LA County is increasing the reward to $25,000 for information in previous decades

Los Angeles County has increased the reward to $25,000 for information that can help solve the mysterious case of 24-year-old Mitrice Richardson, who disappeared in 2009 after being released from sheriff's custody and was found dead 11 months later in Malibu Canyon.

In August, the County Board of Supervisors also established a $20,000 reward in Richardson's case.

The Cal State Fullerton graduate disappeared without a trace after leaving the Malibu-Lost Hills Sheriff's station at midnight on September 17, 2009. Earlier that night, Richardson had dined at Geoffrey's in Malibu, where he displayed erratic behavior and failed to pay the tab. $89. , according to guests and staff.

Richardson's behavior at the restaurant was not included in the police reports. But he was later diagnosed with bipolar disorder and may have been suffering from psychosis and trouble sleeping, according to detectives.

He was given the option of staying at the station voluntarily until 12:00 p.m. or when transportation arrived, according to the sheriff's report. Opting to leave, Richardson was released without her belongings – her wallet and phone were inside her impounded Honda Civic, where she appeared to have been staying.

His release sparked outrage among family members, who believed a psychiatric evaluation or seizure should have been required. But a report by the Los Angeles County Independent Review Office concluded that deputies acted appropriately that night.

Despite Richardson's unusual behavior, deputies at the station had “no legal basis to deprive him of his liberty,” according to the report.

Months of searching and waiting culminated in a gruesome discovery in August 2010 when her remains were found in Malibu Canyon. Dental records later confirmed that the remains were Richardson's. Although her death has not been ruled a homicide, her family has previously insisted she was the victim of foul play.

“One thing I know about my daughter – she's not a natural lady,” her mother, Lattice Sutton, he told THe returned to the Times in 2010. “He doesn't like bugs in the woods. Alone, that's no place for him to roam. I have said before that my daughter was killed.”

The family reached a $900,000 settlement with the district in 2011 after both parents sued the department over Richardson's death. But questions about what happened to Richardson remain unanswered.

In 2009, the Los Angeles Board of Supervisors offered a $10,000 reward for information about Richardson's whereabouts. The reward money was re-established after his body was found in 2010. The amount increased again in 2021 and 2022.

Police are asking anyone with information about the case to call the LA Police Department at (213) 486-6900 or the sheriff's department at (323) 890-5500.