Death of Mitrice Richardson
| Mitrice Lavon Richardson | |
|---|---|
| Born | April 30, 1985 |
| Death | September 17, 2009 |
| Place of Death | Monte Nido, California |
| Known for | Missing Person |
Mitrice Lavon Richardson (April 30, 1985 - September 17, 2009) was an African American woman who went missing after being released from a Malibu, California jail and was subsequently found deceased. She was a dancer in a nightclub and was an out lesbian at the time of her disappearance and death.[1]
Early life and education
She was a 24-year-old graduate of South Hills High School in West Covina, California. She graduated from California State University, Fullerton with a B.A. degree in psychology in 2007. Richardson was a classically trained dancer and participated in the Ms. Fullerton and Ms. Covina pageants.
Disappearance
On the evening of September 16, 2009, Richardson entered the parking lot of Geoffrey's restaurant in Malibu, California. Due to what staff and patrons at the restaurant described as "bizarre" behavior and the fact that she was unable to pay for her bill, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's department from the Malibu/Lost Hills Station were called to assess her condition. The officers on the scene purportedly administered a field sobriety test and determined that she was not intoxicated and not under the influence of any substance. In an email to command staff, the arresting officer stated that he arrested Mitrice Richardson due to the fact that she was, "acting ditzy"; however, he failed to take her for a psychiatric evaluation and instead detained her.
Upon her arrest, her phone, purse and money were secured in her car and her car was towed to a tow yard on Pacific Coast Highway. Mitrice was detained and booked at the Malibu/Lost Hills Sheriff station approximately 10 miles up Malibu Canyon at a sheriff station in Agoura, CA.
Despite the fact that Richardson's mother informed the station of concern for her daughters mental health and promises from the station personnel that she would not be released until later in the morning, Richardson was released on September 17, 2009 at 12:28am in a mental health crisis, with no belongings and no means of calling for assistance.
Several hours later she was seen in the backyard of former news anchor Bill Smith (KTLA) who stated she was in his backyard "resting". Neighbors stated that they heard a woman's voice in the tennis courts of Bill Smith's home. Others stated that they heard and saw Mitrice either leaving or attempting to enter the home of Bill Smith and that she had been in the presence of a man who frequented the home for a few days after her disappearance. Neighbors also stated that they heard loud screams in a vacant home around the time that Mitrice went missing. They stated that the police were called.
Search
Only after much pressure was there a search for Mitrice by law enforcement two days after she went missing. The search was supposed to last for two days; however, despite the fact that the scent dogs still had her scent, the search was abruptly called off on the first day with no explanation for why it ended or why it would not continue for the second day. The neighbors of Bill Smith were shocked to learn that the search for Mitrice did not include a search of the creek bed in the area as it would have been a very likely place for someone to take her. Her remains were found in Monte Nido, California, in the very creek bed that the residents of the Monte Nido community thought she may have been.
The creekbed where Mitrice's naked skeletal remains were eventually discovered, is adjacent to a 21 acre ranch that is known for producing pornography. It is very secluded and has direct access to the creek bed. When her body was discovered, the detectives on the case removed her body against the order of the coroner. Her death was deemed to not be a homicide.
References
- ^ "Where's Mitrice? The Search for a Young Lesbian Missing Since September". SheWired. November 17, 2009. Retrieved March 29, 2015.