LOS ANGELES (CSU) — The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors decided Tuesday to reinstate a $10,000 prize in the case of Mitrice Richardson’s abduction and death.
The 24-year-old Cal State Fullerton graduate vanished immediately after being released from the Malibu-Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station around midnight in 2009 and was discovered dead 11 months later.
Richardson’s body was discovered in Dark Canyon, with her belt, bra, and pants strewn over the valley hundreds of feet down.
The board’s conclusion comes one day after an investigation into Richardson’s death by Eyewitness News.
Eyewitness News uncovered throughout the investigation that the county’s $10,000 reward for information on Richardson’s case had expired more than a decade ago.
The Board of Supervisors unanimously agreed to reinstate the award. The motion was sponsored by Supervisor Holly Mitchell.
“I remember Mitrice’s case very well, and I thought it was critical to recognize that she had been let down by numerous systems,” Mitchell said. “She was a lady who needed protection, which was not provided.”
Latice Sutton, Richardson’s mother, expressed optimism that the documentary may prompt someone to come forward.
The towns of Malibu and Calabasas had previously provided $20,000 in incentive money, so the board’s vote lifts the total award to $30,000.
The night Richardson was arrested for not paying her bill at Geoffrey’s restaurant in Malibu, she was in the throes of a mental health crisis.
The restaurant’s employees contacted the sheriff’s department in the hopes of obtaining her assistance. Instead, she was arrested and hauled to jail, where she was released in the middle of the night without a phone, money, or a means of transportation. Richardson’s release from prison was also captured on camera, which has never been made public.
Richardson’s mental illness and volatility were obvious to practically everyone else she encountered at the restaurant that night, including a big party she sat with.
The Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office ruled her death “undetermined.” According to the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department, the investigation is still “active,” but there are no new leads.
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