The case of eight-month-old Miya Rudd is a tragic story that began with concern for her welfare and ended in a heartbreaking discovery. Miya was born in October 2023, and from the start, there were signs of a troubled environment. At birth, her umbilical cord tested positive for methamphetamine, prompting social services to become involved. However, her parents, Tesla Tucker and Cage Rudd, avoided contact with authorities for months.
Family members last saw Miya at the end of April 2024, but it wasn't until late May that law enforcement was alerted to her disappearance. The investigation officially began in early June when Kentucky State Police conducted a welfare check. They located Miya's parents at a motel in Owensboro, where they were found with a significant amount of drugs, but Miya was not with them. Her parents claimed they did not know her whereabouts, falsely stating that social services had taken her. This led to a wider investigation and a desperate search for the missing infant.
The search for Miya Rudd quickly escalated, involving multiple family members and uncovering a web of criminal activity. In total, eight people, including Miya's parents, grandparents, and other associates, were arrested on a variety of charges, primarily related to drug trafficking. Both of Miya's paternal and maternal grandparents were taken into custody on various charges. As the days turned into a week, the search for Miya grew more intense, with investigators using cadaver dogs to search the area around the family's home in Reynolds Station, as well as a nearby church cemetery and wooded areas. The family home was described as being in a deplorable condition, filled with so much debris and drug residue that it had to be cleaned before a thorough search could be safely conducted.
On June 14, 2024, the search for Miya Rudd came to a devastating end. Investigators discovered the infant's decomposed body hidden inside the family's residence. Her remains were found concealed within a duffle bag, wrapped in plastic and a blanket under a pile of debris. An autopsy later revealed that Miya had methamphetamine in her system, but due to the advanced state of decomposition, the exact cause of death could not be determined. However, the manner of death was classified as a homicide. In the wake of this discovery, Miya's parents, Tesla Tucker and Cage Rudd, along with her grandfather, Ricky Smith, and another man, Brodie Payne, faced a slate of new charges, including murder, abuse of a corpse, and tampering with physical evidence. The case brought to light the devastating impact of drug abuse and led to a public outcry, including a petition for 'Miya's Law' to better protect children in similar situations. The investigation laid bare a grim and complex situation of alleged drug trafficking and child endangerment that ultimately culminated in the loss of a young, innocent life.Last Seen: May 1, 2024
