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

48.979 - 69.471 Narrator

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, D.C. homeless shelter called the D.C. General Family Shelter. But this was no place to raise a child. It was dirty and filled with bedbugs.

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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, the shelter's janitor, 51-year-old Khalil Tatum.

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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.

199.574 - 199.695 Khalil Tatum

you

209.827 - 229.221 Colin Browen

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.

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

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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 quote, environmentally unsafe.

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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.

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But even though the Child and Family Services noted that their home was unsafe, the children 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.

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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.

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There were bed bug infestations, dirty showers, and across the street was a methadone clinic and a correctional facility.

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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.

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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 hot spot 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

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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.

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In fact, several residents issued complaints with the Washington Legal Clinic citing mice and bed bug infestations, heating outages, and wild animals being found inside closets and bathrooms. Berlisha 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.

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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.

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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 Oxon 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.

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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. 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.

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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 p.m.

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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. One of these men later told the police that he returned to the hotel room on March 20th at 5.40 a.m. to pick up Khalil. But for whatever reason, Khalil did not allow him to enter the room.

4753.643 - 4758.271 Unknown

Hold on, hold on. She's right. She doesn't have to take a test.

4759.092 - 4761.115 Antonio Wheeler

I'm going to get my kids back.

4762.27 - 4773.177 Unknown

I know, but I ain't do nothing. You know what? She's right. 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.

4773.197 - 4782.263 Khalil Tatum

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.

4782.624 - 4791.85 Unknown

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.