1 00:00:01,040 --> 00:00:04,760 Speaker 1: Hey, it's Marie Nojosa from Latino USA. Today we're going 2 00:00:04,800 --> 00:00:08,160 Speaker 1: to feature the first episode from an eight part podcast 3 00:00:08,200 --> 00:00:13,240 Speaker 1: series from WAMU and PRX. It's called Through the Cracks. 4 00:00:14,160 --> 00:00:16,920 Speaker 1: The series tells the story of Relicia Rudd, an eight 5 00:00:17,000 --> 00:00:19,840 Speaker 1: year old girl who disappeared from a homeless shelter in 6 00:00:19,920 --> 00:00:25,079 Speaker 1: twenty fourteen in Washington, d C. Through the Cracks investigates 7 00:00:25,120 --> 00:00:27,640 Speaker 1: gaps in our society and the people. 8 00:00:27,480 --> 00:00:28,720 Speaker 2: Who fall through them. 9 00:00:28,920 --> 00:00:33,240 Speaker 1: Here's episode one of Through the Cracks with host johnkuilin 10 00:00:33,400 --> 00:00:40,680 Speaker 1: Hill and don't forget to subscribe. 11 00:00:40,760 --> 00:00:43,199 Speaker 3: Every morning, around ten thirty, I get a text from 12 00:00:43,200 --> 00:00:47,440 Speaker 3: my mom. It's usually along the lines of good morning, 13 00:00:47,960 --> 00:00:50,640 Speaker 3: how are you. We used to talk about what we 14 00:00:50,640 --> 00:00:53,720 Speaker 3: were up to that day, my hair appointment or a 15 00:00:53,840 --> 00:00:57,600 Speaker 3: workout class, my dad's taking out the y. Now she 16 00:00:57,720 --> 00:01:00,640 Speaker 3: asks how I'm doing on staples like toilet paper, or 17 00:01:00,720 --> 00:01:04,000 Speaker 3: talks to me about the latest headlines. One time, though, 18 00:01:04,560 --> 00:01:07,120 Speaker 3: I forgot to answer her text. I was at work 19 00:01:07,160 --> 00:01:09,920 Speaker 3: writing a script and I got really caught up. My 20 00:01:10,000 --> 00:01:13,039 Speaker 3: phone was set to do not disturb. Around one thirty, 21 00:01:13,240 --> 00:01:16,479 Speaker 3: she called my desk phone and my coworker answered, Your 22 00:01:16,520 --> 00:01:21,000 Speaker 3: mom called lol my coworker messaged me, she says to 23 00:01:21,080 --> 00:01:26,039 Speaker 3: text her. Not everyone has this relationship with their mom. 24 00:01:26,360 --> 00:01:30,200 Speaker 3: I get that, but what about their coworkers or their friends, 25 00:01:30,680 --> 00:01:34,960 Speaker 3: their roommates. Everyone has someone who would notice their absence. 26 00:01:35,640 --> 00:01:40,080 Speaker 3: The question is how long would it take? This is 27 00:01:40,080 --> 00:01:43,960 Speaker 3: what I think about every time I think about Relicia Rudd. 28 00:01:44,720 --> 00:01:48,240 Speaker 4: R e l I s h E l I. 29 00:01:50,320 --> 00:01:53,840 Speaker 3: Licia Rudd disappeared nearly seven years ago in twenty fourteen. 30 00:01:54,640 --> 00:01:57,240 Speaker 3: She was eight years old. She was a second grader 31 00:01:57,320 --> 00:02:00,800 Speaker 3: at Payne Elementary School in southeast DC. By the time 32 00:02:00,880 --> 00:02:04,840 Speaker 3: the city formally declared Relicia as missing, eighteen days had 33 00:02:04,880 --> 00:02:07,640 Speaker 3: passed since the last time she'd been seen at school 34 00:02:07,840 --> 00:02:08,560 Speaker 3: or in the shelter. 35 00:02:09,200 --> 00:02:11,960 Speaker 4: It shelter, give us some place to stay. 36 00:02:12,840 --> 00:02:13,120 Speaker 5: Good. 37 00:02:13,280 --> 00:02:15,919 Speaker 6: And now you see to her and that's say it, Laura, 38 00:02:16,639 --> 00:02:18,359 Speaker 6: see to her, and that's good. 39 00:02:19,400 --> 00:02:21,600 Speaker 7: You on, It's good. 40 00:02:22,880 --> 00:02:26,440 Speaker 3: Everyone in Relicia's life has a slightly different memory of 41 00:02:26,480 --> 00:02:28,560 Speaker 3: where she was in the days before she went missing. 42 00:02:29,240 --> 00:02:31,959 Speaker 3: She was in an aunt's care or her mom's care. 43 00:02:32,520 --> 00:02:36,200 Speaker 3: She was at school or with a doctor. DC police 44 00:02:36,240 --> 00:02:39,480 Speaker 3: began an intense search for her, and the whole city 45 00:02:39,520 --> 00:02:40,639 Speaker 3: took note. 46 00:02:40,800 --> 00:02:43,240 Speaker 8: New developments now in the search for Relicious rud DC 47 00:02:43,360 --> 00:02:46,280 Speaker 8: police will continue to comb through the Canilworth Gardens area. 48 00:02:46,440 --> 00:02:49,079 Speaker 3: Relicious story stuck with me throughout the years, and I'm 49 00:02:49,120 --> 00:02:51,120 Speaker 3: not the only one in DC who still thinks about her. 50 00:02:52,040 --> 00:02:55,240 Speaker 3: People all over the city were fixated on finding her 51 00:02:55,360 --> 00:02:59,240 Speaker 3: long after the trail went cold. Years after her disappearance, 52 00:02:59,480 --> 00:03:01,880 Speaker 3: I saw her photo on a missing poster at Union Station. 53 00:03:03,000 --> 00:03:05,520 Speaker 9: Now, I want you to say, all kids need a. 54 00:03:05,480 --> 00:03:06,239 Speaker 2: Place to play. 55 00:03:06,880 --> 00:03:08,360 Speaker 4: All kids need a way a little bit. 56 00:03:10,560 --> 00:03:12,960 Speaker 8: That was funny that you said that, let's travel one time. 57 00:03:13,360 --> 00:03:14,160 Speaker 2: All kids need a. 58 00:03:14,080 --> 00:03:14,760 Speaker 10: Place to play. 59 00:03:15,080 --> 00:03:18,360 Speaker 7: All kids need a place to play. 60 00:03:18,400 --> 00:03:34,160 Speaker 3: This is the only known recording of Relicia Red's voice. 61 00:03:36,080 --> 00:03:40,680 Speaker 3: I'm John Ballnhill and from WA MU and PRX. This 62 00:03:40,760 --> 00:03:43,560 Speaker 3: is Through the Cracks, a podcast about the gaps in 63 00:03:43,600 --> 00:03:47,160 Speaker 3: our society and the people who fall through them, like militia. 64 00:03:48,320 --> 00:03:52,400 Speaker 11: How can you have a young girl abducted at a 65 00:03:52,440 --> 00:03:56,200 Speaker 11: shelter that's run by the city and apparently she's taken 66 00:03:56,280 --> 00:03:58,840 Speaker 11: by an employee of the city who works at this shelter. 67 00:04:00,160 --> 00:04:01,400 Speaker 11: That happened before anyone notices. 68 00:04:02,280 --> 00:04:05,040 Speaker 12: The city never was all in to say, you know, 69 00:04:05,120 --> 00:04:07,200 Speaker 12: this is a family shelter. Let's make the best of it, 70 00:04:07,280 --> 00:04:11,080 Speaker 12: Let's make it safe, let's make it bright. And that 71 00:04:11,280 --> 00:04:13,360 Speaker 12: really wasn't the case, and that was very clear. 72 00:04:15,120 --> 00:04:17,760 Speaker 3: Months after Relisia went missing, the city said that there 73 00:04:17,800 --> 00:04:20,320 Speaker 3: was nothing they could have done to prevent it. So 74 00:04:21,080 --> 00:04:23,320 Speaker 3: on the first season of Through the Cracks, that's what 75 00:04:23,320 --> 00:04:26,479 Speaker 3: we're investigating. We're trying to figure out if anything could 76 00:04:26,480 --> 00:04:29,599 Speaker 3: have stopped Relicio's disappearance. We'll look at the world she 77 00:04:29,640 --> 00:04:32,880 Speaker 3: grew up, in her school, the shelter where she lived, 78 00:04:33,240 --> 00:04:33,799 Speaker 3: her family. 79 00:04:34,920 --> 00:04:38,200 Speaker 2: The last thing I remember was Relia telling me she's 80 00:04:38,320 --> 00:04:45,039 Speaker 2: coming back, She's going to her aunt's house. I never 81 00:04:45,080 --> 00:04:45,479 Speaker 2: came back. 82 00:04:46,640 --> 00:04:56,880 Speaker 3: Episode one, Relicia Goes Missing. I moved to DC back 83 00:04:56,920 --> 00:04:59,120 Speaker 3: in two thousand and nine to go to Howard University. 84 00:05:00,040 --> 00:05:02,200 Speaker 3: I wanted to go to a historically black college and 85 00:05:02,240 --> 00:05:05,960 Speaker 3: to live in a big city, and not just any city. 86 00:05:06,760 --> 00:05:10,920 Speaker 3: Chocolate City. DC was definitely less Chocolate by the time 87 00:05:10,960 --> 00:05:13,839 Speaker 3: I got here. It was once over seventy percent black. 88 00:05:14,360 --> 00:05:19,000 Speaker 3: Now the black population hovers around forty six percent. There's 89 00:05:19,040 --> 00:05:20,960 Speaker 3: a lot of stuff I didn't know at first, like 90 00:05:21,160 --> 00:05:23,719 Speaker 3: the crazy amounts of gentrification that I saw happen in 91 00:05:23,760 --> 00:05:28,360 Speaker 3: real time, or the very stark intraracial classifieds that determine 92 00:05:28,400 --> 00:05:31,640 Speaker 3: how you're treated and what you have access to. Even 93 00:05:31,680 --> 00:05:33,719 Speaker 3: with all of that, you can still feel the soul 94 00:05:33,760 --> 00:05:36,400 Speaker 3: of the city. There are pockets here where black people 95 00:05:36,400 --> 00:05:41,240 Speaker 3: can live and work and love and just be as 96 00:05:41,279 --> 00:05:44,200 Speaker 3: the default. That's one of the reasons that this story 97 00:05:44,200 --> 00:05:47,200 Speaker 3: sticks with me. If there's any place little black girl 98 00:05:47,240 --> 00:05:57,200 Speaker 3: should be cared for, it's here. Relicia had a lot 99 00:05:57,240 --> 00:06:01,359 Speaker 3: of adults in her life. There was Relicious mind, her grandmother, 100 00:06:02,040 --> 00:06:05,359 Speaker 3: extended family, and there were teachers at the school and 101 00:06:05,440 --> 00:06:09,000 Speaker 3: staff members at the shelter. There was also her stepdad, 102 00:06:09,360 --> 00:06:10,279 Speaker 3: Antonio Wheeler. 103 00:06:11,040 --> 00:06:13,120 Speaker 2: She's like, I'm hungry, I'm hung I'm holdings. I just 104 00:06:13,160 --> 00:06:15,159 Speaker 2: said no, I'm gonna go fait and fix her Sonny eat. 105 00:06:15,200 --> 00:06:18,120 Speaker 2: I feel all the kids Onny eat. But she's picky. 106 00:06:19,360 --> 00:06:22,400 Speaker 3: Antonio is now thirty four years old. He'd look a 107 00:06:22,440 --> 00:06:24,640 Speaker 3: lot younger than that if it weren't for his goatee. 108 00:06:25,360 --> 00:06:28,400 Speaker 3: He's tall and skinny, and although he's tired from his 109 00:06:28,480 --> 00:06:32,200 Speaker 3: overnight shift as a cook, he's still animated. He talks 110 00:06:32,200 --> 00:06:34,800 Speaker 3: with his hands a lot, and sometimes accidentally hits the 111 00:06:34,839 --> 00:06:37,760 Speaker 3: table that sits between us. He really wanted to let 112 00:06:37,760 --> 00:06:40,320 Speaker 3: me know that being a dad is important to him. 113 00:06:40,760 --> 00:06:43,000 Speaker 3: He still remembers the first time Malicia saw him as 114 00:06:43,040 --> 00:06:43,800 Speaker 3: a father figure. 115 00:06:44,640 --> 00:06:46,839 Speaker 2: So she picked some nudies and I fixed the noodies. 116 00:06:46,920 --> 00:06:49,520 Speaker 2: She oh, my god, he's nudles. Is a good daddy? 117 00:06:52,160 --> 00:06:56,359 Speaker 2: Answer my daddy, I was. I was stuck because she 118 00:06:56,480 --> 00:06:59,040 Speaker 2: was two. You know, that's when I first met her. 119 00:06:59,480 --> 00:07:02,840 Speaker 2: She was just turning two, So I was stuck. I 120 00:07:03,000 --> 00:07:05,240 Speaker 2: didn't know what to say. I didn't. I actually didn't 121 00:07:05,240 --> 00:07:07,680 Speaker 2: respond to that until like a day later. 122 00:07:09,480 --> 00:07:12,960 Speaker 3: When she met Antonio. Relicious mom. Shamika had two children, 123 00:07:13,480 --> 00:07:17,280 Speaker 3: Relicia and her little brother. Shamika and Antonio had two 124 00:07:17,360 --> 00:07:19,960 Speaker 3: more kids together, Rilicious youngest brothers. 125 00:07:20,880 --> 00:07:22,720 Speaker 2: She liked riding the bikes with her brothers. She liked 126 00:07:22,760 --> 00:07:25,840 Speaker 2: the racer brothers. She used to always lay and the 127 00:07:25,920 --> 00:07:29,240 Speaker 2: races on their bikes. She liked to play big sister, 128 00:07:29,440 --> 00:07:31,240 Speaker 2: will not play. She was the big sister. She was 129 00:07:31,240 --> 00:07:34,320 Speaker 2: the oldest sibling, but she was a really good big sister. 130 00:07:34,480 --> 00:07:37,440 Speaker 2: Like she would get on her brothers when they'd be 131 00:07:37,520 --> 00:07:40,480 Speaker 2: acting out, and oh, daddy, they getting on my nerves. 132 00:07:40,520 --> 00:07:42,280 Speaker 2: I'm like, well, liss, she you ain't got no nerves. 133 00:07:42,360 --> 00:07:44,360 Speaker 2: I do got the nerves, Daddy. They getting on it. 134 00:07:44,440 --> 00:07:45,800 Speaker 2: Oh my god. 135 00:07:47,920 --> 00:07:50,520 Speaker 3: The family of six lived in an apartment in Congress 136 00:07:50,520 --> 00:07:54,520 Speaker 3: Heights in southeast DC. Despite the name, it's nowhere near 137 00:07:54,640 --> 00:07:57,960 Speaker 3: Capitol Hill. It's a majority black neighborhood and low income, 138 00:07:58,680 --> 00:08:02,360 Speaker 3: like a lot of neighborhoods east of Anacostia River. In 139 00:08:02,400 --> 00:08:06,200 Speaker 3: twenty thirteen, the family was evicted from their apartment. That's 140 00:08:06,200 --> 00:08:09,520 Speaker 3: when they moved into DC General, a huge city shelter 141 00:08:09,640 --> 00:08:13,400 Speaker 3: for families. It was right near a soccer stadium, a jail, 142 00:08:13,640 --> 00:08:17,480 Speaker 3: and a methadone clinic. At the time of relicious disappearance, 143 00:08:17,720 --> 00:08:21,000 Speaker 3: Antonio was working on a construction job in Pennsylvania, so 144 00:08:21,040 --> 00:08:22,560 Speaker 3: he was in and out of town quite a bit. 145 00:08:23,360 --> 00:08:25,200 Speaker 3: He says he was heading back to the shelter after 146 00:08:25,280 --> 00:08:27,720 Speaker 3: running an errand when he found out Relicia was missing. 147 00:08:28,480 --> 00:08:31,360 Speaker 2: As I'm getting closer to the shelter, I start having 148 00:08:31,480 --> 00:08:35,280 Speaker 2: vibes like some not right. So every time I get 149 00:08:35,360 --> 00:08:38,160 Speaker 2: these vibes, my palms get to sweady, my hands get 150 00:08:38,200 --> 00:08:43,840 Speaker 2: to shaken. So I slice me a cigarette and I'm 151 00:08:43,920 --> 00:08:45,800 Speaker 2: standing outside the shelter. I go on the bus, like 152 00:08:45,840 --> 00:08:48,400 Speaker 2: my cigarette. The director come to me and say, you 153 00:08:48,400 --> 00:08:50,480 Speaker 2: need to come upstairs with me right now. You put 154 00:08:50,480 --> 00:08:53,920 Speaker 2: that cigarette out. So I'm like, she's talking to it 155 00:08:54,040 --> 00:08:56,880 Speaker 2: like that, they'll smoke my cigarette. You're like, no, mister Whillier, 156 00:08:56,920 --> 00:08:59,600 Speaker 2: you need to come on, please put a cigarette out. 157 00:08:59,600 --> 00:09:04,160 Speaker 2: I'm like, okay, but she's being disrespectful, so okay. 158 00:09:04,559 --> 00:09:08,040 Speaker 3: Antonio was annoyed, but then he heard the urgency in 159 00:09:08,080 --> 00:09:09,040 Speaker 3: the director's voice. 160 00:09:09,960 --> 00:09:12,040 Speaker 2: Dude just asked me, you really need to come upstairs 161 00:09:12,120 --> 00:09:16,560 Speaker 2: because miss Young is not cooperating with the police. They 162 00:09:16,679 --> 00:09:18,960 Speaker 2: saying they don't know what relationship is. So I looked 163 00:09:18,960 --> 00:09:23,600 Speaker 2: at her, She looked at me. I'm like, what's you mean? 164 00:09:24,400 --> 00:09:28,760 Speaker 3: Miss Young is of course relicious mom Shamika. She was 165 00:09:28,800 --> 00:09:31,520 Speaker 3: already in the conference room along with a few detectives, 166 00:09:32,120 --> 00:09:34,640 Speaker 3: but she wasn't cooperating, and. 167 00:09:34,520 --> 00:09:37,600 Speaker 2: They detectives told me to ask Shamika was going on? 168 00:09:38,200 --> 00:09:41,280 Speaker 2: So Smika was going on? She just stating there with 169 00:09:41,320 --> 00:09:46,480 Speaker 2: her hand. Smiker was going on. Somi can never tell. 170 00:09:46,559 --> 00:09:49,200 Speaker 2: Until the detective said, mister Miller, you know where your 171 00:09:49,280 --> 00:09:53,920 Speaker 2: daughter is? Yeah, she had Ashley House. They said, are 172 00:09:53,920 --> 00:09:57,199 Speaker 2: you sure. I'm like, y'all stopped playing with me. She's 173 00:09:57,240 --> 00:10:01,680 Speaker 2: at ashley house, you know, so, so then are you sure? 174 00:10:01,840 --> 00:10:01,880 Speaker 13: Like? 175 00:10:02,000 --> 00:10:04,160 Speaker 2: Yeah, why was up? 176 00:10:04,440 --> 00:10:04,520 Speaker 13: Like? 177 00:10:04,559 --> 00:10:08,520 Speaker 2: Well, we got ror that she's missing. WHOA wait a minute, 178 00:10:09,400 --> 00:10:11,480 Speaker 2: they talking about I don't know what they're talking about. 179 00:10:11,679 --> 00:10:16,719 Speaker 2: They lyne these whole FBI ate and the detectives. So 180 00:10:17,360 --> 00:10:19,840 Speaker 2: I said, can y'all please hit somebody over Ashy house? 181 00:10:21,040 --> 00:10:23,800 Speaker 9: When the weekends came and they was in the shelter, 182 00:10:24,200 --> 00:10:27,959 Speaker 9: my niece and my nephews, all of them was at 183 00:10:27,960 --> 00:10:28,320 Speaker 9: my home. 184 00:10:28,360 --> 00:10:30,000 Speaker 4: They called my home baby boot camp. 185 00:10:30,679 --> 00:10:35,360 Speaker 3: Ashley is Shmika's younger sister, relicious aunt. The detectives went 186 00:10:35,400 --> 00:10:38,880 Speaker 3: directly from the shelter to Ashley's house, also in Southeast DC. 187 00:10:39,720 --> 00:10:42,280 Speaker 4: They came to my door. They had their guns drawn. 188 00:10:42,960 --> 00:10:45,360 Speaker 9: They asked me did they have permission to search because 189 00:10:45,400 --> 00:10:48,120 Speaker 9: Relicia was missing? And I gave them permission to come 190 00:10:48,120 --> 00:10:51,440 Speaker 9: in to look around and basically to feel free to 191 00:10:51,480 --> 00:10:52,480 Speaker 9: see that she was. 192 00:10:52,480 --> 00:10:56,000 Speaker 3: Not at my home and she wasn't. Relicia was not 193 00:10:56,160 --> 00:10:57,319 Speaker 3: at Ashley's house. 194 00:10:58,200 --> 00:11:00,640 Speaker 9: From that moment, that's when I found found out that 195 00:11:00,720 --> 00:11:03,520 Speaker 9: she was missing. I didn't even know that she was gone. 196 00:11:03,920 --> 00:11:09,640 Speaker 3: Ashley hadn't seen Melicia either for about eighteen days. The 197 00:11:09,720 --> 00:11:13,839 Speaker 3: extended family, especially Relicia, spent a lot of time at 198 00:11:13,840 --> 00:11:16,800 Speaker 3: Ashley's house, so when the police came, there were other 199 00:11:16,880 --> 00:11:21,120 Speaker 3: kids there, Relicia's little brothers and their cousins, and Ashley's 200 00:11:21,120 --> 00:11:24,600 Speaker 3: mother Maorlicia's grandmother. She hadn't seen Relicia either. 201 00:11:26,480 --> 00:11:27,959 Speaker 7: It wasn't even really cold. 202 00:11:29,160 --> 00:11:31,800 Speaker 3: Melissa Young has a very clear memory of this day, 203 00:11:32,480 --> 00:11:34,400 Speaker 3: March nineteenth, twenty fourteen. 204 00:11:35,600 --> 00:11:37,160 Speaker 4: It didn't even really feel like spring. 205 00:11:37,200 --> 00:11:40,520 Speaker 7: It felt more like the beginning of some versus the 206 00:11:40,559 --> 00:11:43,000 Speaker 7: spring coming in, she remembers. 207 00:11:43,040 --> 00:11:45,320 Speaker 3: The police took her from Ashley's place to the shelter. 208 00:11:46,040 --> 00:11:48,960 Speaker 3: Antonio and Shimika were still there in the same conference 209 00:11:49,000 --> 00:11:51,360 Speaker 3: room talking to detectives. 210 00:11:51,640 --> 00:11:54,840 Speaker 7: I didn't know what was going on the police office. 211 00:11:55,040 --> 00:11:57,440 Speaker 7: You know, your granddaughter, Relicia reru is missing. No she not, 212 00:11:59,440 --> 00:12:03,240 Speaker 7: Yes she is, ma'am, No she's not. She's with Khalil Tatim. 213 00:12:04,640 --> 00:12:07,360 Speaker 3: So let's stop here for a minute before I tell 214 00:12:07,360 --> 00:12:10,640 Speaker 3: you about Khalil Tatum. I know how this must seem. 215 00:12:11,480 --> 00:12:14,640 Speaker 3: How could a family lose track of a child for 216 00:12:14,760 --> 00:12:20,000 Speaker 3: eighteen days? How does that happen? Well, one way to 217 00:12:20,040 --> 00:12:23,880 Speaker 3: think about it is it's a really extreme example of 218 00:12:23,960 --> 00:12:27,640 Speaker 3: something that can happen in a big extended family. One 219 00:12:27,679 --> 00:12:29,920 Speaker 3: parent is out of town, the other is busy with 220 00:12:29,960 --> 00:12:32,560 Speaker 3: the other kids, the aunt and the grandmother are doing 221 00:12:32,559 --> 00:12:36,280 Speaker 3: their thing. Wires get crossed. You forget which parent is 222 00:12:36,280 --> 00:12:39,640 Speaker 3: picking up which kid from where on what day, or 223 00:12:39,679 --> 00:12:41,880 Speaker 3: think a child is with friend one when she's really 224 00:12:41,960 --> 00:12:44,600 Speaker 3: with friend too, and most of the family thought they 225 00:12:44,679 --> 00:12:51,959 Speaker 3: knew where she was with Khalil Tatum. Tatum was a 226 00:12:52,040 --> 00:12:55,880 Speaker 3: janitor at DC General, a friend of the family. Sometimes 227 00:12:55,880 --> 00:12:58,640 Speaker 3: he and his wife would look after Militia. Her family 228 00:12:58,640 --> 00:13:01,160 Speaker 3: says that she was friends with tatums granddaughter, and the 229 00:13:01,160 --> 00:13:04,520 Speaker 3: two girls would play together. From Melissa's point of view, 230 00:13:04,800 --> 00:13:07,520 Speaker 3: Tatum and his wife were just another part of the village, 231 00:13:07,559 --> 00:13:10,600 Speaker 3: taking care of Militia and other kids at the shelter too. 232 00:13:12,200 --> 00:13:16,160 Speaker 7: Whenever she went, she came and told everything they did, 233 00:13:16,840 --> 00:13:20,680 Speaker 7: who she was with, who she did it with everything. 234 00:13:21,200 --> 00:13:25,360 Speaker 7: She never had nothing neglative to say about him, his wife, 235 00:13:25,720 --> 00:13:26,600 Speaker 7: or nobody else. 236 00:13:27,760 --> 00:13:29,840 Speaker 3: All the family members I talked to had an opinion 237 00:13:29,840 --> 00:13:33,800 Speaker 3: about Kluille Tatum. It's complicated. We'll get into it more 238 00:13:33,800 --> 00:13:37,760 Speaker 3: in a later episode. Just know that some people in 239 00:13:37,760 --> 00:13:40,400 Speaker 3: her life did think the arrangement was a little weird. 240 00:13:41,320 --> 00:13:43,600 Speaker 3: Why would anyone trust a shelter staff member to take 241 00:13:43,640 --> 00:13:47,760 Speaker 3: care of their kid? Also, the shelter had a policy 242 00:13:47,960 --> 00:13:52,240 Speaker 3: staff members were not supposed to have social relations with clients. 243 00:13:53,320 --> 00:13:55,840 Speaker 3: On the other hand, what reason did they have not 244 00:13:55,920 --> 00:13:59,679 Speaker 3: to trust Tatum? He was a reliable shelter employee and 245 00:14:00,040 --> 00:14:03,120 Speaker 3: religious seemed perfectly happy spending time with him and his wife, 246 00:14:03,720 --> 00:14:07,079 Speaker 3: and Shamika said that everything was fine and everyone knew 247 00:14:07,200 --> 00:14:11,319 Speaker 3: that when it came to Relicious care, Shamika was in charge. 248 00:14:11,400 --> 00:14:14,920 Speaker 3: Antonio and Shamika split up after Relisia went missing. We've 249 00:14:14,960 --> 00:14:17,839 Speaker 3: asked Shamika for an interview, but she hasn't sat down 250 00:14:17,880 --> 00:14:21,320 Speaker 3: with us. I get it. When Relicia first went missing, 251 00:14:21,680 --> 00:14:24,920 Speaker 3: she was interviewed on TV a lot, and people blame 252 00:14:24,960 --> 00:14:29,720 Speaker 3: her for relicious disappearance. Even now, some people seeing her 253 00:14:29,720 --> 00:14:33,440 Speaker 3: in the street even try to jump her. So what 254 00:14:33,560 --> 00:14:35,840 Speaker 3: we would like to speak with her? We also get 255 00:14:35,840 --> 00:14:40,160 Speaker 3: why she's declined our requests. Okay, back to Khalil Tatum, 256 00:14:41,160 --> 00:14:44,280 Speaker 3: Ashley had met him too. In fact, Khalil had picked 257 00:14:44,320 --> 00:14:45,960 Speaker 3: Melicia up from Ashley's house before. 258 00:14:47,400 --> 00:14:50,520 Speaker 9: It's been a minute, so I don't remember the exact date, 259 00:14:51,160 --> 00:14:54,920 Speaker 9: but all I do remember is he had came to 260 00:14:55,120 --> 00:15:00,280 Speaker 9: pick up a Easter dress for her to go get 261 00:15:00,360 --> 00:15:05,400 Speaker 9: some shoes, and she was at my home and I 262 00:15:05,640 --> 00:15:09,200 Speaker 9: was told that he would be picking her up too. 263 00:15:10,560 --> 00:15:13,240 Speaker 9: And I know I shouldn't fault myself, ask my aunt, 264 00:15:13,360 --> 00:15:15,720 Speaker 9: but I asked myself, what could I have done. 265 00:15:15,520 --> 00:15:17,920 Speaker 3: Better for her not to be missing? 266 00:15:18,760 --> 00:15:21,960 Speaker 4: What could I've done for her not to be in 267 00:15:21,960 --> 00:15:22,720 Speaker 4: this situation. 268 00:15:30,240 --> 00:15:32,720 Speaker 2: Police are trying to find eight year old Relicia Rudd. 269 00:15:33,080 --> 00:15:35,360 Speaker 8: The little girl was last seen with Khalil Tatum, a 270 00:15:35,480 --> 00:15:38,080 Speaker 8: janitor at the local homeless shelter where she lived. 271 00:15:38,600 --> 00:15:42,520 Speaker 3: Relicious disappearance at the news almost immediately and the search began. 272 00:15:43,480 --> 00:15:46,600 Speaker 3: Investigators knew that she was most likely with Khalil Tatum, 273 00:15:46,680 --> 00:15:49,520 Speaker 3: so they started trying to figure out where he was. 274 00:15:50,720 --> 00:15:53,640 Speaker 3: Then came the shocker. In a red roof fin just 275 00:15:53,680 --> 00:15:56,800 Speaker 3: outside of DC and Maryland, police found the body of 276 00:15:56,880 --> 00:16:00,680 Speaker 3: Khalil Tatum's wife, Andrea. She had a unshot wound to 277 00:16:00,680 --> 00:16:01,000 Speaker 3: the head. 278 00:16:01,960 --> 00:16:04,600 Speaker 13: Shortly after the homicide of mister Tatum's wife in Prince 279 00:16:04,600 --> 00:16:08,160 Speaker 13: George's County on March twentieth, twenty fourteen. We have not 280 00:16:08,240 --> 00:16:11,080 Speaker 13: had additional confirmed sightings of mister Tatum. 281 00:16:12,320 --> 00:16:14,800 Speaker 3: After that, there was a hotline for tips about where 282 00:16:14,800 --> 00:16:18,640 Speaker 3: Relicia and Tatum might be. TV news stations played Greeny 283 00:16:18,680 --> 00:16:20,680 Speaker 3: security footage of the two of them walking down a 284 00:16:20,760 --> 00:16:24,520 Speaker 3: hotel hallway and going into a room. The video was 285 00:16:24,560 --> 00:16:28,200 Speaker 3: recorded back in February, before Licia was formally declared missing. 286 00:16:28,720 --> 00:16:32,120 Speaker 11: New developments tonight in the search for Militia Rudd. New 287 00:16:32,200 --> 00:16:34,720 Speaker 11: video appears to show the girl and the man accused 288 00:16:34,760 --> 00:16:36,840 Speaker 11: of taking her in a DC hotel. 289 00:16:37,560 --> 00:16:39,760 Speaker 3: At the time, I was working my first job out 290 00:16:39,760 --> 00:16:43,200 Speaker 3: of college. I was a desk assistant at NBC's Washington 291 00:16:43,240 --> 00:16:46,240 Speaker 3: bureau and they shared a building with NBC four, the 292 00:16:46,280 --> 00:16:50,840 Speaker 3: local affiliate station. I didn't realize it then, but reporter 293 00:16:50,920 --> 00:16:53,040 Speaker 3: Jackie Benson was on the other side of the building, 294 00:16:53,440 --> 00:16:55,920 Speaker 3: hard at work on the story of relicious disappearance. 295 00:16:56,720 --> 00:16:59,680 Speaker 8: During this video, we're going to show you just grips 296 00:16:59,720 --> 00:17:00,360 Speaker 8: at your heart. 297 00:17:00,480 --> 00:17:04,800 Speaker 10: It shows how small and defenseless an eight year old is. 298 00:17:05,480 --> 00:17:07,600 Speaker 3: I recently got a hold of Jackie on zoom and 299 00:17:07,720 --> 00:17:11,640 Speaker 3: asked her about covering Relicious disappearance. She got the job done, 300 00:17:12,040 --> 00:17:15,840 Speaker 3: but sometimes it was hard. 301 00:17:15,080 --> 00:17:18,879 Speaker 10: Especially seeing that video from the from the motel with 302 00:17:18,880 --> 00:17:22,679 Speaker 10: with Tatum holding her hand, and how I had I 303 00:17:22,720 --> 00:17:25,720 Speaker 10: had children that were not that much older at the time, 304 00:17:26,520 --> 00:17:29,480 Speaker 10: and seeing you know, usually when a child, you know 305 00:17:28,960 --> 00:17:31,639 Speaker 10: you're at a at a at a hotel or a motel, 306 00:17:31,680 --> 00:17:34,080 Speaker 10: that's a new place with them, they're all, you know, 307 00:17:34,800 --> 00:17:37,199 Speaker 10: kind of excited to look around and see what this is. 308 00:17:37,280 --> 00:17:40,640 Speaker 10: And I just remember her staring straight ahead and her 309 00:17:40,680 --> 00:17:44,960 Speaker 10: eyes looked so flat, and I realized that this is 310 00:17:44,960 --> 00:17:48,160 Speaker 10: an eight year old child and something she's already aware 311 00:17:48,320 --> 00:17:51,280 Speaker 10: that something awful is happening to her, and that it 312 00:17:51,440 --> 00:17:57,000 Speaker 10: is likely to get worse or continue, and I just 313 00:17:57,200 --> 00:17:58,439 Speaker 10: it ripped my heart apart. 314 00:18:04,160 --> 00:18:06,960 Speaker 3: Over the next week or so, more details about Relicio's 315 00:18:06,960 --> 00:18:10,560 Speaker 3: disappearance came into focus. Relicia had missed more than thirty 316 00:18:10,640 --> 00:18:15,000 Speaker 3: days of school that year. Some absences were excused, some weren't. 317 00:18:15,720 --> 00:18:19,040 Speaker 3: School officials say that they were told several times that 318 00:18:19,119 --> 00:18:21,760 Speaker 3: she was in the care of a doctor, a doctor 319 00:18:21,840 --> 00:18:25,000 Speaker 3: by the name of Tatum, but they never realized that 320 00:18:25,000 --> 00:18:26,919 Speaker 3: Tatum was actually a janitor at the shelter. 321 00:18:28,400 --> 00:18:31,760 Speaker 6: Relicia Rudd, her mother, and her three brothers all lived 322 00:18:31,760 --> 00:18:34,840 Speaker 6: here at the DC General Shelter for about eighteen months. 323 00:18:35,359 --> 00:18:39,240 Speaker 6: Khalil Tatum was a janitor here. Tatum has an extensive 324 00:18:39,240 --> 00:18:42,120 Speaker 6: criminal record that spans from nineteen ninety three to two 325 00:18:42,119 --> 00:18:42,959 Speaker 6: thousand and four. 326 00:18:43,320 --> 00:18:46,880 Speaker 3: Meanwhile, Relicio's family was struggling to figure out what had happened. 327 00:18:48,040 --> 00:18:50,119 Speaker 3: Were you and your sister talking about it? Were you 328 00:18:50,160 --> 00:18:51,960 Speaker 3: and your mom talking about it? Were you guys getting 329 00:18:52,000 --> 00:18:53,119 Speaker 3: together about it? Kind of? 330 00:18:54,119 --> 00:18:56,800 Speaker 9: I do remember it was tough on a family. All 331 00:18:56,840 --> 00:18:59,760 Speaker 9: of us was at each other's neck. We was staying together. 332 00:19:00,520 --> 00:19:03,680 Speaker 9: We was all pointed fingers because we felt like each 333 00:19:03,680 --> 00:19:07,800 Speaker 9: other was at fault, even when certain individuals was not 334 00:19:07,920 --> 00:19:08,359 Speaker 9: at fault. 335 00:19:09,119 --> 00:19:12,240 Speaker 3: Even today, different members of the family have different theories 336 00:19:12,280 --> 00:19:13,280 Speaker 3: about what went wrong. 337 00:19:14,920 --> 00:19:17,199 Speaker 2: I think she was at Ashley's house. I think she 338 00:19:17,280 --> 00:19:18,760 Speaker 2: went missing from Ashley's house. 339 00:19:19,400 --> 00:19:20,600 Speaker 3: This is Antonio again. 340 00:19:21,760 --> 00:19:25,120 Speaker 2: And the reason why I say that because that's where 341 00:19:25,240 --> 00:19:28,399 Speaker 2: the kids was always at when he wasn't at the shelter, 342 00:19:29,480 --> 00:19:30,560 Speaker 2: it was at ashley house. 343 00:19:34,040 --> 00:19:37,199 Speaker 3: Over the next week or so, the search continued for 344 00:19:37,280 --> 00:19:39,399 Speaker 3: both Militia and Khlille Tatum. 345 00:19:40,920 --> 00:19:43,280 Speaker 13: Relitia was in the company of mister Tatum with the 346 00:19:43,320 --> 00:19:46,919 Speaker 13: permission of her mother. On March second, we know that 347 00:19:46,960 --> 00:19:51,320 Speaker 13: mister Tatum purchased, among other items, a carton of black 348 00:19:51,440 --> 00:19:55,919 Speaker 13: forty two gallon self tie contractor trash bags within the 349 00:19:55,920 --> 00:19:59,800 Speaker 13: District of Columbia. Not long after that purchase, mister Tatum 350 00:19:59,840 --> 00:20:02,359 Speaker 13: was the area of the aquatic gardens for a period 351 00:20:02,400 --> 00:20:02,840 Speaker 13: of time. 352 00:20:04,520 --> 00:20:07,520 Speaker 3: Then a few days later, in a shed in Kenilworth 353 00:20:07,560 --> 00:20:11,720 Speaker 3: Park in northeast d C, they found Collil Tatum. According 354 00:20:11,720 --> 00:20:15,520 Speaker 3: to police, he was dead from a self inflicted gunshot wound. 355 00:20:16,080 --> 00:20:18,560 Speaker 3: Police said that the bullet came from the same gun 356 00:20:18,600 --> 00:20:20,760 Speaker 3: that had killed his wife. 357 00:20:25,280 --> 00:20:28,720 Speaker 8: Despite searches by land, air, and water, there's been no 358 00:20:28,840 --> 00:20:30,720 Speaker 8: sign of the eight year old girl Buddy. 359 00:20:30,400 --> 00:20:32,760 Speaker 6: But even yellow crime scene tape like this right here 360 00:20:32,800 --> 00:20:34,520 Speaker 6: surrounds Kenilworth. 361 00:20:34,040 --> 00:20:36,800 Speaker 13: Park, there has still been no sign of Relicia and 362 00:20:37,000 --> 00:20:38,919 Speaker 13: searchers have not given up hope. 363 00:20:40,840 --> 00:20:58,880 Speaker 3: After the break the community's long search for Relicia, lots 364 00:20:58,880 --> 00:21:02,080 Speaker 3: of people came out to search for Relicia, people who 365 00:21:02,080 --> 00:21:05,520 Speaker 3: didn't know her and people who did. Shannon Smith was 366 00:21:05,520 --> 00:21:07,080 Speaker 3: her cheerleading coach in first grade. 367 00:21:08,680 --> 00:21:12,439 Speaker 14: We were over by Kenilworth Avenue and the park and 368 00:21:12,520 --> 00:21:15,200 Speaker 14: we would walk through the park. Seven park police would 369 00:21:15,200 --> 00:21:17,560 Speaker 14: be out there with us, and we were split up 370 00:21:17,560 --> 00:21:19,480 Speaker 14: in everybody just be out there walking until we just 371 00:21:19,480 --> 00:21:20,360 Speaker 14: couldn't walk no more. 372 00:21:20,359 --> 00:21:25,440 Speaker 3: Trying to find Antonio tried to join the search parties, 373 00:21:25,480 --> 00:21:28,760 Speaker 3: but he stopped when he started getting threats. A few 374 00:21:28,760 --> 00:21:32,199 Speaker 3: weeks before Relicia disappeared, Antonio posted some pictures on his 375 00:21:32,200 --> 00:21:34,840 Speaker 3: Facebook timeline. There was a photo of him with a 376 00:21:34,880 --> 00:21:36,840 Speaker 3: wat of money in his mouth and pictures of new 377 00:21:36,880 --> 00:21:39,879 Speaker 3: shoes he and Shamika had bought for the boys. Antonio 378 00:21:39,880 --> 00:21:42,439 Speaker 3: told me the wad was his tax return money. The 379 00:21:42,480 --> 00:21:45,400 Speaker 3: pictures were taken in early February, weeks before he knew 380 00:21:45,400 --> 00:21:48,439 Speaker 3: Relicia was missing. Some people didn't scare the timeline of 381 00:21:48,440 --> 00:21:51,440 Speaker 3: relicious disappearance with the date of the photos, and they 382 00:21:51,480 --> 00:21:53,200 Speaker 3: started posting stuff like this online. 383 00:21:53,400 --> 00:21:54,800 Speaker 12: Is it possible she was trafficked? 384 00:21:55,000 --> 00:21:57,560 Speaker 8: It's pretty clear in my mind that her parents sold 385 00:21:57,560 --> 00:21:58,879 Speaker 8: her to the Tatum guy. 386 00:21:58,880 --> 00:21:59,959 Speaker 6: If they cared all about her. 387 00:22:00,359 --> 00:22:05,320 Speaker 10: I'm saying the mother is guilty, but I have given away. 388 00:22:07,600 --> 00:22:09,479 Speaker 2: Since it happened. Like I said, I had people in 389 00:22:09,480 --> 00:22:14,320 Speaker 2: my inbox on Facebook, had people on my Instagram calling, 390 00:22:14,880 --> 00:22:19,199 Speaker 2: just called me all types of pedophiles and rapises and 391 00:22:19,240 --> 00:22:22,280 Speaker 2: all that. I hate to say. I hate the people 392 00:22:22,320 --> 00:22:24,560 Speaker 2: in it. I deal with them. 393 00:22:24,960 --> 00:22:28,680 Speaker 3: The attacks on social media were just one affliction. DC's 394 00:22:28,760 --> 00:22:31,840 Speaker 3: Child and Family Services agency had also taken custody of 395 00:22:31,880 --> 00:22:33,960 Speaker 3: Antonio and Shamika's other kids. 396 00:22:34,640 --> 00:22:37,879 Speaker 2: I lost my kids, Relasia missing, don't know what she is, 397 00:22:38,680 --> 00:22:40,679 Speaker 2: A bunch of lives going on my name. I was 398 00:22:40,720 --> 00:22:43,080 Speaker 2: really angry at the time, so if I would have 399 00:22:43,119 --> 00:22:46,560 Speaker 2: saw them people, it wouldn't have been pretty or somebody 400 00:22:46,560 --> 00:22:48,160 Speaker 2: would have got hurt, really really bad. 401 00:22:52,760 --> 00:22:55,840 Speaker 3: On April third, about two weeks after it began, the 402 00:22:55,840 --> 00:23:00,920 Speaker 3: city's official search concluded they hadn't found Relasia. No one 403 00:23:01,000 --> 00:23:04,720 Speaker 3: knew if she was dead or alive, but people close 404 00:23:04,760 --> 00:23:07,880 Speaker 3: to Militia are still looking. There are even some Facebook 405 00:23:07,880 --> 00:23:11,080 Speaker 3: groups still dedicated to finding her. 406 00:23:11,840 --> 00:23:13,640 Speaker 2: For like the first year I didn't have a job, 407 00:23:14,200 --> 00:23:18,040 Speaker 2: I would drink a lot of alcohol, I would smoke 408 00:23:18,080 --> 00:23:23,639 Speaker 2: a lot of cigarettes and that would sleep less. I 409 00:23:23,680 --> 00:23:28,160 Speaker 2: would eat less for a whole year, So it was hard. 410 00:23:28,240 --> 00:23:31,359 Speaker 2: For the first year. It was hard, even with my 411 00:23:31,480 --> 00:23:40,000 Speaker 2: kids then in and fallster care. It was really hard, eating, sleeping, 412 00:23:44,600 --> 00:23:47,560 Speaker 2: just trying to get up in the morning, opening my eye. 413 00:23:47,600 --> 00:23:50,320 Speaker 2: I just wanted to lay there all day. Then when 414 00:23:50,359 --> 00:23:53,640 Speaker 2: I was up, I went found myself at the liquor store, 415 00:23:53,680 --> 00:24:00,440 Speaker 2: buying liquor, buying cigarettes, you know, smoking marijuana, of trying 416 00:24:00,440 --> 00:24:06,320 Speaker 2: to had the pain. And I'm just now coming to 417 00:24:06,680 --> 00:24:09,280 Speaker 2: grips that I couldn't control a lot of things that 418 00:24:09,359 --> 00:24:15,280 Speaker 2: I could. But I'm still I haven't really processed the 419 00:24:15,320 --> 00:24:22,919 Speaker 2: fact that she that relations to missing. 420 00:24:24,160 --> 00:24:28,040 Speaker 3: When the search ended, the city started investigating itself. What 421 00:24:28,200 --> 00:24:32,360 Speaker 3: exactly went wrong here? Who was at fault for malicious disappearance? 422 00:24:33,480 --> 00:24:37,840 Speaker 3: Was it her parents, her school, the shelter system. Where 423 00:24:37,840 --> 00:24:41,639 Speaker 3: did the breakdown happen? It took the city six months 424 00:24:41,680 --> 00:24:45,760 Speaker 3: to write the report. It's twelve pages long. Here's a 425 00:24:45,760 --> 00:24:48,840 Speaker 3: little bit from the preface. The safety and well being 426 00:24:48,880 --> 00:24:52,240 Speaker 3: of any child is ultimately the responsibility of his or 427 00:24:52,280 --> 00:24:56,879 Speaker 3: her parents or legal guardians and family. It goes on 428 00:24:56,920 --> 00:25:00,880 Speaker 3: to say, even if all the policy and practice recommendations 429 00:25:00,920 --> 00:25:03,760 Speaker 3: in this report had been in place and fully implemented, 430 00:25:04,320 --> 00:25:07,160 Speaker 3: the review team did not find evidence that these tragic 431 00:25:07,200 --> 00:25:11,960 Speaker 3: events were preventable. I wanted to understand how the city 432 00:25:12,040 --> 00:25:16,000 Speaker 3: arrived at this conclusion, so I talked to Patrick Madden, Yeah. 433 00:25:15,840 --> 00:25:17,159 Speaker 11: I just wouldn't. Don't like. 434 00:25:17,480 --> 00:25:21,240 Speaker 3: Now he's regional news director at WWNO in New Orleans, 435 00:25:21,600 --> 00:25:24,639 Speaker 3: but back in twenty fourteen, he was a reporter here 436 00:25:24,680 --> 00:25:27,600 Speaker 3: at WAMU and he covered relicious disappearance. 437 00:25:27,760 --> 00:25:31,240 Speaker 11: I mean, how can you have a young girl abducted 438 00:25:31,840 --> 00:25:35,159 Speaker 11: at a shelter that's run by the city, and apparently 439 00:25:35,240 --> 00:25:37,800 Speaker 11: she's taken by an employee of the city who works 440 00:25:37,840 --> 00:25:41,280 Speaker 11: at this shelter, is missing for weeks before people at 441 00:25:41,280 --> 00:25:45,320 Speaker 11: the school get in contact with family services. How does 442 00:25:45,359 --> 00:25:48,000 Speaker 11: that happen before anyone notices? And if you do read 443 00:25:48,080 --> 00:25:50,399 Speaker 11: it and you read between the lines, it basically says 444 00:25:52,040 --> 00:25:54,320 Speaker 11: almost like the families that fault here, like the family 445 00:25:54,400 --> 00:25:56,600 Speaker 11: dropped the ball, the family wasn't doing this or that. 446 00:25:57,160 --> 00:26:00,960 Speaker 11: It has nothing to do with the conditions that were 447 00:26:01,040 --> 00:26:03,960 Speaker 11: let to fester at DC general. Why the city was 448 00:26:04,160 --> 00:26:08,800 Speaker 11: putting these families into this place where they would be vulnerable, 449 00:26:09,560 --> 00:26:13,160 Speaker 11: Why wasn't why was this Tatum guy allowed to work 450 00:26:13,200 --> 00:26:18,119 Speaker 11: there given his prior felony convictions to work with the 451 00:26:18,160 --> 00:26:20,600 Speaker 11: families there. I mean, it didn't address any of that. 452 00:26:20,840 --> 00:26:24,960 Speaker 3: So does that seem like kind of what I think? 453 00:26:24,960 --> 00:26:27,560 Speaker 11: It's a CYA a cover year ass. I think everyone 454 00:26:28,440 --> 00:26:33,040 Speaker 11: realized they fed up from the school when they had 455 00:26:33,080 --> 00:26:36,520 Speaker 11: their student not there for a number of weeks, to 456 00:26:36,600 --> 00:26:40,920 Speaker 11: the CFSA, the Child Family Services Agency, to the mayor. 457 00:26:41,119 --> 00:26:44,520 Speaker 11: I mean everyone, everyone, and no one wanted to take 458 00:26:44,560 --> 00:26:45,560 Speaker 11: responsibility for this. 459 00:26:45,960 --> 00:26:47,080 Speaker 2: So I think that's what this is. 460 00:26:47,880 --> 00:26:51,200 Speaker 3: Before we keep going, these are serious claims against the city. 461 00:26:52,080 --> 00:26:54,040 Speaker 3: Vincent Gray was the mayor at the time, and he 462 00:26:54,160 --> 00:26:57,399 Speaker 3: ordered the report. He's now a member of DC Council. 463 00:26:58,359 --> 00:27:00,520 Speaker 3: We've reached out to his office multiple times for a 464 00:27:00,560 --> 00:27:03,959 Speaker 3: response and they said they'll get back to us. The 465 00:27:04,000 --> 00:27:10,399 Speaker 3: offer still stands. Admittedly, relicious disappearance was complex. The city 466 00:27:10,480 --> 00:27:13,680 Speaker 3: was in a delicate position ensuring the safety of people 467 00:27:13,720 --> 00:27:17,840 Speaker 3: within its care without over policing their lives. We'll continue 468 00:27:17,880 --> 00:27:21,040 Speaker 3: to unpack the nuances of what this means throughout this season, 469 00:27:21,440 --> 00:27:26,920 Speaker 3: and we'll keep giving officials opportunities to speak with us. 470 00:27:26,960 --> 00:27:29,840 Speaker 3: Her picture is it okay to keep shoes on? 471 00:27:31,280 --> 00:27:35,080 Speaker 2: Why not you keep the shoes? Then look at my 472 00:27:35,160 --> 00:27:36,320 Speaker 2: copy and you'll. 473 00:27:36,160 --> 00:27:38,480 Speaker 4: Saw your I had grand. 474 00:27:41,119 --> 00:27:44,480 Speaker 3: It's been almost seven years since Licia went missing. In 475 00:27:44,520 --> 00:27:47,199 Speaker 3: the last year, I've been visiting with family members to 476 00:27:47,240 --> 00:27:50,280 Speaker 3: get their side of the story, and just to check in. 477 00:27:51,400 --> 00:27:54,399 Speaker 3: Relicious grandmother Melissa is a gatekeeper for the young family, 478 00:27:54,960 --> 00:27:57,719 Speaker 3: their matriarch. I've had to go through her to get 479 00:27:57,760 --> 00:28:01,159 Speaker 3: to other members of the family. In her apartment, there 480 00:28:01,160 --> 00:28:05,560 Speaker 3: are always kids playing food, cooking a TV on. When 481 00:28:05,600 --> 00:28:07,560 Speaker 3: I visited, she took me to her bedroom. 482 00:28:08,440 --> 00:28:11,560 Speaker 7: Right now, what you all are looking at is my 483 00:28:11,720 --> 00:28:16,959 Speaker 7: dresser that I decorated with my granddaughter, malicious rud picture 484 00:28:17,040 --> 00:28:19,119 Speaker 7: that I done have now for five years from the 485 00:28:19,160 --> 00:28:22,200 Speaker 7: first event when she went missing. All her little teddy 486 00:28:22,200 --> 00:28:25,680 Speaker 7: bears like this one right here, the elephant. It says 487 00:28:25,760 --> 00:28:29,159 Speaker 7: I Love you. That's her first teddybear when she was 488 00:28:29,280 --> 00:28:32,960 Speaker 7: like two. Her father gave it to her on Valentine's. 489 00:28:32,320 --> 00:28:34,760 Speaker 3: I've gone to her home several times, and each time 490 00:28:34,800 --> 00:28:37,760 Speaker 3: she's added something new to the tribute. Some of the 491 00:28:37,800 --> 00:28:41,280 Speaker 3: items are Relicious things her first baby hat, a photo, 492 00:28:41,600 --> 00:28:45,280 Speaker 3: or a toy. Other times they represent milestones Relicia has 493 00:28:45,320 --> 00:28:49,160 Speaker 3: missed a photo from a cousin's graduation or an uncle's 494 00:28:49,160 --> 00:28:50,000 Speaker 3: funeral program. 495 00:28:50,920 --> 00:28:54,480 Speaker 7: This is my dedication and my tribute to help deal 496 00:28:54,520 --> 00:28:55,320 Speaker 7: with the situation. 497 00:28:56,000 --> 00:28:59,560 Speaker 3: Melissa still Buyslicia Christmas and birthday gifts every year just 498 00:28:59,600 --> 00:29:02,080 Speaker 3: in case she comes home. They don't want her to 499 00:29:02,080 --> 00:29:03,880 Speaker 3: come back and have nothing under the tree. 500 00:29:04,640 --> 00:29:07,360 Speaker 7: Maybe since she's older, I'm pretty much then bought her, 501 00:29:07,600 --> 00:29:10,600 Speaker 7: you know, like jewelry with her name on it. I 502 00:29:10,600 --> 00:29:13,840 Speaker 7: had to send it with my father, her great granddad, 503 00:29:13,880 --> 00:29:16,880 Speaker 7: so couldn't nobody take it. Because her ear rings just 504 00:29:17,000 --> 00:29:22,200 Speaker 7: like real diamonds. So she don't play with too weis. 505 00:29:22,640 --> 00:29:24,640 Speaker 7: She stopped playing with toolism when she was eight. So 506 00:29:26,040 --> 00:29:32,160 Speaker 7: I'll say, well, okay, she like make up now, nail polish, 507 00:29:32,520 --> 00:29:36,080 Speaker 7: stuff like that smell good. So I just buy the 508 00:29:36,160 --> 00:29:39,560 Speaker 7: little stuff, dropping a little. It's like what I call it, 509 00:29:41,160 --> 00:29:42,200 Speaker 7: her little treasure chef. 510 00:29:45,760 --> 00:29:48,120 Speaker 3: On this season of Through the Cracks, we'll explore the 511 00:29:48,200 --> 00:29:52,800 Speaker 3: institutions that touch Tralicia Rudd's life, her school, her family, 512 00:29:53,120 --> 00:29:57,200 Speaker 3: the shelter, the city services that supported her, what her 513 00:29:57,240 --> 00:30:00,760 Speaker 3: life was like. In the next episode, we'll look into 514 00:30:00,760 --> 00:30:02,920 Speaker 3: the lives of her family and how they fell through 515 00:30:02,920 --> 00:30:03,560 Speaker 3: the Cracks too. 516 00:30:04,800 --> 00:30:09,440 Speaker 2: I was daddy when things got hard with the family, 517 00:30:09,880 --> 00:30:12,320 Speaker 2: but with things that's easy, and everybody wanted to do 518 00:30:12,360 --> 00:30:14,160 Speaker 2: what they want to go around and send the kids 519 00:30:14,240 --> 00:30:16,280 Speaker 2: this space. In that place, I wasn't. 520 00:30:16,120 --> 00:30:19,800 Speaker 3: Daddy and later this season, I'm Through the Cracks. 521 00:30:20,360 --> 00:30:22,240 Speaker 10: You know, why would we have to go here? Look 522 00:30:22,240 --> 00:30:24,200 Speaker 10: at this place as the old hospital. 523 00:30:24,400 --> 00:30:26,920 Speaker 3: I'm just being transparent. Old hospital. 524 00:30:27,360 --> 00:30:29,800 Speaker 10: Hey, you guys got a bunch of families in here, 525 00:30:30,080 --> 00:30:31,880 Speaker 10: Like no, we. 526 00:30:31,840 --> 00:30:36,280 Speaker 12: Were constantly bumping up against the clear reality that the 527 00:30:36,400 --> 00:30:38,960 Speaker 12: children in DC General were not valued. 528 00:30:40,400 --> 00:30:43,240 Speaker 5: I don't know if he became this monster when he 529 00:30:43,360 --> 00:30:46,240 Speaker 5: came home, or when he started working at the shelter, 530 00:30:46,400 --> 00:30:49,800 Speaker 5: or if it was always there, but that's just not 531 00:30:49,960 --> 00:30:50,720 Speaker 5: who I saw. 532 00:30:51,480 --> 00:30:53,000 Speaker 10: I know you asked me like, what more could she 533 00:30:53,040 --> 00:30:54,200 Speaker 10: have done? 534 00:30:54,280 --> 00:30:56,040 Speaker 7: But I kind of want to focus instead on what 535 00:30:56,080 --> 00:30:58,080 Speaker 7: more could the system do for somebody. 536 00:30:57,800 --> 00:30:59,680 Speaker 3: Like Mission Militia. 537 00:31:00,120 --> 00:31:03,040 Speaker 13: If you hear us, we want you to know that 538 00:31:03,080 --> 00:31:05,720 Speaker 13: we will never ever stop searching for you. 539 00:31:16,160 --> 00:31:19,920 Speaker 3: Through the Cracks is a production of WAMU and PRX. 540 00:31:20,520 --> 00:31:23,480 Speaker 3: This podcast was made possible in part by the Corporation 541 00:31:23,520 --> 00:31:27,800 Speaker 3: for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American people, 542 00:31:28,440 --> 00:31:32,560 Speaker 3: and also by the Fund for Investigative Journalism. Patrick Ford 543 00:31:32,640 --> 00:31:36,000 Speaker 3: is our producer, Ruth Tamp is our digital editor, Poncei 544 00:31:36,080 --> 00:31:39,000 Speaker 3: Rutch is our senior producer, and I'm your host. John 545 00:31:39,040 --> 00:31:43,200 Speaker 3: Glen Hill Our editor is Curtis Fox. My Kid mixed 546 00:31:43,200 --> 00:31:48,120 Speaker 3: this episode. Osey Hill designed our logo. Mona cashfee oversees 547 00:31:48,160 --> 00:31:51,560 Speaker 3: all the content we make at WAMU. You can find 548 00:31:51,600 --> 00:31:55,080 Speaker 3: out more about the show at wamu dot org slash 549 00:31:55,200 --> 00:31:58,440 Speaker 3: through the Cracks. This week we're sharing a timeline of 550 00:31:58,440 --> 00:32:02,320 Speaker 3: the key dates and religious disappear ahearance. This podcast would 551 00:32:02,320 --> 00:32:05,320 Speaker 3: not be possible without the generosity of listeners like you 552 00:32:06,080 --> 00:32:09,240 Speaker 3: to support the investigative reporting that goes through the Cracks. 553 00:32:09,680 --> 00:32:15,880 Speaker 3: Give at wamu dot org slash Support through the Cracks. Finally, 554 00:32:16,320 --> 00:32:18,440 Speaker 3: this story has been in the works for a long time, 555 00:32:18,640 --> 00:32:20,960 Speaker 3: so we'd like to thank a few more folks who 556 00:32:20,960 --> 00:32:26,360 Speaker 3: got us here. Stephanie Quo, Julia Karen Paige Osborn, Rupert Alman, 557 00:32:26,760 --> 00:32:31,360 Speaker 3: Daisy Rosario, Phyllis Kim, Lindsay Foster Thomas, and the entire 558 00:32:31,440 --> 00:32:34,760 Speaker 3: project Catapult Cohort thank you for the gift.