MISSING: Relisha Rudd // Unique Harris

[00:00] Hi, crime junkies. It's Britt, and I have big news. One of my favorite seasonal shows, CounterClock, is back with a brand new season, and it is wild. Host Delia D'Ambra is digging into the 2008 Lane Bryant murders. I mean, this isn't just a recap. It is a reinvestigation. She's talking to law enforcement, people from the community, even sources who have never spoken publicly until now. And you know I love a show that asks all the questions. Listen to CounterClock season eight now wherever you get your podcasts. [00:31] Hi, Crime Junkies. I'm your host, Ashley Flowers. And I'm Britt. And today I have two stories for you. Stories of two people from marginalized communities who don't often get their stories told, but stories that are no less mysterious than the ones we tell every week here. Because in each of these stories, things aren't quite adding up and there is a mystery that can only be solved by someone out [01:01] Music

[01:31] The first story I want to tell you today is about Relisha Rudd. Now, Relisha had to deal with a lot more as a young eight-year-old than I ever have and probably more than most of our listeners ever have. By the time she was eight in 2014, she had spent much of her life living in a Washington, D.C. homeless shelter with her mom and her three brothers. It was not an easy existence and not one that she even liked. [01:57] As much as she could, she would stay at an aunt's house or with friends or friends of family or family members. But the shelter was impossible to avoid completely. And outside of school, it is where she spent most of her time. [02:09] Now, like staying with friends and family, school was also an escape for Alicia. But in 2014, she began missing more and more days. At first, I think it was just maybe a day here, a day there, maybe a week. But then they started counting her absences by the weeks. One of the most thorough reportings I could find about Relisha's case was done by the team at WUSA 9. They actually did a three-part series on Relisha's case called 18 Days. [02:39] We're talking less than three months into the year, Relisha had already racked up [02:44] 30 days worth of absences. And the most recent was like this two to three week consecutive stretch of time. Now, it's unclear exactly when her school reached out to check on her. And you're going to find that a lot with this case. Everything is just a little fuzzy and nobody can seem to give any real firm answers. But at some point, someone at her school takes note that she's been gone for a long time and they notify city officials. I assume it's like a social worker or something who reaches out.

[03:14] Like reaches out to her mom, I'm assuming? Well, no. So that's one of the fuzzy things that I couldn't find a solid answer to. Everyone's assumption would be that you would reach out to her mom. But I'll kind of get into that in a little bit. Either way, they reach out to someone and they're told that Relisha is very sick and she's been under the care of a doctor. And that's why she's unable to attend school. Now, either this seemed fishy to the person taking this message or it's just like part of their regular procedure to verify stuff like this. [03:44] But they asked for some kind of proof, like we actually need a note from her doctor, we need records, something that we can put in her file. Right. So according to NBC Washington, on March 10th, the people looking into Relisha's absences get a call from her doctor, a Dr. Tatum, who tells them that, yes, Relisha is in fact very sick. She has some kind of neurological disorder and she's under my care receiving treatments. Now, Relisha. [04:10] This is good. At least there is some real explanation for where Relisha is, because unfortunately in Relisha's community, which is full of marginalized and impoverished people, I think the school and city officials often see a lot of... [04:22] terrible things, kids who stop showing up for much worse reasons. So, I mean, it's sad to know that she's in the hospital, but at least they know she's safe. Now, [04:32] Part of their protocol isn't just like taking this doctor's word over the phone. They need some more information like full medical records. They need to know more about her condition, how she got to the hospital. So Dr. Tatum says that he'd be happy to put these together for them and he's going to leave the records at the shelter where Relisha's family lived.

[04:50] Then, [04:51] Nine days later, [04:52] they go to pick up the records. I'm sorry, nine days? Like, if it was important enough for them to request these records and all this confirmation, like, shouldn't it be, like, important enough to go get... [05:03] as soon as possible. Like she's already been out of school for weeks. Yeah. So I again, I don't know exactly why they waited. I don't know if Dr. Tatum told them that he needed that long to get the records together. I don't know if the city officials caseload was just too large. That was the first time they could actually get there. One possibility is that they actually could have arranged a face to face with Dr. Tatum. Again, all of my source material differ a little bit. They're a little contradictory because NBC said that he was going to leave records. But Crime [05:33] meeting with him. So I don't know. But waiting those nine days would prove to be a critical mistake because when they arrived to pick up the paperwork and or to meet with this Dr. Tatum, they were told [05:47] there are no records here waiting for you. I have literally no idea what you're talking about. And even more terrifying than that, [05:56] They're told that no one at the shelter had even seen Relisha in weeks either. Now, maybe her condition was so severe that she'd been hospitalized the whole time, but something about this wasn't feeling right. So they start asking questions to the people at the shelter about this Dr. Tatum and what they learn. [06:15] sends shockwaves of panic through them. [06:19] There is no Dr. Tatum, but there is a Mr. Tatum that worked at the shelter. However, he wasn't any kind of health care professional. He.

[06:30] was a janitor. And come to think of it, no one had seen him in a while either. [06:37] Immediately, Relisha is reported missing and investigators work to figure out exactly how long she's been missing, how much time had they lost. And the bigger question, how is it that they are just learning about this? Yeah, I mean, I guess I'm incredibly confused, too. Like, are you saying that her mom doesn't actually know where she is? [07:06] seen Relisha in weeks, but she won't admit to being the one who called her in sick or who said that stuff about her being under a doctor's care. Okay, then who did? So I don't know. Like it's, it's not super clear. Shamika points the finger at her own mother, Relisha's grandmother named Melissa. She says that as far as she knew, Relisha was with her this whole time, but Melissa points the finger right back at Shamika. Okay, but like this doesn't make a ton of sense to me. Like even [07:36] if she's with her grandma, like, [07:39] The mom would still, like, see her or try to see her or want to. Or have some kind of contact with her, you'd think? Right, and, like, she's been out of school for... [07:46] weeks. Like, the school never tried to contact, like, [07:50] anybody else? Like you have to list like multiple emergency contacts when you enroll your kid in school. Like no one else was contacted. Right. This is what I'm saying. Nothing about this case makes sense. Shamika points at Melissa. Melissa at Shamika. And the whole time I'm just like someone had to have known that this little girl was missing. How could not one person be looking

[08:20] one, not her mom, not her grandmother, not anyone at school or at the shelter had laid eyes on Relisha in eight years. [08:27] 18 days, 18 days where anything could have happened and 18 days that she has been with this 51 year old janitor named Khalil Tatum. [08:39] Now, on the same day Relisha is reported missing, this is March 20th now, police get a trace on Khalil Tatum that takes them to a local hotel in Prince George County, Maryland. But what they find in that hotel room will prove to make an already confusing case even more confounding. [09:01] Starting a new business can be intimidating. I mean, the amount of tasks you have to juggle can get overwhelming quickly. And it's like you have to be an expert in everything all at once. I mean, you think when I started Crime Junkie, I thought I would be running a merch store one day? I know. But when that day came, before I could even hire help, I had to expertly run a merch store. And I did it with Shopify. And you know what? It doesn't matter how big we've grown, how many team members we have who are actual experts now. [09:30] Use Shopify. Shopify drives e-commerce whether you're a household name like AudioCheckNow or if you're a creator just getting started like I was eight years ago. The platform acts as your built-in business partner and simplifies all your tasks. Imagine the ease of building your dream store with hundreds of beautiful templates, leverage AI writing tools for product descriptions, and photo enhancements in seconds. You can even create email and social campaigns with ease.

[10:00] partner, Shopify, and start hearing? Sign up for your $1 per month trial today at shopify.com slash crimejunkie. Go to shopify.com slash crimejunkie. That's shopify.com slash crimejunkie. [10:15] When summer heat ramps up, did you know that patio surfaces can hit 150 degrees? That's hot enough to make your backyard feel like a punishment. If you have bare windows, the indoor temps can even go up by 20 degrees. But with Blinds.com, you can beat the heat with custom solar shades for your den and patio. Whether you're going DIY or leaving it to the pros, Blinds.com keeps you in control. Choose the level of support that works best for you, with flexibility every step of the way, even picking the right style. They offer free consultation with their award-winning design experts. [10:44] personal favorite part is how there are no pushy salespeople, no awkward at-home visits, just real advice, instant quotes, and absolutely zero pressure. Samples ship fast and free and everything's backed by Blinds.com's 100% satisfaction guarantee. Because at Blinds.com, the only thing they treat better than Windows is you. Right now, our listeners get an exclusive $50 off when you spend $500 or more. Go to Blinds.com and use code CrimeJunkie at checkout for $50 off. Limited time offer, [11:14] See Blinds.com for details. [11:18] When police enter the motel room where they had tracked Khalil Tatum, they don't find Khalil and they don't see any sign of Relisha. According to Colbert King's reporting for The Washington Post, what they find is Khalil's wife, Khalil.

[11:33] Andrea, laying face down on the motel bed, deceased from a fatal gunshot wound to the head. With this discovery, police are even more determined to find Relisha as soon as possible. No one ever believed that a 51-year-old man would take a little 8-year-old girl for anything good. But now, Khalil seemed even more unpredictable. The clock was ticking. When police asked to see the security footage from the motel, looking for just any kind of clues, [12:03] day that Khalil and Andrea check into the hotel, Relisha wasn't with them. They appeared to be on camera alone every time. [12:12] Where was Relisha? [12:13] Now, as police are mobilizing quickly to learn everything they can about Khalil Tatum, where he had been, where did he use his credit cards, where's his cell phone now, when's the last time that they can put him with Relisha, the public is pretty much in the dark. All the media knows at this point is that an eight-year-old girl is missing and she was last seen with Khalil Tatum. And the public is asked to keep a lookout for either this 51-year-old man or the eight-year-old little girl. [12:39] And so this goes on for a couple more days. Police working feverishly behind the scenes while the press and the public wait for updates. But honestly, here is where I just get sick to my stomach because, Britt, 2014, [12:51] Not that long ago, I don't remember hearing a thing about this little missing girl. No, me neither. Like, I compare it to, I think, the Jamie Klaus case. I know that was just a couple years later in 2017. Mm-hmm.

[13:06] When Jamie Closs went missing... [13:08] I mean, I couldn't like not hear about that news. It was on every radio station. It was on every TV station. It was on every podcast. Like people were flooding our DMs. It was all over the Internet. Yeah. Right. Granted, we didn't have a podcast in 2014. So people aren't sending us messages. But it wasn't on our TV stations. It wasn't on our radio stations. No one, at least here, I'm shocked even outside of D.C., knew that we should be on the lookout for this little girl, which is just heartbreaking. [13:38] and somehow [13:39] was already falling through the cracks even in the early days of the investigation. I mean, I cannot agree with you more. [13:46] disheartening and sickening and devastating that this coverage isn't there. But we see this so often in cases of missing people of color. Like they just get treated so differently by the general media. [14:00] Yeah. And I mean, without a doubt, I think Relisha got treated differently by the public. And even before the public found out, the fact that she was allowed to be missing for so long without anyone noticing is something inexcusable. But what I will say is that once police knew, I think they really did put everything they had into this investigation. And five days after the search for Relisha began, the FBI released a video to the public in hopes to garner some new leads. [14:30] This is a video from another hotel. This one was taken on February 26. And here, Brett, I'm going to send you the direct link to the FBI's website where they posted it. And I'm also going to post this on our website if anyone wants to follow along.

[14:43] Okay, so they're walking down the hall. It seems like... [14:48] really casual, really [14:50] comfortable, honestly. I can't quite make out what she's wearing quite yet. [14:57] Maybe dark pants and a jacket. [15:02] She's carrying a couple of bags... [15:04] um [15:05] And that's pretty much it. Like, you know, they're walking towards the hotel door. And it's very casual is what I noticed. Like, he's not, like, forcing her to go. No, like, she's there completely willingly. You know, he's unlocking the door. And let's see. [15:22] They're... [15:23] She walks in right behind him. [15:25] And... [15:27] And that's about it. [15:28] Yeah, so this is what the FBI puts out. And what's interesting to me about the bag that she's holding is that Relisha's family had told multiple people a story about how Khalil was going to take Relisha shopping for a bathing suit to wear to a pool party at the hotel where she was spotted on video footage. So I think the belief is that that could have been what was in that shopping bag. OK, OK, we have to pause for a second. Yeah. [15:55] So you're telling me that her family knew that she was with this... [15:58] 51 year old dude this whole time. [16:01] Yeah, I mean, they knew enough to know that, like, yeah, they're going to go buy a swimsuit together. They're going to go to this pool party together. They're together most. I mean, I assume they think they're together the entire time. I mean, I guess, like, I guess that makes sense because, like, someone had to have told the school about this Dr. Tatum thing. But, like, especially as a parent, I cannot wrap my head around...

[16:21] being like 100% okay with like one, [16:25] my daughter going with this random dude to buy a swimsuit, which seems already not cool. And then, like, [16:33] he just takes off with her for weeks. And they're like, okay, like, I don't know. They went swimsuit shopping. Like, [16:38] Who knows? What? And then I haven't seen her in two weeks. And I mean, this is the part of what is so baffling about this case. The more police looked into the relationship Khalil had with Relisha and her family, it was one that her family willingly not just allowed, but actually encouraged. They allowed him to take her for overnight trips. He would buy her thing, shower her with attention that she craved. I mean... [17:04] it's [17:05] He's grooming her like she's eight years old. [17:08] she is not in the place where she gets to make these decisions. Like she needs protection by, you know, a guardian, someone saying like, this isn't OK. This isn't all right. Yeah. And listen, I don't know if they got stuff out of the relationship, too. I don't know if it was one less kid that Shamika had to worry about when Khalil had her. But they said then and still say now that they didn't see anything wrong with the relationship. Shamika felt like she knew Khalil, thought he was a good guy. [17:38] entire 18 days she was gone at least someone knew she was with this guy again there's so much finger pointing i can't give you an accurate picture of the truth shemika says that she thought relisha was at her grandmother's grandmother from what i can gather did let khalil take her but only because she said shemika did so many times before that it was just like normal but to me there's

[18:01] no excuse that is appropriate for this situation. No, you do not go anywhere. [18:07] 18 days without seeing your daughter. You do not let her go off with this like [18:12] seemingly nice 51-year-old guy for overnight trips. Like, obviously, like, I don't know Shamika or her life or, you know, the decisions she's had to make for her children or the hardship she's been through. Yeah, or even like the, I mean, what she went through as a child. I mean, for all we know, this relationship when she was younger could have [18:30] been normal. You know what I mean? It could have been really normal, especially with the grandma not being concerned about it either. I can't imagine even, you know, [18:38] having my niece for a day and my sister being like, [18:41] "Hey, let her go with this person that I don't know, that I feel uncomfortable with." And being like, "Okay, well, my sister said it's okay. I'm just going to go with it if I feel uncomfortable." I can't imagine being in that situation and being 100% okay with this. Yeah. I mean, again, this isn't something... [18:57] that I can understand. I don't think it was anything that was appropriate. [19:01] in any realm... [19:03] Like, however you're looking at it. But now police have all of this background about Khalil's longstanding relationship with Relisha and her family. So it wasn't a surprise to them to see her so comfortable with him in that video that they released to the public. Now, the thing is, this video isn't the only video that police have, but it's the only one that they've ever released to the press and to the public.

[19:33] is there footage of them coming out of the room together? And police won't officially comment on that. I was just about to ask you if there was any other footage. Yeah, so I think it's a question that everyone wants to know. But the question actually becomes a little bit different when you learn a little bit more about the story. The question for me becomes not if she was on video coming out, but really not. [19:58] How was she seen coming out? Because according to information released by WUSA 9 in episode 2 of that 18-day series, officials do say that Relisha is captured on footage again March 1st. So to me... [20:14] She had to have left, right? Like, but... [20:17] When or how are a mystery. Maybe they didn't actually see her because she was transported in something. And I don't know why they're being so cagey about giving us information about how or when or where they saw her on video on March 1st. But then... [20:33] What they do say is that on March 2nd, Khalil is captured on video. [20:38] without Relisha. Now, the same day, [20:42] that he's captured alone on video, he goes to a Home Depot store and makes a deeply disturbing purchase. [20:50] large trash bags, [20:52] a shovel, and lie. Oh, okay. [20:57] We know what that means. [20:58] It's a murder kit. Exactly. Like the Home Depot doesn't have a section, but like I can piece it together for everybody. Now, where he is between March 2nd when he makes those purchases and March 20th when his wife is found in that motel seems to be a mystery. Wait, so was his wife with him like the whole time? So this is another question mark, and I feel like I'm saying this over and over. I'm sorry. But how his wife is involved in this is totally unknown to me. Shortly before Relisha went missing, Khalil had filed for divorce from Andrea.

[21:28] . [21:29] I can read into that a million different ways, but it's all just speculation. I don't know when they reconnected, if she was ever with Khalil and Relisha together, if she even knew Relisha at all. And I have no idea why Khalil killed her. I'm not even sure if police knew that at the time or now. But again, why? [21:49] All they can focus on is now finding Relisha because with those purchases, knowing that he's killed his wife, they are up against a ticking clock if bringing Relisha home is even an option. [22:00] A little over a week after finding Andrea, police's investigation leads them to a local park. Again, there are some contradictory reports. Some places say it was Khalil's cell phone pings that led them there. Other places say it was a tip. But when they searched the park, they were really treating it as a search for Relisha's body, hoping that they would find the spot where Khalil had used that shovel and the lie. But they don't find any freshly dug graves. They don't find Relisha. [22:28] Instead, [22:29] What they found [22:31] was Khalil. [22:33] dead inside a shed with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. And no Relisha? [22:39] and no Relisha. It has been six years this month since anyone last saw the eight-year-old girl. But police, I think, still know stuff that we don't because they said they don't believe this happened in a bubble. They truly believe someone else out there knows where Relisha is right now, whether that's dead or alive. They believe that someone knows what Khalil did to her in early

[23:09] crime junkies, we can't either. A broken system let this little girl fall through the cracks too many times. And the least we can do is try to make this right. Look at her picture, share it, share her story, because someone out there holds the key, whether they know it or not. And you know, there's one man who's been committed to sharing Relisha's story for years. According to a story written for the Washington Post by Teresa Vargas, a man named Keith Davis has been doing an [23:39] online radio broadcast about Relisha's case, and he refuses to give up until she is found. And I think Keith is so dedicated to Relisha's story because he can understand what it's like to lose someone mysteriously and get few answers. He understands what it's like for the public and the press to forget about someone's story just because they aren't white and they don't fit the media mold. He knows because his own cousin, Unique Harris, went missing four years [24:09] is just as baffling. [24:15] Starting a new business can be intimidating. I mean, the amount of tasks you have to juggle can get overwhelming quickly. And it's like you have to be an expert in everything, all at once. I mean, you think when I started Crime Junkie, I thought I would be running a merch store one day? I know. But when that day came, before I could even hire help, I had to expertly run a merch store. [24:35] And I did it with Shopify. And you know what? It doesn't matter how big we've grown, how many team members we have who are actual experts now. We still use Shopify. Shopify drives e-commerce whether you're a household name like AudioCheck now or if you're a creator just getting started like I was eight years ago.

[24:53] The platform acts as your built-in business partner and simplifies all your tasks. Imagine the ease of building your dream store with hundreds of beautiful templates, leverage AI writing tools for product descriptions, and photo enhancements in seconds. You can even create email and social campaigns with ease. So start your business today with the industry's best partner, Shopify, and start hearing. Sign up for your $1 per month trial today at Shopify.com slash Crime Junkie. [25:23] That's Shopify.com slash Crime Junkie. [25:29] When summer heat ramps up, did you know that patio surfaces can hit 150 degrees? That's hot enough to make your backyard feel like a punishment. If you have bare windows, the indoor temps can even go up by 20 degrees. But with Blinds.com, you can beat the heat with custom solar shades for your den and patio. Whether you're going DIY or leaving it to the pros, Blinds.com keeps you in control. Choose the level of support that works best for you, with flexibility every step of the way, even picking the right style. They offer free consultation with their award-winning design experts. [25:58] personal favorite part is how there are no pushy salespeople, no awkward at-home visits, just real advice, instant quotes, and absolutely zero pressure. Samples ship fast and free and everything's backed by Blinds.com's 100% satisfaction guarantee. Because at Blinds.com, the only thing they treat better than Windows is you. Right now, our listeners get an exclusive $50 off when you spend $500 or more. Go to Blinds.com and use code CrimeJunkie at checkout for $50 off. Limited time offer,

[26:28] See Blinds.com for details. [26:32] In October of 2010, Unique Harris was a 24-year-old mother of two boys who had just relocated from Richmond, Virginia to Washington, D.C. Now, she grew up her whole life in Richmond, but when her mother made the move to D.C. and then her relationship with her boy's father started to deteriorate, Unique wanted a fresh start and she wanted to have that fresh start close to family. [26:54] Now, part of that fresh start was going to be a new career, too. According to Monica Hess, who did an article about Unique for The Washington Post, she had gotten accepted into a massage therapy program and was even going to be getting some financial aid to help her. And that was super important for Unique because at the time, money was really tight. And because money was tight, when she moved to D.C., she was only able to afford an apartment in an area of town that has been described as rough by a number of outlets who have reported on this case. [27:22] In an article I found from the Huffington Post, they cover an interview Unique's mom Valencia did where she said that she begged Unique not to take the apartment, to just come live with her while she was like getting on her feet. But Unique was independent. She was a little stubborn and she wanted to make it on her own. And Valencia tried to calm her own fears by telling herself like, listen, she's not far from me. She's just a couple of minutes away. If anything bad were to happen, at least I can get there quickly. It's not like she's like on the other side of town. [27:51] So by October, Unique and her boys had only been in the D.C. area for about five weeks, but they were settling in nicely. And it was really nice, like I said, to be around family again. Now, Unique didn't have a car yet, so her family would help her out by driving her places that she needed to go, help her out with the boys, or even just be around to keep her company.

[28:09] October 9th was a Saturday and Unique had her little nine-year-old cousin over for a movie night and a sleepover with the boys. Now, Valencia told the makers of the documentary Non-Critical that she spoke on the phone to Unique around 8.30 or 9 o'clock that night as they were making all of their popcorn and like settling in for their movie. And she said, listen, everything was normal. Unique sounded fine. It was supposed to be a low-key night with all the kids. And Unique didn't make mention of anything out of the ordinary. [28:39] happened that day. No one was coming by. She was in the right place, doing the right thing, and it was a completely normal night. Valencia went to bed that night and woke up the next morning like she always did and went about her day. It wouldn't be until later in the afternoon that the life she had known would be forever changed. According to the Washington Post, sometime after 3 p.m., Valencia gets a call from a family member named Tiffany. Now, Tiffany is the mother of that nine-year-old cousin that was staying over at Unique's house with the boys. [29:09] And what she tells Valencia is disturbing, to say the least. She says that her daughter had called her that morning when she woke up and said that Unique wasn't in the apartment. She didn't know where she was, when she had left, or when she was even supposed to be back. Now, the young girl is pretty upset, but her mom told her, listen, just keep calm. She said that Unique's probably just like outrunning an errand or something. It's no big deal. And she said, [29:33] At that point, she tries calling Unique herself, but she keeps getting no answer. It just rings and rings and rings. And as the day trickled by, Tiffany starts to grow more and more concerned because every time she would check in with her daughter, she would say the same thing. Unique still isn't back. By 3 o'clock in the afternoon, Tiffany is making her way up to Unique's third floor apartment. And this was always the agreed on pickup time.

[30:03] by then. So when the kids open up the door and tell her that they haven't seen their mom or their cousin, she knows that something isn't right. [30:12] I guess I'm kind of surprised that they even waited till 3:00. They were checking in with her daughter this whole time and [30:19] they knew that she wasn't there. Yeah, I mean, I'm sure that's part of this case that honestly probably makes the family just like stick to their stomachs because maybe if police would have gotten involved a couple of hours earlier, it could have changed the smallest detail. But [30:33] In that article that she was interviewed for, Tiffany told them that she couldn't get there any sooner. She was basically stuck on the other side of town. But now that she was there, Tiffany jumps into action and she calls Valencia to tell her what's happening. [30:46] The entire family finds out and steps up to get the boys to their grandmother's house while they try to figure out what happened to Unique. And really, there wasn't a plausible explanation anyone could come up with other than maybe she left for a second and like something bad. [31:02] bad happened, like an accident or something, or maybe something more sinister. But like everyone who knew Unique said that she would never in a million years leave the kids in her apartment alone and just walk off. Something bad was happening, but the family couldn't quite put their finger on what. That is, until they start to look around her apartment and what they see sends chills down their spine. There, hanging on the dining room table chair was Unique's purse, [31:32] still inside. And when they walked to her bedroom, on the pillow laying neatly folded were Unique's glasses. Now, I

[31:41] I've gotten glasses in the last couple of years, but really just [31:44] to help me like read or drive at night. But Britt, you've worn glasses your whole life. Yeah, since I was like 10 and I desperately need them. Cannot leave my house without them. I have like a backup pair in my car. So you're like legit blind without them. I need them. Yeah. Very blind, yes. So you can help me understand this more. From everything I read, Unique was basically the same way you are. Multiple outlets reported that she had been wearing glasses since she was very, very young. And her vision was literally so bad that she couldn't see the clock on the nightstand [32:14] laying there in bed. I'm about to that point. Yeah, it's really, really trippy. Right. So her mom said that when they saw those glasses sitting there, any thought that they might have had that maybe she went outside, even if it was just for a second or down to the corner store, immediately left their mind. They said she could never go anywhere without those glasses. Definitely not. Like, I can't read street signs. I probably couldn't even, like, [32:39] use a key to unlock my own door without my glasses. But I wear contacts most of the time. Is there any evidence that she had contacts anywhere? So my educated guess would be no, only because literally no one has ever brought that up as a possibility. Like when you talk to her family, they keep referencing the glasses. And again, more than anything, I go back to the placement. So her mom told this story about how when she was really little, she got her the glasses.

[33:09] them all the time she'd fall asleep her mom would replace her glasses over and over and it was getting so ridiculous that finally they like agreed that she could keep them on her pillow because her mom would try and keep them on her nightstand and she'd be like no even that's too far away for me for to be on the nightstand so when she would go to sleep she would fold them and lay them on the pillow next to her so they're looking at this and being like okay if she's not even gonna put them on the nightstand because that's too far away she's clearly getting ready for bed she's put her glasses there [33:37] She's not going to go anywhere without them. She's not going to even step outside of the door, much less step outside of her own bedroom, like, room. So basically, like, everything is there. Everything that would tell her parents that she did not leave home. [33:49] her apartment willingly is all right there. Well not [33:53] all, so her glasses are there? [33:55] Her purse is there, but her keys and her phone are missing. [34:01] Do we know if the door was locked in the morning when the kids woke up? Like, again, I think it's unlikely, but if we want to entertain the idea that for a second she... [34:11] walked out the door, [34:12] for any reason. Like, I could see her taking the keys to make sure to, like, lock the kids in so that nothing happened to them. So... [34:19] I don't know exactly. Like Relisha's case, this one is super frustrating because this hasn't gotten half the attention that some of the other cases we've covered get. So details like this, which to me are like critical, have never been released. All I could find were reports that the main door of her apartment building was wonky and that the intercom system was broken. So Unique's apartment was the kind where you like have to walk in a front entry and then everyone's doors are inside the building.

[34:49] access to the outside. But it seemed the intercom system was for sure busted. And according to the Charlie Project website, Unique's apartment door was, quote, not in good shape, whatever that means. So [35:02] Again, I really don't know. I just keep going back to the glasses, though. Like, if she did go outside, like you said, for anything, for one second, and she went of her own free will... [35:13] Why isn't she wearing... [35:14] her glasses. Right. Like, honestly, like, the first thing to come to mind, which the timing doesn't make sense, but, like, if she were to go, like, check her mailbox. Yeah. I couldn't do that without my glasses or contacts in. Like, there'd be... [35:26] no reason for me to be like, this is the exact time I need to do this. I can definitely do this without being able to see, you know, six feet in front of my face. [35:34] It doesn't make sense. [35:35] Exactly. And it's not making sense to her family. And the more they look at the scene, the more sure than ever they are that. [35:43] This isn't a question of where did Unique go. This is a question of who took Unique. Someone was responsible for this. So they report Unique missing to the police. And when they talked to the kids who were in the house, the boys say that they were asleep all night, didn't hear a thing. But Unique's cousin, the nine-year-old, said that she thought maybe she heard a man's voice, maybe around 10 o'clock. But she also thought that it could have been the TV and she never got out of bed to check. [36:13] house. Possibly, but when police look at the scene, they say that there's no sign of forced entry, no sign of a struggle. It's literally as if Unique was getting ready to go to bed and then vanished into thin air. Now, when police ask her family if there's anyone they know that would want to hurt Unique or anyone in her life that was causing her problems, the resounding answer is no. She was well-liked. She was kind. She was a good mother. Like, there was literally

[36:43] everyone's information anyway. And of course, we know they always start with the people closest. So they give police the name of her new boyfriend, even though they say like he was out of town. They really don't think that he was responsible for anything. What about the father that she left in Virginia? Well, so obviously they give police his information too. I mean, it obviously wasn't a perfect relationship and police have to look into it. But before they can do this, there's another lead that [37:13] place shortly before Unique vanished, and it just might hold the key to where she is now. [37:22] Starting a new business can be intimidating. I mean, the amount of tasks you have to juggle can get overwhelming quickly. And it's like you have to be an expert in everything all at once. I mean, you think when I started Crime Junkie, I thought I would be running a merch store one day? I know. But when that day came, before I could even hire help, I had to expertly run a merch store. [37:42] And I did it with Shopify. [37:44] And you know what? It doesn't matter how big we've grown, how many team members we have who are actual experts now. We still use Shopify. Shopify drives e-commerce whether you're a household name like AudioCheckNow or if you're a creator just getting started like I was eight years ago. [38:01] The platform acts as your built-in business partner and simplifies all your tasks. Imagine the ease of building your dream store with hundreds of beautiful templates, leverage AI writing tools for product descriptions, and photo enhancements in seconds. You can even create email and social campaigns with ease. So start your business today with the industry's best partner, Shopify, and start hearing. Sign up for your $1 per month trial today at Shopify.com slash Crime Junkie.

[38:31] That's Shopify.com slash Crime Junkie. [38:37] When summer heat ramps up, did you know that patio surfaces can hit 150 degrees? That's hot enough to make your backyard feel like a punishment. If you have bare windows, the indoor temps can even go up by 20 degrees. But with Blinds.com, you can beat the heat with custom solar shades for your den and patio. Whether you're going DIY or leaving it to the pros, Blinds.com keeps you in control. Choose the level of support that works best for you, with flexibility every step of the way, even picking the right style. They offer free consultation with their award-winning design experts. [39:06] personal favorite part is how there are no pushy salespeople, no awkward at-home visits, just real advice, instant quotes, and absolutely zero pressure. Samples ship fast and free and everything's backed by Blinds.com's 100% satisfaction guarantee. Because at Blinds.com, the only thing they treat better than Windows is you. Right now, our listeners get an exclusive $50 off when you spend $500 or more. Go to Blinds.com and use code CRIMEJUNKIE at checkout for $50 off. Limited time offer, [39:36] See Blinds.com for details. [39:40] Valencia tells police that not too long after Younique moved into the apartment, she was a witness to a murder. Something had happened outside of her building that Younique viewed from her apartment window, and now her mom wondered if this could be the reason that she isn't here anymore. [39:57] Do we know anything else about this murder? [40:00] was it ever solved? So here's the thing as far as I can tell no one has been able to figure out exactly

[40:06] what crime she witnessed. There are people on forums who have like pulled crime reports and they try and make educated guesses. But most of the time, like the timeline doesn't totally add up and the lead doesn't totally pan out. So it's hard to fully evaluate this as a theory. But even though people still talk about this as a theory to this day, I heard an interview done by two women, Donna McIntyre and Jodi Newman. They actually host this show called The Missing Voice through [40:36] with Unique's mom. And Valencia says that police have actually told her in the last few years that whatever witness she was to whatever murder, like that lead has been totally vetted and they found that it's not related to her disappearance at all. [40:51] Okay, so that's kind of chalked up to a coincidence or whatever, but like... [40:57] Did they ever look into tracking her cell phone or anything like that? So since that's one of the things that's missing, I assume police have gotten a lot of data from her phone, but none of that has ever been released. The only thing that police have ever publicly said is that they used her cell records to help build their timeline. Now, they say that Unique was on the phone with someone at three o'clock in the morning and then the kids woke up at 830. So she had to have gone missing somewhere in that window. [41:27] said who she was on the phone with at that three o'clock call, which to me would be like a big deal. Like that is the first person I want to talk to. [41:35] Did they ever say that she was in the apartment when that call was made? Like, do we even know that that's where she was at three o'clock in the morning? So they know they haven't given, again, any information about that, but.

[41:46] I'm making the assumption because they're using that to build the timeline and they're saying, you know, she has this call at 3. The kids wake up at 8.30. We assume she went missing between then. I'm assuming that they must know that the call at [redacted address]. Otherwise, to me, you could easily say that the timeline widens. Okay. So, like, what now? Like, what else can they look into? Is there anything else that they can go off of? [42:11] That's the frustrating part. [42:13] This case will be a decade old this year and there have been almost no developments. No one has been named as a suspect. No one's been named as a person of interest. And this remains to me one of the most baffling cases that we've ever talked about because nothing makes sense. Now, there was a moment in September of 2018 that everyone thought. [42:33] thought maybe that this case had been resolved. And it's kind of all a little cryptic. But on September 12th, 2018, one of the hosts that I talked about from that Missing Voice show posted an update to a Facebook post about Unique that said, quote, Sadly, Unique is no longer missing and her case has come to the end. Now her family will begin the process of seeking justice. Please keep her family members in your prayers. [43:00] End quote. [43:01] So when I found that, I went digging a little bit and I found a Reddit thread started by user Ranger398, who said that there was an update to the case. And they posted the following message, which they say they got as a direct copy paste thing from Valencia's Facebook page. And Britt, I'm going to have you read exactly what they claim was posted.

[43:23] Quote, it is with my most heartbroken, deepest, and saddest regret that I inform Unique's most loving supporters, followers, partners, and donors of her demise. [43:33] Unfortunately, this almost eight-year journey to find Unique alive has come to these findings in her missing persons case investigation, that Unique's more likely than not deceased. And now I must memorialize my baby girl. [43:48] God knows I never wanted to have to inform all of you. [43:52] that have been remarkably loving through this ordeal of this news. My apologies for this not being a happier ending. [43:59] I've been fighting so hard to bring you all good news in the end. However, it appears that I cannot make that happen with the evidence we've compiled in Unique's case. [44:08] I hope all of Unique's supporters know I did my very best to find her alive and bring her home to her sons and all of us. [44:16] I can't give any more specific details in the case right now, as I'm sure most, if not all of you know, this war for justice is not over as far as the judicial portion of Unique's case goes, which must now take place in our court system. But I want you all to know, all of your prayers, love, and support has not been in vain, because we got the murdering mongrel. Yes, we got him. [44:46] not have been possible. [44:47] I will keep you all posted as we move forward to make sure this diabolical deviant creature never does this to another parent and family.

[44:57] I also want to make, if clear, that my advocacy and speaking out/up for missing/abducted [45:03] unresolved homicide, human slash sex trafficking, etc., will still be an intricate part of my life. I will still fight for our voiceless victims and continue to speak to our babies in our communities and prayerfully be a part of a positive, uplifting solution to these god-awful cases that none of us asked for, wanted, or deserve. [45:23] I intend to make sure my child's short 24-year life that was so brutally taken away from her will not be in vain. [45:33] Much love and appreciation I'm sending your way. [45:36] P.S. [45:37] Stay tuned in for further details as the opportunities and information become available for me to share. [45:44] End quote. Now, I want to be very clear. I could not find this again on Valencia's Facebook. So it's either been removed or I don't have the right permissions to view it. [45:57] From what I can piece together, I think around this time, Unique's case got transferred from missing persons to homicide. And Valencia was told to apply for a death certificate for Unique. [46:12] I'm thinking that that could have been what prompted these posts. [46:18] Though, again, I want to be painfully clear, Unique has still not been found. Her case remains open and her mother remains more desperate than ever for answers. Okay, but like in her mom's post, she says, you know, we got him. We got this murdering mongrel, this deviant creature. Yeah, again, I don't, first of all, again, I don't even know that this 100% came from her mom. I could only find this in a forum. So I'm always super skeptical. But, again.

[46:45] I could even see if she's told to apply for a death certificate, maybe she was under the impression she had something. Or maybe, again, the police have more that they're willing to share with family that they're not really willing to share for the public. Either way, I think it's super important to reiterate a hundred times that Unique is still missing. Her case is open. Her mom is still advocating for her. And, you know, whether it's my permissions on her Facebook or not, if she took down that post, I can understand her doing that. [47:15] oh, this is solved, we don't have to think about unique anymore. We all still should be thinking about unique because she still needs to be found. [47:22] Yeah, and I know we've seen it before where, like, there's enough evidence surrounding the entire case that it's only a matter of time before they find something and, you know... [47:33] fairly confident that the missing person is deceased. Yeah. And I mean, I think you look at like the totality of the circumstantial evidence and the way that literally she just disappeared and everyone's saying she wouldn't walk away from her life. I can see why police would hand it over to homicide after almost 10 years. Clearly something bad had happened to her. And I think that's what happened here. It's been almost 10 years without a sign of unique. She would have never left her kids. She physically couldn't have left her apartment on her own without her glasses. [48:03] So what the heck? [48:04] happened that night. I guess I just... [48:07] Don't. [48:08] get it? Did they [48:09] miss somebody? Like, did the exes officially get rolled out? Yes. So according to the Charlie Project site, both the current boyfriend and the ex, like her children's father, had been polygraphed and they both passed. Though Valencia has expressed a little bit of frustration because I guess it took like eight months for police to actually polygraph her ex, the children's father. Now, the only thing anyone can seem to come up with is that

[48:36] that this was a stranger attack. Someone who'd maybe been watching Unique since she moved in, like, [48:42] Watching her movements and her habits, getting used to her schedule, and knowing when and how they could get her. Okay. [48:51] "Okay, but like how would they be able to take her without a fight and like without waking the kids especially?" Like you said there was no sign of, you know, struggle or forced entry. So I've thought a lot about this and really what I see are two options. Option one: [49:06] If it's a stranger, could it have been someone that worked in this apartment complex? Someone who possibly could have had a key? Because again, she had just recently moved in there. Maybe someone saw her. Maybe they got infatuated with her. You think about like a landlord, a maintenance guy, whatever. That's the part that makes sense to me. Like she's laying down going to bed. That is when she puts her glasses down. Like she's not even going to go finish getting ready for bed. Like she's done for the night. [49:36] come into the apartment. Now, the other option to me is maybe if someone knocked on the door. Now, Valencia said like she would have never opened her door for anyone. Like she knows maintenance men shouldn't be coming by at that time. Like that's not happening. But if someone got her to open the door or even if they had a key and they came in, maybe they took her without a fight because they threatened the kids. Like, I don't know what I would do if someone if I had kids and someone broke into my home and say they had a weapon and they're like, you either come

[50:06] do something to your children. Everything that I have read about Unique says that she was an amazing woman. [50:12] And I can see, to me, that is the one thing I can see her not putting up a fight for. And granted, I didn't know her. Her mom might disagree. But it's one of the only two options that makes sense to me. [50:42] too, the not knowing. She told Monica Hess from the Washington Post that sometimes when the not knowing gets really bad, she'll see something on the side of the road, like a trash bag or something, and she will actually pull over. [50:56] And check inside just in case there is part of her daughter in there. So please, for Unique, for her mom, for her sons, if you know anything, you can contact Detective Fulton at [redacted phone]. [51:26] And I mentioned before in our Highway of Tears episode, we really do want to be committed to helping to try and bridge this media gap that exists when we talk about persons of color. And listen, I would love to go out and try and solve these cases myself. But we all know that that is not where my skill set lies. I would 100% just get in the way. So instead, I found an amazing organization that is hands-on helping every single day. And that is the Black and Missing Foundation.

[51:56] We are making a donation to the Black and Missing Foundation, whose mission is to bring awareness to cases like this and to actually assist in searching for those persons of color who go missing. And even on a broader scale, to help change the culture around how missing minority cases are covered in the media. I would encourage everyone to go learn more about what you can do to help change this culture. Go to blackandmissinginc.com. [52:26] in a more direct way to this case that you just heard about, Unique's mom actually has a GoFundMe page that we are going to link out to on our website. She's collecting funds to continue to bring attention to it in hopes that one day she will finally get answers as to what happened to her daughter. [52:44] again you guys I encourage you please visit blackandmissinginc.com you can also visit our website to see pictures to see videos we talked about and to see all of our source material for [53:14] Valencia's GoFundMe page if you want to help out. And be sure to follow us on Instagram at CrimeJunkiePodcast. [53:20] We will be back next week with a brand new episode.

[53:38] you [53:40] you [53:43] you [53:45] Crime Junkie is an AudioChuck production. [53:48] So, what do you think, Chuck? [53:50] Do you approve? [53:53] Okay, crime junkies, you know I absolutely love a twist and a turn, especially when it comes to people who turn out to be someone they're not. That's why I have been obsessed with the podcast Chameleon. Every Thursday, host Josh Dean deep dives into a scam so bizarre, it will leave you wondering, how did they get away with that? [54:12] It is truly one of my favorite podcasts right now and I've been listening for years. [54:15] I think you'll love it too. [54:17] Listen to Chameleon wherever you get your podcasts.