Mitrice Richardson: Unsolved Death (Malibu, CA) | Part One

Summary

SEQUESTERED Podcast

Episode: Mitrice Richardson: Unsolved Death (Malibu, CA) | Part One

Host: Road Trip Studios
Date: August 25, 2025

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Overview

This episode launches a two-part investigation into the disappearance and unsolved death of Mitrice Richardson, a 24-year-old Black woman whose case has troubled Los Angeles for over fifteen years. Through immersive storytelling and original audio, the episode unpacks the last known moments of Mitrice’s life—from her arrest at a Malibu restaurant to her release alone at night by police, and the frantic search that followed. The narrative zeros in on systemic issues of race, mental health, and policing failures—foregrounding the voices of Mitrice, her family, and those involved.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Who Was Mitrice Richardson? (00:39–04:30)

• Background: Mitrice Lavon Richardson was born April 30, 1985, raised in Covina, California.
  • Academic excellence—graduated with a 4.0 in psychology from Cal State Fullerton (2008).
  • Talented, empathetic, wanted to help foster youth and become a child psychologist.
  • Loved dance, poetry, and crossword puzzles.
  • Was openly gay and, per LA Magazine, “unapologetically herself,” a trait not always rewarded for young Black women.
• Memorable Moment: Clip of Mitrice from a beauty pageant answering a question:
  • "What one technological advancement do you wish had never been invented?"
  • Mitrice (03:10): “Cell phones… I just wish that cell phones would be limited to just emergencies only.”

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2. The Night at Joffrey’s Restaurant (04:30–09:23)

• Timeline: September 16, 2009, Malibu’s Joffrey’s restaurant.
  • Mitrice arrives alone, behaving “distracted but not drunk.”
  • Tells valet about “avenging Michael Jackson’s death” and to “watch for a girl named Vanessa.”
  • Joins strangers at their table, writes poetry at the bar, then can’t pay her $89.51 bill.
  • Restaurant staff and manager grow more concerned about her mental state than the unpaid bill.
• Actual 911 audio (07:44):
  • "We have a guest here who is refusing to pay her bill and we think she may... she sounds really crazy. She may be on drugs or something." — Joffrey’s staff to dispatcher

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3. Arrest and Mother’s Forethought (09:23–15:00)

• Deputies arrive, find Mitrice’s ID, phone, wallet, and marijuana in her towed car. Her aunt offers to pay the bill, but deputies arrest Mitrice for “defrauding an innkeeper” and marijuana possession.
• Mitrice, 50 miles from home, is “agitated, not overtly intoxicated” per Pasadena Star News. Her mom suspects a bipolar episode.
• Mother’s call to sheriff's station (12:53):
  • Latice Sutton: “I would hate to wake up to a morning report… girl lost somewhere with her head chopped off…I feel safe with her being in custody. It’s being released that I’m worried about.”
  • Dispatcher assures her Mitrice will not be released at night.

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4. Release Into Danger: Contradictory Accounts (15:00–21:00)

• Despite assurances and concerns, Mitrice is released from the remote station at 12:15am—no phone, ID, wallet, or way home—after declining an offer to stay, according to officials.
  • Bail set at $2,500; Mitrice makes phone calls but is “pacing the lobby, pulling her hair, and lies face down on a bench” (as seen on later-released surveillance).
• Immediate aftermath:
  • Mother’s frantic call in the morning, trying to file a missing person report:
    • Latice Sutton (19:23): “How long before a missing person’s report can be filed? Is it 24 or 48 hours?... She’s in an unknown area, she’s never been in. She’s without a vehicle. Nobody can find her.”
  • Dispatcher tells her to wait; doesn’t seem concerned or responsive.
  • Quote: “Listen, my child has never ridden a bus. No, she would not know how to ride a bus.” — Latice Sutton (19:49)

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5. Last Sighting: Hours After Release (21:57–24:24)

• 5:30am—neighbor Bill Smith (ex-KTLA anchor) calls Sheriff:
  • Sees “tall, slim Black woman with afro hair” resting on steps. When asked if she’s OK, she says, “I’m just resting,” then disappears.
  • Deputy reportedly not dispatched until nearly an hour after, raising timeline concerns.

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6. Search Delays and Family Outrage (26:02–32:00)

• Coverage of how the station is “isolated, not a safe pickup spot.” Family holds a press conference demanding accountability—Latice Sutton asserts a “double standard” in police practices for Black women.

• The Sheriff’s Department claims proper procedures; says Mitrice declined the bed and “was lucid and coherent,” but video later contradicts this.

• Search begins only after 48 hours, despite repeated family urgencies and sightings. Search efforts detour inexplicably to downtown LA (Mitrice had no way to travel there)—potential mishandling of the case’s focus.

  • Family’s outrage: “If Mitrice Richardson’s name was Spears or Lohan, they would never have let her walk out by herself. They would have escorted her home… It’s a double standard.” — Unnamed Family Representative (27:00)

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7. False Hopes & Final Heartbreak (31:15–End)

• Months of conflicting leads—sightings in Las Vegas (June 2010), including a supposed encounter at the Rio Hotel, but no confirmation, no hard evidence.
• Miguel Almaguer, NBC News (27:46): “Authorities try to figure out how a beautiful young woman could simply vanish into the night outside a sheriff's station.”
• August 9, 2010: Remains are discovered in a remote Malibu canyon—story will continue in Part Two, with Mitrice’s mother, Latice Sutton, discussing the aftermath.

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Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• Mitrice (Pageant, 03:10): “I just wish that cell phones would be limited to just emergencies only.”
• Restaurant staff 911 call (07:44): “She sounds really crazy. She may be on drugs or something.”
• Latice Sutton (Mother, 13:29): “I would hate to wake up to a morning report girl lost somewhere with her head chopped off…I feel safe with her being in custody. It’s being released that I’m worried about.”
• Dispatcher (To Latice, 14:12): “At least in the station here, she will be separated, so nobody's going to be with her. So, at least that's, you know, the plus thing.”
• Latice Sutton (19:49): “Listen, my child has never ridden a bus. No, she would not know how to ride a bus.”
• Bill Smith (Neighbor, 23:19): “She was sitting kind of sprawled out on these wooden steps in the back of the house. Right against the back of the house...I hollered down, are you all right? She said, ‘I'm just resting’ or something like that.”
• Family Representative (27:00): “If Mitrice Richardson name was Spears or Lohan, they would never have let her walk out by herself. ... It’s a double standard.”
• Reporter - NBC News (27:46): “She was not intoxicated. She was not disoriented. The LA County Sheriff's Department did not only everything procedurally correct, but was morally right.”
• Latice Sutton (32:55): “That is correct.” (on learning she helped discover her daughter’s remains)

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Important Segments & Timestamps

• 00:39–04:30: Introduction to Mitrice’s life and family background
• 04:30–09:23: The night at Joffrey’s—her unusual behavior and 911 call
• 09:23–12:50: Arrest events and mother’s growing concern
• 12:50–15:00: The pivotal phone call—Latice’s fears, dispatcher assurances
• 15:00–21:00: Mitrice’s booking, surveillance behavior, and midnight release without resources
• 21:57–24:24: Early morning sighting in residential canyon, police dispatch gap
• 26:02–28:13: Family’s anger, press coverage, procedural contradictions
• 28:13–32:55: Failed search directions, Las Vegas sighting, and the lead-in to discovery of remains
• End: Preview of Part Two—mother’s involvement in final discovery

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Tone, Language, & Storytelling

• Narrative style: Compassionate, investigative, and unflinching—centered on Mitrice’s humanity and her family’s anguish
• Language: Original and authentic, especially from call transcripts; family’s pain and frustration evident; hosts and narrators maintain empathy and clarity
• Atmosphere: Evocative descriptions (Malibu’s cliffs, the institutional isolation of the sheriff’s station) and selected audio immerse listeners in the gravity of each decision and its aftermath

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Conclusion

Part One paints a haunting, unresolved portrait of a vibrant young woman who slipped through the cracks of policing and bureaucracy, raising deep questions about mental health interventions, racial bias, and institutional accountability. The episode ends on the brink of new revelations, with a promise to return—with Mitrice’s mother’s firsthand account—of what happened when her remains were finally found.

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Next: Part Two will delve into the discovery of Mitrice Richardson’s remains, unanswered questions, and the ongoing fight for justice.

Transcript

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[Narrator]

On a September evening in 2009, 24 year old Mitrice Lavon Richardson walked into a restaurant in Malibu, California. Diners noticed right away she didn't seem quite like herself. Before the night was over, staff would call the sheriff's department, not just because she hadn't paid her bill, but because they were genuinely concerned for her safety. A few hours later, just after midnight, Mitrice walked out of the Lost Hill Sheriff Station alone, with no phone, no wallet, no car keys. What happened in the hours that followed has never been fully explained. Mitrice wasn't just another name in a police log. She was bright, compassionate and full of ambition. A 24 year old college graduate who was on her way to becoming a child psychologist, she was someone who lit up rooms with her warmth and energy. So how does someone like that vanish into the night? Mitrice's story has haunted Los Angeles county for more than 15 years. It's a story about race, mental health, and a system that many say failed her at every turn. My name is Sarah Reid and this is sequestered. Season 2 Case 6 the Disappearance and Death of Mitrice Richardson, Part 1 Born on April 30, 1985, Mitrice Lavon Richardson was a bright and compassionate young woman who longed to make a difference in the world. She grew up in Covina, California, where she graduated from South Hills High School before going on to earn her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from California State University, Fullerton. In 2008, she graduated with a perfect 4.0 GPA. Mitrice was described by loved ones as energetic, warm and intelligent. A performing spirit. She loved to dance, write, write poetry, solve crossword puzzles, and connect deeply with the people around her. She had aspirations of becoming a child psychologist, possibly working with foster youth, and was in the process of becoming a substitute teacher. Academically accomplished and driven by empathy and purpose, Mitrice embodied a rare blend of intellect, creativity and heart. Here's a clip of Mitrice in a beauty pageant answering one of the interview questions. What one technological advancement do you wish had never been invented? Cell phones. Although when you're stranded, they help contact your family in the need of a spare tire or just in any need of emergency. But they also cause a lot of accidents, and they cause a lot of friendships from forming, because as soon as people get out of class, the first thing they want to do is talk on their cell phones. So I just wish that cell phones would be limited to just emergencies only. Mitrice was also openly gay, and according to LA Magazine, she was unapologetically herself in a world that didn't always reward that kind of authenticity, especially for black women. And that's why what happened next is so hard to understand. It was a Wednesday night in Malibu, California. September 16, 2009. Joffrey's, a cliffside restaurant perched above the Pacific coast highway, was winding down after the dinner rush. If you've never been to the area, it's breathtaking. The road curves along the Pacific Ocean, stretching endlessly on one side and rugged cliffs rising on the other. Joffrey's clings to that edge, perched just above the water as if it were part of the landscape itself. The air was cool that night and salty from the sea. Candlelight flickered on the tables, waves pounding against the cliffside, a steady rhythm beneath the chatter of diners. But inside the restaurant that night, something was stirring. Around 7 o' clock that evening, the valet watched a young woman step out of her car, a 1998 Honda Civic. She was alone, the valet later told reporters. She seemed unusual, not drunk exactly, but distracted, as if her mind was somewhere else entirely. She told him something was, quote, subliminal, end quote. She mentioned avenging the death of Michael Jackson, which had just happened three months prior, and she asked him to watch for a girl with tattooed arms named Vanessa. The valet didn't know who Vanessa was he just knew. Something felt off. Inside Joffre's, Mitrice took a seat by herself. Then, at some point, she joined a table of strangers, acting as though she knew them. She ordered herself a Kobe steak and an Ocean Breeze cocktail. The restaurant staff later said she was polite but scattered, drifting in and out of conversation. At one point she stood and wandered to the bar, then came back with a notebook and began writing poetry. Her total bill came to $89.51, and when it came, she said she couldn't pay for it. She told the waitress her friends would cover it. They didn't. We posted a picture of the receipt on our website, sequesteredpod.com. eventually, the manager would call the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. By this point, it wasn't just the unpaid bill. Several staff members were concerned for her well being. Her speech and the way she seemed both euphoric and anxious. It was odd. Here's the actual 911 call from Joffrey's Restaurant about my trees.

[Dispatcher]

Lost Station. Deputy Shore. How can I help you?

[Latice Sutton]

Hi, I'm calling from Joffrey's Restaurant in Malibu. We have a guest here who is refusing to pay her bill and we think she may. She sounds really crazy. She may be on drugs or something. We are wondering if someone can come by and pick her up.

[Dispatcher]

Okay, well, what's the address here?

[Latice Sutton]

It's 27400 Pacific Coast Highway.

[Dispatcher]

And is she a white, black, Asian, Hispanic?

[Latice Sutton]

She's young, black girl, probably in her 20s.

[Dispatcher]

Okay, what's she wearing?

[Latice Sutton]

She's wearing black T shirts and I think blue jeans.

[Dispatcher]

Is she with anybody else?

[Latice Sutton]

No, it's just her.

[Narrator]

Deputies from the Malibu Lost Hills station arrived and spoke with her. They searched her car, the one parked with valet, and found a small amount of marijuana along with her purse, phone and id. Sometime during this commotion, Mitrice's aunt was called and she offered to pay for the bill. But the deputies decided to arrest Mitrice on charges of defrauding an innkeeper and possession of marijuana. They had her car towed, placed her under arrest, and put her in the back of a patrol car. She was 50 miles from home. She was clearly in crisis. Deputies own reports later acknowledged she was acting strangely at Joffrey's, speaking in fragmented sentences, veering between laughter and quiet pauses. According to the Pasadena Star News, one deputy noted she appeared agitated, but wasn't overtly intoxicated. Her mother, Latice Sutton, would later tell ABC News that she feared Mitrice was in the middle of a bipolar episode. And this wasn't just intuition. Mitrice had shown signs of depression in the past, and Latice knew that without her medication or support, she could be in crisis. Despite this, deputies chose to book her rather than take her for a mental health evaluation, a decision that would become one of the most contested moments in the case.

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[Narrator]

My Treece was booked at the Lost Hills Sheriff's station at 10:05pm Deputies fingerprinted her, took her booking photo and logged her belongings, everything from her belt to her earrings. But some crucial things never made it into her property bag, her phone, her wallet and her car keys. Those keys, the only way to get into her Honda Civic, were locked inside of the car that had already been towed nearly two miles away. Her wallet, along with her ID was also in the car and her phone was locked inside too, its battery slowly draining away. That meant that when Mitrice was released from custody later that night, she would walk out of the station with no phone, no money, no identification and no way to get home. She would have nothing but the clothes on her back. But let's back up. Around 10:30 that night, Mitrice's mother, Latice Sutton, called the Lost Hills Sheriff Station. She had just learned that her daughter had been arrested and she was deeply concerned about what might happen if Mitrice was released in the middle of the night with no ride, no phone and no way home. Latice wanted to know for certain. Would her daughter be kept until morning or sent out into the dark alone? She wanted to make sure she would be there when her daughter was released. We think it's important to hear that call in full because it shows even before Mitrice was released, her mother was already pleading for her safety.

[Dispatcher]

Lost Share station defication left I can help you.

[Latice Sutton]

I am calling. I'm a little fragile right now. I understand my daughter is being brought into the state station. My trees Richard son has a made it to the station yet and she's been booked.

[Dispatcher]

Okay, is do you know where she's coming from?

[Latice Sutton]

It's some restaurant out in Malibu and I didn't even think to get the name.

[Dispatcher]

The manager the only place we have somebody that's in Custody that they just announced on the radio that they're coming up is from Joffrey's Highway. It's the only female that's being brought up to the station as we speak.

[Caller (Bill Smith)]

They actually just put on the radio right before you call.

[Latice Sutton]

Okay. Okay. I'm. I'm her mother. And are you guys want to book her and then release her on her own recognizable tonight because it's dark, she doesn't have a car, and I don't want her wandering out. I'm totally just taken aback because it is so out of character for her. And you'll see when she comes in, she's well spoken. I think the only way I will come and get her tonight is if you guys are going to release her tonight. Yeah. Going to be held in custody for some type of arraignment tomorrow. Then I will wait until tomorrow. She definitely has no place, you know, I mean, she's not from that area. And I would hate to wake up to a morning report girl lost somewhere with her head chopped off. I guess I would have to come and get her. Oh, my God.

[Dispatcher]

Yeah, we're in a great hills. The only thing is, at least in the station here, she will be separated, so nobody's going to be with her. So at least that's, you know, the plus thing. So you don't have to worry about her safety.

[Latice Sutton]

Oh, yeah, no, I feel safe with her being in custody. It's being released, but I'm worried about it. It's crazy out here. All right, well, then I will more than likely call and touch bases with you guys a little bit later.

[Dispatcher]

She'll call you as soon as she comes in, too.

[Narrator]

Let's pause for a moment so you can get a picture of the area where Mitrice was being held. The Lost Hills Sheriff's Station, see, sits on Agora Road in Calabasas, California, tucked into the foothills of the Santa Monica Mountains. It's not near much of anything. It's quiet, remote. This wasn't a bustling town center or a safe pickup spot. That isolation isn't just background. It's central to understanding how vulnerable Mitrice truly was that night and how the very setting defined the danger she faced. Now you can hear why Latice was so adamant about knowing her daughter's time of release. She knew the area, and her instinct told her it wasn't safe for Mitrice to be released in the middle of the night. But as you heard in the call, the jailer reassured her Mitrice wouldn't be released until morning. But that's not what happened. According to the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Inmate Portal, Mitrice Richardson was booked at the Lost hills station at 11:03pm on September 16, 2009, with bail set at $2,500. A report from the LA County Office of Independent Review later described the booking process. Mitrice was fingerprinted, photographed, interviewed and allowed access to a phone. She even used it a couple times. Mitrice reportedly denied having any mental health issues, and when the records checks showed no warrants, she signed a promise to appear in court. The report also says the jailer twice offered to let her stay voluntarily until morning or until someone could pick her up. But both times, it says Mitrice declined, saying she planned to meet friends. But the reality was this. Mitrice was released at 12:15am without her phone, without her ID, and without her car keys. And just 23 minutes later, at 12:38am, the station door opened and Mitrice Richardson stepped out into the dark night. At the time, LA Sheriff's Department told the press that Mitrice was, quote, lucid and coherent when she left. But that account would later be contradicted by surveillance video from inside the station, footage her family fought for months to obtain. In it, Mitrice is seen pacing the lobby. She's pulling at her hair and eventually lies face down on a bench. That tape wouldn't come to light until much later, but even on that night, one question. Was she really okay to walk into the canyon alone? A few hours later, Letice called the station again, only to learn her daughter had already been released. Can you imagine the shock, the fear that must have hit her in that moment? Latice immediately asked if she could file a missing person's report. Here's that call.

[Latice Sutton]

Yes, good morning, my name is Latish Breton. I'm calling to follow up on my daughter who was brought in last night around 10:30, 11:00'. Clock. Okay, let me chance for the jailer. Hold on, please. Thank you.

[Dispatcher]

Mockville Station. Baumgartner.

[Latice Sutton]

Yes, Hi, my name is Latista and I called not too long ago regarding my daughter, Mitrice Richardson. How long before a missing person's report can be filed? Is it 24 or 48 hours?

[Dispatcher]

Yes. Well, it depends on the circumstances, but I didn't take your call, so I'm not familiar with it. Did she just not return home after going out?

[Latice Sutton]

She was arrested last night. This is the first time she's been arrested. She's in an unknown area she's never been in. She's without a vehicle. Nobody can find Him.

[Dispatcher]

And where was this at? Where was she arrested at your.

[Latice Sutton]

Your facility? Her name is Mitrice Richardson.

[Dispatcher]

Okay. Do you know if she's. If she's here now or was she released?

[Latice Sutton]

They said she was released.

[Dispatcher]

Okay, and what time was she released at?

[Latice Sutton]

Just shortly after 12:00am.

[Dispatcher]

Yeah, normally I wouldn't. I wouldn't recommend doing one that soon.

[Latice Sutton]

Right. What is the time frame?

[Dispatcher]

You know, I. I guess probably 24 hours would be reasonable. I mean, if there would be some. Some mitigating factors, you know, where, you know, you would suspect maybe something.

[Latice Sutton]

Well, yeah. Right. She doesn't know the area. She's never been in your area.

[Dispatcher]

Where do you. Where does she live?

[Latice Sutton]

She is unfamiliar with that area.

[Dispatcher]

Do you think she possibly could have gotten a bus home?

[Latice Sutton]

And listen, my child has never written a bus. No. Right. He would not know how to ride a bus.

[Dispatcher]

I would probably wait till, you know, early this morning. And if she doesn't turn up, you can certainly call. I don't suspect anything bad happened.

[Latice Sutton]

I'm concerned because. Well, first of all, I thought they were going to keep her overnight because she was highly intoxicated. Something. Something is obviously going on with her.

[Dispatcher]

Have you talked to the jailer and.

[Latice Sutton]

Yes, yes, yes, yes, I have. He said he tried to get her disabled because she was an adult. They had to let her go. I believe that she is highly depressed and she. She's in a depressive state.

[Dispatcher]

You know, it could be possible that maybe she. I mean, there's a lot of options and I. A lot of possibilities, and I don't think all of them would be, you know, something dire. But I can certainly understand your fears, you know, being your daughter and all that.

[Latice Sutton]

Well, I think she's depressed. That's what has me.

[Dispatcher]

That's worried you more than just her. Okay.

[Latice Sutton]

That and the fact that she's in an area where she doesn't know where she's at.

[Dispatcher]

Yeah. Does she take medication at all?

[Latice Sutton]

No, she. I. I believe it's a state that she's in right now because of just the weird activities that's been going on. What's your name? Her name is.

[Caller (Bill Smith)]

Her name is Maitrice Richardson.

[Dispatcher]

Okay. And your name, ma'?

[Latice Sutton]

Am? Lettuce.

[Dispatcher]

Okay. Here's what I want you to do. Why don't you wait a couple hours and. And give us some time to kind of. I'll go back and talk to the jailer and try and get a timeline of when she was released and, you know, make sure she's not asleep in our lobby or Anything like that. And then once you give us a call back in a couple hours, she hasn't shown up or made contact with you, then maybe we can do something for you. Okay.

[Narrator]

Several Hours later at 5:30am, a man named Bill Smith, a former KTLA news anchor, called the police. He lived in the small community of Montenido and reported seeing a slender black woman sitting on his porch. When he asked if she was okay, she told him she was just resting. Take a listen to what he told the dispatcher.

[Dispatcher]

Can help you.

[Latice Sutton]

Yeah, hi.

[Caller (Bill Smith)]

Hey, this is Smith at Coles Canyon. We had a prowler walking around through the backyard here. But we don't know what the situation was. I don't know if you have a unit in the area, might do a little drive by or something.

[Dispatcher]

Okay, where's this at?

[Caller (Bill Smith)]

This is Cold Canyon, like hot and cold in Mount Hill. But it's in the back of the house, which is right where Wood Bluff hits the. Hits Cold Canyon. And we just had a strange woman walk up to the backyard here. Fairly large properties. And she was sitting on the steps right, right on the back of the house here. This is kind of a circular driveway. And the gates were closed, so we don't know where this woman came from. You see the cross was Wood Bluff. Yeah, that's right. There's a horse trail, hiking trail access through here. But we've never had this kind of thing happen before. What'd she look like? White, black. You know, a tall, slim black woman with afro hair.

[Dispatcher]

About how tall?

[Caller (Bill Smith)]

Well, she was sitting down, stretched out on the wooden steps in the back of the house. Hard to tell, but she looked like she might have been medium to slightly tall with a big afro hair, very skinny. I think she was wearing maybe jeans or tight pants with a T shirt.

[Dispatcher]

You've never seen her there before?

[Caller (Bill Smith)]

No, never. Nobody ever does that. I mean, the people hike on the trail all the time. We, you know, the trail goes through our property, but we leave it open on purpose because it's kind of a nice thing for horses and people.

[Dispatcher]

And so she's laying across the.

[Caller (Bill Smith)]

She was laying across the steps or she was sitting kind of sprawled out on these wooden steps in the back of the house. Right against the back of the house. She since got up and left. She's since gone? Yeah, she's been gone about five minutes now. But as we followed over, we thought maybe a little drive by wouldn't be a bad idea.

[Dispatcher]

And what direction did she last seen heading?

[Caller (Bill Smith)]

Never saw her. Once she left, she just disappeared. I moved from one window to another. I said to her, I hollered down, are you all right? She said, I'm just resting or something like that. But she's certainly gone out of her way to get that close to the house because the hiking trail is not that close on the ridge.

[Latice Sutton]

Great.

[Caller (Bill Smith)]

We'll send you check the area for Appreciate that very much. Not a problem, sir. Thank you. Bye.

[Narrator]

By the time deputies arrived at the Smith home, Mitrice was gone. But here's something that only came to light years later. Uncovered by the local Malibu records revealed a troubling detail about that call. Dispatch logs showed the deputy wasn't actually sent until nearly an hour after he later claimed he was. That unexplained gap is one of the earliest cracks in the official timeline. And in a case where every hour mattered, it raised serious questions.

[Travel Host (Will)]

Let's map out this week's amazing destinations and travel tips.

[Travel Co-Host]

Honestly, Will, I didn't plan any trips, but I did switch to T Mobile with their new Family Freedom offer.

[Travel Host (Will)]

That's not the itinerary we're following.

[Travel Co-Host]

Well, I'm departing from AT&T and embarking on a new journey with T Mobile. They paid off my family's four phones up to $3200 and gave us four new phones on the house.

[Narrator]

Bon voyage.

[T-Mobile Advertiser]

Introducing Family Freedom. Our lowest cost will switch our biggest family savings all on America's largest 5G network. Visit your local T Mobile location or learn more@t mobile.com FamilyFreedom up to $800 per line via virtual prepaid card. Typically takes 15 days. Free phones via 24 monthly bill credits with finance agreement eg Apple iPhone16128 gigabyte $8029.99 Eligible trade in eg iPhone 11 Pro for well qualified credits end and balance due if you pay off early or cancel contact T Mobile.

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[Travel Host (Will)]

The Lost Hills Sheriff's Station is in a remote industrial area. Richardson was booked, then released at 1am the sheriff's department says they offered her a bed for the night because her car was impounded and she didn't have any money. After Richardson made a few phone calls, she simply walked away. The Sheriff's department says they couldn't force her to stay.

[Latice Sutton]

I know she's scared and I feel her fear and I'm angry because it didn't have to happen. It didn't have to happen.

[Travel Host (Will)]

Richardson's family gathered this week outside the Sheriff's Department to demand answers. Why would a young woman be left alone to walk into the night in the middle of nowhere? If Matrice Richardson name was Spears or Lohan, they would never have let her walk out by herself. They would have escorted her home. They would have given her keys to a car. They would have given her escort. It's a double standard. You draw your own conclusion. Among all the swirling questions in this case, one thing is certain. Mitrice Richardson was last seen leaving this substation a week ago. It was the last confirmed sighting of the 24 year old.

[Dispatcher]

She was not intoxicated. She was not disoriented. The LA County Sheriff's Department did not only everything procedurally correct, but was morally right.

[Travel Host (Will)]

A graduate of Cal State Fullerton, Richardson has no criminal history and was on track to become a substitute teacher. The Sheriff's Department says they'll launch another expansive search, a hunt for clues, as authorities try to figure out how a beautiful young woman could simply vanish into the night outside a sheriff's station. Miguel Almaguer, NBC News, Los Angeles.

[Narrator]

For the next 11 months, her family searched. They pressed law enforcement, they scoured canyons and trails, and they lived with the ache of a question that never let up. Where was my Treece? As you can imagine, Mitrice's family was outraged that she had been released alone in the middle of the night. Despite her mother's call to the station with that specific concern, and despite the reassurances that her daughter would be safe. They accused the Sheriff's Department of a double standard, arguing that if Mitrice had been a celebrity, she never would have been left to walk out of that station without a ride. According to the Malibu Times, Captain Tom Martin maintained that all procedures were followed. Richardson was allowed to make phone calls, appeared coherent at release, and was even offered the option to stay until someone could pick her up, an offer she declined. Legally, she was free to go. But common sense and compassion might have recognized just how vulnerable she really was that night. Two days later, on September 19, 2009, the Sheriff's Department finally launched a search. Why? It took 48 hours, despite multiple reported sightings, remains unclear. In the days immediately after her disappearance, locals reported hearing screams echoing through Malibu Canyon. Others described seeing a woman matching Mitrice's description along trails and roadside pullouts. Yet according to the local Malibu, these tips were never aggressively pursued. Instead, search efforts shifted inexplicably toward downtown Los Angeles, as if Mitrice had somehow traveled 20 miles east without a phone, wallet, or car. For her family, it was the first sign that investigators might be chasing the wrong trail. Every call to the sheriff's department seemed to bring more questions than answers, and some of those leads felt wildly off course. According to the Advocate, as late as March of 2010, nearly six months after Mitrice vanished in Malibu, volunteer searches were still combing homeless shelters and weekly hotels in downtown Los Angeles. Then a tip came from even farther away. In June of 2010, Father's Day weekend, a high school acquaintance claimed to have seen Mitrice at the Rio All Suite Hotel casino in Las Vegas. He called her name. She turned, made eye contact, and then just walked away without a word. Here's nbcla. She sharing about this promising lead.

[Travel Co-Host]

But Richardson, who turned 25 a few months ago, may have been here the whole time. The Rio Hotel in Las Vegas, where a high school friend spotted her a few weeks ago.

[Caller (Bill Smith)]

He walked up and said, hi, Matrice.

[Narrator]

She basically looked at him with a.

[Caller (Bill Smith)]

Kind of a shocked look and left the location.

[Travel Co-Host]

He was someone who knew Richardson well, dated her, took her to her 10th grade prom. And detectives have a lot of witnesses now who back him up.

[Caller (Bill Smith)]

We located witnesses that are positive they've seen her. We've located all the way from waitresses, bartenders, security officers, regular citizens. We have talked to more than 70 individuals who believe they have seen her.

[Narrator]

That's based on a photograph and some.

[Caller (Bill Smith)]

Passage of time in most instances, but.

[Narrator]

That volume causes us to believe we're.

[Caller (Bill Smith)]

On the right track.

[Narrator]

It sounded like good news. Right? And for a moment, the family had hope. As CBS News reported, Los Angeles and Las Vegas police launched a coordinated search. But by the time they checked the casino, the surveillance footage was gone. No other witnesses came forward, and no evidence was found. The Vegas lead, like so many others, went nowhere. Then, on August 9, 2010, everything changed. That morning, deputies with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department were flown deep into a rugged canyon in the Malibu Hills. Rangers had stumbled upon something they never expected to find. And what they did next would ignite a firestorm of controversy on part two of this case. In front of me right now is a special guest. It is Latice Sutton. This is my trees, Mother. Ms. Sutton, thank you so much for being with us. I know that this is not the answer that you had hoped for, but I am learning that you had gone to the area and you actually discovered remains.

[Latice Sutton]

That is correct.

[Narrator]

That's next time on part two of this case.