The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors has reinstated a $20,000 reward for information leading to answers in the mysterious disappearance and death of Mitrice Richardson. Richardson vanished nearly 15 years ago in September 2009 after being released from the Malibu/Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station in Agoura. At the time, she was 24 years old and had recently graduated from Cal State Fullerton.
Her remains were discovered approximately a year later in Dark Canyon, Malibu, near an abandoned illegal marijuana farm. The cause of her death remains undetermined, leaving many questions unanswered.
Richardson’s initial arrest occurred after she failed to pay an $89 bill at Geoffrey’s, a restaurant along the Pacific Coast Highway. Originally from West Covina in the San Gabriel Valley, she was unfamiliar with the Malibu area. Investigators found evidence in her diary and text messages suggesting she was experiencing a sleepless bipolar episode during her arrest.
On the morning of her release, neighbors reported seeing a woman matching Richardson’s description sleeping on a porch. However, when deputies arrived, she was gone.
The Board of Supervisors had previously offered a $10,000 reward for information before her remains were found. The reward was re-established in 2010 and again in 2022.
Richardson’s family has long suspected foul play, arguing that the officers should have been more attentive to her mental state. The family sued the county, ultimately settling for approximately $900,000 in 2011.
