Elite LASD Divers Search Waters in Malibu Creek Area After Informant Reports the Possible Presence of Bones that Might Shed Light on Case of Missing Woman

• Find May Prove to Be Animal Remains But Detectives Say that All Leads Are Being Followed Up

BY ANNE SOBLE

The last official sighting of Mitrice Richardson was on Sept. 17, 2009, at 12:35 a.m., when the 24-year-old was released from the custody of the Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station alone, on foot, and without her wallet and cell phone, which deputies had left behind in her impounded vehicle in Malibu.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department maintains that her release followed protocol, but Richardson’s mother, Latice Sutton, contends the LASD acted negligently because witnesses indicated that her daughter was exhibiting signs of mental illness and different procedures exist for those circumstances.

Richardson had been transported to Lost Hills for booking after Geoffrey’s restaurant called the station to pick her up for nonpayment of an $89 dinner tab. Deputies subsequently found a small amount of marijuana in her vehicle.

An LASD video of Richardson in the Lost Hills booking cage that has only been shown to Sutton and members of her close inner circle of family and supporters is described by them as disturbing.

They say she appears to be in a state of mental stress, is unable to complete telephone calls and then curls up on the floor in a fetal position. However, the jailer has described her as lucid and coherent and said she engaged Richardson in conversation about music and other topics.

DIVE SEARCH

Last Saturday, members of the specially trained LASD Emergency Service Detail Dive Team took part in the latest effort to learn the fate of Richardson who has reportedly not contacted the family with which she is close, or accessed several thousand dollars in a bank account.

Following up a lead from a hiker about bones that couldn’t be checked out because the unseasonably late rains kept water levels high, Sheriff’s Homicide Lt. Michael Rosson said, “On Saturday, June 12, members of the LASD/ ESD Dive Team searched a body of water in Malibu Creek State Park, accompanied by Homicide Detective Kenneth Perry and members of the Malibu Search and Rescue Team.”

Rosson said, “The LASD dive team deployed into the stream and lake, but did not recover any bones or evidence considered human related. Several bones believed to be animal in nature were recovered and will be forwarded to the coroner’s office for official exam.”

ESD deputies are trained as paramedics and rescue divers to serve in one of the LASD’s special units called upon throughout the country for their water skills.

CULVERT MURAL

A large mural covering a culvert wall in the Santa Monica Mountains that depicted pornographic images of African-American women, who have natural or Fro hairstyles similar to that of Richardson when she disappeared, was discovered during a volunteer field search for the missing woman June 6.

The mural has greatly upset family members who believe it was painted the day before the well-publicized search—wet paintbrushes were still at the site—and meant to be discovered by searchers.

Rosson told the Malibu Surfside News that photos of the mural and evidence from the location, including potential DNA samples, are currently being analyzed.

FAMILY DISPUTE

Although there has been ongoing public tension between Richardson’s parents—they never married—since their daughter went missing, this tension is greatly increased. The father, Michael Richardson, has largely been uninvolved in Sutton’s efforts.

Sutton has sent emails to all parties who have been involved in her search efforts alleging that the father is misusing mural photographs that belong to her and he is attempting to financially benefit from his daughter’s plight.

She says she is especially concerned that people “may be led to believe that any donations made to Michael Richardson...are used for search [efforts].”

Sutton said she didn’t want the father to learn about the mural from the media and sent him copies of photos that he did not have permission to post on his website or blog, which he did in unredacted form.

She said she “hoped that Michael Richardson would share these images in a responsible way, rather than to exploit this information to further his financial gain.” 

In addition, she said he misidentifies where the mural was located, “It is not in Malibu, nor is it down the street from the sheriff’s department, or even in Calabasas, as he says.” 

Sutton summarily added, “I am not here to get my 15 minutes of fame, or marinate in what I perceive as a godfather persona. My mission is to continue to hike the land my baby was last seen in, looking for clues to find her.”

Information about Mitrice Richardson can be relayed to the LASD’s Homicide Bureau at 323-890-5500. A $25,000 reward has been offered to encourage people to step forward.