Man arrested in 'illegal drug operation' run out of missing 8-month-old Miya Rudd's home

Kentucky State Police has released information on the arrest of a man living with the family of missing eight-month-old missing Reynolds Station girl Miya Rudd.

The suspect arrested, 28-year-old Brodie C. Payne, of Reynolds Station, had been living at the Rudd home for the previous six months. He was arrested on May 20 “for his role in the illegal drug operation held at the Rudd residence,” Kentucky State Police said.

“Investigators coordinated with U.S. Postal Inspection Service and Kentucky State Police and arrested Payne with a half-pound of methamphetamine and approximately three-quarter pounds of suspected fentanyl laced pills,” according to state police.

He was charged with trafficking in a controlled substance (methamphetamine), engaging in organized crime, trafficking in legend drugs (prescription drugs), first-degree wanton endangerment, trafficking in marijuana, and possession of drug paraphernalia.

The investigation into Payne’s activities began months earlier, led by the Daviess County Sheriff’s Office Special Investigations Unit. The investigation showed, state police said, that Payne was using the United States Postal Service to facilitate his drug trafficking operation.

Payne is being held in the Daviess County Detention Center on a $35,000 cash bond.

The announcement of Payne’s arrest comes a day after Miya’s maternal grandparents, 50-year-old Taletha and 53-year-old David M. Tucker, were arrested on warrants at their home Leitchfield Road in Owensboro.

Taletha D. Tucker was lodged in the Daviess County Detention Center on a $250,000 cash bond after being served with an out-of-state fugitive warrant. David M. Tucker was lodged in the Daviess County Detention Center for non-payment of fines. He is no longer listed as an inmate.

The Tuckers were previously granted custody of Miya’s three older siblings by the Cabinet for Health and Family Services. The state was in the process of removing Miya from the home after her umbilical cord tested positive for methamphetamine.

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 had been taken by the Cabinet for Health and Family Services. A quick check, though, revealed that was untrue.

Also arrested 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.