Episodes

  • Trailer: Introducing Through The Cracks
    Jan 21 2021

    When Relisha Rudd went missing from a homeless shelter in Washington, D.C., 18 days passed before anyone realized something was wrong. This season on Through The Cracks: Was Relisha’s disappearance preventable? First episode available January 28th.

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    3 mins
  • Episode 1: Relisha Goes Missing
    Jan 28 2021

    When 8-year-old Relisha Rudd disappeared from a homeless shelter in Washington, D.C. in 2014, nobody noticed. By the time police appeared at the homeless shelter where Relisha lived with her family, 18 days had passed since she’d been seen at school or in the shelter. On this episode: What happened in March 2014.

    Help shape our second season by filling out our survey: https://iter.ly/21ga1

    View a timeline of the key dates in Relisha’s disappearance, and sign up for our newsletter, at wamu.org/throughthecracks.

    To support the investigative reporting that goes into Through The Cracks, donate at wamu.org/supportthroughthecracks.

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    32 mins
  • Episode 2: Ties That Bind
    Feb 4 2021

    A child’s family is their first safety net. When she disappeared in 2014, 8-year-old Relisha Rudd was living with her family at a homeless shelter in Washington, D.C., where a number of people shared responsibility for her. Before she vanished, each one of her family members had already fallen through the cracks in one way or another.

    Help shape our second season by filling out our survey: https://iter.ly/21ga1

    Check out bonus material and subscribe to our newsletter at wamu.org/throughthecracks.

    To support the investigative reporting that goes into Through The Cracks, donate at wamu.org/supportthroughthecracks.

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    31 mins
  • Episode 3: Kicked Out
    Feb 11 2021

    Before Relisha moved into a homeless shelter, her family lived together in an apartment near Congress Heights. But a chain of events led them to landlord-tenant court, and ultimately on the street. In this episode: Jonquilyn Hill explores how Relisha lost her home and wound up in a shelter in the most ‘tenant-friendly’ city in the country.

    Help shape our second season by filling out our survey: https://iter.ly/21ga1

    Check out bonus material and subscribe to our newsletter at wamu.org/throughthecracks.

    To support the investigative reporting that goes into Through The Cracks, donate at wamu.org/supportthroughthecracks.

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    28 mins
  • Episode 4: Almost Like Jail
    Feb 18 2021

    How did 8-year-old Relisha Rudd go from living in an apartment, to a motel, to a shelter inside an “abandoned hospital”? Host Jonquilyn Hill explores life inside a homeless shelter.

    Help shape our second season by filling out our survey: https://iter.ly/21ga1

    View a timeline of the key dates in Relisha’s disappearance, and a map of her world, at wamu.org/throughthecracks. To support the investigative reporting that goes into Through The Cracks, donate at wamu.org/supportthroughthecracks.

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    26 mins
  • Episode 5: Janitor, Doctor, Godfather
    Feb 25 2021

    Who was Kahlil Tatum? Was he a loving husband and surrogate father? A cold killer? We dig into the past of the janitor who served families at D.C. General, the “doctor” who excused Relisha from school and the “godfather” many children had grown to trust.

    Help shape our second season by filling out our survey: https://iter.ly/21ga1

    Read transcripts of episodes, a timeline of the key dates in Relisha’s disappearance, and a map of her world at wamu.org/throughthecracks. To support the investigative reporting that goes into Through The Cracks, donate at wamu.org/supportthroughthecracks.

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    30 mins
  • Episode 6: The Search
    Mar 4 2021

    On the day the District went public with their search for Relisha Rudd, she had already been missing for over two weeks. What’s it like to search for a girl no one noticed was missing for 18 days?

    Help shape our second season by filling out our survey: https://iter.ly/21ga1

    Read transcripts of episodes, a timeline of the key dates in Relisha’s disappearance, and a map of her world at wamu.org/throughthecracks. To support the investigative reporting that goes into Through The Cracks, donate at wamu.org/supportthroughthecracks.

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    35 mins
  • Episode 7: "No Good Mother"
    Mar 11 2021

    On the penultimate episode of Through The Cracks, we consider the role Shamika Young played in her daughter Relisha Rudd’s life. How was she blamed for Relisha’s disappearance and how much of that blame does she deserve?

    Help shape our second season by filling out our survey: https://iter.ly/21ga1

    Check out transcripts of episodes, a timeline of the key dates in Relisha’s disappearance, and a map of her world at wamu.org/throughthecracks. To support the investigative reporting that goes into Through The Cracks, donate at wamu.org/supportthroughthecracks.

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    35 mins