The Mysterious Death of Mitrice Richardson

Mitrice Lavon Richardson went missing on September 17th, 2009 when she was just 24 years old (the same age I am right now). The evening before on the 16th, she went to a restaurant called Geoffrey’s in Malibu, California and was apparently “acting erratic,” which was reported especially by several people working there that night.

She was arrested after not being able to pay her $89 bill at the restaurant. She was charged with “suspicion of not being able to pay her bill” and for a marijuana possession which they found less than an ounce of. I’ve read many times that the blunt was found in her pocket and fell out in front of the police when they were escorting her out. She was taken to the Malibu/Lost Hills Station and her car was towed (her phone, car keys and purse were all in her car).

I couldn’t find much information about who she spoke to at the restaurant but I believe she contacted her mother and her grandmother to help her pay her bills, but then was taken by the police before anyone could help her. Her mother did talk to the sheriff and told them that Mitrice was dealing with some mental health issues and asked if they could keep her daughter there until she could pick her up. They didn’t listen or seem to care and released her at 12:28am on the 17th of September. Six hours later at around 6:30am she was reported to be seen at the house of a man named Bill Smith who was a former news anchor for KTLA. Bill said he spoke to her and she said she was “resting,” and when I listened to the True Crime Garage episode, Bill said he was afraid to let her in the house because she appeared to be acting strangely.

Four months after she went missing, there were several searches done especially around Malibu Canyon. Her body was eventually found in a creek bed and her death was ruled a homicide. With good reason, her family filed many lawsuits against the Los Angeles County Sheriffs Department even though it was reported that she was showing signs of a mental health (biopolar disorder) episodes. They were eventually rewarded $450,000 each.

This is such a sad and confusing case. I’m a little confused whether or not she was mentally ill or bipolar because her mother has said she was going through some mental health issues, but her girlfriend Tessa said she wasn’t. I do agree that her actions at the restaurant were a little bizarre, the police should have listened to her mother and kept her safe. One theory that comes up time and time again is that the police had something to do with her death, while I wouldn’t be surprised after watching so much true crime, they have nothing proving it was an officer or more than one officer or person.

I have dealt with mental health as well (nothing like bipolar disorder so I can’t relate to that) but I do have anxiety and would want someone to keep me safe if I ever was to show signs of anything else. If the police had actually listened to Mitrice’s mother, who knows what would have happened and where Mitrice would be today.

Geoffrey’s in Malibu, California

Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Mitrice_Richardson

Suggested Podcast about this case: True Crime Garage episode 75: https://truecrimegarage.com/home/blog/mitrice-richardson-75