Washington DC

Search for Relisha Rudd Continues 7 Years After Disappearance

Relisha was just eight years old when she disappeared from the D.C. homeless shelter where she lived with her mother and siblings.

Today marks seven years since Relisha Rudd's disappearance, and D.C. Police says it still hasn't given up looking for her.

Last year, D.C. Police released a new age progression photo to show what the D.C. girl may look like at 14 years old.

Relisha was just eight years old when she disappeared from the D.C. homeless shelter where she lived with her mother and siblings. The little girl, who was last seen with a janitor who worked at the shelter, appeared to have been missing for weeks before officials learned she was gone.

Relisha was last seen March 1, 2014 at a Northeast D.C. motel with 51-year-old Kahlil Tatum, a janitor at the D.C. General homeless shelter. The little girl's family had allowed her to spend time with Tatum.

D.C. police are teaming up with other agencies on a renewed search for Relisha Rudd, the 8-year-old girl who disappeared from a city homeless shelter two years ago. News4’s Darcy Spencer reports on where investigators are focusing their search.

Investigators have said Tatum posed as a doctor March 10, 2014, telling city officials who were concerned for her safety that Relisha had a neurological disorder and was undergoing treatment.

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When they asked for documents, "Dr. Tatum" said he would leave them at the shelter. Nine days later, officials went to the shelter to pick up the paperwork, but they couldn't find "Dr. Tatum" or Relisha.

Shortly after, a missing persons report was filed with D.C. police.

D.C. police spent days searching a network of tunnels for evidence of Relisha Rudd, the 8-year-old girl who went missing in 2014. News4's Mark Segraves reports.

Police have said Tatum bought a shovel, lime and contractor-sized trash bags and that he spent a significant amount of time at D.C.'s Kenilworth Park around the time Relisha was last seen. Authorities looked into the possibility that Tatum killed her and buried her body in the park.

But her body has never been found, and no one has been charged in her disappearance.

Tatum's wife, Andrea, was found fatally shot in a Prince George's County motel after Relisha was reported missing. Police announced they had an arrest warrant for Kahlil Tatum for his wife's murder, but he was later found in Kenilworth Park, dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

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