SEQUESTERED Podcast

BONUS | What We’re Still Asking: Zebb Quinn & Mitrice Richardson

Release Date: September 15, 2025
Hosts: Andrea (A), Sarah (C)

Episode Overview

In this special bonus episode, hosts Andrea and Sarah revisit two haunting cold cases previously covered on SEQUESTERED: the mysterious 2000 disappearance of Zebb Quinn in Asheville, North Carolina, and the tragic 2009 death of Mitrice Richardson in Malibu, California. The episode's purpose is to circle back on lingering questions, highlight investigative gaps, and honor the advocacy efforts that continue to keep these stories alive.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Revisiting the Zeb Quinn Case (00:58 - 03:00)

• The Page That Sparked It All

  • Zebb receives a page after work, traced to his aunt's house.
    • Key Question: Who actually sent the page? His aunt was with Misty Taylor and her mom at the time.
    • Andrea: “So was the page a coincidence, a setup, or the trap that started everything?” (00:58)
    • Sarah: “That one little page is like a spark that lit the whole fuse.” (01:46)
  • The connection between Zebb’s aunt and Misty’s mom—“They were friends. This wasn’t just some random overlap.” (Andrea, 02:06)

• The Staged Vehicle and Suspicions

  • The discovered car had lipstick marks on the window, a puppy left inside, and a hotel key card—details described as staged.
    • Sarah: “Once I really got into this case, I sort of felt like it was a way to throw off the investigators.” (02:28)
    • Andrea: “Whoever left the car wanted to create a story around it, but the real truth about what happened to Zeb is still missing.” (03:00)

The Mitrice Richardson Case (03:00 - 07:37)

• Release from Malibu Lost Hills Station

  • Mitrice is arrested for not paying her restaurant bill; her belongings impounded. She is released after midnight without her phone or wallet into an unlit canyon area.
    • Andrea: “She was released on foot into, basically, a canyon. Right.” (03:00)
    • Sarah: “A dark canyon.” (03:28)

• Family Concerns and Missed Warnings

  • Mitrice’s mother, Latice, calls the station to ask they keep her daughter safe, expressing deep fear for her release.
    • Sarah: “Latice sounds almost like prophetic, like she knows something is going to happen. She’s begging them not to release her daughter.” (04:02)
    • Sarah (on listening now): “…knowing what came next, it’s like her worst fears were realized and the system was warned and it didn’t matter.” (04:24)

• Missing Phone Records and Final Moments

  • The phone call log Mitrice attempted to use before leaving is incomplete or inaccessible.
    • Andrea: “Imagine how different things would feel if we had a name or a timestamp or even just a statement like, yes, Mitrice called me. … But that record is either incomplete or unavailable. And the silence just leaves a huge gap.” (04:35)
  • Questions linger about who, if anyone, she spoke to before vanishing.

• Role of Mitrice’s Girlfriend

  • The hosts discuss Mitrice’s girlfriend, Tessa, her role in the immediate aftermath, and the pain of not knowing details or finding closure.
    • “My heart is connected to her and I just hope that she is doing okay in the years after all of this, because I can’t even imagine ... just losing your person suddenly has gotta be so shocking.” (Andrea, 05:27)

• Why Joffrey’s?

  • Puzzlement remains about why Mitrice drove to Joffrey’s in Malibu—an area unfamiliar to her. The hosts mention their own visit to the location to better understand the context. (06:19)

• Discovery of Remains and Unanswered Questions

  • Mitrice’s remains are found in an inaccessible, remote canyon.
    • Sarah: “Could she have really walked there alone in the dark or did she catch a ride?” (07:04)
    • Uncertainty whether she was alone, or perhaps helped or harmed by someone.

Advocacy and Ongoing Efforts (07:37 - 08:46)

• Champions for Justice
  • Mitrice’s mother, Latice Sutton, and Dr. Rhonda Hampton (her mentor) highlighted as relentless advocates (“Writing, documenting and demanding action on their behalf.” Sarah, 08:03).
  • Cece Woods, independent Malibu journalist, commended for public persistence and pressure on local authorities.
    • Sarah: “She kept digging when others moved on and asked questions to the sheriff’s department that they didn’t want to answer.” (08:10)
    • “It just reminds me the power of strong women who won’t give up the fight.” (Sarah, 08:33)

Parallels Between the Cases (08:47 - 09:22)

• Both leave families with unanswered questions:
  • “They share the same haunting gaps. The missing body, the staged car, the untraceable page, the mother’s warning, the missed call log, the canyon where her remains were found. Both families were left with more questions than answers.” (Andrea, 08:47)
  • “Both families had to become investigators and advocates and storytellers.” (Sarah, 09:06)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Importance of Advocacy:
  “We all need people like them in our corner.” — Sarah (09:19)
• On Unanswered Questions:
  “Because like Sarah said, there are reports that she made phone calls? Did she call someone to come pick her up? Did she call her girlfriend? Did she call her aunt? Those are the questions that we have.” — Andrea (05:14)
• On False Leads in the Quinn Case:
  “To me, it felt staged.” — Sarah (02:55)
• On Maternal Intuition:
  “Latice sounds almost like prophetic, like she knows something is going to happen.” — Sarah (04:02)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:58 — Introduction to Zeb Quinn’s case and discussion of the suspicious page.
• 02:06 — Analysis of familial and social connections linked to Zeb’s disappearance.
• 02:28 — Debating whether evidence around Zeb’s car was staged.
• 03:00 — Transition to Mitrice Richardson; circumstances leading to her release.
• 04:02 — Emotional impact of Mitrice’s mother’s warning call to police.
• 04:35 — Discussion of missing phone records made from the station.
• 05:27 — Reflection on the impact on Mitrice’s girlfriend, Tessa.
• 06:19 — Host’s personal visit to Joffrey’s restaurant; unanswered motives.
• 07:04 — Questions about the plausibility of Mitrice reaching Dark Canyon alone.
• 08:03 — Shout-out to advocates Dr. Rhonda Hampton and Cece Woods.
• 08:47 — Parallels between both cases' unresolved gaps.
• 09:06 — The families’ transition into advocative roles and the value of community support.

Conclusion

The episode circles back on the Zeb Quinn and Mitrice Richardson cases, highlighting the enduring uncertainties and the critical role of relentless advocacy. Andrea and Sarah underscore the haunting gaps in both stories—staged evidence, missing links, and institutional failures—while honoring those who continue to push for answers, refusing to let their loved ones fade into obscurity. The hosts urge listeners to keep these cases alive, contribute any information they may have, and remain vigilant in the pursuit of justice.