Two men were sentenced due to their connection to the death and disappearance of an 8-month-old child, according to police. (Kentucky State Police, Ohio County Detention Center, Daviees County Jail)
REYNOLDS STATION, Ky. (WKRC) – Two Kentucky men were sentenced due to their connection to the death and disappearance of an 8-month-old child who was found decomposing in a duffel bag in their home, according to police.
According to a release from the Kentucky State Police, 8-month-old Miya Rudd was declared missing on June 6, 2024 following a welfare check at the home she lived at with her family. During the welfare check, officers arrested Miya’s mother, 29-year-old Tesla Tucker, and her father, 30-year-old Cage Rudd, for first-degree possession of a controlled substance (fentanyl), possession of drug paraphernalia, and abandonment of a minor.
Later that same day, Tesla and Cage were charged with multiple other crimes that related to the trafficking of methamphetamine out of their home, authorities reported. Additionally, Miya’s grandfather, 58-year-old Ricky Smith, was arrested on a myriad of charges. Eventually, multiple other family members and residents of the house were arrested, including 30-year-old Brodie Payne and 50-year-old Taletha Tucker.
On June 14, 2024, troopers with the Kentucky State Police allegedly discovered Miya’s decomposing body concealed within a duffel bag in the Rudd-Tucker home. Local outlet WFIE reported that an autopsy revealed methamphetamine inside the child’s bloodstream.
The first of the arrested parties were sentenced in early December after accepting plea deals, the outlet reported. Although Smith was initially charged with 18 counts of various crimes, the plea deal led to him only being found guilty of trafficking a controlled substance. Additionally, Brodie Payne was only found guilty of trafficking a controlled substance and wanton endangerment, with both 5 year sentences to be served concurrently.
Miya’s parents, Tesla and Cage, were still facing murder charges among others. A full list of all original charges each suspect faced were included in the Kentucky State Police’s original release.
