The Miya Rudd case centers on an eight-month-old girl from Reynolds Station, Kentucky, whose decomposed body was found hidden in a duffle bag inside her family’s home in June 2024. Her parents, Tesla Tucker and Cage Rudd, are charged with murder and could face the death penalty at a trial scheduled for September 8, 2026. Two other defendants originally charged with murder, including Miya’s paternal grandfather, have pleaded guilty to lesser drug-related offenses.
How Miya Was Found
Kentucky State Police opened a missing child investigation on June 6, 2024, after a welfare check at the Rudd family home in Reynolds Station turned up no sign of the infant. Tucker, 29, and Rudd, 30, were arrested that day on charges including abandonment of a minor and drug offenses.1Kentucky State Police. Missing Child Investigation
Investigators returned to the residence over the following days. On June 14, 2024, at about 1:15 p.m., they found a decomposed body buried under debris inside the cluttered house. KSP Trooper Corey King said the home was so contaminated with drug residue that it had to be sterilized before the final search could be completed.214 News. Special Equipment, Cadaver Dogs Back Out Searching for Missing Baby Miya The remains, later confirmed as Miya’s, were concealed in a duffle bag in the front room.3Owensboro Times. Autopsy Shows 8-Month-Old Rudd Had Meth in System Police said Miya had not been seen alive for more than a month.
The Kentucky Medical Examiner’s Office completed its final autopsy report on January 8, 2025, after DNA results came back. Decomposition, the examiner wrote, “precluded an optimum examination,” so the cause of death was ruled undetermined. The manner of death was classified as homicide based on the scene, circumstances, and autopsy findings.3Owensboro Times. Autopsy Shows 8-Month-Old Rudd Had Meth in System Toxicology found 23.3 ng/mL of methamphetamine in the infant’s system.4Tri-State Homepage. Miya Rudd’s Death Cause of Death Ruled Undetermined
Who Was Charged
Four people were initially charged in connection with Miya’s death after her body was recovered: her parents Tesla Tucker and Cage Rudd; her paternal grandfather Ricky Smith, 56; and Brodie C. Payne. All four faced counts of abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence, and failure to report a death.5WBKO. Remains of Missing Miya Rudd Have Been Found
Once the final autopsy was in hand, an Ohio County grand jury issued superseding multi-count indictments on January 17, 2025, charging each of the four with murder, four counts of first-degree criminal abuse of a child, abuse of a corpse, engaging in organized crime, and various drug and firearm offenses. All four were held on $250,000 cash bonds.3Owensboro Times. Autopsy Shows 8-Month-Old Rudd Had Meth in System6WAVE 3. Suspects Indicted in Death of 8-Month-Old Miya Rudd
Miya’s maternal grandmother, Taletha Tucker, was separately charged in November 2024 with first-degree criminal abuse of a child under twelve, controlled substance endangerment to a child, and hindering prosecution. Investigators said she had given Tesla Tucker and Cage Rudd money to help them avoid law enforcement at the start of the case.1Kentucky State Police. Missing Child Investigation
Plea Deals for Smith and Payne
On November 25, 2025, Ricky Smith and Brodie Payne accepted plea agreements in Ohio County Circuit Court, ending their exposure to the murder charge before trial.
Smith pleaded guilty to a single count of first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance involving less than two grams of methamphetamine. The remaining seventeen counts against him were dismissed without prejudice, and he was sentenced to five years in prison, to run concurrently with a sentence he was already serving out of Daviess County. Probation was denied.7Owensboro Times. Two Defendants Take Plea Deals, Aggravating Circumstance Filed Against Parents
Payne pleaded guilty to first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance and first-degree wanton endangerment. He received five years on each count, running concurrently for a total of five years, to be served consecutively with any other state time. Probation was denied.814 News. Grandfather Takes Plea Deal, One Other Sentenced in Connection to Death of Baby Miya Rudd The murder and criminal abuse counts against both men were dropped as part of the agreements.9Hancock Clarion. Two Plead to Drug Charges in Miya Rudd Case as Parents Could Face Possible Death Penalty
Death Penalty Notice Against the Parents
On December 1, 2025, days after the Smith and Payne deals were finalized, the Commonwealth filed formal notices of aggravating circumstance against Tesla Tucker and Cage Rudd. The cited aggravator is the victim’s age combined with allegations that the killing was intentional or involved complicity. If the aggravating factor is proven at trial, Kentucky law allows sentencing options of the death penalty, life without the possibility of parole, life without parole for 25 years, or a prison term of 20 to 50 years or life.7Owensboro Times. Two Defendants Take Plea Deals, Aggravating Circumstance Filed Against Parents
When the Trial Is Scheduled
Tucker and Rudd are scheduled to stand trial together on September 8, 2026, in Ohio County Circuit Court. Both continue to face the murder charge along with the criminal abuse, corpse, organized crime, drug, and firearm counts from the January 2025 indictment.10Tri-State Homepage. Parents of Miya Rudd to Stand Trial for Murder in September