The Disappearance of Mitrice Richardson

On the night of September 16, 2009, 24-year-old Mitrice Richardson, a vibrant, college-educated young woman from Los Angeles, drove to Geoffrey’s Malibu, an upscale restaurant perched above the Pacific. She ordered dinner, acted erratically, and couldn’t pay her bill. Sheriff’s deputies were called. Despite her mother’s pleas to keep her overnight for safety, Mitrice was released from the Malibu/Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station just after midnight, alone, without a phone, purse, or car. She walked into the darkness. She was never seen alive again.

Nearly a year later, hikers discovered Mitrice’s remains in a remote canyon, less than eight miles from the station. Her clothing was gone. The circumstances of her death remain shrouded in mystery. Law enforcement claimed no foul play, but her family and advocates have long questioned how a young Black woman in the throes of a mental health crisis was released into the night — and why answers have been so hard to find.

Mitrice was bright, funny, and full of life — a dancer, scholar, and daughter deeply loved by her family. Her story sparked national outrage, raising urgent questions about race, mental health, and policing in America. To learn more about Mitrice Richardson, see photos and videos, click here!

SEQUESTERED Season 2 revisits Mitrice’s case — tracing her final night, the botched investigation, and the enduring fight for justice.

Part One:

Part Two:

Part Three:

Sources: Los Angeles Times, Autostraddle, Up and Vanished, and public records.