March 1, 2014 marks the last day that a then 8-year-old Relisha Rudd was last seen alive. Rudd had been living in a homeless shelter in Washington, D.C. with her mother Shamika Young. Later that month, Relisha’s elementary school contacted the D.C. Child and Family Services Agency after she had missed more than 30 days of school. Authorities opened an investigation into her apparent disappearance on March 19, 2014.

On March 25, authorities released footage of Kahlil Malik Tatum walking alone with Relisha as the pair entered a room at a Holiday Inn Express on Bladensburg Road NE. Tatum had been employed as a janitor at the same homeless shelter that Relisha was staying in with her family.

A social worker reached out to Tatum, who failed to show up for an arranged meeting at the homeless shelter, prompting investigators to launch a search for him. They tracked him to a motel, where he had been staying with other adults. Authorities learn that Relisha had likely not been with Tatum at the hotel. In a bizarre turn of events, D.C. police find Tatum’s wife Andrea dead in the hotel room, from a gunshot wound. They then charged Tatum with a warrant for murder and continued to search for him. Their search ended on April 1, 2014 after a body found in Northeast Washington park during a search for Relisha Rudd was positively identified as that of Kahlil Malik Tatum.

As volunteers continued to search for Relisha, suspicions were cast on her mother Shamika Young and her boyfriend Antonio Wheeler. Many cited their behavior on social media as evidence of their involvement in Relisha’s disappearance. Police also suspected that Young had turned over Relisha to Tatum prior to her disappearance, which Young denied. There is also evidence that Tatum had prior contact with other girls at the shelter, which is prohibited.

The case of Relisha Rudd’s disappearance has confounded journalists and supporters alike, with many even suggesting that the popular podcast “Serial” take on the case.

Last week D.C. police resumed the search for Relisha Rudd, with a team of up to 80 searchers, including cadaver dogs. The five-hour search ended at a construction site located across the street from the Holiday Inn Express where Relisha was last seen with Tatum.

Relisha’s mother spoke out about the search,

Relisha’s mother, Shamika Young, said she didn’t know what prompted the latest search. The police haven’t spoken to her about new leads in the case, she said.

And she still doesn’t believe that her daughter is dead.

“I do believe she’s alive,” she said. “I don’t care what other people say. That’s my kid.”

Young has long had a contentious relationship with city authorities, who accused her of misleading them about Relisha’s whereabouts when the second-grader was discovered missing. Relisha’s three younger brothers have been in foster care for almost two years, and a court is still considering whether to terminate Young’s parental rights.

Young expressed bitterness toward police investigators, insisting that they haven’t done enough to find her daughter. She is scheduled to see her sons.

While it’s not clear what halted the search to begin with, D.C. Police Chief Cathy L. Lanier vows to not stop looking until all resources had been exhausted.