Wednesday marks nine years since Relisha Rudd was last seen in D.C., and a new image shows how she may look at age 17.
The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children released an age-progression image of Rudd, who was 8 when she was last seen in Northeast D.C. in 2014.
"We've never given up our search for her and continue to spread awareness about her disappearance," the Metropolitan Police Department said on Twitter.
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"We’ll never stop searching for you," the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children said.
Rudd was missing for more than two weeks before police were notified, as News4 reported.
The day of her last confirmed sighting on March 1, 2014, she was caught on surveillance footage at a motel in Northeast with Khalil Tatum. He worked as a custodian at what was at the time the District’s homeless shelter for families. He was able to take Rudd to his home and then to the motel.
No one — not Rudd’s family, not shelter staff, not school staff — reported Rudd missing until March 19.
Searchers repeatedly, desperately combed parks in Northeast near where she was last seen.
Tatum, the custodian, was later found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Rudd was never found.
Tatum’s wife, Andrea Tatum, was found dead in a motel in Prince George’s County shortly after Rudd was reported missing. Police believe she was killed by her husband.
Rudd’s disappearance was the beginning of a long process that led to the closure of the family shelter at the old D.C. General Hospital. It finally closed its doors in 2018.
Anyone with information on Rudd is urged to contact D.C. police at 202-265-9100 or the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at 1-800-THE-LOST.
