MISSING: Relisha Rudd // Unique Harris

This week we bring you two mysterious disappearances. Why did it take 18 days for people to notice 8-year-old Relisha Rudd was missing? And how did 24-year-old Unique Harris vanish from her apartment without the glasses that were critical to helping her see? Please join us in supporting blackandmissinginc.com

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Not everything is about race.

I apologize for the length. It’s worth the read though. I would’ve given 5 stars, but a disturbing pattern continues to emerge in this podcast. I LOVE Crime Junkies. A few months ago I became a fan when I started listening at episode 1, hoping to catch up to the current ones. I’ve noticed a dangerous pattern in their narrative though. Every case involving a POC that doesn’t get solved quickly or isn’t well known in the media, gets blamed on racism. I hear the same excuses… this crime isn’t getting solved because the victim is black…, the public doesn’t care because the victim is indigenous…, the police aren’t working to solve the case of a missing black child as hard as they would if the child were white… & so on. The worst time was when there were multiple murder victims & one of the hosts said something about how awful it was that indigenous women had been killed. Yes, it is awful. It’s unacceptable that ANY woman was killed, not JUST indigenous! I’m from the piney woods of deep east Texas. I have seen racism firsthand, but not as often as people claim it happens. In my 42 yrs I’ve witnessed racism a handful of times… 3 of those times were me (a white female) being called racial slurs by a POC. Racism can go both ways. Unfortunately, I think the hosts drank the woke kool-aide. There’s an obvious reason many of these cases go unsolved…. it’s the economic status of the victims, their families, & the dept’s working these cases. This is also why many don’t receive the same attention as other cases with white victims. Financial status plays a role in everything, crimes being no different. People living in high crime traffic areas & poverty stricken areas are less willing to talk to law enforcement out of fear of being retaliated against by others within their community. Living by the “street code” of never “snitching” only helps criminals be more successful. When less people cooperate, law enforcement has less info to go on. That hinders solving cases, especially if it’s already lacking physical evidence. Poor people are less likely to use the resources to bring attention to their cases. They’re less likely to report crimes & speak to even news crews to help spread awareness about the case of their loved ones. With Relisha, race isn’t the reason her case hasn’t been solved. Do people actually think detectives wake up & decide since the victim was a black child they’re less deserving of justice? That would mean every single person working the case has that same mindset & sets out to work against solving these cases. That’s a lot of effort to make. Many factors come into play when a case isn’t getting solved, but race is usually not one of them. I know racism exists & there are bad people out there who do feel true hatred within their hearts. It doesn’t happen in every situation involving a victim of color though. Relisha’s family was extremely poor, to the point of being homeless. This puts them at a high risk of becoming a victim of criminal activity, especially for being groomed by pedophiles. The adults in her life probably welcomed the financial help from Mr. Tatum. They overlooked the fact that the relationship Tatum had with a child was 100% inappropriate. I bet they received some form of financial incentive every time they let her go with him. It was easy to lie to themselves & say nothing was wrong with what they were doing while they were benefiting from it. The mother & grandmother should be held more accountable in this situation. The hosts of Crime Junkies are giving them a pass because they’re black & poor. How is that not racist? Insinuating they didn’t know any better because they are black & maybe hadn’t been taught any better is like saying they were too stupid to comprehend what a dangerous situation the child was being put in. This is probably the most prevalent form of racism within our communities today. Believing someone isn’t capable of understanding something, learning simple common sense information, or accomplishing minor tasks/goals, because of the color of their skin is racist., It doesn’t help minority communities when white women (or men) treat them like they’re ignorant & incapable of making smarter choices for themselves & their families. Relisha’s mom & grandmother knew exactly what was going on. They chose to turn a blind eye because they were financially benefiting from it. Once they realized something was seriously wrong, they took to blaming each other, instead of banding together to make sure they got their baby back. That is the real injustice in this case. If it had been a white mom, the hosts wouldn’t have gone easy on her or made excuses for her. They would’ve called her an awful mother, & placed a portion of the blame on her for her child coming up missing, which is what should be done in this case. A child is missing for 18 days before anyone questions where she is? It wasn’t even the family who became concerned, it was outside sources who took notice. That should be a crime. I’d look at the mom & grandmother harder. They may not have killed her, but they know more about her being with Tatum than they’re letting on. Once again, they’re protecting themselves instead of doing what’s best for that poor, innocent, little girl. I’m praying there’s a resolution to this case & that precious child can be returned to her family, no matter dead or alive. Relisha’s family, school, & neighborhood failed her. “The system” was actually the one thing that got it right in this case. Had they not kept pressing forward, she may never have been reported missing.