The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors has reinstated a $20,000 reward for information that leads to a conviction in the Mitrice Richardson case, as reported by NBC Los Angeles. Richardson, a 24-year-old graduate of Cal State Fullerton, mysteriously disappeared after being released from the Malibu/Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station in September 2009. Her remains were discovered nearly a year later in a remote area of Malibu.
According to Daily News, Richardson had been arrested at a Malibu restaurant for being unable to pay an $89 bill and was subsequently released from the sheriff's station after midnight without her belongings. The Board of Supervisors, who offered the reward initially before her remains were found, first re-established it in 2010, and again in 2021, has now decided, expired in May of this year, to resume the search for justice in this case.
The cities of Malibu and Calabasas also remain invested in this case with their own active rewards totaling an additional $20,000. This move demonstrates a continued commitment to uncovering the truth behind Richardson's tragic end. The exact cause of death has never been determined, and her family strongly believes that there was foul play involved, challenging the authorities' conclusion that there was no sign of foul play.
Richardson's family was critical of how the sheriff's deputies handled her arrest and release. In a statement obtained by Daily News, they stressed that Richardson, who had been experiencing a severe bipolar episode during the time of her arrest, should have received a mental health evaluation. Instead, the Office of Independent Review concluded, deputies acted "legally and reasonably" during her custody.
The county ultimately settled a lawsuit with Richardson’s family for roughly $900,000 in 2011. Anyone possessing information about the case is encouraged to reach out to the Los Angeles Police Department at 213-486-6900 or the Sheriff's Department at 323-890-5500. With the reward reinstated, it is the hope of many that new information may emerge to bring much-needed closure to this long-standing mystery.
