Two more people were arrested on Wednesday as Kentucky State Police continues to search for missing eight-month-old Reynolds Station girl Miya Tucker Rudd.
Taletha D. Tucker, 50, and her husband, David Tucker, 53, Miya’s maternal grandparents, were arrested Wednesday in the early evening at their residence in the 1300 block of Leitchfield Road, near the intersection of East Parrish Avenue in Owensboro, according to Kentucky State Police.
Taletha D. Tucker was lodged in the Daviess County Detention Center at approximately 7:15 Wednesday night. The jail website said she was arrested on a fugitive from another state warrant. David Tucker, as of 8:30 p.m., had not been listed as an inmate at the facility, but he was arrested on a non-payment of fines warrant, state police said.
Police said electronics were seized at the home.
The Tuckers were previously granted custody of Miya’s three older siblings by the Cabinet of Community Based Services. The state was in the process of removing Miya from her parents home after her umbilical cord tested positive for methamphetamine.
Miya’s three siblings were removed from their grandparents home by the Cabinet of Community Based Services and taken to another location.
On Tuesday, Kentucky State Police used cadaver dogs to search a wooded area near Miya’s home in Reynolds Station. Nothing of interest was found, but KSP will return to the area later this week with specialized equipment designed to test soil, KSP Post 16 Public Affairs Officer Corey King told WFIE.com.
Miya has not been seen since late April and her parents, 29-year-old Tesla Tucker and 30-year-old Cage C. Rudd, have been arrested and charged with child abandonment, criminal abuse of a child and a host of drug charges. Neither is cooperating with authorities.
When first confronted by troopers conducting a welfare check on Miya, the baby’s parents said she was removed from the home by the Cabinet of Community Based Services. A quick check, though, revealed that was untrue.
Also arrested in the case were Miya’s paternal grandparents, 49-year-old Billie J. Smith and 56-year-old Ricky J. Smith. Ricky Smith lived with Miya and her parents in Reynolds Station.
He was charged with criminal abuse of a child (under the age of 12), trafficking and possession of a controlled substance (methamphetamine), trafficking in a legend drug, trafficking in marijuana, engaging in organized crime, possession of a handgun by a convicted felon, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, first-degree persistent felony offender, and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Billie J. Smith was arrested by Kentucky State Police on Sunday when troopers searching for the missing baby at Smith’s residence learned she had a warrant for her arrest stemming from a domestic altercation in October 2023. She was charged with second-degree assault and lodged in the Ohio County Detention Center but has since posted a $10,000 bond.
Anyone with information on Miya’s location is asked to contact Kentucky State Police at 270-826-3312 or your local law enforcement.
(Headline photo: Taletha D. Tucker, a mugshot of David Tucker was not available)
By Ken Howlett, News Director
Contact Ken at ken@k105.com
