Wednesday marks the 9th birthday of a D.C. girl who disappeared from a homeless shelter nearly eight months ago.
There is still no sign of Relisha Rudd.
Wednesday, D.C. police officers, FBI agents and members of the community will distribute fliers detailing Relisha's case. Distribution stations will be set up from 5 to 7 p.m. at the following locations:
- D.C. General Homeless Shelter, 1900 Massachusetts Ave. SE
- Stadium-Armory Metro Station, 192 19th St. SE
- New York Avenue and Bladensburg Road NE
Over the weekend, volunteers searched for the little girl around Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens in Northeast, where, months ago, police found the body of 51-year-old Kahlil Tatum. Police believe he committed suicide.
Tatum had worked as a janitor at D.C. General, the homeless shelter where Relisha lived with her mother and three brothers. Police believe Tatum kidnapped Relisha.
The little girl was last seen on surveillance video from March 1, which shows her with Tatum at a motel on New York Avenue in Northeast D.C.
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Police say Tatum purchased a shovel, lime and contractor-sized trashbags, and spent a significant amount of time at Kenilworth Park around the time Relisha was last seen. Authorities were looking into the possibility that Tatum killed her and buried her body in the park.
Tatum was also suspected in the death of his wife, Andrea, whose body was found March 20 at a Red Roof Inn in Oxon Hill, during the search for Relisha. Andrea's cousin Patrick Kelly said believed Andrea was killed because she knew Tatum had Relisha.
The little girl appeared to have been missing for weeks before officials realized she was gone. Relisha hadn't been seen at Payne Elementary School since the month before her disappearance.
Investigators say Tatum posed as a doctor March 10, telling city officials who were concerned for her safety that Relisha was sick with a neurological disorder, and undergoing treatment. When they asked for documents, "Dr. Tatum" said he would leave them at the shelter where Relisha and her family lived.
When officials went to the shelter March 19 to pick up the paperwork, they couldn't find "Dr. Tatum" or Relisha. Shortly after, a missing persons report was filed with D.C. Police.
During a contentious hearing six months later, D.C. officials took a second look at how they handled Rudd's disappearance.
A recent report found the District couldn't have prevented her disappearance, citing, in part, misleading information provided by Relisha's family. However, the report did suggest more than two dozen policy changes on matters such as how schools deal with unexcused absences, background checks for homeless shelter employees, and fraternization between families and shelter staff.
But some lawmakers, including D.C. Councilman Jim Graham, were skeptical of the report's findings. During September's hearing, Graham criticized two deputy mayors, saying that they refused to answer many questions.
Beatriz Otero, Deputy Mayor of Health and Human Services for D.C., said she could not release specifics of this case.
However, she said that D.C. police were continuing to investigate, and had referred charges against Relisha's mother and others to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
Sources told News4 last spring that the D.C. Child and Family Services Agency had an active case working when Relisha went missing, along with three prior cases dating back to 2007. The previous cases included lack of food, insufficient shelter, medical neglect, inadequate supervision and at least one report of the mother hitting one of her children.
"This family was under the supervision of Child and Family Services," D.C. Councilmember Tommy Wells said at the time. "This child should not have gone missing."
Police have said Relisha's mother, Shamika Young, knew the little girl was with Tatum, but did not report her as missing. But Young told News4's Shomari Stone that she did not leave her daughter with Tatum.
"I wasn't under the impression she was missing. I thought she was at my sister's house," Young said. "I didn't want to lose my other three kids. That's why I didn't call the police."
She said Relisha was in the care of her grandmother and aunt at the time of her disappearance.
"No, I don't feel responsible...." Young said last spring. "She was in the care of my mother and my sister; that's why I don't feel responsible."
Relisha's grandmother and aunt called Young's allegations false.
"I cannot talk bad about my sister. I honestly don't have no room to talk bad about my sister, so it's not nothing really that I can say bad about her," said Young's sister, Ashley Young.
The FBI is offering a reward of up to $25,000 for information leading to finding Relisha. Anyone with information is asked to call D.C. police at 202-727-9099, the Youth Investigations Division at 202-576-6768, or 911. Those who wish to remain anonymous can text their message to 50411.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
CORRECTION (Oct. 29, 2019, 2:41 p.m.): This story previously had transposed two letters in Kahlil Tatum's name. It has been updated with the correct spelling.
