Decomposing body of missing eight-month-old girl discovered after frantic search

Lina Portman3 weeks ago

0 3 minutes read

Miya's decomposing corpse was found during the search for the missing eight-month-old who had not been seen since late April – with parents Tesla Tucker and Cage Rudd arrested.

Miya was born with meth in her umbilical cord(Kentucky State Police)

The decomposing remains of an eight-month-old baby girl were tragically discovered in a Kentucky home, marking the end of a week-long search, authorities say.

Although she was reportedly missing since late April, Kentucky State Police were not alerted to her disappearance until June.

The two-week search ended yesterday when little Miya's body was found under a pile of debris at a rural family home southeast of Owensboro.

Miya's parents, Tesla Tucker, 29, and Cage Rudd, 30, were arrested after being located in a room at the Motel 6. They face charges of child abuse, abandonment of a minor and possession of drugs, including fentanyl and methamphetamine. , were found “in plain sight” at the motel, as reported by WFIE-TV.

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Cage Rudd was charged with drug possession, child abuse and child abandonment.(Daviees County Jail)

Miya, who had methamphetamine detected in her umbilical cord at birth last October, was first reported missing during a welfare check by state troopers at her L County home. 'Ohio. However, the baby was nowhere to be found.

On Tuesday, authorities deployed cadaver dogs to scour nearby woods and the property itself, but there was no sign of the little girl.

Pictured: Miya's mother, Tesla Tucker, was arrested last week at a nearby motel, where police found drugs in plain sight and no sign of the baby. Desperate search underway for missing 8-month-old last seen in April and tested positive for meth at birth Tesla Tucker found with partner at Motel 6 with drugs 'in plain sight' » – and faces the same accusations(Daviess County Detention Center)

Corey King, a member of the Kentucky State Police, shared with WDRB the grim reality of their search: “It's not easy. In fact, we were really optimistic, as was the rest of the community. We hoped someone was holding this baby. But noticing how we had cadaver dogs, how we were sorting through debris in the garden, we obviously knew, in the back of our minds, that the end result wasn't going to be too promising.

A coroner is now responsible for determining the exact cause of death. After appearing in court on drug charges earlier this week, Tucker and Rudd are expected to be arraigned next week on charges of abandoning a minor. However, as Trooper King pointed out, they are “not being very cooperative with our investigation.”

This development follows the removal of Miya's three older siblings by Kentucky State Police from the same home previously, with the intention of Miya joining them on May 30.

Billie Smith and her husband Ricky face several charges, including child abandonment.(Ohio County Jail)

Miya's grandparents, Billie J. Smith and Ricky Smith, who resided with the family, were arrested on various charges, including domestic violence, abandonment of a minor and drug offenses.

Investigators suspect the house served as a hub for Ricky Smith's drug trafficking operations, a suspicion reinforced by the recent discovery of a drug ring, as reported by Fox News.

Others arrested include Miya's maternal grandparents, Taletha, 50, and David Tucker, 53, on unrelated charges. Alleged drug dealer Brodie Payne faces several drug-related charges for his involvement in the operation based at Miya's home.

Pictured: His grandfather, Ricky Smith, was also arrested last week. Ricky Smith, Miya's grandfather, is accused of running his drug trafficking business from his family home(Daviess County Detention Center)

Timothy L Roach was apprehended at Smith's home after officers caught him throwing unprescribed opioids under his vehicle. He was charged with second-degree possession of a controlled substance and first-degree possession of a prescription controlled substance not in a proper container. His connection to the family remains unclear.

Kentucky State Police said Miya's body would be transported to the Kentucky Medical Examiner's Office in Louisville by the Ohio County Coroner's Office for further examination.