Inset left: Miya Rudd (Kentucky State Police). Inset middle: Brodie Payne (Daviess County Detention Center). Inset right: Ricky Smith (Daviess County Detention Center). Background: The home in Reynolds Station, Kentucky, where the victim”s body was found (WBKO/YouTube).
In a tragic case unfolding in western Kentucky, two men have recently learned their sentences related to the disturbing death of an infant, whose body was discovered in a duffel bag.
Miya Rudd, just 8 months old, was reported missing on June 6, 2024. Approximately a week later, her body, already decomposing, was found hidden inside her family’s residence in Reynolds Station, Kentucky. This small, unincorporated community lies about 90 miles southwest of Louisville.
Authorities revealed that Miya’s remains were concealed in a duffel bag, suggesting an intentional effort to hide her body. Investigators have charged that her murder and subsequent concealment were part of a conspiracy involving multiple residents of the rural household.
According to updates from the Kentucky State Police, a total of five individuals have faced charges: Ricky Smith, 58; Brodie Payne, 30; Tesla Tucker, 29; Cage Rudd, 30; and Taletha Tucker, who was 50 at the time of her arrest in November 2024.
Smith was identified as Miya’s grandfather, with Tesla Tucker and Cage Rudd being her parents. Taletha Tucker was the infant’s grandmother. The connection between Payne and the family remains unclear, though it is noted that he had been living with them for about six months prior to his arrest.
The case has also highlighted the alleged involvement of drugs among the accused. Except for Taletha Tucker, all were charged with drug trafficking, with methamphetamine reportedly being the central substance in question.
Last week, Smith and Payne accepted plea agreements to have certain charges against them, including murder, dismissed. In exchange, Smith and Payne pleaded guilty to trafficking a controlled substance, and Payne also pleaded guilty to wanton endangerment, local NBC affiliate WFIE reported. As a result of their pleas, Smith and Payne were each sentenced to five years in prison.
Prosecutors have also reportedly filed notices of aggravating circumstances against Tesla Tucker and Cage Rudd, opening up the possibility that the jury could recommend the death penalty for the two of them if they are found guilty of murder.
Meth was found in Miya’s system when investigators found her body, according to The Owensboro Times, and there was extensive evidence of neglect. Her body was reportedly in such a state of decomposition that an autopsy could not explicitly state what killed her.
Kentucky State Police Public Information Officer Trooper Corey King told the newspaper that the Rudd family home was “cluttered” inside and out. He added that there were so many drugs and drug residue inside the house that they had to ensure it was safe before conducting a more thorough search.
“It was a danger for anyone in there,” King said. “So they had to make sure that this house was sanitized to the point it wasn’t going to harm us or any of our investigators overdose while searching this house.”
Miya’s body was ultimately found with a “substantial amount of debris” on top of her, the officer continued.
