now, Antonio's stepfather, Michael, would end up taking a plea deal for beating his four-year-old daughter to death. And in exchange for this plea, Michael admitted that on the night his son Andre drowned in the bathtub, he had stepped away to take a phone call and to watch the Washington Redskins game. He said that he left the two-year-old in the bathtub by himself for 40 minutes. Michael said that when he returned, Andre was reportedly floating in the water. So from there, Andre's death...

• 17:24Courtney Brown?

  Death was changed to homicide, but because he confessed this in a plea deal, he would never be charged for this. Antonio Wheeler would later say that his father murdering his two siblings had a huge impact on his life. It also impacted the way he dealt with trauma and grief, saying, quote, "When I was a kid, I was quiet. I held a lot of stuff in. That's another reason why I'm always angry," end quote. Like Shamika, Antonio grew up in a traumatic and unstable home. After his stepfather's arrest, he and his siblings bounced around between different foster homes. And during their time there, he admitted that he was subjected to cruel, physical and emotional abuse. In one instance,

• 18:09Courtney Brown?

  one of his caretakers even put out a lit cigarette on his shoulder.

• 18:14Colin Brown?

  So when Antonio and Shamika crossed paths, they had a lot in common. Their shared traumas made them feel that they weren't alone. And eventually, the two would go on to have two sons together. By 2010, there were four children living in their home. Relisha and Irving Jr. from Shamika's previous relationship and the two sons she shared with Antonio. Now, one would think, after growing up in such unstable environments, that they would want to create a better life for their kids. But sadly, history here would repeat itself. In 2010, Relisha was four years old. She was described as a natural caregiver, and she enjoyed taking care of her younger brothers. It was said that she would often run their baths for them, making sure it was the perfect temperature.

• 18:57Colin Brown?

  She would also scold them when they ate too much candy. She took such good care of her brothers, her nickname was Lil Mama. Family was everything to Relisha, and she took her role as big sister seriously. As she grew up, Antonio Wheeler took on the role of Relisha's father, despite not being blood related. He would later say, quote, "She was real helpful. She was always happy. She kept the family happy. She was the spirit for the family," end quote. From day one, Antonio loved Relisha like she was his own daughter. She was intelligent, independent, and according to her aunt Ashley, full of sass and spunk. She was a typical kid. She enjoyed riding bikes and raising her brothers. She loved to dance and her favorite color was purple.

• 19:41Colin Brown?

  But sadly, life within their home wasn't the life that Relisha deserved.

• 19:46Courtney Brown?

  In April of 2010, the Child and Family Service Agency received another complaint that Shamika was neglecting her children when her son failed to show up to a doctor's appointment after surgery. It was also noted that the apartment they lived in was "environmentally unsafe." According to their records, when social workers arrived, they discovered that the home was filled with cigarette butts and trash. They also noted that the children, all being under the age of four, were allowed to bathe themselves without adult supervision, which is pretty crazy considering the fact that Antonio's little brother died in the bathtub when he was a baby. But even though the Child and Family Services noted that their home was unsafe, the children

• 20:31Courtney Brown?

  were not removed from Shamika and Antonio's care, and ultimately, the complaint was dismissed. Sadly, it seemed as if history was repeating itself. Relisha and her siblings were not raised in a great environment. During her childhood, Relisha and her family were forced to move on multiple occasions. But from pre-K to first grade, Relisha attended Fairby Hope Elementary School, and one of her teachers, Shannon Smith, told The Washington Post that Relisha loved hugs. However, during their warm embrace each morning, Shannon noticed that Relisha always smelled like she hadn't taken a bath. So together, the two came up with a routine.

• 21:14Courtney Brown?

  Before school started, Shannon would take Relisha to the nurse's office, and she would wash her up the best she could. She would also run a brush through her hair and put lotion on her skin. She would even sometimes have to give Relisha a pair of clean clothes. Shannon said, "I didn't like the way she was a pretty little girl and never taken care of. The other little girls had bows and always looked all shiny coming to school." Shannon admitted that she loved Relisha, and whenever she bought toys or gifts for her own grandchildren, she would always pick out a present for Relisha as well. One of the security guards at this elementary school, Regina Pixley, also noticed that

• 21:56Courtney Brown?

  Relisha was often left after school for hours after it ended. Over time, Regina developed a close relationship with Relisha. They had to spend a lot of time together after school. And then one day, Relisha actually came up to her and asked if she could come live with her, instead of going home. That statement broke Regina's heart. How bad did home have to be if Relisha would rather stay with her? It seemed as if school was a safe haven for her, a place where she was surrounded by people who loved and cared for her. But sadly, after Relisha's first grade year, her family would move again, meaning Relisha had to go to a different elementary school.

• 22:38Colin Brown?

  Hey, everybody. Courtney and I have a favor to ask of you. If you love Murder in America, you love our show, please leave us a five-star review wherever you listen to your podcasts, whether that's Apple Podcasts, Spotify. If you love our show and you want to help us grow, definitely consider leaving us a five-star review. Also, it helps the show so much when people share out links to our program. So if you're listening and you're loving what we're doing here, share us on your Instagram story, shout us out on X, post one of our shows on your Facebook, and let the world, your friends, your family know that you're listening to Murder in America. It seriously helps us so much, helps us grow the show. We couldn't do this without all of you listening at home. Seriously, thank y'all.

• 23:22Colin Brown?

  But let's get back to the story. According to the staff at Payne Elementary, Relisha adjusted well, and she was a great student. She enjoyed making crafts, socializing, and just being a kid. However, by 2012, Relisha and her family faced homelessness after they were evicted from their Congress Heights apartment for breaching a tenant contract. At first, they went to live with Shamika's sister, Ashley, in her one-bedroom apartment. But as you can imagine, moving two adults and four children into a small space was cramped, to say the least. But Shamika's sister, Ashley, said that she didn't mind. After all, she didn't want them going to a homeless shelter. And as for the children, they loved living with their Aunt Ashley.

• 24:05Colin Brown?

  For Relisha, anything was better than the apartments they had been living in. In fact, after Relisha was born, she had lived with Shamika at an Edgewood apartment complex that was frequented by gun violence and gangs. At one point, it was reported that the police had been called out due to a man wandering around with a gun. When the police arrived, the man started shooting at any Anyone and everyone around Edgewood, and he ended up wounding seven people in the process. So, life with Aunt Ashley was much better. Unfortunately, Ashley Young knew that she wouldn't be able to keep her family members at her small apartment, due to living in subsidized housing, which limits the amount of people allowed to live in the home. So this could only be temporary, and eventually suggested to Antonio that they start looking

• 24:49Colin Brown?

  around at the local homeless shelters. Of course, Antonio didn't want to go to a shelter, but Shamika insisted, stating that the weather was too cold outside to be homeless with four children.

• 24:59Courtney Brown?

  From there, Antonio Googled shelters, and he placed a phone call to a woman named Virginia Williams at the Family Resource Center. After that, a van was sent out to pick up the family, but due to the limited room at the available shelters, they were forced to live in a Days Inn hotel until something opened up. Antonio stated, quote, "It was at night when they came and got us, so we went to Virginia Williams and sat in the empty building till the morning, until they put us in a hotel in the Days Inn. So we've been at the Days Inn for almost a year because it took them a while to place us in a shelter," end quote. But during the summer of 2013, they were finally placed into the DC General Family Shelter.

• 25:44Courtney Brown?

  Antonio said that when they first arrived, everything seemed okay. The people were nice, and the staff was accommodating. However, he immediately knew that he didn't want his children growing up there. He was right. The DC General Family Shelter was no place for children. The shelter had once been the DC General Hospital. Most of the patients were poor, and when it closed in 2001, Washington DC did not have a public hospital for nearly nine years. After the hospital closed, it became a warming center for homeless people during the cold months, but it eventually turned into a homeless shelter due to the high number of people that needed temporary housing.

• 26:26Courtney Brown?

  However, the living conditions inside the shelter were horrific. There were bedbug infestations, dirty showers, and across the street was a methadone clinic and a correctional facility.

• 26:40Colin Brown?

  It was reported that the families lived in old hospital rooms with cart beds. There was a bathroom with a toilet and a sink, but if you wanted to shower, you had to go down the hall where other strangers were hanging out. There was also no dedicated playground for the 600 children who lived at the shelter during the time Relisha arrived with her family. So children often played with boxes outside near the city street. With the condition of this shelter, there were numerous reported incidents of assault, fights, and domestic violence. The lack of security made it a hotspot for drug deals and addiction. The halls were filled with people shooting up or high on drugs. In interviews, people compared the interior to a horror movie and admitted that there were still boxes of medical records and office supplies scattered throughout the building.

• 27:25Colin Brown?

  When Relisha and her family moved there, they hated it, especially Relisha. When she went to visit her Aunt Ashley, she would sometimes fake asthma attacks just so she could stay there. Relisha referred to the shelter as "the G" and "the trap house", complaining that the food was terrible and the rooms were infested with creatures. In fact, several residents issued complaints with the Washington Legal Clinic citing mice and bedbug infestations, heating outages, and wild animals being found inside closets and bathrooms. Relisha often begged to go to her grandmother, Melissa Young's house. She wanted to live anywhere other than the shelter, going as far as to fake an illness just so she didn't have to go back.

• 28:05Courtney Brown?

  Now, the DC Shelter offered a childcare program called "Homeland Children's Playtime Project". For a few hours each week, sheltered children would be allowed to play and socialize with the other kids. According to everyone there, Relisha loved the Playtime Project. She would dance and laugh and engage with the other children, play with dolls, and she threw herself into art projects. Despite being overly protective of her younger brothers, during playtime, Relisha allowed her brothers to go do their own thing. But once playtime was over, the children were forced back into reality. They were given moldy food and spoiled milk. Antonio admitted that when they were served hot dogs...

• 28:50Courtney Brown?

  He made sure to cut them open to make sure there was no mold growing inside. Each evening, dinner was served in the cafeteria and families would line up to receive their meals. And one of the men working in the cafeteria was 51-year-old Khalil Tatum. Khalil worked as the janitor at the DC General, but he also helped out the kitchen staff in the evenings. And almost immediately, Antonio noticed Khalil's generosity. While most of the other staff members were rude and standoffish, Khalil enjoyed socializing with families and their children. If Shamika and Antonio were ever late for dinner, Khalil started putting food aside for them, and he would even deliver it right to their door.

• 29:35Colin Brown?

  Antonio said, quote, "We used to come in late for dinner from wandering around at the mall or at a playground. When we didn't want the kids at the shelter, me and a lot of other parents would take our kids to another playground or whatever. So sometimes we were running late and he would put our food out for us and like, we can open our room door in the kitchen, like, right there. Like, I could stick my head out and get the food. So, Relisha, she always wanted to help out. Daddy, I'll go get the food. I'd just open the door and watch her get the food. He would give her the food. I'd shut the door. No extra, no nothing, none of that." End quote.

• 30:11Courtney Brown?

  No one had anything negative to say about Khalil. He was warm, friendly, and attentive, which was pretty rare at this shelter. Everyone referred to him as Mr. Tatum. And although he worked as a janitor, he was definitely unique. He was described as a sharp dresser, often showing up to work in a polo shirt or a suit and tie. He was also known to give children money so they could get gumballs out of the machine. And on special occasions, he would sometimes hand out $20 bills. One of the residents, a woman named Sharon Woods, said that her 11-year-old daughter was excited to tell Khalil that she had been given a pet turtle.

• 30:51Courtney Brown?

  A few days later, a brand-new tank arrived at her door, a special gift straight from the janitor. Sharon said that she offered to pay Khalil, but he refused. He also told the young girl that he would give her gravel implants for her new tank. But her mother Sharon flat out told him no, they didn't need any more gifts. But that didn't stop him from giving her more money. Sharon said that this made her feel uncomfortable. In her mind, no grown man should be giving money to a child, even if it was for the little girl's turtle tank. When Sharon told Khalil this, he seemed to be upset. She said he just stared at her and then walked away. Though from the outside looking in,

• 31:33Courtney Brown?

  Khalil appeared to be a caring guy who wanted to help out the children of the shelter. He would often give them toys, clothing, and other presents. But if you were to have looked a bit more closely, you'd notice that he usually only did these things for the little girls like Relisha Rudd. Like many others, Khalil had started surprising Relisha with presents. And in the beginning, Shamika said that she was grateful. Khalil was giving her daughter things that she would never be able to afford. But while some people appreciated his generosity, others were very suspicious of him and the liking he took to these little girls. And that intuition was right.

• 32:16Courtney Brown?

  Because Khalil Tatum, previously known as Carl Lee Tatum, was a convicted

• 32:22Colin Brown?

  Something that I love in life are flavors that are salty and sweet. I mean, there's nothing better than a dark chocolate bar with sea salt on top. I mean, it's just, it's one of those things that I absolutely love in life that I will eat if I see it in front of me. And salt can enhance the flavor of so many different dishes, but especially desserts. That's why when Courtney and I tried Kachava's new salted caramel flavor, we were blown away. It actually tasted like salted caramel, which was crazy to me, and it was so delicious. Kachava's new salted caramel is the perfect balance of mouthwatering flavor and benefits. One serving provides all the nutrition your body craves in one deliciously simple shake. And just two scoops provide complete nutrition your body craves with protein, fiber, greens, and so much more. When the day demands your salty side, fill it with plant-based protein that actually tastes delicious.

• 33:07Colin Brown?

  Kachava provides clean nutrition. There are no fillers, no nonsense, just like when you're feeling a little salty. There are also no artificial flavors, colors, or sweeteners. Kachava is non-GMO, no soy, no animal products, no gluten, and no preservatives. And there are so many different flavors to choose from, including chocolate, vanilla, chai, matcha, strawberry, coffee, cinnamon, French toast, and of course, salted caramel. Courtney and I have tried Kachava shakes. We love them. And even the packaging is really cool. That's something that I love about how the shakes are packaged and sent to you. I mean, you have to just hold it in your hand to see what I'm talking about. But yeah, we love them. Our pantry is stocked with Kachava products now. So why don't you embrace your salty side? Go to kachava.com and use code MIA for 15% off your first order. That's Kachava, K-A-C-H-A-V-A dot com, code MIA.

• 33:51Speaker 00

  At Edward Jones, we believe rich is more than caring about the latest and greatest. It's also taking care of what gives your life meaning. That's why your dedicated financial advisor meets you where you are with personalized financial strategies that help protect what matters, so you can preserve your progress while creating a path forward. The key to being rich is knowing what counts. Let's find your rich together. Edward Jones. Member SIPC.

• 34:23Speaker 01

  Somebody asked me how I define myself, and I didn't know what to say. Because how can someone be defined when we're always evolving? I've been so many things. I'll be so many others.

• 34:38Speaker 01

  Because identity is not a performance, it's an exploration. Never the same, but always myself. That's the paradox. Paradox Intense and the new Sweet Chemistry by Prada.

• 34:53Colin Brown?

  Khalil was employed with the Community Partnership for the Prevention of Homelessness, a nonprofit that ran the shelter under a contract with the city of Washington DC. According to sources, the organization did not hire convicted criminals. And although a background check was conducted, he was still somehow allowed to work there. A report that came out in September 2014 stated, "TCP conducted a pre-employment criminal background check on Mr. Khalil Tatum."

• 35:19Colin Brown?

  Despite prior felony convictions for burglary and breaking and entering, DC law did not prohibit Mr. Tatum from working at the family shelter in close quarters with its residents. Mr. Tatum was screened for his position consistent with the requirements of current law, and was not in a safety-sensitive position as defined by the Child and Youth Safety and Health Omnibus Amendment Act. According to the podcast Through the Cracks, John Quillan Hill stated that the DC General Family Shelter got into some trouble in 2010 after a report came out that stated staff members solicited sex from the residents in exchange for favors. But the favors were everyday essentials, like extra milk or juice for their children, or more blankets for their beds when it got cold.

• 36:03Courtney Brown?

  Now, for the people who worked there, they were required to sign a form that stated they would not develop personal relationships with the residents. But at the end of the day, no one was really checking to make sure this wasn't happening. So Khalil was able to continue having inappropriate relationships with the children here, and he had a pretty long rap sheet. In the 1980s, he was arrested a number of times. And between 1993 to 2003, and then again in 2004 to 2011, Khalil was in prison for burglary, larceny, and breaking and entering. He had spent a total of 17 years behind bars. However, after his release in 2011, Khalil lived an ordinary and unassuming life.

• 36:48Courtney Brown?

  He lived with his wife, Andrea Denise Tatum, in an apartment on southeast Washington. Neighbors described the couple as quiet and reserved. Both attended church, and they had close relationships with their family members. Andrea's daughter from a previous relationship, Alexis Kelly, admitted that her stepfather Khalil worshipped the ground that her mother walked on.

• 37:13Colin Brown?

  Khalil's wife Andrea Tatum was described as outgoing, outspoken, and loved to laugh. She had successfully recovered from substance abuse addiction, raised five children, and dedicated a lot of her time to religion. She worked at the Glorious Health Club, an LGBTQ+ establishment that rented cheap rooms to members. Although she faced many hardships in her life, Andrea was sober, and her life had really improved. In her free time, she loved spending time with her grandchildren, taking them to the movies, playground, and museums. She also volunteered at homeless shelters and helped out at her church. Now, she and Khalil married in July of 1990, and from the outside looking in, they seemed to have a good marriage.

• 37:55Colin Brown?

  They would take vacations, Khalil bought her a new car, and they always talked about their plans after they retired together. But like with every marriage, they had their own problems. Andrea stuck by Khalil's side every time he was incarcerated. She supported his dreams. She wanted to dedicate her time to families in need, and Khalil wanted to help young black men in his neighborhood. But despite having issues in his personal life, Khalil never let it affect his spirit, especially at work.

• 38:23Courtney Brown?

  Residents would later say that Khalil always had a smile on his face, and he always showed up for work on time. Khalil was extremely friendly to everyone, especially the young girls and teens. Staff members witnessed Khalil giving money to girls, but nothing was ever reported. For the residents, especially Shamika and Antonio, Khalil only wanted to help them out. But over time, he took a keen interest in Relisha Rudd. Witnesses would later say that he gave her gifts, money, and attention. He took her on outings to the mall and Disney on Ice. And disturbingly, Shamika also allowed Khalil to take Relisha overnight.

• 39:06Courtney Brown?

  She would later say that she thought this was good for Relisha, as she was finally getting a break from the harsh realities of the homeless shelter. But of course, Relisha's home life at the shelter was only getting worse. In November of 2013, the Child and Family Service Agency received- Yet another complaint that Shamika and Antonio were neglecting and abusing their children. A social worker reported that they had witnessed Shamika physically abusing one of the younger boys by slamming him on the ground and busting his lip. They also reported verbal abuse towards the children, and there were reports that they were often left unsupervised on a regular basis. This time, police intervention was requested, but during their initial interview, they

• 39:51Courtney Brown?

  received conflicting stories about who hit the young boy. Ultimately, no charges were filed again, and the children were allowed to stay at the homeless shelter with Shamika and Antonio.

• 40:02Colin Brown?

  Throughout their time at the DC General Shelter, Shamika's sister, Ashley Young, admitted that her sister started to distance herself. Ashley believed that Shamika was upset that they weren't allowed to live with her, and although she still saw the children, Relisha hardly ever visited. When she questioned Shamika on Relisha's whereabouts, she learned that Relisha was spending more time with a man she called her godfather. Ashley found it odd because her fiance, Melvin, was Relisha's godfather. However, Ashley said she never pressed for more information. Ashley told Inside Edition, quote, "I wouldn't question her much. If you don't feel like you owe me an explanation because you're her mother, then I won't ask no more. I should have questioned it," end quote.

• 40:44Courtney Brown?

  Now, during one occasion, while Relisha was with her Aunt Ashley, a man called her on the phone and said he was on his way to pick up the eight-year-old. And Ashley panicked. Who was this man? And how did he get her phone number? Following the call, Ashley decided to call Shamika to figure out what was going on. And Shamika nonchalantly told her sister that the man was Khalil Tatum, Relisha's so-called godfather. It was definitely concerning. Ashley ended up talking to her and Shamika's mother, Melissa Young, about these concerns. But Melissa said that this man was just helping them out. But it was strange.

• 41:24Courtney Brown?

  Khalil took Relisha on outings around Washington DC, letting her explore all the historical monuments and museums. Eventually- She even started spending the weekends with him, leaving on Friday afternoon after school and returning back on Sunday, and no one even thought anything of it. Over time, Khalil had not only groomed Relisha, but he also manipulated her family members. He had gained the trust of Shamika and Antonio, making them believe that Relisha was in good hands. Even Relisha's grandmother Melissa admitted that during a visit at the homeless shelter, she had met Khalil and thought that he was a good and genuine person.

• 42:06Courtney Brown?

  She said, quote, "I have spent time over at DC General when I spent time with my daughter and her kids. I've seen him when he was getting off work. I've had short conversations with him and felt very comfortable. I trusted him. I felt comfortable with him, and I don't trust everybody," end quote. In fact, it seemed as if everyone trusted Khalil. When Relisha would come back to the shelter after an outing with him, she would have on a new fancy outfit, or a manicure, in 2013 for Christmas. He even gifted her a brand-new tablet. But in reality, Relisha was in danger. In no world should a grown man be spending this much time with an eight-year-old girl who isn't related to him.

• 42:50Courtney Brown?

  But her family wasn't worried. After all, Khalil always returned Relisha when he said he would, so no one feared anything would happen, but they couldn't have been more wrong.

• 43:01Colin Brown?

  Khalil's grooming of the eight-year-old got so bad that Relisha would get upset on the rare occasion that she wasn't allowed to hang out with him. She would ask her parents why she couldn't go with her goddaddy. Relisha's aunt said that sometimes when Relisha was at her house, she would ask to use her phone so she could call Khalil. There was clearly an attachment there, and at that age, she clearly didn't realize the danger she was in. After all, Khalil not only gave her attention, but he also gifted her things that she had never had before, something most kids in the shelter would never get. Her time spent with him also meant that she didn't have to be at the shelter, which clearly wasn't an ideal place for kids her age. However, no one questioned why Khalil refused. refused to also take Relisha's three younger brothers on their outings.

• 43:46Colin Brown?

  It was always just her. Each time Relisha returned home, she would have wonderful stories about her time with Khalil, where they went, who she played with. According to her family members, Relisha often played with Khalil's own granddaughter, and said that both Khalil and his wife Andrea took great care of her. There was never anything negative said about her time away from the shelter. According to Khalil's stepdaughter Alexis Kelly, Khalil was incredibly smart, funny, caring, and well-dressed. He knew how to interact and speak with people. If anybody needed anything, Khalil would be the first to offer the shirt off his back. He was charming and a good liar, something that often worked in his favor. Now, the DC General Shelter had a policy that each night, a staff member would conduct

• 44:30Colin Brown?

  bed checks to make sure all of their residents were accounted for. However, reports indicated that Shamika's children weren't accounted for about 50% of the time. But the record-keeping at DC General wasn't organized, so there was no way to know which children were in the room and which were not. And in reality, they weren't even physically going into the rooms to check. Which leads us to February of 2014. One day, according to the Washington Post, eight-year-old Relisha told staff members at the Playtime Project that she wanted to speak with someone. Site manager Danielle Rothman said she walked Relisha to a private room with two other volunteers, and she admitted that she had been feeling sad. But when they asked her to elaborate, she didn't mention anything unusual.

• 45:12Colin Brown?

  There was no mention of Khalil, and after a few minutes, she happily walked back to the play area with the other children after receiving a snack in a new pair of pajamas. But just one week later, Relisha Rudd would vanish from the shelter, never to be seen again.

• 45:29Colin Brown?

  If you love murder in America, you love mysteries, you love true crime, you love murder stories and the unknown, then I have a new show for you. It's called The Conspiracy Files, and it's hosted by me, Colin Brown, from Murder in America and the Paranormal Files. On The Conspiracy Files, we explore everything from bizarre deaths to freak paranormal events, pedophile rings... Government corruption, ritual sacrifice, no topic is untouched on this show. Everything that we talk about on The Conspiracy Files is backed up with fact. I release reference sheets with every single episode that we do, so you guys know everything we're talking about is confirmed to have happened and be real.

• 46:12Colin Brown?

  It's a completely different type of show than anything else you've ever seen about conspiracy theories. Instead of a bunch of conjecture and theories, we're presenting you people with facts, telling you the story, walking you through the story just as detailed as we do with Murder in America, and then letting the listener decide what they think. Anyways, you should definitely give it a listen. It's called The Conspiracy Files. The links are in the description of this show, and you can find it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. And now, let's get back to our story.

• 46:48Courtney Brown?

  It was February 26th, 2014. Khalil wanted to take Relisha on yet another overnight stay, and Shamika said she could. Video surveillance showed Relisha walking with Khalil down a hallway at the Holiday Inn Express in Northeast DC around 7:00 PM. Relisha was shown wearing a blue winter coat, pink boots, and she was carrying a white plastic bag. Walking next to her was Khalil, wearing khaki pants, a dark coat, and he had an ID badge around his neck. In his right hand, he appeared to be holding a child's backpack. Now, looking at the surveillance video, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Relisha did not appear to be anxious, afraid, or even distressed.

• 47:33Courtney Brown?

  For anyone at the Holiday Inn Express, they could have seen the two and easily passed them as family members, a father and his daughter. Now, later that same evening, surveillance camera footage would later show Relisha and Khalil at another Washington DC hotel, the Days Inn on New York Avenue Northeast. But unfortunately, this would be the very last time Relisha Rudd was ever seen again.

• 47:59Colin Brown?

  According to the Washington Post, one day before Relisha was seen with Khalil at the Holiday Inn Express on February 25th, Payne Elementary staff contacted Shamika due to Relisha's five unexcused absences at school. The article stated, "Payne officials scheduled a parent conference, which is required by law for truant students. At that March 5th meeting, school officials talked with Relisha's mother about plans to connect her with additional support services to ensure better attendance," according to the source. Apparently Shamika had mentioned to school officials that Relisha had started suffering from severe migraines and was being seen by a man named Dr. Tatum.

• 48:39Courtney Brown?

  Now, interestingly, no one had seen Relisha since February 26th, but days later, on March 1st, her mother Shamika posted a video on Instagram where Relisha was seen on the video. It's believed that it was an older video because by that point, no one had seen Relisha in days.

• 48:59Speaker 05

  ABC 7 has uncovered an Instagram video posted to the open account of a Shamika Young, the name of the missing girl's mother, timestamped March 1st. So we chilling at Aunt Ashley's house. We chilling at Aunt Ashley's house. Say hi Instagram. Hi Instagram. We blurred the identities of everyone except what appears to be Relisha in the upper left-hand corner. We verified with a family member who was there that the video was shot the first week of March.

• 49:27Speaker 06

  She have bought shoes over here and all the kids had on their new shoes.

• 49:31Courtney Brown?

  After not showing up to school for over a week, Payne Elementary staff decided to call Dr. Tatum, the person that Shamika said her daughter was with due to migraines she had been having. The school got his phone number from Melissa Young, Shamika's mom. And when he picked up the phone that day, he agreed that he had been treating Relisha for neurological problems, but stated that she was almost finished with her treatment and that she would be back at school within the week. School officials told the so-called Dr. Tatum that they would need written documentation about Relisha's condition in order to mark her Absences as excused. He told the school to leave the paperwork at the DC General Family Shelter

• 50:15Courtney Brown?

  and that he would make sure it was filled out. But days and days would pass, and Payne Elementary had still not received the paperwork from Dr. Tatum. By March 13th, over two weeks into her disappearance, Relisha had finally reached 10 unexcused absences. In total, Relisha had missed over 30 days of school by mid-March. So from there, school officials promptly reported the case to Washington DC's Child and Family Services. However, they did not consider Relisha's case to be a high priority due to her three younger brothers still attending school on a regular basis. But finally, on March 19th,

• 50:58Courtney Brown?

  a social worker finally arrived at the shelter to conduct an interview with Dr. Tatum. They went there to find out what was going on with Relisha's absences. In fact, the social worker had actually spoken with Dr. Tatum on the phone, and the two arranged a meeting that same afternoon. But when she arrived at the shelter and started asking around where she could find Dr. Tatum, the staff members were baffled. They had no idea who Dr. Tatum was, but they did know a man named Khalil Tatum. However, he was no doctor. He was the janitor at the shelter. Now, as you can imagine, when the social worker heard this, she was horrified. This man confirmed to her that he was, in fact, a doctor,

• 51:43Courtney Brown?

  when clearly that wasn't the case. So why would he lie? The social worker was even more worried when she was told that Khalil had left his shift early that day, seemingly in a hurry.

• 51:56Colin Brown?

  The social worker immediately notified the DC Police. And when they arrived, Shamika was taken into a conference room at the DC General and questioned about Relisha's whereabouts. According to Shamika, her daughter had gone with Dr. Tatum to a medical conference in Atlanta, Georgia. She stated the two left on March 8th and that she had spoken to Relisha on the phone on March 17th. She admitted that- She had known Khalil for several years and that she trusted him with her daughter and that she was safe. Shamika said that she did not want to file a police report. Now Antonio, Relisha's stepfather, had just arrived at the shelter and was standing outside smoking a cigarette when the director approached him and told him he was needed in the conference room.

• 52:38Colin Brown?

  When the director approached him and told him he was needed in the conference room. At first Antonio was annoyed, but he could sense urgency in the director's voice, especially after she told him that his girlfriend was not cooperating with the police. When Antonio walked in, he immediately asked Shamika what was going on. Authorities asked if he knew where Relisha was, and he told them she had been staying with her Aunt Ashley. Anthony had no idea that his stepdaughter had been missing for eighteen days. Shamika never mentioned anything to him about Relisha being with Dr. Tatum. Antonio soon began to panic, and he begged the officers to check Ashley's house. It was known that if the children weren't at school or at the shelter with them, that they were at their aunt's house, a place they called "Baby Boot Camp."

• 53:22Courtney Brown?

  Now while all of this was happening, authorities desperately tried to get in touch with Khalil, but all of the cellphone calls went to voicemail. When they arrived at his apartment on Hay Street, no one was home. Later that same evening, authorities arrived at the home of Ashley Young. She would later say that the police had their guns drawn when she opened the door. She said, quote, "They came to my door, they had their guns drawn and they asked me, did they have permission to search because Relisha was missing, and I gave them permission to come in and to look around, and basically to feel free to see that she was not at my home," end quote. Ashley admitted that this was the first time she had even heard that Relisha was missing. She hadn't seen her niece in two weeks.

• 54:07Courtney Brown?

  Investigators asked Ashley to come down to the shelter, where she would be questioned alongside Shamika, Antonio, and Relisha's grandmother Melissa Young. When Melissa learned that Relisha was missing, she immediately told the DC police that there was nothing to worry about. She was with her godfather, Khalil Tatum. No one seemed to be worried about Relisha. Antonio, her stepfather, was the most shocked out of everyone. Although he liked Khalil, he told Shamika that it wasn't a good idea to let him take Relisha, but it had now been eighteen days since anyone had seen her, and her mother, Shamika, had never even reported her missing.

• 54:48Colin Brown?

  The DC police immediately issued a missing persons report for Relisha Rudd. News reports started coming out and investigators launched an exhaustive search to find the young girl. However, due to conflicting stories about who had last seen Relisha, the timeline of her disappearance was confusing. An Amber Alert was issued on March 20th. Both the FBI and the DC Police Department issued a reward for information regarding Relisha and Khalil's whereabouts. But shockingly, Shamika ended up changing her story about Relisha being with Khalil. In one of her first television interviews, Shamika stated that she didn't feel responsible for Relisha's disappearance because she had been in the care of her mother and sister.

• 55:28Speaker 05

  How are you feeling right now? Staying strong, having a lot of faith, that's all I can feel. I'm hurt. I might not be showing signs that I'm hurt, but yes, indeedy, I'm hurt deep down inside. Nobody ain't gonna be able to feel that. And nobody ain't gonna be able to put their feet in it, in my shoes. Even if they did have a daughter and they lost daughter, ain't nobody gonna be able to feel the pain that I'm feeling right now. The police chief said, quote, "We cannot ignore the possibility that he may have killed her."

• 56:00Speaker 05

  That got my head messed up.

• 56:03Speaker 05

  But um, I don't even know what to say on that. It's a lot of things scrambling up in my head, but I am gonna say, the public cannot fault me at this. And I thought, and I thought I could have trust in my mother and my sister. You know, it's things that the public don't know. For instance, one, my mother told me that this man told her that if anything happened to him and his wife today or tomorrow, my daughter would be set. What does that mean?

• 56:35Speaker 05

  Do you still believe your daughter is alive? Yes.

• 56:39Colin Brown?

  When she was asked about why she told Payne Elementary School that Relisha had been under the care of the so-called Dr. Tatum, she denied it. According to her, Relisha was only ever in the care of her grandmother, Melissa Young, which was clearly a lie.

• 56:53Courtney Brown?

  As the search for Relisha was underway, investigators spoke with Khalil's neighbors. One neighbor, Maurice Jackson, told News 4 Washington that he had seen Relisha at Khalil's apartment only three weeks prior to her disappearance. First, we want to tell you about a neighbor who's

• 57:11Speaker 06

  If he had known that little girl wasn't supposed to be there, he would have called the police. Tatum's neighbor tells News 4, he's seen the little girl at the apartment building.

• 57:21Speaker 07

  I seen the little girl about three weeks ago, you know. She was coming out the apartment. They didn't know the apartment with him and this old lady, you know. I haven't seen him since. I ain't seen him since the other day.

• 57:37Speaker 06

  Neighbor Maurice Jackson says Tatum implied the girl was his niece and said he and his wife had just returned from some type of resort with the child.

• 57:45Colin Brown?

  Authorities and volunteers continued to search land and water for eight-year-old Relisha Rudd. Her former teacher at the Faraby Hope Elementary School, Shannon Smith, was one of the volunteers. She would tell John Quillan Hill on the Through the Cracks podcast, "We were over by Kennelworth Avenue in the park and we walked through the park. Some of the park police would be out there with us and we would split up and everybody would just be out there walking until we just couldn't walk no more trying to find her." Relisha's stepfather, Antonio, wanted to join the search, but people speculated he was involved and he started to receive threats. According to John Quillan Hill, just weeks before Relisha had gone missing, Antonio had posted a photo on his Facebook account showcasing a large wad of money.

• 58:28Colin Brown?

  After seeing that, people wondered if he had received the money by selling his own stepdaughter. But Antonio denied this. He would later say that the money was from his tax return, but internet trolls didn't buy it. Soon the comments section was flooded with, "Is it possible she was trafficked? It's pretty clear in my mind that her parents sold her to this Tatum guy. They should be prosecuted." And I suspect they may have given her away. Not only was Antonio being harassed on the internet with people messaging him and calling him a rapist and pedophile, but to make matters worse, DC's Child and Family Services Agency had removed Relisha's three younger brothers from Shamika and Antonio, which is understandable.

• 59:07Courtney Brown?

  By March 20th, there was still no sign of Relisha Rudd, but soon enough, they would get a lead. Khalil's maroon SUV with the license plate Khalil was spotted at the Red Roof Inn on Oxen Hill Road. Immediately, authorities descended upon the hotel and made their way towards room 132, the very room that Khalil had checked into just one day prior. As authorities approached the door, they didn't know what to expect. Would Relisha be inside? Would Khalil be with her? They didn't know, but soon enough, they would get some answers. However, it was not at all what anyone was expecting.

• 59:49Courtney Brown?

  After breaking into room 132, authorities would find a body, but it wasn't the body of an eight-year-old girl. It was the body of Khalil's wife, Andrea Tatum. She was found face down on the bed with a single gunshot wound to her head. There were no signs of a struggle, and her artificial fingernails were still intact. But as authorities looked around the room, Khalil was nowhere to be found. Surveillance footage from the Red Roof Inn showed that Khalil and Andrea had checked in on March 19th at 10:04 PM. However, there were no signs that Relisha had ever been with the couple. Three witnesses were also shown with the couple, but 90 minutes later, they left the room.

• 1:00:32Courtney Brown?

  One of these men later told the police that he returned to the hotel room on March 20th at 5:40 AM to pick up Khalil. But for whatever reason, Khalil did not allow him to enter the room. The man said that he peeked inside, and he could see Andrea face down in the bed. I'm assuming he thought she was sleeping. This man also said that when Khalil came out of the hotel room, he drove him to the Southern Avenue Metro Station, and from there, he never saw him again. Now, after finding Andrea's body, the police would speak to her daughter Alexis, and she said that the two had checked into the hotel because the heater at their apartment wasn't working. However, authorities believed that that wasn't the case.

• 1:01:17Courtney Brown?

  In reality, Khalil was desperate to get away. Detectives knew that Relisha was missing, and it was only a matter of time until they learned that he was the last person to see her alive. So in an attempt to evade police, he fled to this hotel. The pressure was mounting. It was a cat and mouse chase. But unfortunately, Khalil was always one step ahead.

• 1:01:42Colin Brown?

  The search for Relisha was still underway, but in the meantime, detectives went to work learning all they could about Khalil Tatum. During their search, they learned that Khalil had filed for divorce on February 7, 2014, just weeks before Relisha went missing. Andrea's family members told police that Andrea had contemplated leaving Khalil on several occasions, and there had been domestic issues in the relationship. Court documents stated that the separation was mutual and voluntary. When investigators went to search Khalil's apartment at the 2500 block of North Street Southeast, the divorce paperwork was found on the kitchen table. Investigators also located multiple cell phones, two passports, $87 in cash, a photo

• 1:02:24Colin Brown?

  of Relisha, a computer tablet, and a large bag of children's clothing and shoes.

• 1:02:29Courtney Brown?

  When the word got out that Andrea Tatum had been murdered, her loved ones were shocked. They described the couple as "caring people" who had struggled with poverty, drug addiction, and incarceration, but they seemed stronger together. However, now Andrea was found murdered, and the main suspect was her husband, Khalil Tatum, the same man who was the main suspect in the disappearance of an eight-year-old little girl.

• 1:02:58Colin Brown?

  One of Andrea's closest friends, Gerald Wills, believed that Andrea must have found out something sinister about her husband. Gerald described Andrea as "the love of his life" and said that he had known her for 30 years and even lived with her when Khalil was incarcerated. For Gerald, he believed that the only reason Andrea stayed with Khalil was because of what she had learned through Narcotics Anonymous. "Always make amends," he told The Washington Post. "He couldn't have loved her, because look at what he did. I think she found out something. That's why he did it. He thought she was going to tell." So did Andrea learn that Khalil had hurt eight-year-old Relisha? Did she threaten to go to the police? They didn't know, but the one thing they did know was that they needed to find Khalil before he could hurt anybody else.

• 1:03:44Courtney Brown?

  Through surveillance footage at the Red Roof Inn, investigators were able to determine that Khalil left the parking lot in a white GMC truck. A be on the lookout alert was issued. However, only days later, the truck was found abandoned in Hyattsville. So once again, they had reached a dead end. And by this point, it goes without saying that investigators believed Relisha Rudd was in grave danger, and the urgency to find her only intensified. On March 22nd, a candlelit vigil was held outside of the DC General Family Shelter. Dozens and dozens of people gathered with signs that read, quote, "Bring Relisha home." Antonio Shimiga and Melissa Young begged the public to help find their eight-year-old

• 1:04:29Courtney Brown?

  girl, but soon enough, they would start to turn on each other. They started blaming one another for Relisha's disappearance. Antonio stated, quote, "If it was a mistake sending our daughter with Melissa, we accept that mistake. Any parent would send their kids with their grandmother. We didn't send her with Tatum," end quote. However, Melissa remained firm that she was not responsible, saying, quote, "If law enforcement thought I had something to do with it, I wouldn't still be walking this street. I don't know how he came about getting her the last time," end quote.

• 1:05:04Colin Brown?

  Between March 25th and March 28th, massive searches were conducted at the 700-acre Kennelworth Park and Aquatic Gardens, where it was reported that Khalil Tatum had been seen after Andrea's murder. On March 27th, Police Chief Kathy Lanier issued a press conference where she admitted that the search for Relisha was now a recovery mission. They feared Relisha was dead. As the investigation continued into Relisha and Khalil's whereabouts, video surveillance from a Home Depot near the Holiday Inn Express showed Khalil purchasing 42-gallon trashbags, a shovel, and lime on March 2nd. Shortly after his purchase, investigators discovered through cellphone data that he had spent a significant amount of time at the Aquatic Gardens.

• 1:05:47Colin Brown?

  According to sources, Khalil knew the area well, as he had grown up at the Kennelworth Parkside Public Housing.

• 1:05:54Courtney Brown?

  Shamika Young continued to deny that she had allowed Relisha to go with Khalil. She stood by her story that Relisha had been with her sister Ashley. Now, as for why she never reported missing, she told reporters that she didn't want her other three children taken away. But when asked specifically about Khalil, Shamika flat-out refused to talk about him.

• 1:06:16Speaker 06

  Did she ever stay with Mr. Tatum at his house?

• 1:06:18Speaker 05

  Not that I know of.

• 1:06:20Speaker 06

  Do you blame him at all in this?

• 1:06:22Speaker 05

  I choose not to answer those questions.

• 1:06:25Speaker 06

  Are you angry with Mr. Tatum?

• 1:06:28Speaker 05

  I'm probably angry with everybody, the world, the media, everybody.

• 1:06:34Speaker 06

  Why are you angry with the media?

• 1:06:36Speaker 05

  They just switches my words up. They don't let me be heard. They don't let my voice be heard out there.

• 1:06:41Speaker 06

  What do you want to say?

• 1:06:45Speaker 05

  Honestly, I don't know what I want to say because I have so many mixed thoughts in my head. So I don't know what I want to say at this time.

• 1:06:52Speaker 06

  It's not just the media, but social media that's questioned Young about why she allegedly lied to investigators, potentially delaying the search for her daughter. She denies she lied and tried to explain to me why she hasn't been at any of her daughter's vigils.

• 1:07:07Speaker 05

  I did want to support the walk and pray thing for my daughter, not once or twice, but I couldn't due to all the threats.

• 1:07:14Speaker 06

  What kind of threats are you getting?

• 1:07:16Speaker 05

  I was getting all types of threats. People saying they was gonna kill me, shoot me, and what they gonna do to me, what they not gonna do to me.

• 1:07:25Speaker 06

  Are you in hiding now?

• 1:07:27Speaker 05

  No, not hiding. I don't have nothing to hide from.

• 1:07:31Speaker 06

  What, from people who say they want to kill you?

• 1:07:33Speaker 05

  I ain't even got to hide from them. So I walk these streets alone.

• 1:07:37Speaker 06

  While Shamika couldn't remember the actual date she last saw Relisha, she remembers where it was.

• 1:07:42Speaker 05

  Over here in my sister's house, I did her hair. I bought her some shoes, some Jordan Flights, some 2013 Jordan Flights.

• 1:07:49Speaker 06

  And she revealed to me for the first time that her daughter often spent time away from the shelter with other family members where she said Tatum would pick up Relisha.

• 1:07:57Speaker 05

  She didn't go missing from the shelter. It is a rule in the shelter that kids are not allowed to enter nor exit the facility without their parents. And I feel as though I should put that out.

• 1:08:08Speaker 06

  Do you think Relisha's a liar?

• 1:08:09Speaker 05

  Yeah.

• 1:08:11Speaker 06

  Why do you think that?

• 1:08:12Speaker 05

  I always have strong hopes. You can't never let your hopes down. And God don't play with babies and food.

• 1:08:19Speaker 06

  If she is alive, where do you think she could be?

• 1:08:21Speaker 05

  I don't know.

• 1:08:23Colin Brown?

  According to Antonio Wheeler, after Relisha disappeared, the two decided to part ways. Antonio has continued to deny that he ever knew Relisha stayed with Khalil Tatum. But many people wondered, why did he not question her whereabouts for the 18 days she was missing? According to NBC Washington, Antonio stated that he believed the family should have been investigated. But for him, he did not consider himself family because he was only her stepfather. He said, why didn't they? I'm her stepdad. I'm not her family. I've got kids with her mom, but I'm not her family. Why didn't they charge the family?

• 1:08:58Courtney Brown?

  Over the next few weeks, everyone continued to search for both Relisha and Khalil Tatum. They focused their search efforts at the Kneelworth Park in Aquatic Gardens. And finally, on April 1st, 2014, they made a shocking discovery. It was the dead body of 51-year-old Khalil Tatum. It appeared that he had died by suicide from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. Authorities believe that he had been dead for approximately 36 hours before he was found. Next to his body, they found his eyeglasses and a gun. Ultimately, it was the same exact gun used to kill his wife, Andrea Tatum. But the discovery of Khalil's body only led to more questions.

• 1:09:44Courtney Brown?

  Sadly, in his death, he left no clue as to where we could find Relisha Rudd. Investigators continued to search the park where Khalil was found, which also happened to be the park where his cellphone data pinged earlier in March. However, they were unable to find any clues.

• 1:10:04Speaker 06

  And the search for eight-year-old Relisha Rudd.

• 1:10:06Colin Brown?

  Yeah, police in Washington say they found the body tonight in a park where they have been searching for this little girl, but it's not her.

• 1:10:12Speaker 06

  ABC Two News Christian Schaefer, live in the newsroom with the update tonight. Chris?

• 1:10:15Colin Brown?

  Yeah, Jamie Kelly, that body found tonight in the park has been identified tentatively according to DC police as Khalil Tatum, the man suspected of killing his wife and kidnapping Relisha Rudd, but Rudd is still missing tonight. After weeks of searching, a discovery in Kennelworth Park and Aquatic Gardens in northeast Washington, all indications are that it is the body of 51-year-old Khalil Tatum, and police say it appears that he committed suicide. We have not confirmed what the cause of death is, although we will say that it looks like it likely is a suicide. But it is a discovery that gets police no closer to finding eight-year-old Relisha Rudd, who disappeared from the homeless shelter where she had been living and where Tatum worked as a janitor.

• 1:10:59Colin Brown?

  After police began searching for the girl, they found Khalil Tatum's wife dead in a motel room in Prince George's County.

• 1:11:06Speaker 05

  I still, I don't even know how to put it, the words to put it. I still believe that baby girl is alive.

• 1:11:13Colin Brown?

  Police are maintaining that hope as well, but on Tuesday, hundreds of police and volunteers will be back at Kennelworth Gardens for what has already been described as a recovery operation. We have volunteers who are gathering from multiple different groups, from neighborhoods and organizations to help us continue that search. So the search will go on.

• 1:11:37Colin Brown?

  Yeah, remember, police initially began searching that park after they found out Tatum had spent time there in early March after buying large, industrial-sized trash bags. The police chief says that search is likely to continue at least a few more days. Live in the newsroom, Christian Schaefer, ABC Two News. For the next six days, investigators and volunteers continue to comb through the 700-acre park, looking for any sign of Relisha. One of the volunteers, a man named Derek Butler, told the local news that they were searching for anything that could belong to a child, a toy, a shoe, an item of clothing. However, despite the exhaustive search efforts, nothing was ever found.

• 1:12:16Speaker 02

  While we're all a bit relieved that we did not find Relisha here the way we anticipated we would find her, it's heart-wrenchingly frustrating that we don't have answers as to where she is right now.

• 1:12:27Speaker 06

  In a somber tone, DC Police Chief Kathy Lanier closed the intense, week-long search of Kennelworth Park for missing eight-year-old. Relisha Rudd, a little girl whose disappearance continues to touch hearts across the nation. This mother of eight-year-old triplets traveled from Glen Burnie this morning in hopes of helping in the search. I just couldn't imagine losing a child and not knowing where he or she was. I would be out of my mind. Today it was revealed that last confirmed sighting of Relisha on March 1st was in the Bladensburg Road area in northeast. The next day, police said Tatum bought garbage bags at a Home Depot and then came to the park. It was the strongest lead in the case to date.

• 1:13:09Speaker 06

  A full force of police, FBI agents, recruits, and volunteers searched 700 acres for a week, expecting to find a child's grave. Instead, on Monday, they found Tatum, dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound inside a park utility shed, but no Relisha.

• 1:13:26Speaker 02

  One person, I think, that could have given us the best answer. Mr. Tatum can't give us that answer anymore, so now we have to go elsewhere.

• 1:13:33Speaker 06

  Police said they will continue to rely heavily on tips from the public. Near Tatum's childhood neighborhood, just outside the park, police searched an empty lot today, where an anonymous tipster told ABC 7, "Tatum used to frequent." Police said they vowed they will follow through on all leads until they find Relisha.

• 1:13:50Speaker 02

  There are still people we need to talk to. There are still people we need to identify, and there are still people we need to find.

• 1:13:57Courtney Brown?

  Weeks eventually turned into months, and soon enough, the searches dwindled. Tips stopped coming in, but the community that knew and loved Relisha Rudd continued to hold on to hope that one day, she would be found safe. On April 8th, DC Mayor Vincent Gray ordered an investigation into how the city responded to the disappearance of Relisha. However, on September 2nd, part of that report read, quote, "Even if all the policy and practice recommendations in this report had been in place and fully implemented, the review team did not find evidence that these tragic events were preventable," end quote.

• 1:14:37Colin Brown?

  Despite the Child and Family Services being involved with Relisha's family, reports indicated that there were no clear signs she was in immediate danger. As for school officials, they had argued that they had been deceived by Shamika Young, who continued to falsely claim Relisha had been with Dr. Tatum, and was receiving treatment for a neurological condition. Although Relisha had missed more than 30 days of school, they stated that most of those were excused, and they intervened when she had 10 unexcused absences due to a law that required intervention at that amount of unexcused absences.

• 1:15:09Courtney Brown?

  Many criticized the findings and stated that there were repeated red flags. They said that Child and Family Services failed to intervene, despite having evidence that Relisha and her brothers were being neglected and abused. Even further, the lack of oversight at the DC General Family Shelter allowed Khalil to develop relationships with children, despite signing a document stating that he would not fraternize with family members and their kids. In reality, employees at the shelter had turned a blind eye when he repeatedly groomed children, mothers, and fathers. Not to mention, Khalil Tatum had a criminal record, and the job allowed him to have easy access to vulnerable children.

• 1:15:54Courtney Brown?

  The shelter failed to protect the eight-year-old. They failed to track her well-being, and investigators were not alerted to her disappearance until weeks later. Luckily, the DC General Shelter would ultimately close its doors in 2018.

• 1:16:10Colin Brown?

  DC Mayor Muriel Bowser stated: "We embarked four years ago on closing DC General. We all believed it was too big, too rundown, too isolated to serve families who need emergency shelter. We've worked over the course of the last four years to create short-term family housing in all eight wards of the city." After the disappearance of Relisha, DC General became a symbol of neglect, crime, and ultimately- A huge failure. The community would never forget the horrific living conditions that families were forced to live in and how vulnerable children were exploited, groomed, and abused. Project Playtime co-founder Jamila Larson would tell The Washington Post, "The children at DC General were neglected many years before Relisha Rudd went missing.

• 1:16:53Colin Brown?

  She was so symbolic of all the gaps in the safety net and all the ways we collectively have failed vulnerable children in our community."

• 1:17:00Courtney Brown?

  Sadly, years would pass, and there was still no sign of Relisha Rudd. By 2017, Relisha's mom Shamika and her stepdad Antonio, and her grandmother Melissa, all went on the Steve Wilco's television show. By that point, Antonio now believed that Shamika had something to do with Relisha's disappearance. With the entire world pointing the finger at Shamika, she agreed to go on the show to give her side of the story.

• 1:17:29Speaker 05

  It was the day of March 19, 2014. I was coming from a doctor's appointment with my youngest son. We lived in the shelter. When I got there, I was confronted by a worker at the shelter.

• 1:17:54Speaker 05

  This is hard, y'all.

• 1:17:58Speaker 05

  They told me that my daughter was missing, and they asked me where was she at. I gave them a family member's address to where I had left my child at, and they came back and they told me that she wasn't there. I was questioned by FBI, the regular police department, undercovers. Khalil was a janitor who worked at the shelter. While I was being questioned, it came out that Khalil was a suspect after they found his wife deceased in a hotel. I've known Khalil for over some years. I met him through a family member who worked with him.

• 1:18:44Speaker 05

  After Khalil became a suspect, the FBI conducted a manhunt. They posted wanted pictures all over the news. Because someone, their anonymous tip, they led the police to the park. They found Khalil's body. The authorities are saying that he died from apparent suicide. They are saying that Khalil plays a role in this by kidnapping my daughter. The last time I seen my daughter was on March 1st. When I picked her up from a family member's home and took her shopping and brought her back to that family member's home and left her there.

• 1:19:29Speaker 05

  There were 18 days that went by before I found out that my daughter was missing. I never gave my daughter to Khalil. I don't even know how they ended up at the hotel together. When I saw the footage of Khalil and my daughter walking down a hotel hallway, that made my mouth drop. I was trying to figure out how she got from my family to this crazy hotel. I questioned my mom because deep down in my heart, I feel as though she plays a role in her disappearance. I believe my mom handed my daughter over to Khalil.

• 1:20:13Speaker 05

  Melissa and Antonio both believed that Shamika was responsible for Relish's disappearance. During her time on the Steve Wilkos television show, Shamika was heavily criticized. Antonio and Melissa both agreed to take polygraph tests. However, Shamika refused, which only raised more suspicions about her involvement.

• 1:20:41Speaker 05

  Come on with these results. Come on with them. Antonio, you came here, you took a lie detector test.

• 1:20:51Speaker 00

  Steve, can I say something for you?

• 1:20:53Speaker 07

  Sure.

• 1:20:54Speaker 00

  I heard you back there.

• 1:20:55Speaker 05

  I don't care what you heard.

• 1:20:57Speaker 00

  You said, "I'm here because of you." I called this show.

• 1:21:00Speaker 05

  You are here because of me, because they already told me that I have to authorize it because it's my daughter. Now, listen to that.

• 1:21:07Speaker 00

  Listen, listen, I ain't trying to hear none of that.

• 1:21:09Speaker 05

  Can you go on with them results? Because I came here for you to prove to me.

• 1:21:12Speaker 00

  No, I'm not proving that to you.

• 1:21:13Speaker 05

  You is, that's why I'm here. That's why I'm here.

• 1:21:16Speaker 00

  I'm not proving that to you.

• 1:21:17Speaker 05

  That's why I'm here.

• 1:21:18Speaker 07

  You came here, took a lie detector test, and we asked you. Did you participate in any way in the disappearance of Relisha? You answered no. Have you ever had any sexual, physical contact with Relisha? You answered no. Did you ever strike any of your children leaving marks or bruises? You answered no. The results came back the same to each and every question, and they came back that Antonio told the truth.

• 1:21:52Speaker 07

  10 years.

• 1:21:54Speaker 07

  10 years I'm with you.

• 1:21:57Speaker 07

  I'm getting my kids back.

• 1:21:58Speaker 05

  No, you're not.

• 1:21:59Speaker 07

  I'm getting my boys back.

• 1:22:00Speaker 05

  No, you're not.

• 1:22:00Speaker 07

  You're gonna be in jail.

• 1:22:02Speaker 05

  No, I'm not.

• 1:22:02Speaker 07

  You're gonna be in jail.

• 1:22:03Speaker 05

  I'm getting two back. You just getting two.

• 1:22:07Speaker 07

  Melissa, you took a lie detector test, and we asked you, "Did you participate in any way in the disappearance of your granddaughter?" You answered no. "Did you give your granddaughter to Khalil Tatum around the time of her disappearance?" You answered no, and the results came back that you, Melissa, told the truth.

• 1:22:34Speaker 05

  I told you. Are we done here?

• 1:22:40Speaker 05

  Your turn. Your turn. Your turn. Hold on, hold on, hold on.

• 1:22:51Speaker 05

  I ain't gotta take no test.

• 1:22:55Speaker 06

  Hold on, hold on. She's right.

• 1:22:59Speaker 06

  She doesn't have to take a test.

• 1:23:01Speaker 05

  I ain't no murderer.

• 1:23:04Speaker 05

  I know, but I ain't do nothing.

• 1:23:05Speaker 06

  You know what? She's right.

• 1:23:07Speaker 05

  You, you.

• 1:23:07Speaker 06

  Please, please stop. You don't have to take a test. But you're not eliminating yourself as a suspect in the disappearance of your daughter.

• 1:23:14Speaker 05

  Let me tell you something. I talk to the police. I talk to the police day to day. And I'm not, they don't, never discuss me. They discuss other people.

• 1:23:24Speaker 06

  I was the police, and I investigated murders, crimes against children. And I'll tell you right now. You would be number one on my list of people I'd be looking at. You, number one.

• 1:23:36Speaker 05

  I was number one when they looked at me. I got eliminated. You can't down them. You can't down them. You can't down them. You cannot down them. I was number one first. You can't down them. You can't down them.

• 1:23:47Speaker 06

  But you ain't cleared either. And you still got a good chance of going to jail.

• 1:23:50Speaker 05

  No. I'm glad you think so.

• 1:23:52Speaker 06

  What you do? Boy, you going to jail, and I'm getting my boys back. Someday, hopefully, hopefully, that little girl is found.

• 1:24:01Speaker 05

  Oh, she will, B.

• 1:24:02Speaker 06

  And when she's found, then hopefully, you'll go away.

• 1:24:06Speaker 05

  No.

• 1:24:07Speaker 06

  You, I believe, have something to return to the prince.

• 1:24:12Speaker 05

  Okay. That's what you believe.

• 1:24:14Speaker 06

  The janitor didn't have anything to do.

• 1:24:16Speaker 05

  Everybody got their own.

• 1:24:17Speaker 06

  Everybody wants to stick up.

• 1:24:18Speaker 05

  And there's some people out here that say it ain't got nothing to do with it too.

• 1:24:20Speaker 06

  You had an inappropriate relationship with that man.

• 1:24:22Speaker 05

  I did.

• 1:24:23Speaker 06

  And you're lucky. You're lucky.

• 1:24:25Speaker 05

  I'm lucky what?

• 1:24:26Speaker 06

  You're saying, you don't believe that he killed himself?

• 1:24:28Speaker 05

  I don't. You can't shoot yourself two times in the head.

• 1:24:30Speaker 06

  That's right. Maybe somebody else did it for him, huh?

• 1:24:32Speaker 05

  Okay, so who did? I ain't no murderer.

• 1:24:36Speaker 06

  There ain't no murderer, huh?

• 1:24:37Speaker 05

  Nope. My prince ain't know nothing.

• 1:24:39Speaker 06

  You ain't no murderer, you say. And you know what? You're no good mother either. Get the [bleep] out of my face.

• 1:24:53Colin Brown?

  Shamika's attitude during the investigation rubbed people the wrong way. She didn't seem as frantic as you would expect a mother to be when they found out their child had been missing for weeks. Over the years Shamika has said that she never allowed Khalil Tatum to take Relisha, when it's been proven that this is false. She also continued to deny she ever told Payne Elementary School that Relisha was under the care of a so-called Dr. Tatum. Instead, she shifted blame. She blamed her mother, Melissa Young. Shamika said that it was actually her who called the elementary school. Shamika also blamed her sister, Ashley Young, and said that she had been in her care when she went missing. After Relisha's disappearance, the family feud played out in the media, exposing their

• 1:25:35Colin Brown?

  dark past with Child and Family Services and how both Shamika and Antonio had grown up in the foster care system. In 2021, Shamika returned to the Steve Wilco Show to give an update on the case. Once again, she defended her decision to not take a lie detector test, and this time blamed her ex-boyfriend, Antonio, for Relisha's disappearance.

• 1:25:55Speaker 05

  Yes, she's my daughter, but the skin tone of the up-to-date picture looks a little darker. In your heart, do you believe that your daughter is still alive today? Yes, I do. I don't get it with you, because you're so mad at me. You're so mad at me because I keep Relisha's name out there. I keep her relevant. No, I'm mad at you because... Who are you to tell anybody to stop talking about my daughter, Antonio? That's not right. You don't hear me telling anybody like that. And then who are you for you to keep worrying about what I'm doing? How do I get my job? You got a job too, the better yourself. The only thing that I got to say to you is, stop stalking me. Screw yourself. First and foremost, I'm not stalking you. I'm far from stalking you. You are.

• 1:26:39Speaker 05

  If I was stalking you, I would be on the line right now. I'm not stalking. What you need to do is tell everybody where Relisha is. Because at the end of the day, I'm gonna always be there for Relisha. I was more of a parent to her than you was.

• 1:26:51Speaker 07

  You say that the police... Do we have new leads into Relish's disappearance?

• 1:26:57Speaker 05

  Yep.

• 1:26:59Speaker 05

  A video, he's talking about a video that I had spoken to the new detective about. Yes, I have. I know all about the video and come to find out the person who sent the video to the police, it was not my child. So I know all about that, sir. For you that think I'm not talking to the detective.

• 1:27:17Speaker 07

  My theory is Shamika handed over Relish in the wrong place at the wrong time. And that she got herself into a situation that she didn't know how to get out of. And, and in result, Relish paid the price for it.

• 1:27:35Speaker 07

  Well, my thing is, I, I, I think the big red flag in this story is that there was an 18 day period where Shamika had no idea where her daughter was, made no effort to have any contact with her daughter.

• 1:27:50Speaker 07

  I believe because she was hiding something. I think that quite possibly be it. And then the, the guy who ends up killing himself, who killed his wife, kills himself. How does that man end up walking down a hallway in a hotel or motel with the daughter? You know, it's just, it's mind boggling, uh, the mistakes that were made with this little girl. When, when I found out the day that Relish was missing, you know, Khalil, he was still at the shelter. Feel me? That was whole life. That's why I'm so mad too, Steve, because he was the, he was still at the shelter. He was pushing the janitorial cart towards the elevator. I was coming down, coming out from Gang Quest, the police. I smoked my cigarette because my mind, I'm like, okay, my, okay, she missing.

• 1:28:36Speaker 07

  So I see Khalil, long story short, I say Khalil, they saying you got Relish, the police are looking for you. You need to go up there and talk to him. He like, okay, let me, uh, go put this cart up. And then he turned around and said, Mr. Antonio, I'm not trying to keep your daughter. I'm gonna bring her back. Those are the last words Khalil told to me.

• 1:28:52Speaker 00

  Antonio also gave an update from his point of view. He continued to blame Shamika and even admitted that he was the only one out there keeping Relish's name in the media.

• 1:29:02Speaker 07

  You so mad at me because I keep Relish's name out there. I keep her relevant.

• 1:29:06Speaker 05

  No, I'm mad at you because who are you to tell anybody to stop talking about my daughter, Antonio? That's not right. You don't hear me telling anybody like that. And then who are you for you to keep worrying about what I'm doing? How do I get my job? You got a job to the better yourself. The only thing that I gotta say to you is stop stalking me. Screw yourself.

• 1:29:27Speaker 07

  First and foremost, I'm not stalking you. I'm far from stalking you.

• 1:29:30Speaker 05

  You are.

• 1:29:30Speaker 07

  If I was stalking you.

• 1:29:31Speaker 05

  You're stalking me.

• 1:29:32Speaker 07

  I would be on the line right now.

• 1:29:33Speaker 05

  You got a lot of people calling to find out where you're at.

• 1:29:35Speaker 07

  What you need to do is tell everybody where Felicia is. Because at the end of the day, I'm gonna always be there for Felicia. I was more of a parent to her than you was. My theory is Shamika handed over Felicia in the wrong place at the wrong time. And that she got herself into a situation that she didn't know how to get out of. And, and, and result Felicia paid the price for it. Well, my thing is, I, I, I think the big red flag in this story is that there was an 18 day period where Shamika had no idea where her daughter was. Made no effort to have any contact with her daughter.

• 1:30:16Speaker 07

  I believe because she was hiding something. I think that quite possibly be it. And then the, the guy who ends up killing himself, who killed his wife, kills himself. How does that man end up walking down a hallway in a hotel or motel with the daughter? You know, it's just, it's mind boggling, uh, the mistakes that were made with this little girl. When, when I found out the day that Felicia was missing, you know, Khalil, he was still at the shelter. Feel me? That was so like, that's why I'm so mad too, Steve, because he was still, he was still at the shelter. He was pushing the janitorial cart towards the elevator. I was coming down, coming out from Gang Quest, the police. I smoked my cigarette because my mind, I'm like, okay, she missing.

• 1:31:01Speaker 07

  So I see Khalil, long story short. I said, Khalil, they saying you got Felicia, the police are looking for you. You need to go up there and talk to them. He like, okay, let me, uh, go put this car up. And then he turned around and said, Mr. Antonio, I'm not trying to keep your daughter. I'm gonna bring her back. Those are the last words Khalil told to me. And he left from where I was standing at, left, walked past like 12 police cars to get to his truck and go do what he ever did. And so he walked past the police too. So they, they dropped the ball too. If Felicia somehow watched this show, is watching you.

• 1:31:37Speaker 07

  Right now, you know, when this airs, what would you say to her?

• 1:31:43Speaker 07

  Well, listen, daddy love you. I'mma keep fighting for you. I'm looking. I never gave up. And when we find you, you will be forever safe. You will never be my side again. Promise you. And, and, and, and listen, let's all hope that she does see this and she's out there and that she's able to uh, come back to the people that love her. But I, I, the very minimum of what happened here was Shamika was derelict as a mother. She, if she did the simple fact of checking into her daughter every day, uh, cared for her daughter, stayed in her daughter's life on a daily basis, I don't think this would have happened.

• 1:32:26Speaker 07

  You know, I, I always, you know, cause Shamika, she was always quick to give up when it was, when it was, when it, when it was getting hard for her parenting, when I was out of town. So she would always, you know, threaten your kids with little, with little sidebars and stuff. So she was, she was always the type of parent that'd give up. And she always told the kids that she would give them away. So it was just like, now is the fact that this actually happened, like you know what you did with Valicia, or you knew what was gonna happen with Valicia, so just come to, come clean. Now, Antonio, I know that you don't have a relationship with Shamika anymore, but do you have any idea if Shamika and her mother still talk? Yeah, they do. They live together. Oh, they live together?

• 1:33:12Speaker 07

  Mm-hmm. That's, that's a little surprising. Well, thank you for joining us, Antonio, again. If there's any developments, please contact us, and we wish you nothing but the best. Thank you, Steve. Take care, Antonio.

• 1:33:23Courtney Brown?

  Throughout the entire investigation, there has been no physical evidence that linked Shamika or Antonio to Relisha's disappearance. As the years continued, many theories have come out on what exactly happened to the eight-year-old little girl. Some people have even speculated that Khalil Tatum trafficked her. Khalil had a criminal background and was known to groom children. Their family members Andrea Tatum's cousin Patrick Kelly would later say, quote, "He's a wolf walking out there among us. He's a demon." End quote. But many others believe that Khalil killed Relisha, a theory that even the DC Police

• 1:34:03Courtney Brown?

  Department has leaned towards, mostly because of the surveillance video of him at Home Depot buying what appeared to be a body disposal kit. However, to this day, no body or evidence has ever been found. It has now been over 10 years since Relisha Rudd disappeared, and there have still been no sightings of her, dead or alive. But the case remains open. And although the DC Police Department still receives tips, none have ever led to any solid evidence or answers. Welcome back. Today marks 10 years since the disappearance of eight-year-old Relisha Rudd.

• 1:34:38Speaker 06

  Tonight, community members gathered to pass out flyers highlighting the unsolved case. And in an interview you'll see only on Fox 5, our Jacqueline Matters spoke exclusively with her stepfather on this 10-year anniversary. Jacqueline. Well, guys, Relisha was last seen at a northeast DC motel here along New York Avenue and Bladensburg Road. She was seen in surveillance video walking hand in hand with a man down a hallway that her family and she knew quite well. Relisha Rudd is DC's baby. Rudd was just eight years old when she vanished from a city homeless shelter on March 1st, 2014.

• 1:35:16Speaker 06

  She was real helpful. You know, she always was happy. She kept the family happy. She was that spirit for the family. She was last seen with a man known to her parents, Khalil Tatum, who worked as a janitor at the shelter Rudd lived at with her family.

• 1:35:40Speaker 07

  My father told her before he passed on. My mom told her. Keep him away from Relisha. You know, my mother, he's getting too fond of Relisha.

• 1:35:52Speaker 06

  But it took 18 days before anyone realized the little girl was missing.

• 1:35:57Speaker 07

  They asked me when the last time I seen her. I was told she was at Ashley's house. They, Shmika and her mother, telling them that she was at the shelter last. No, she wasn't.

• 1:36:08Speaker 06

  During the weeks-long search for Relisha, Tatum shot and killed himself. And it's widely believed by investigators that he killed her before taking his own life. But there's others with different theories, and many who are still searching for her to this day.

• 1:36:24Speaker 05

  We believe that someone out there, they know something. And we're not going to stop looking for Relisha until we can bring her home or bring answers to the DC area.

• 1:36:33Speaker 06

  This new age progression photo from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children shows what Relisha might look like now at the age of 18. 10 years later, her stepfather says he often thinks of what Relisha went through in the final moments before she was taken.

• 1:36:49Speaker 07

  What keeps me up in the past was just her screaming for daddy or just screaming for help, period. And nobody was there. Nobody was there.

• 1:37:07Speaker 06

  But since Relisha's body has never been found, there's hope she's still alive. And one woman, who was the longest-living Jane Doe, says we can't give up just yet. Unfortunately, being missing for 50 years, that was the assumption. But all missing children aren't dead. We're alive, we're walking, we don't know that we were abducted. And this is the same hope that I have for Relisha.

• 1:37:29Speaker 07

  I got my hopes. I honestly do. I spoke with my son. And he said he believes she's still alive. It's not looking hard enough. So I got hope, but I'm preparing for the worst.

• 1:37:52Speaker 06

  Now, if you have any tips on this case, you can contact DC Police, specifically in their Youth and Family Services Division. We have that number for you there on your screen. Guys, back to you.

• 1:38:02Speaker 00

  Jacqueline, thank you.

• 1:38:04Courtney Brown?

  As an eight-year-old little girl, Relisha Rudd was supposed to feel loved, protected, and cared for. But that's not at all what her life was like. Instead, she was failed by her family. She was failed by the DC General Family Shelter, by Child and Family Services, by the school system, and by law enforcement. Cases like Relisha's often get overlooked due to their socioeconomic status. She was a poor African-American child living in a homeless shelter. And despite there being plenty evidence of abuse and neglect, the warning signs were ignored. And in response, it's widely believed that she's no longer with us. In order to keep her name alive,

• 1:38:48Courtney Brown?

  Washington DC announced that July 11th would be Relisha Rudd Remembrance Day. The day was chosen to represent the 18 days she was missing. Seven plus 11 equals 18. Each year, members of the community hold an event to honor and remember Relisha's legacy. Founder of DC's Missing Voice, Henderson Long, hopes that keeping Relisha's name in the media will shed a light on her disappearance and keep the searches going. She told WUSA9, "I think Relisha may be a year older than my daughter. And so it really puts things in perspective. If this was my daughter, or anybody else's daughter, or me, or you, or anybody missing this long, it still hurts. And we want to prevent this from happening again, as you said before with other children. And it's all about education. It's all about mobilizing

• 1:39:33Courtney Brown?

  and getting the community to take action." As of today, there is still a $50,000 reward for any information that would help police locate Relisha. With her body never being found, activists, community members, and close friends and families still hold on to hope that she's out there somewhere. They hope that she's alive and that she's doing better than she was when she was eight years old. But many others don't have that hope. Brenda Brown, a retired federal employee, launched a Facebook group called "We Are Relisha." She told the Washington Post that she never knew Relisha, but that her

• 1:40:09Speaker 00

  Disappearance had an impact on women, especially mothers. She said, "Relisha is a part of us. She's a part of our soul. If we're not going to be Relisha, then who will be Relisha? Who's going to speak for Relisha? Who's going to stand for Relisha?"

• 1:40:24Speaker 05

  Well, 10 years later, we will never stop searching for Relisha Rudd. And we have to find her. She is a valuable member of our community, and we cannot give up hope. We have seen miracles where individuals were missing for many years, even decades, and they were found. And we are hoping the same thing for Relisha Rudd.

• 1:40:47Speaker 06

  I saw the FBI poster today. She is still listed as missing. And you think about these cases like Elizabeth Smart and the two young women in Ohio, where years after everybody thought they were dead, they were alive. And so I think it is good that people still walk around with the assumption that she could be alive, because if she is alive, she may be somewhere where she does not have access to any of the search for her, any of the coverage, any of the knowledge that people want her to be found. And so if that's out there, it's good. Hope is good.

• 1:41:25Speaker 01

  Relisha will always be a part of Playtime. She will always be in our hearts. I just worry it could happen again. I worry it could happen again. I see so much going on in this city.

• 1:41:36Speaker 00

  Although Relisha's mother, Shamika Young, tends to stay out of the spotlight, it was reported that her and her mother, Melissa Young, have made amends. In an interview with Inside Edition in 2020, Shamika admitted that every year without Relisha, it gets more difficult. She said, "It's not my fault. I am tired of laying my head down to get some rest, and I can't even reach out and grab my daughter."

• 1:41:58Courtney Brown?

  As for her other children, she said that she hasn't seen her oldest son since his fifth grade graduation, and that she hasn't seen the two youngest since Relisha went missing. According to her, Irving Jr., her oldest son, was adopted by another family. Her middle son is in foster care in DC, and her youngest is with a foster family in Ohio. In another state, following Relisha's disappearance, her three youngest children were never allowed to go back into the care of Shamika Young. Shamika's mother Melissa said that it was still hard for her to go to sleep at night not knowing where Relisha was, if she was alive or if she was dead. However, whenever she dreamed of Relisha, she always dreamed of Kennelworth Park.

• 1:42:42Speaker 07

  Shamika Young has never been charged in connection with Relisha's disappearance. In 2023, Antonio Wheeler posted a video on TikTok blaming the advocates who gave Relisha a voice. Y'all really wanna know something, TikTok?

• 1:42:59Speaker 07

  This is not, when, when this happened back in 2014, I didn't never intend for any of this. I mean, never expected my life to go the way it went. But for my story,

• 1:43:14Speaker 07

  why Relisha case is so wide open and so all over the place is because of these advocates. Brenna Brown, Rebecca Taylor, Keith Wong, the Relisha Taskful Group ran by Keith Wong, the DC's Los Angeles Group ran by Rebecca Taylor.

• 1:43:32Speaker 07

  Brenna Brown's partners are a couple of them groups too. However, these advocates, you know, took it upon themselves to, to play detectives, interrogate Shamika and me, and then talk to us, but to try to butter us up, then turn around, contact the police, give them false stories about me driving to Rock Creek Park, digging Relisha's body in, up and putting it in the dirt. That was one story. And another story was that I was used to molest Relisha and Shamika knew about it. These all coming from advocates, you know?

• 1:44:17Speaker 07

  The Relisha, the, the, these Facebook, social media groups about Relisha, wrote a petition up to have my, my permanent rights terminated. It almost, um, had my, had to have my permanent rights terminated and Shamika's permanent rights terminated. Shamika, Shamika Young, she has no rights to the kids no more. However, it almost happened.

• 1:44:44Speaker 07

  The, the, the petition was asking for them to put my kids up for adoption and terminate my parental rights. It was back in 2014. It took me almost a decade to even get back until my kids last. But I'm, I'm dropping ahead. Let me go back again. This shit that my kids been through, though, they are the real victims of this whole situation. Melissa is a victim. So is her brothers. She ain't deserve this.

• 1:45:29Speaker 07

  She ain't deserve her mom to be coming on national TV and news outlets and lying and, and misleading the police. That's the bigger reason why too, cause Shamika misled them people for 18 days. And she's still missing. And people asking me, are they still looking? Yes, they still looking.

• 1:45:51Colin Brown?

  Antonio remains active on TikTok, posting various videos about Shamika's involvement in Melissa's disappearance, how she continues to contact their two children, and how after a decade, he has finally received custody of his sons. In one video, he even said that both Shamika and her mother Melissa had a sexual relationship with Khalil Tatum.

• 1:46:12Speaker 07

  Why was you lying around your daughter disappearance, Shamika? Why would you tell the police that she went missing from the shelter? Why would you tell the police that Tatum didn't harm himself or Melissa? Why would you be on national TV protecting this man? Why the fuck would you be on crime watch to protecting this man? Shamika? It's not making sense. Never did. But your time is coming. You going to let everybody know what the fuck you did with Melissa? True, Melissa, not playing, bro. Cause enough is enough. It's 10 years. Where she at? Her brothers believe she's still alive.

• 1:46:55Speaker 07

  And now where she at? I wanna know. What you do, Melissa? Shamika? I knew you was fucking on Tatum too, Shamika.

• 1:47:15Speaker 07

  Because Relisha, by law, is older than your mother.

• 1:47:20Speaker 07

  So...

• 1:47:25Speaker 07

  What happened to Relisha Shamika? I'm gonna keep asking you. Shamika Young. Where is Relisha Rudd?

• 1:47:35Courtney Brown?

  Relisha's case is a heartbreaking example of failures in our system. Our nation's children should be protected over anything else. But sadly, in many cases, children slip through the cracks. They are not protected by the system that is put in place to protect them. And I wish this story had a better ending. I wish Khalil Tatum could have been brought to justice for the murder of his wife and for whatever he did with Relisha. I wish we could know what ultimately happened to the eight-year-old little girl. But sadly, there is no justice in this case, and there are very few answers. After being seen on that hotel security camera on February 26, 2014,

• 1:48:19Courtney Brown?

  Relisha Rudd has never been seen. That was nearly 11 years ago to the day that we are posting this episode. Today, Relisha Rudd would be 19 years old. And although many people believe that she is no longer with us, there is still a possibility that she could be alive. So if you or someone you know has any information regarding Relisha's disappearance or her possible whereabouts, please call the Metro Police Department at 202-727-9099 or text the tip line at 50411. Today, in Relisha's honor, we will be making a donation to the Black and Missing Foundation, a nonprofit organization that raises awareness surrounding missing black and brown individuals

• 1:49:04Courtney Brown?

  who are often overlooked by the mainstream media and law enforcement.

• 1:49:12Courtney Brown?

  Hey, everybody, it's Colin here. Thank you for listening to this week's episode of Murder in America. This was the story that I've been talking about for a while during these outros. I've wanted to tell this story and share this story with our audience for a long time because this entire thing is just so egregious and the lack of justice here, the lack of answers is not only infuriating, but it's just, it's really, really sad, especially knowing how much life Rileach had within her and what she could have grown up and gone on to do with her life. It's so tragic all the way around and just, there has to be a break in the case someday. There has to be an answer that comes. Hopefully one

• 1:49:53Courtney Brown?

  day, if we just keep talking about it, that day will come. But if you love Murder in America and you don't like the advertisements throughout the show, please consider joining us on Patreon. If you join us on Patreon, you can get early and ad-free access to all

• 1:50:07Speaker 00

  of our episodes. You can also get access to bonus episodes. So if you love the show and you've already finished every episode we've ever put out, consider joining us on Patreon because you can immediately get access to a huge library of full-length bonus episodes featuring Courtney and I, the sound editing, everything that we do on all of our shows. It's like essentially doubling the Spotify or Apple Podcasts library immediately when you sign up and you help support the show and keep this whole thing going. Also, don't forget to follow us on Instagram at Murder in America to see photos from every single case that we cover. Leave us a five-star review wherever you listen to your podcasts. Be sure to check out The Conspiracy Files on all streaming platforms. And yeah, we'll

• 1:50:50Speaker 00

  be back next week with another story. We'll never run out of them, sadly, here in America. Right now, it's actually 2:30 in the morning, so I'm pretty tired. I'm gonna go to bed. I hope you all have a great weekend and I'll catch you on the next one.

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