Here is the interview:
To make amends for my stupidity in posting a comment (above) in what I now realize is the media thread, I've transcribed the video. Feel free to copy, cut and share etc.
SS - Shomari Stone, reporter.
SY: Shamika Young, Relisha's mom.
From NBC video, here:
http://www.nbcwashington.com/video/...nterview-With-Relisha-Rudd-s-Mother/252941701
SS: How are you feeling right now?
SY:Staying strong, having a lot of faith - that's all I can feel. I'm hurting. I might not be showing signs that I'm hurt but yes, indeed-dy I'm hurt, deep down inside. Nobody ain't going to be able to feel that and nobody ain't going to be able to put their feeling there, in my shoes.
Even if they did have a daughter, and they lost a daughter, ain't nobody gonna be able to feel the pain that I'm feeling right now.
SS: The police chief said, quote, 'We cannot ignore the possibility that he may have killed her.'
SY: (Long pause) That got my head messed up. But umm...I-I don't even know what to say on that. There's a lot of things scrambling in my head but I am gonna say the public cannot fault me at this, umm, I thought and I thought I could have trusted in my mother and my sister. You know there's things that the public don't know for instance;
One, that my mother told me that this man told her that if anything happened to him and his wife today or tomorrow, my daughter would be safe. What does that mean?
SS: Do you still believe your daughter is alive?
SY: Yes, I still believe that.
SS: Why?
SY: It's all about the faith, and it's all about leaving it in God's hands. As long as these prayers are going out all night, everyday, and nonstop, it's all in the Man's hands above us. And that's one thing that Man above us don't play with - it's fools and babies. And my 8 year old daughter, she is a baby. So that's something he don't play with.
SS: Now I have to ask this just so you can set the record straight; do you feel in anyway responsible for your daughter's disappearance?
SY: No, I don't feel responsible. Why I don't feel responsible because she was in the care of my mother and my sister, that's why I don't feel responsible.
SS: In all fairness, some say you refused to fill out a missing person's report. Is that true?
SY: We're gonna get that clear - no, that's not true. They never asked me to issue out a missing person's report.
SS: For the -when your daughter was missing for three weeks, did you say to yourself, where is she, is she with Tatum, did you call the school? Did anything come to mind during that period of time?
SY: I wasn't under the impression that she - that she was missing. I was under the impression that she was still at my sister's house, where I left her. And under the care of my mother.
SS: Some people would say, why didn't you call police if your daughter was missing?
SY: I didn't want to lose my other three kids. That's why I didn't call the police.
SS: If Khalil Tatum is watching this right now, what would you say to him? You can look at the camera .
SY: (addresses camera) What would I say to you? - I have a lot of questions to ask you and I want you to answer them properly. And give me the correct answers.
SS: Why did you trust him?
SY: He didn't look like that type of person. He looked like a good person. The way he played with everybody kids; the way he did his job, when he needed to do his job, buffing them floors; he didn't look like an intimidized?? person, he really didn't.
SS: Now, I talked to a lot of parents with this story and some say they would not let a grown man spend time with their daughter.
SY: That's why everyone is getting their confused there. I didn't actually let this man - or give this man - my daughter.
SS: Then what did you do?
SY: I took her to my sister's house and had her in my sister's and my mother's care. That's exactly what I did.
SS: Anything else you wanna add?....Suppose your daughter's watching this? What would you say to her?
SY: If my daughter is watching this right now, I would say, I love you and come back home (crying) to your mother safely and unharmed and I love you ..and when you do return back and if you do return back unharmed , you will never EVER go with anybody else. You will be next to my side at all times. (video appears to have an edit here)
I gotta stay strong. I gotta. It's okay to cry people, it's okay. I'm just hurt but I just gotta stay strong and have my faith (crying)......pause
SS: Are you a good mom?
SY: I'm a helluva good mother. And I am going to say this; there's kids out here that wish they had a mother like me. 'Cos some of these parents don't support their kids like they're supposed to. So it's kids out there who wish they had a mother that was doing the things that I was doing for my childrens, that would do for them.
SS: There's a report that you're under investigation for obstruction of justice.
SY: I don't even know what that is.
SS: (after interview ends) And tonight something interesting to note, Shamika tells me that Relisha was in the care of Shamika's mother and sister at the time of her disappearance. Well, I called the mother and sister and they say that's absolutely not true. Now, one thing seems to be clear - they all hope that Relisha Rudd is alive - and they want Tatum, behind bars.