REYNOLDS STATION, Ky. — Kentucky State Police (KSP) are now using cadaver dogs to search for 8-month-old Miya Rudd, who hasn't been seen by family in months.
Authorities are focusing the search on a church cemetery and the wooded area behind the church in Reynolds Station, which is about two hours southwest of Louisville. KSP Trooper Corey King said the canines are searching ditches in the wooded area where some debris has been located.
"This is truly a case on how illicit street drugs can and will destroy lives and cause the erosion of our community," King said Tuesday afternoon.
This is the second time KSP has used cadaver dogs to search for Miya.
King said the cadaver dogs were previously used to search the family's home and there was enough evidence to conclude police needed to continue searching nearby.
"We're very hopeful and optimistic that we would find her alive, maybe perhaps a family member has her, but the longer this goes on, the more grim it seems," he added.
If Miya isn't located, King said KSP will bring in specialized equipment from the state medical examiner's office later this week to conduct a thorough search in a nearby location where they believe she could be.
Family under investigation for years
King said authorities have been investigating Miya's family for years. He said Miya had three older siblings who had been removed from their parent's house due to the condition of the house.
"No surprise that drugs is in the forefront of the removal," King said. "Those children are safe, they're at a location with family and, to my knowledge, doing well."
Miya was born in October 2023. Social workers were planning to remove her from her parents' custody shortly after her birth because the child's umbilical cord tested positive for methamphetamines, King said.
King said the parents were moved and left the hospital. After that, he said they continued to move around and evade authorities for months.
Several months later, a family member notified KSP that Miya still hadn't been seen since the end of April.
When KSP attempted to do a welfare check on the family, police couldn't locate Miya.
Miya's parents, 29-year-old Tesla Tucker and 30-year-old Cage Rudd, were eventually arrested at a Super 8 in Owensboro after authorities found a large amount of drugs, including fentanyl, but there was still no sign of the young girl.
King said neither parent knew where Miya was and neither are cooperating with the investigation.
Three other people, including Miya's grandparents, have since been arrested as authorities search for the young girl. Many of the charges are for drug violations.
"Every aspect of interviewing and investigating, merely looking for the safety of this child has netted an arrest, a drug arrest," King said. "All we're trying to do is get the answers to where the whereabouts of this child, but sadly, everybody that's involved in this, when we go to talk to them, we find drugs and they go to jail."
According to King, KSP isn't getting much information from the people already arrested and the investigation has relied on forensic interviews from non-family members and evidence collected so far.
"[That evidence] is what's led us to this location and utilizing the cadaver dogs to see if some of these tips are true and what tangible evidence is pointing us in what direction we have," he said.
Anyone with any information about Miya's whereabouts is urged to contact KSP at (270) 826-3312. She is described as having brown hair and green eyes.
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