Through The Cracks

Through The Cracks

When 8-year-old Relisha Rudd disappeared from a homeless shelter in Washington, D.C. in 2014, nobody noticed. By the time authorities formally declared Relisha “missing,” 18 days had passed since she’d been spotted at school or the shelter where her family lived. Seven years later, Relisha has never been found. Through the Cracks investigates gaps in our society and the people who fall through them, and in this first season, host Jonquilyn Hill asks if Relisha’s disappearance was, as the city later claimed, unpreventable. From WAMU and PRX.

Episodes

January 21, 2021 3 mins

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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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 date...

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February 4, 2021 30 mins

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...

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February 11, 2021 27 mins

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

Chec...

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February 18, 2021 25 mins

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 ...

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February 25, 2021 29 mins

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...

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March 4, 2021 35 mins

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 suppor...

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March 11, 2021 35 mins

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...

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March 18, 2021 29 mins

In the season finale of Through The Cracks: What’s changed since Relisha disappeared in 2014? And has the city done enough to prevent more Relishas?

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

View photos of Relisha’s 2021 anniversary event at wamu.org/throughthecracks.

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

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Through The Cracks is proud to present the English language version of the first episode of Ídolo: The Ballad of Chalino Sánchez from Sonoro and Futuro Studios. This 8-episode series examines the extraordinary life of the Mexican singer-songwriter and attempts to unravel the mystery of his unsolved murder. Hosted by Erick Galindo in English and Alejandro Mendoza in Spanish.

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April 7, 2022 41 mins

This week we’re bringing you a story from our friends over at the Motive podcast from WBEZ Chicago.

This season, they’re investigating the hidden world of small town prisons and the issues behind the walls that go unseen.

The series exposes violence and coverups within the intertwined lives of the prisoners, guards and staff. Set in a place where everyone knows each other, Motive is a story of scandal and the truths bein...

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