She Asked for Help. They Let Her Walk Away.
In 2009, Mitrice Richardson, a 24-year-old woman experiencing a mental health crisis, disappeared after being released from police custody in the middle of the night. What followed remains one of California’s most unsettling unresolved cases.
Some cases don’t unravel because of what happened, they haunt us because of what didn’t happen.
Here’s what we know.
The Timeline (What We’re Told)
Detained after behaving erratically at a Malibu restaurant
Determined not intoxicated, not dangerous
Her mother begged police not to release her overnight
12:28 a.m.: She was released anyway, alone, no car, no money, a dead phone
Last seen wandering quietly in the canyon
Found weeks later. Cause of death: undetermined
That’s where the record stops.
Why It Still Disturbs People
Because she didn’t vanish. She was released.
And no one has ever fully explained why.
🎧 Listen to the Full Story
This email leaves out what matters most.
In the Rae Review Dark Stories podcast, I walk through the decisions, the contradictions, and the questions that still don’t have answers. Some stories don’t need conclusions.They need accountability.
If you want the full timeline, the context, and the questions that still don’t sit right —you can listen to the episode here:
Or listen on Apple Podcasts HERE
— Rae
