The 11th Anniversary of Relisha Rudd's Disappearance Sparks Interest in Conducting Another Search in Washington, DC.

It is estimated that nearly 800,000 children go missing in the United States each year. On March 1, 2014, Relisha Rudd left the homeless shelter in downtown Washington, D.C., with 51-year-old Khalil Tatum, and was never seen again. Without any information, there was serious concern about what had happened to Relisha. Many people have accused Shamika Young of murder in connection with her daughter's disappearance, but why?

Relisha Rudd, 8, has been missing for 11 years, and as of now, no progress has been made in her case. Young's family of five, including Relisha's mother Shamika, her two children, and her boyfriend Antonio Wheeler, ended up at a homeless shelter when times got tough. Due to financial struggles, they were evicted from their home. It was at the shelter that 8-year-old Relisha met 51-year-old fugitive Khalil Tatum, who was working as a part-time janitor there. Over a short period, Tatum befriended the young girl. Relisha's mother allowed Tatum to spend time with her daughter, family, and friends, and the authorities never understood why. On March 1, Tatum approached Young, asking if he could take Relisha on an outing. Without hesitation, Young agreed to Tatum taking her daughter away from the shelter. Many believe that Young knew it would be her last time seeing her daughter alive, but is there any truth to that?

Although Tatum never returned Relisha to the shelter, Young failed to report her daughter missing. During the time Relisha was in Tatum's custody, she missed quite a bit of school, prompting the elementary school administrator to contact Relisha's mother, Shamika Young. Young told the school that her daughter was ill and being treated by a doctor. In the past, Relisha's mother brought a doctor's note signed by Dr. Tatum to the school. So, what's the issue? Tatum wasn't a licensed doctor; he was a fugitive who should not have been allowed to work at the shelter where children lived. Had Tatum's background been checked before he was hired as the shelter's janitor, the shelter director would have known that Tatum was a fugitive.

So, what happened to Relisha after she left the shelter with Tatum? Using surveillance footage, authorities determined that Tatum had taken the young girl to at least two motels in the Washington D.C. area. Shortly before Tatum was found dead in a park from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, he was seen entering his wife's hotel room; she was ultimately found dead of a gunshot wound to the head. Unfortunately, Relisha was not recovered from the hotel or the park, and her body has never been found. Several theories have been discussed regarding Relisha Rudd's disappearance, such as that Relisha was sold to Tatum, who then killed her and buried her. Next, authorities believed Relisha might have been a victim of sex trafficking. Despite these claims, nothing definitive emerged, so they cannot be supported or dismissed due to a lack of evidence.

Relisha's mother, Shamika Young, is widely believed to be responsible for her daughter's disappearance. Young was previously charged with child neglect, but a broken system allowed her to keep her children in her custody. Young mysteriously came into a large sum of money after Relisha's disappearance, which bolsters claims that she sold Relisha for cash due to financial struggles. Despite various theories, authorities have cleared Young of any wrongdoing in her daughter's disappearance. Young, her ex-boyfriend Antonio Wheeler, and Young's mother, Melissa Young, appeared on the Steve Wilkos Show to clear Shamika's name. However, Shakina Young was offered a polygraph test, which she declined, causing her family and Steve Wilkos to believe she was guilty.

In the 11 years since Relisha Rudd disappeared, authorities say they haven't received any updated information on the case. There are no suspects, other than Tatum, and despite Shamika Young's behavior since her daughter has been missing, no arrests have been made.