About this episode
The episode discusses the tragic disappearance of Relisha Rudd, a young girl from a troubled background, and the systemic failures that may have contributed to her case.
From the very moment she was born, Relisha Rudd had everything going against her. A product of generational poverty, Relisha had been through more hardship at the young age of eight years old than most adults experience in a lifetime. At the time of her disappearance, she and her mother and her three brothers were living in one of Washington D.C.’s worst shelters. And then Relisha would meet a man; a friendly janitor who would buy her gifts and take her shopping and give her more attention than anyone else in her life. After that, Relisha vanished into thin air. What happened to her? Did her family fail her? Did she slip through the cracks made by a system that to this day still abdicates itself of responsibility for what happened to Relisha Rudd? If you have information regarding the disappearance of Relisha Rudd, contact the Washington Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) at (202) 727-9099. You can also contact their Youth Investigations Division at (202) 576-6768. You can contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324). Tips can also be reported to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678) Listen Ad Free And Get Access to…
Topics covered
- missing persons
- child welfare
- systemic failure
- true crime
- poverty
- disappearance
Keywords
- Relisha Rudd
- missing child
- Washington D.C.
- poverty
- disappearance
- true crime
- systemic issues
Sponsors
Kikoff
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Washington Metropolitan Police Department, FBI, National Center for Missing & Exploited Children
Places: Washington D.C.
More episodes of The Murder Diaries
- DocuFiles: Untold - The Death and Life of Lamar Odom · June 9, 2026 · 29 min
- TRAGIC HOLLYWOOD: Elvis Presley · June 8, 2026 · 38 min
- MURDERED: Tara Calico · June 4, 2026 · 29 min
- DOCUFILES: The Crash · June 2, 2026 · 36 min
- TRAGIC HOLLYWOOD: Paris Hilton · June 1, 2026 · 59 min
- MYSTERIOUS DEATH: Megan Trussell · May 28, 2026 · 37 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the The Murder Diaries podcast page.