1 00:00:15,086 --> 00:00:15,446 Speaker 1: Pushkin. 2 00:00:44,946 --> 00:00:47,696 Speaker 2: A couple of years ago, I found a video buried 3 00:00:47,736 --> 00:00:50,976 Speaker 2: on the internet, deep in the metadata behind the 404 4 00:00:50,976 --> 00:00:55,596 Speaker 2: error codes. In it, a young black woman is questioning 5 00:00:55,616 --> 00:00:57,996 Speaker 2: a middle-aged white guy who's sitting on the edge of 6 00:00:58,036 --> 00:00:59,506 Speaker 2: his bed, drinking a beer. 7 00:00:59,886 --> 00:01:02,606 Speaker 1: Did you hear banging on the door? Talking at the door, 8 00:01:02,626 --> 00:01:04,846 Speaker 1: like they just shut it on her or something. 9 00:01:05,346 --> 00:01:10,236 Speaker 2: The person they're talking about is Mitrice Richardson. a 24-year-old 10 00:01:10,296 --> 00:01:14,166 Speaker 2: black woman who disappeared in Malibu in 2009 and whose 11 00:01:14,226 --> 00:01:18,626 Speaker 2: remains were discovered there 11 months later. They're talking about 12 00:01:18,686 --> 00:01:19,946 Speaker 2: the day of her disappearance. 13 00:01:20,486 --> 00:01:22,826 Speaker 1: The interview is being shot vertical, seemingly on a cell phone, 14 00:01:22,846 --> 00:01:26,206 Speaker 1: with the guy taking up the whole frame. He looks 15 00:01:26,266 --> 00:01:37,966 Speaker 1: like an aging California golden boy, with. 16 00:01:37,926 --> 00:01:40,646 Speaker 2: Gray and blonde hair, a tan, and a barrel chest. 17 00:01:41,386 --> 00:01:44,646 Speaker 2: He's relaxed, wearing a sky-blue Henley shirt tucked into a 18 00:01:44,666 --> 00:01:45,946 Speaker 2: pair of camouflage shorts. 19 00:01:46,286 --> 00:01:47,786 Speaker 1: So I really couldn't see her face, but I could 20 00:01:47,806 --> 00:01:50,046 Speaker 1: see her shadow. Like this. 21 00:01:50,746 --> 00:01:54,276 Speaker 2: While he says this, he gestures broadly, waving his big 22 00:01:54,366 --> 00:01:55,506 Speaker 2: paws around in the air. 23 00:01:56,136 --> 00:01:57,636 Speaker 1: In the light of the night, you know, with the 24 00:01:57,646 --> 00:02:00,796 Speaker 1: light on the front porch. And she was screaming at something, 25 00:02:00,836 --> 00:02:02,436 Speaker 1: you know, and it was pretty loud, and I'm thinking, 26 00:02:02,536 --> 00:02:05,276 Speaker 1: God damn, it's 4.30 in the morning. What was she saying? 27 00:02:05,606 --> 00:02:07,966 Speaker 1: He got curious. The scene was so out of place 28 00:02:08,006 --> 00:02:12,756 Speaker 1: in this quiet neighborhood. A young woman, alone, in the 29 00:02:12,806 --> 00:02:15,576 Speaker 1: early morning hours, shouting? 30 00:02:33,986 --> 00:02:34,846 Speaker 2: She might be in trouble. 31 00:02:34,986 --> 00:02:36,686 Speaker 1: Because I'm thinking, well, if there's some dude there, I'm 32 00:02:36,706 --> 00:02:38,786 Speaker 1: not going to let some dude hit her, you know? Right. 33 00:02:38,806 --> 00:02:42,146 Speaker 1: I wouldn't have hesitated to walk on that property, but 34 00:02:42,926 --> 00:02:46,366 Speaker 1: since I wasn't, you know, and I couldn't see anybody 35 00:02:46,496 --> 00:02:49,356 Speaker 1: else except for her, or not really even her, just 36 00:02:49,396 --> 00:02:53,356 Speaker 1: because she was angry or something. I mean, I'm the 37 00:02:53,396 --> 00:02:54,816 Speaker 1: kind of guy that would have been right there. I 38 00:02:55,076 --> 00:02:56,556 Speaker 1: would have been Donald's protector. 39 00:02:58,356 --> 00:03:02,106 Speaker 2: The interviewer, her name's Raven Masterson, She made the video 40 00:03:02,166 --> 00:03:06,206 Speaker 2: sometime after Mitrice's remains were found. Like so many people, 41 00:03:06,506 --> 00:03:10,086 Speaker 2: she wanted to figure out what happened to Mitrice. Because 42 00:03:10,146 --> 00:03:15,426 Speaker 2: the death of Mitrice Richardson is Malibu's most horrifying, notorious, 43 00:03:15,686 --> 00:03:21,656 Speaker 2: and scandalous unsolved case. For 15 years, Mitrice's story has 44 00:03:21,696 --> 00:03:25,596 Speaker 2: been shrouded in mystery. The scant clues have been worked 45 00:03:25,776 --> 00:03:29,946 Speaker 2: over a thousand times to no end. There's no resolution, 46 00:03:30,346 --> 00:03:34,046 Speaker 2: no satisfying explanation, and no one has been held accountable. 47 00:03:35,566 --> 00:03:38,526 Speaker 2: Many people blame the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department for 48 00:03:38,566 --> 00:03:41,706 Speaker 2: her death. Some take it farther, and this is how 49 00:03:41,776 --> 00:03:44,976 Speaker 2: Raven leans in the video. They even think a deputy 50 00:03:45,136 --> 00:03:49,856 Speaker 2: may have killed Mitrice. Mitrice was arrested at Joffrey's Restaurant 51 00:03:49,896 --> 00:03:54,736 Speaker 2: on Pacific Coast Highway on September 16, 2009. She was 52 00:03:54,796 --> 00:03:58,216 Speaker 2: released from Lost Hill Station at 12.25 a.m. 53 00:03:58,496 --> 00:03:59,306 Speaker 3: On the 17th. 54 00:04:00,386 --> 00:04:03,446 Speaker 2: After that, there was one official sighting of her at 55 00:04:03,446 --> 00:04:06,626 Speaker 2: 6.30 a.m. in the backyard of a house in Montanito, 56 00:04:07,186 --> 00:04:11,566 Speaker 2: a secluded neighborhood off Malibu Canyon. That's about six miles 57 00:04:11,676 --> 00:04:15,156 Speaker 2: from the Lost Hill Sheriff's Station. But the guy in 58 00:04:15,176 --> 00:04:19,956 Speaker 2: the video, he says he saw her too. Two hours earlier, 59 00:04:20,416 --> 00:04:24,676 Speaker 2: at 4.30 a.m., making a commotion... in the front yard 60 00:04:24,856 --> 00:04:34,196 Speaker 2: of that same house. Montanito, mountain nest. It's a tight-knit 61 00:04:34,236 --> 00:04:38,076 Speaker 2: community in the shadow of the Santa Monica Mountains. Most 62 00:04:38,116 --> 00:04:41,856 Speaker 2: people in L.A. don't even know it exists. It's got 63 00:04:41,976 --> 00:04:44,696 Speaker 2: creeks and horses and neighbors that have known each other, 64 00:04:44,926 --> 00:04:49,646 Speaker 2: in some cases, for generations. Kids run around barefoot. There's 65 00:04:49,686 --> 00:04:53,066 Speaker 2: a big Fourth of July parade. and an annual square dance. 66 00:04:54,726 --> 00:04:58,966 Speaker 2: It's a place out of time. It feels like the rustic, 67 00:04:59,126 --> 00:05:03,986 Speaker 2: horsey California of the 1940s, mixed with the freewheeling party 68 00:05:04,026 --> 00:05:07,686 Speaker 2: culture of the 1970s. And it's got none of the 69 00:05:07,796 --> 00:05:12,036 Speaker 2: flash of coastal Malibu or the nearby gated communities of Calabasas. 70 00:05:13,396 --> 00:05:15,716 Speaker 2: This is California, so of course there have been a 71 00:05:15,756 --> 00:05:19,806 Speaker 2: couple of waves of gentrifiers. But among the old-timers, the 72 00:05:19,846 --> 00:05:23,516 Speaker 2: people who practically homesteaded there in the 50s, there's a 73 00:05:23,556 --> 00:05:29,656 Speaker 2: distinct backwoods, ingrown feeling. And, it bears mentioning, the whole 74 00:05:29,736 --> 00:05:35,216 Speaker 2: place is extremely white, with one notable exception. Will Smith, 75 00:05:35,736 --> 00:05:38,356 Speaker 2: one of the most famous black men in America, owns 76 00:05:38,396 --> 00:05:41,976 Speaker 2: an estate in Montanito. But I don't think he frequents 77 00:05:42,016 --> 00:05:45,936 Speaker 2: the Square Dance or the Fourth of July Parade. It's 78 00:05:45,976 --> 00:05:48,976 Speaker 2: hard to express how unlikely it is that Mitrice would 79 00:05:49,056 --> 00:05:52,896 Speaker 2: end up in this isolated community. There isn't even a 80 00:05:52,976 --> 00:05:57,026 Speaker 2: sign for Montanito on Malibu Canyon. How would she even 81 00:05:57,066 --> 00:06:13,336 Speaker 2: have known it was there? 11 months after Mitrice Richardson disappeared, 82 00:06:13,716 --> 00:06:17,436 Speaker 2: Park rangers checking a known illegal pot grow found her 83 00:06:17,476 --> 00:06:21,456 Speaker 2: remains in a treacherous canyon above Montanito called Dark Canyon. 84 00:06:22,576 --> 00:06:25,636 Speaker 2: During this time, the Santa Monica Mountains were notorious for 85 00:06:25,676 --> 00:06:30,996 Speaker 2: harboring large marijuana operations run by organized crime syndicates. These 86 00:06:31,136 --> 00:06:34,166 Speaker 2: massive grows were often protected with armed guards who would 87 00:06:34,206 --> 00:06:38,086 Speaker 2: camp out in the canyons for extended periods. The rangers 88 00:06:38,126 --> 00:06:42,076 Speaker 2: had disrupted a Dark Canyon grow in July 2009. two 89 00:06:42,116 --> 00:06:46,576 Speaker 2: months before Mitrice's disappearance. When they returned in August of 2010, 90 00:06:46,576 --> 00:06:52,526 Speaker 2: they didn't report any fresh signs of pot-growing activity. But 91 00:06:52,606 --> 00:06:55,326 Speaker 2: there in the dormant grow were the remains of a 92 00:06:55,366 --> 00:07:01,706 Speaker 2: Black woman. She was mostly bones, a skeleton with small 93 00:07:01,786 --> 00:07:08,346 Speaker 2: flaps of mummified skin remaining. And she was naked. From 94 00:07:08,406 --> 00:07:11,726 Speaker 2: the beginning, every aspect of the case seemed off. 95 00:07:12,806 --> 00:07:13,446 Speaker 4: What was wrong? 96 00:07:14,416 --> 00:07:17,416 Speaker 2: How she was arrested, how she was released, how she 97 00:07:17,456 --> 00:07:20,796 Speaker 2: was searched for, how her remains were discovered, how her 98 00:07:20,856 --> 00:07:25,676 Speaker 2: remains were recovered, and how her death was investigated. All 99 00:07:25,716 --> 00:07:28,176 Speaker 2: of it looked like a colossal screw-up on the part 100 00:07:28,226 --> 00:07:32,806 Speaker 2: of law enforcement, starting with the Lost Hills cops. And 101 00:07:32,826 --> 00:07:34,786 Speaker 2: what the Sheriff's Department has said about the case over 102 00:07:34,826 --> 00:07:39,646 Speaker 2: the years, it just makes no sense. Their refrain essentially is, 103 00:07:40,636 --> 00:07:45,176 Speaker 2: some cases can't be solved. This is a sheriff's spokesman 104 00:07:45,536 --> 00:07:48,296 Speaker 2: three days after Mitrice's body was found. 105 00:07:49,096 --> 00:07:52,576 Speaker 4: Homicide will continue their investigation. It's likely that we can 106 00:07:52,676 --> 00:07:55,576 Speaker 4: never find out exactly how she got there, but they're 107 00:07:55,596 --> 00:07:57,666 Speaker 4: going to do their very best to figure that out. 108 00:07:57,696 --> 00:08:01,726 Speaker 2: And they're still saying Mitrice's death will always be a mystery. 109 00:08:03,866 --> 00:08:09,026 Speaker 2: But I don't accept that. It's a stubborn, strange, problematic case. 110 00:08:09,966 --> 00:08:16,066 Speaker 2: But I do think it's solvable. Because someone in that secluded, 111 00:08:16,216 --> 00:08:25,056 Speaker 2: tight-knit community of Montanito knows what happened to her. I'm 112 00:08:25,096 --> 00:08:29,736 Speaker 2: Dana Goodyear, and this is Lost Hills. Season 4, Dark Canyon. 113 00:08:30,316 --> 00:09:07,366 Speaker 2: Dark Canyon Episode 1, Vultures. Right off Pacific Coast Highway, 114 00:09:07,626 --> 00:09:10,246 Speaker 2: across from the Malibu Lagoon and next to the gas station, 115 00:09:10,666 --> 00:09:13,796 Speaker 2: there's a small memorial. It's a rock with a plaque 116 00:09:13,876 --> 00:09:16,196 Speaker 2: on it, commemorating the life of a man who was 117 00:09:16,256 --> 00:09:22,116 Speaker 2: known as Malibu Joe. Malibu Joe was Joe Costello. He 118 00:09:22,136 --> 00:09:26,316 Speaker 2: was originally from Genoa, Italy. But starting in the mid-1950s, 119 00:09:26,476 --> 00:09:30,336 Speaker 2: he became a beloved Malibu figure, riding his bike slowly 120 00:09:30,416 --> 00:09:33,616 Speaker 2: up and down PCH in a fedora and a baggy overcoat. 121 00:09:34,836 --> 00:09:37,736 Speaker 2: In the summer of 1988, he was beaten and left 122 00:09:37,776 --> 00:09:40,676 Speaker 2: for dead in the oleander bushes where he lived, where 123 00:09:40,696 --> 00:09:44,036 Speaker 2: the memorial is today. He died a few days later. 124 00:09:44,986 --> 00:09:50,186 Speaker 2: He was 96 years old. The sheriff's department investigated, but 125 00:09:50,206 --> 00:09:53,526 Speaker 2: the killing was never solved, so no one was ever punished. 126 00:09:55,516 --> 00:09:59,986 Speaker 2: Malibu Joe died two decades before Mitrice Richardson. The cases 127 00:10:00,066 --> 00:10:04,606 Speaker 2: have nothing to do with one another. Except this. Both 128 00:10:04,706 --> 00:10:09,026 Speaker 2: Joe and Mitrice show moments of rupture. They're both signals. 129 00:10:09,666 --> 00:10:19,796 Speaker 2: that Malibu isn't what it seems. Malibu is not paradise. Sunshine, nature, beauty, health, wealth, 130 00:10:20,096 --> 00:10:24,056 Speaker 2: and eternal youth. That's the myth. But if I've learned 131 00:10:24,216 --> 00:10:28,206 Speaker 2: one thing reporting here, it's that every seductive surface has 132 00:10:28,266 --> 00:10:33,266 Speaker 2: its dark side. The beauty is the danger. It makes 133 00:10:33,306 --> 00:10:36,116 Speaker 2: you let down your guard and believe in the fantasy. 134 00:10:37,336 --> 00:10:43,296 Speaker 2: The unspoiled wilderness hides unspeakable crimes. And a place like that? 135 00:10:44,416 --> 00:10:52,576 Speaker 2: A place like that breeds monsters. In the fall of 2009, 136 00:10:52,576 --> 00:10:55,606 Speaker 2: Mitrice's disappearance was all over the local news. 137 00:10:56,106 --> 00:11:00,066 Speaker 1: The mystery unraveled on a September night in 2009. right 138 00:11:00,126 --> 00:11:02,606 Speaker 1: where the Pacific greets the shores of Malibu. 139 00:11:03,606 --> 00:11:07,046 Speaker 2: It all started when Mitrice tried to leave Joffrey's, a 140 00:11:07,086 --> 00:11:10,646 Speaker 2: pricey restaurant on Pacific Coast Highway, without paying her bill. 141 00:11:11,546 --> 00:11:14,596 Speaker 2: She was arrested and taken to Lost Hill Station, about 142 00:11:14,596 --> 00:11:15,876 Speaker 2: 13 miles away. 143 00:11:16,616 --> 00:11:19,116 Speaker 4: They contacted her mother, who said that she will pick 144 00:11:19,156 --> 00:11:21,036 Speaker 4: her up in the morning if you will keep her there. 145 00:11:21,696 --> 00:11:22,796 Speaker 1: Deputy said, we will. 146 00:11:23,316 --> 00:11:26,696 Speaker 2: But instead of staying at the station, Mitrice walked out 147 00:11:26,876 --> 00:11:29,706 Speaker 2: into the Malibu night. Her car was at a tow 148 00:11:29,746 --> 00:11:32,556 Speaker 2: yard near PCH with her belongings inside. 149 00:11:32,936 --> 00:11:35,136 Speaker 1: She was released at 12.30 a.m. 150 00:11:35,596 --> 00:11:38,916 Speaker 4: No wallet, no cell phone, no credit cards, no car. 151 00:11:39,656 --> 00:11:43,436 Speaker 2: She was gorgeous and charismatic and, as would later come out, 152 00:11:43,856 --> 00:11:46,086 Speaker 2: she was in the midst of a mental health crisis. 153 00:11:47,226 --> 00:11:51,146 Speaker 3: A beauty contestant, an honor student, and now a missing person. 154 00:11:51,786 --> 00:11:54,986 Speaker 2: According to her mom, she had no street savvy whatsoever 155 00:11:55,546 --> 00:11:56,956 Speaker 2: and she didn't know Malibu at all. 156 00:11:57,346 --> 00:12:00,526 Speaker 3: Mitrice Richardson walked out of a Los Angeles County Sheriff's 157 00:12:00,646 --> 00:12:04,436 Speaker 3: Office and into a mystery that continues to baffle investigators. 158 00:12:05,336 --> 00:12:07,996 Speaker 2: And then the mystery became a horror. 159 00:12:08,676 --> 00:12:13,036 Speaker 4: Eleven months later, the 24-year-old college graduate's remains were found 160 00:12:13,096 --> 00:12:14,436 Speaker 4: here in Dark Canyon. 161 00:12:14,796 --> 00:12:17,196 Speaker 1: She was naked and partially mummified. 162 00:12:17,576 --> 00:12:21,116 Speaker 4: They discovered a skull, they discovered a pelvis, and they 163 00:12:21,156 --> 00:12:29,076 Speaker 4: discovered a leg, just bones. They determined officially. unequivocally, and unfortunately, 164 00:12:29,476 --> 00:12:30,836 Speaker 4: it was Mitrice Richardson. 165 00:12:31,156 --> 00:12:34,476 Speaker 1: Coroner's officials haven't determined the cause of death, and they 166 00:12:34,516 --> 00:12:37,716 Speaker 1: say Richardson's body was in the canyon for more than 167 00:12:37,816 --> 00:12:38,536 Speaker 1: six months. 168 00:12:39,096 --> 00:12:43,236 Speaker 3: Whatever happened in Dark Canyon remains for the moment a 169 00:12:43,276 --> 00:12:43,876 Speaker 3: dark secret. 170 00:12:47,276 --> 00:12:51,546 Speaker 2: It's been 15 years since Mitrice disappeared, 14 years since 171 00:12:51,586 --> 00:12:54,586 Speaker 2: her remains were found, and there's been no progress on 172 00:12:54,626 --> 00:12:58,326 Speaker 2: her case. There's no sign that law enforcement is actively 173 00:12:58,366 --> 00:13:02,126 Speaker 2: working on it, but it's not a cold case. It's a, quote, 174 00:13:02,406 --> 00:13:06,666 Speaker 2: active criminal investigation, which means the Sheriff's Department doesn't have 175 00:13:06,686 --> 00:13:10,906 Speaker 2: to share information. And believe me, they take that very seriously. 176 00:13:11,616 --> 00:13:15,436 Speaker 2: They do not like to talk about this case. In 177 00:13:15,476 --> 00:13:18,776 Speaker 2: the midst of their silence, a sinister narrative has taken 178 00:13:18,856 --> 00:13:22,916 Speaker 2: hold in the public imagination that the L.A. County Sheriff's Department, 179 00:13:23,276 --> 00:13:28,206 Speaker 2: specifically the Lost Hills Cops, are behind Mitrice's death. They 180 00:13:28,246 --> 00:13:31,586 Speaker 2: deny this, but the idea lives on in a new 181 00:13:31,646 --> 00:13:34,646 Speaker 2: generation of true crime TikTokers and YouTubers. 182 00:13:35,426 --> 00:13:38,906 Speaker 3: Welcome to another episode of Murder, Mystery, and Makeup Monday. 183 00:13:39,166 --> 00:13:41,436 Speaker 3: Today's story is about Mitrice Richardson. 184 00:13:41,526 --> 00:13:44,576 Speaker 1: It kind of feels like that they were hiding something. 185 00:13:44,616 --> 00:13:46,336 Speaker 3: The police work in this case was awful. 186 00:13:46,396 --> 00:13:48,236 Speaker 4: Is this incompetence or a cover-up? 187 00:13:48,256 --> 00:13:51,156 Speaker 3: I mean, they originally were trying to hide the fact 188 00:13:51,196 --> 00:13:52,856 Speaker 3: that they had security footage. 189 00:13:52,996 --> 00:13:54,766 Speaker 1: The previous captain was in on it. 190 00:13:55,546 --> 00:13:58,086 Speaker 4: And promoted for his cover-up job. 191 00:13:58,186 --> 00:14:00,436 Speaker 1: I believe that Matrice Richardson was murdered, and it was 192 00:14:00,476 --> 00:14:02,286 Speaker 1: covered up by the L.A. County Sheriff's Office. 193 00:14:06,376 --> 00:14:09,056 Speaker 2: We know the cops took Matrice to the station, and 194 00:14:09,096 --> 00:14:12,376 Speaker 2: the cops let her go in the dark. This part 195 00:14:12,436 --> 00:14:18,716 Speaker 2: is true, undisputed fact. And then, what? How did she 196 00:14:18,756 --> 00:14:22,776 Speaker 2: get from the station to Montanito, six miles away? How 197 00:14:22,796 --> 00:14:26,866 Speaker 2: did she end up in Dark Canyon? Why was she naked? 198 00:14:28,026 --> 00:14:32,986 Speaker 2: And what happened to her missing bones? Oh yeah, that's 199 00:14:33,206 --> 00:14:37,626 Speaker 2: one more undisputed fact. While most of Mitrice's bones were 200 00:14:37,666 --> 00:14:41,706 Speaker 2: eventually accounted for, discovered in the canyon's heavy leaf litter, 201 00:14:42,686 --> 00:14:48,216 Speaker 2: an important one has not been found. The fragile bone 202 00:14:48,266 --> 00:14:53,196 Speaker 2: above the larynx that often breaks when a person is strangled. 203 00:15:09,456 --> 00:15:16,396 Speaker 2: Mitrice Richardson's death is not officially a homicide. The autopsy reads, quote, 204 00:15:16,976 --> 00:15:19,636 Speaker 2: while there is no evidence of antemortem trauma to the 205 00:15:19,696 --> 00:15:22,896 Speaker 2: bones or the limited amount of tissue accompanying them, in 206 00:15:22,936 --> 00:15:27,376 Speaker 2: the absence of internal viscera, internal injury cannot be completely 207 00:15:27,436 --> 00:15:32,496 Speaker 2: ruled out. And, quote, in the absence of suitable specimens 208 00:15:32,556 --> 00:15:37,756 Speaker 2: for toxicology testing, the possibility of fatal substance abuse cannot 209 00:15:37,796 --> 00:15:43,736 Speaker 2: be ruled out. And, quote, death due to exposure, snakebite, pneumonia, 210 00:15:44,036 --> 00:15:49,496 Speaker 2: or other natural diseases also cannot be ruled out. Therefore, quote, 211 00:15:50,066 --> 00:15:53,706 Speaker 2: both cause and manner of death remain undetermined. 212 00:15:55,026 --> 00:15:55,426 Speaker 4: Unquote. 213 00:15:57,606 --> 00:15:58,246 Speaker 1: Hello. 214 00:15:58,406 --> 00:15:59,146 Speaker 3: Hey, how are you? 215 00:15:59,446 --> 00:16:00,066 Speaker 1: I'm Dana. 216 00:16:00,306 --> 00:16:00,986 Speaker 3: Dana, hi. 217 00:16:01,226 --> 00:16:02,066 Speaker 2: Nice to meet you. 218 00:16:02,106 --> 00:16:02,826 Speaker 1: Nice to meet you, too. 219 00:16:03,026 --> 00:16:06,086 Speaker 2: I'm at the home of Lisa Scheinen. She's the forensic 220 00:16:06,146 --> 00:16:10,346 Speaker 2: pathologist who conducted the autopsy of Mitrice's remains. She's also 221 00:16:10,486 --> 00:16:13,976 Speaker 2: one of the world's foremost authorities on roller coasters. 222 00:16:14,456 --> 00:16:17,676 Speaker 3: That is my big hobby, that and collecting butterflies. 223 00:16:18,096 --> 00:16:21,816 Speaker 2: Her house, a normal-looking suburban house in Redondo Beach, is 224 00:16:21,896 --> 00:16:26,836 Speaker 2: basically a natural history museum. So do you capture them 225 00:16:26,896 --> 00:16:28,536 Speaker 2: in a net and then. 226 00:16:30,066 --> 00:16:30,616 Speaker 3: Pick them up? 227 00:16:31,286 --> 00:16:35,256 Speaker 2: Shadow box frames filled with specimens are stacked in every corner. 228 00:16:36,116 --> 00:16:38,416 Speaker 3: There's something called a killing jar, which you can make. 229 00:16:39,736 --> 00:16:42,256 Speaker 3: It's a jar that has a plaster of Paris base, 230 00:16:42,736 --> 00:16:46,616 Speaker 3: and then you pour in... You can use cyanide. When 231 00:16:46,636 --> 00:16:49,116 Speaker 3: you screw the cap on, it's a closed environment, and 232 00:16:49,156 --> 00:16:51,556 Speaker 3: it makes fumes that kill the butterfly. Basically put it 233 00:16:51,596 --> 00:16:52,756 Speaker 3: to sleep in seconds. 234 00:16:53,676 --> 00:16:54,036 Speaker 1: Dr. 235 00:16:54,096 --> 00:16:57,066 Speaker 2: Scheinen worked for the L.A. County Coroner's Office for 24 years. 236 00:16:59,076 --> 00:17:03,136 Speaker 3: I was a deputy medical examiner at the L.A. County 237 00:17:03,456 --> 00:17:05,416 Speaker 3: Coroner's Office, now retired. 238 00:17:06,826 --> 00:17:09,906 Speaker 2: She worked on a lot of high-profile cases. She did 239 00:17:09,946 --> 00:17:14,026 Speaker 2: the autopsies on the musicians Elliot Smith and Notorious B.I.G. 240 00:17:15,026 --> 00:17:19,926 Speaker 3: I autopsied Steve Allen, Dr. Knorr from the Killing Fields, 241 00:17:20,486 --> 00:17:23,946 Speaker 3: Brittany Murphy, Brian Keith. 242 00:17:24,026 --> 00:17:26,726 Speaker 2: But Mitrice's case stands out. 243 00:17:27,806 --> 00:17:32,236 Speaker 3: There are... are over the years some cases that do 244 00:17:32,376 --> 00:17:36,776 Speaker 3: stick with me because of the circumstances of the case. 245 00:17:36,796 --> 00:17:40,266 Speaker 3: There were so many unknowns. I mean, every time I've 246 00:17:40,326 --> 00:17:43,626 Speaker 3: been near Malibu, I'd start thinking, well, geez, this is 247 00:17:43,706 --> 00:17:48,306 Speaker 3: where Mitrice was. And this is just such a tragic case. 248 00:17:49,926 --> 00:17:52,766 Speaker 2: What she knew at the start was very basic. A 249 00:17:52,866 --> 00:17:56,216 Speaker 2: few scattered pieces of clothing and a human skeleton had 250 00:17:56,236 --> 00:18:00,736 Speaker 2: been found in an inaccessible canyon in Malibu. The autopsy 251 00:18:00,796 --> 00:18:04,256 Speaker 2: report details the pieces of Mitrice's clothing that were recovered 252 00:18:04,276 --> 00:18:10,496 Speaker 2: from the remains site. 1. Navy blue or black padded bra. 2. 253 00:18:10,496 --> 00:18:16,896 Speaker 2: Pink narrow belt, medium-large, alligator skin pattern. 3. Blue jeans, U.S. 254 00:18:16,956 --> 00:18:21,946 Speaker 2: size 29, dirty, empty pockets. She'd been wearing a Bob 255 00:18:21,986 --> 00:18:24,416 Speaker 2: Marley t-shirt and a pair of Vans when she left 256 00:18:24,636 --> 00:18:28,516 Speaker 2: Lost Hill Station. She also had her California driver's license 257 00:18:28,636 --> 00:18:32,216 Speaker 2: on her. Those items, along with her hat and her keys, 258 00:18:32,456 --> 00:18:32,916 Speaker 2: were missing. 259 00:18:34,256 --> 00:18:40,046 Speaker 3: I had the investigator's report. This particular investigator's report was 260 00:18:40,146 --> 00:18:44,806 Speaker 3: very straightforward. It said somebody from law enforcement was checking 261 00:18:44,866 --> 00:18:48,626 Speaker 3: an area that in a remote canyon and found the 262 00:18:48,686 --> 00:18:52,906 Speaker 3: bones and the clothing. And the clothing was about 100 263 00:18:52,906 --> 00:18:58,286 Speaker 3: feet away from the skeleton. You know, that's very limited information. 264 00:18:58,526 --> 00:19:01,796 Speaker 3: Sometimes we have two or three pages of information, but 265 00:19:01,856 --> 00:19:06,116 Speaker 3: not so in this case. So the first thing you 266 00:19:06,136 --> 00:19:11,356 Speaker 3: do is you lay everything out in anatomical order and 267 00:19:11,456 --> 00:19:16,716 Speaker 3: count what you've got. It was a nearly complete skeleton. 268 00:19:16,736 --> 00:19:21,976 Speaker 3: It wasn't an intact skeleton in that everything was connected. 269 00:19:22,916 --> 00:19:27,076 Speaker 3: There were a lot of disarticulated bones, but there were 270 00:19:27,096 --> 00:19:30,146 Speaker 3: some areas or certain blocks, like some parts of the 271 00:19:30,186 --> 00:19:33,106 Speaker 3: lower extremities, parts of some of the upper extremities, were 272 00:19:33,146 --> 00:19:36,486 Speaker 3: held together by a minimal amount of soft tissue. 273 00:19:36,986 --> 00:19:40,726 Speaker 2: The soft tissue was mostly skin that had been mummified. 274 00:19:41,446 --> 00:19:46,366 Speaker 3: Yeah, mummification... It is a process. It can be accidental. 275 00:19:46,446 --> 00:19:50,266 Speaker 3: If you have a body in a very dry, hot environment, 276 00:19:50,886 --> 00:19:56,146 Speaker 3: the liquid essentially disappears. And what you get is this 277 00:19:56,466 --> 00:20:02,216 Speaker 3: very leathery liquid. rigid skin, sometimes some soft tissue. Usually 278 00:20:02,236 --> 00:20:09,816 Speaker 3: the internal organs don't mummify, so it's mostly the skin, muscle, tendons, 279 00:20:09,836 --> 00:20:10,996 Speaker 3: that type of thing. 280 00:20:12,016 --> 00:20:14,576 Speaker 2: There were a few small marks on some of the bones. 281 00:20:15,296 --> 00:20:19,636 Speaker 2: The work, Dr. Scheinen thought, of animals scavenging the remains. 282 00:20:20,816 --> 00:20:24,736 Speaker 3: The toes of the left foot were missing, and that 283 00:20:24,836 --> 00:20:28,036 Speaker 3: was consistent with animal activity. 284 00:20:29,156 --> 00:20:31,136 Speaker 2: But otherwise, the bones were intact. 285 00:20:31,696 --> 00:20:35,906 Speaker 3: We look for things like fractures, which would usually mean 286 00:20:35,946 --> 00:20:39,306 Speaker 3: some sort of a blunt force impact. We would look 287 00:20:39,366 --> 00:20:43,866 Speaker 3: for any evidence of a gunshot wound. or a stabbing. 288 00:20:44,106 --> 00:20:48,426 Speaker 3: I didn't see any evidence of a physical traumatic injury. 289 00:20:49,686 --> 00:20:52,206 Speaker 2: There was also no way to tell if Mitrice had 290 00:20:52,246 --> 00:20:53,266 Speaker 2: been sexually assaulted. 291 00:20:53,666 --> 00:20:57,626 Speaker 3: Without soft tissue, there's really nothing that you can do 292 00:20:57,726 --> 00:20:59,386 Speaker 3: or see, and sperm doesn't last. 293 00:21:00,406 --> 00:21:03,176 Speaker 2: Without internal organs, there was no way to tell if 294 00:21:03,216 --> 00:21:04,066 Speaker 2: she had overdosed. 295 00:21:04,526 --> 00:21:08,756 Speaker 3: She wasn't found with cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, anything like that. 296 00:21:08,776 --> 00:21:10,796 Speaker 3: She didn't really have a history of that type of thing. 297 00:21:11,296 --> 00:21:14,616 Speaker 3: But again, without being able to do an accurate test, 298 00:21:14,896 --> 00:21:15,416 Speaker 3: we don't know. 299 00:21:16,736 --> 00:21:18,796 Speaker 2: There was a small amount of leg muscle. 300 00:21:19,476 --> 00:21:19,796 Speaker 4: Dr. 301 00:21:19,836 --> 00:21:23,496 Speaker 2: Scheinen sent it in for toxicology. And that report came 302 00:21:23,536 --> 00:21:32,766 Speaker 2: back inconclusive. As soon as Mitrice's remains were discovered, law 303 00:21:32,806 --> 00:21:37,106 Speaker 2: enforcement began suggesting that Mitrice, experiencing a mental health episode, 304 00:21:37,546 --> 00:21:41,416 Speaker 2: had probably wandered into Dark Canyon by herself. and died 305 00:21:41,516 --> 00:21:47,836 Speaker 2: from exposure, dehydration, venom, or something. Her death, they implied, 306 00:21:47,896 --> 00:21:52,576 Speaker 2: was tragic, but natural. I asked Dr. Scheinen about the 307 00:21:52,646 --> 00:21:53,906 Speaker 2: natural causes theory. 308 00:21:54,496 --> 00:21:59,146 Speaker 3: In this particular case, there's several possibilities. There are rattlesnakes there. 309 00:21:59,186 --> 00:22:02,266 Speaker 3: She could have been bitten by a rattlesnake. There's also 310 00:22:02,786 --> 00:22:06,366 Speaker 3: fire ants. She could have had a severe allergic reaction 311 00:22:06,406 --> 00:22:12,046 Speaker 3: to something. There's poison oak there. That's horrible. It's everywhere, 312 00:22:12,566 --> 00:22:14,786 Speaker 3: and some people are more sensitive than others. 313 00:22:15,906 --> 00:22:20,626 Speaker 2: But why would the skeleton be naked? Mitrice's bra, belt, 314 00:22:20,686 --> 00:22:23,346 Speaker 2: and jeans were found hundreds of feet from the skeleton, 315 00:22:24,066 --> 00:22:27,916 Speaker 2: and the belt was no longer on the jeans. A 316 00:22:27,976 --> 00:22:32,276 Speaker 2: seasonal stream, Dark Creek, runs through the canyon, and cops 317 00:22:32,316 --> 00:22:35,536 Speaker 2: suggested that a flash flood could have removed her clothes, 318 00:22:35,836 --> 00:22:40,316 Speaker 2: carrying them downstream. The winter Mitrice was missing was a 319 00:22:40,356 --> 00:22:44,266 Speaker 2: rainy one. But even so, it takes a real contortion 320 00:22:44,286 --> 00:22:47,606 Speaker 2: of logic to imagine a flood could strip a body 321 00:22:47,666 --> 00:22:51,156 Speaker 2: naked and remove a belt from a pair of pants. 322 00:22:51,736 --> 00:22:54,236 Speaker 3: Usually when we have a person who's dead with their 323 00:22:54,276 --> 00:22:57,056 Speaker 3: clothes on, the clothes will stay on. Even if the 324 00:22:57,096 --> 00:23:01,166 Speaker 3: body mummifies, the clothes are going to stay on. Water 325 00:23:01,206 --> 00:23:03,786 Speaker 3: might wash off socks or something like that, but it's 326 00:23:03,866 --> 00:23:05,966 Speaker 3: not going to completely undress a body. 327 00:23:08,126 --> 00:23:08,426 Speaker 1: Dr. 328 00:23:08,446 --> 00:23:13,996 Speaker 2: Scheinen raised a different, natural explanation for Mitrice's nudity, hypothermia. 329 00:23:14,586 --> 00:23:18,896 Speaker 3: There's something that happens with extreme cold called paradoxical undressing. 330 00:23:19,776 --> 00:23:22,556 Speaker 3: Normally when you're cold, your blood vessels will constrict to 331 00:23:22,596 --> 00:23:26,486 Speaker 3: try to keep the blood more central in the body. Well, 332 00:23:26,516 --> 00:23:31,746 Speaker 3: what happens with paradoxical undressing is there is a reflex 333 00:23:31,826 --> 00:23:35,126 Speaker 3: dilatation of these blood vessels. So all of a sudden 334 00:23:35,146 --> 00:23:38,446 Speaker 3: you get this rush of nice warm blood into these 335 00:23:38,576 --> 00:23:42,406 Speaker 3: areas that were previously cold, and people who were probably 336 00:23:43,686 --> 00:23:46,666 Speaker 3: a little bit out of it by this point think, 337 00:23:46,846 --> 00:23:49,026 Speaker 3: oh my gosh, it's so warm, I'm too hot, and 338 00:23:49,066 --> 00:23:53,016 Speaker 3: they take their clothes off. However, that tends to happen 339 00:23:53,636 --> 00:23:57,416 Speaker 3: more often in extreme cold where there's snow. 340 00:23:58,576 --> 00:24:02,516 Speaker 2: In mid-September 2009, the average overnight low at the weather 341 00:24:02,556 --> 00:24:05,446 Speaker 2: recording station nearest to Dark Canyon was in the mid-60s. 342 00:24:06,626 --> 00:24:08,706 Speaker 3: And I'm not sure it would get cold enough up 343 00:24:08,766 --> 00:24:12,736 Speaker 3: in the canyon for that to happen, but it's just 344 00:24:12,816 --> 00:24:14,036 Speaker 3: something to think about. 345 00:24:14,896 --> 00:24:19,456 Speaker 2: Obviously, there's another possible explanation. Foul play. 346 00:24:20,476 --> 00:24:24,486 Speaker 3: There are sinister reasons for the person not having their 347 00:24:24,496 --> 00:24:28,206 Speaker 3: clothes on. I mean, could she have been sexually assaulted? 348 00:24:29,786 --> 00:24:32,966 Speaker 3: And they just took her clothes off and left them off. 349 00:24:34,206 --> 00:24:38,806 Speaker 3: Who knows? It's... certainly a real possibility. 350 00:24:40,066 --> 00:24:41,676 Speaker 2: And what about the missing clothing? 351 00:24:42,996 --> 00:24:45,196 Speaker 3: And also the fact that it was an incomplete set 352 00:24:45,256 --> 00:24:49,316 Speaker 3: of clothes and none of the additional items of clothing 353 00:24:49,416 --> 00:24:52,736 Speaker 3: were ever found, including shoes, which I think have a 354 00:24:52,776 --> 00:24:55,096 Speaker 3: little more weight than other clothing. 355 00:24:56,496 --> 00:24:59,766 Speaker 2: As with everything about Mitrice's case, the story of her 356 00:24:59,806 --> 00:25:04,986 Speaker 2: remains is a story of absences, gaps, and guesses. A 357 00:25:05,026 --> 00:25:09,136 Speaker 2: forensic pathologist works by process of elimination, but with so 358 00:25:09,196 --> 00:25:12,516 Speaker 2: little hard evidence, it was difficult to rule out anything. 359 00:25:13,816 --> 00:25:17,956 Speaker 3: So the fact that I didn't see any trauma in 360 00:25:17,976 --> 00:25:23,726 Speaker 3: the bones doesn't mean trauma didn't happen. It's always possible 361 00:25:24,306 --> 00:25:27,526 Speaker 3: that a gunshot wound can go through and through a 362 00:25:27,566 --> 00:25:31,486 Speaker 3: body without hitting bone. Same thing for a stab wound. 363 00:25:32,086 --> 00:25:38,236 Speaker 3: What's also possible is asphyxia or manual strangulation or maybe 364 00:25:38,556 --> 00:25:44,296 Speaker 3: choked with a rope. The reason people die when they're 365 00:25:44,376 --> 00:25:49,846 Speaker 3: strangled is you're cutting off the blood flow to the brain. 366 00:25:51,226 --> 00:25:54,266 Speaker 3: We're looking for things that reflect the fact that you 367 00:25:54,406 --> 00:25:56,346 Speaker 3: are compressing neck structures. 368 00:25:58,426 --> 00:26:01,086 Speaker 2: In the autopsy report, there's a list of missing bones. 369 00:26:01,706 --> 00:26:05,066 Speaker 2: Some bones from the hand, the left toes, presumably scavenged 370 00:26:05,106 --> 00:26:09,296 Speaker 2: by animals, the tailbone, the xiphoid process at the bottom 371 00:26:09,336 --> 00:26:13,836 Speaker 2: of the sternum, and a thin, fragile neck bone called 372 00:26:14,136 --> 00:26:14,736 Speaker 2: the hyoid. 373 00:26:16,356 --> 00:26:20,476 Speaker 3: The hyoid bone is the only floating bone in the body. 374 00:26:20,496 --> 00:26:24,256 Speaker 3: It's not attached to any other bone. It sits a 375 00:26:24,336 --> 00:26:29,576 Speaker 3: little bit above the thyroid cartilage, And it's essentially there 376 00:26:30,056 --> 00:26:32,336 Speaker 3: as a base of muscle attachment. 377 00:26:33,216 --> 00:26:35,956 Speaker 2: Because of its shape and position in the body, a 378 00:26:35,996 --> 00:26:40,596 Speaker 2: broken hyoid can provide clear evidence of strangulation. For a 379 00:26:40,616 --> 00:26:43,636 Speaker 2: forensic pathologist, it's a very significant bone. 380 00:26:44,896 --> 00:26:48,796 Speaker 3: And what's important about it is it's a U-shaped bone 381 00:26:48,906 --> 00:26:53,586 Speaker 3: with the projections heading towards the back of the neck. 382 00:26:54,146 --> 00:26:57,566 Speaker 3: So if it's compressed from both sides, which is what happens... 383 00:26:57,766 --> 00:27:03,046 Speaker 3: when you have a strangulation case with manual strangulation, is 384 00:27:03,086 --> 00:27:06,676 Speaker 3: that you're putting pressure on the wings of the hyoid 385 00:27:06,716 --> 00:27:11,696 Speaker 3: bone and they can fracture. The thing with the hyoid 386 00:27:11,736 --> 00:27:13,696 Speaker 3: is if you found it and it was broken, you 387 00:27:13,716 --> 00:27:15,796 Speaker 3: could say, aha, this person was strangled. 388 00:27:17,796 --> 00:27:21,826 Speaker 2: But like the missing clothing and her ID, Mitrice's hyoid 389 00:27:21,846 --> 00:27:23,166 Speaker 2: bone was never found. 390 00:27:24,806 --> 00:27:25,166 Speaker 4: Dr. 391 00:27:25,206 --> 00:27:30,346 Speaker 2: Scheinen says Mitrice's case could still be resolved. With new evidence, 392 00:27:30,476 --> 00:27:34,016 Speaker 2: the coroner could change the cause of death from undetermined. 393 00:27:35,236 --> 00:27:40,776 Speaker 3: If there was foul play involved, someone could confess. You 394 00:27:40,816 --> 00:27:47,236 Speaker 3: never know. It could be deathbed confession. Maybe they'll raid somewhere, someplace, 395 00:27:47,636 --> 00:27:51,676 Speaker 3: and they'll find pictures of her. Anything is possible. They 396 00:27:51,696 --> 00:27:55,916 Speaker 3: could just investigate the right person at the right time. 397 00:27:57,056 --> 00:28:01,036 Speaker 3: Sometimes killers will save souvenirs that can be recognized as 398 00:28:01,106 --> 00:28:04,066 Speaker 3: something from the person. Anything like that could happen. 399 00:28:05,506 --> 00:28:12,546 Speaker 2: Anything could happen, including this. Someone who knows something could 400 00:28:12,566 --> 00:28:37,806 Speaker 2: decide they've kept the secret for too long. Mitrice's movements 401 00:28:37,946 --> 00:28:42,736 Speaker 2: on September 17, 2009, are mostly unknown. After she was 402 00:28:42,796 --> 00:28:47,096 Speaker 2: released from Lost Hill Station at 12.25 a.m., she somehow 403 00:28:47,136 --> 00:28:50,116 Speaker 2: made her way six miles to Montanito in the dark. 404 00:28:51,276 --> 00:28:54,576 Speaker 2: The next morning, around 6.30 a.m., she was spotted there, 405 00:28:55,016 --> 00:28:57,036 Speaker 2: in the backyard of a house at the bottom of 406 00:28:57,136 --> 00:28:57,996 Speaker 2: Cold Canyon Road. 407 00:28:58,596 --> 00:29:01,356 Speaker 1: And I saw somebody sitting on the top step of 408 00:29:01,376 --> 00:29:04,416 Speaker 1: the six railroad ties that we have in the backyard. 409 00:29:04,556 --> 00:29:06,436 Speaker 2: I called down and said, are you okay? 410 00:29:07,626 --> 00:29:10,786 Speaker 1: And the answer was, yes, I'm just resting. And by 411 00:29:10,806 --> 00:29:13,206 Speaker 1: the time we went around to the other window, she 412 00:29:13,226 --> 00:29:13,766 Speaker 1: was gone. 413 00:29:14,866 --> 00:29:19,996 Speaker 2: That's Karen Smith speaking in an ABC7 documentary about Mitrice's disappearance. 414 00:29:21,076 --> 00:29:23,336 Speaker 2: Karen's house is kind of a landmark in the neighborhood 415 00:29:23,596 --> 00:29:26,326 Speaker 2: because it has a tennis court out front. Her husband, 416 00:29:26,426 --> 00:29:30,946 Speaker 2: Bill Smith, who died in 2017, was a reporter on KTLA, 417 00:29:31,246 --> 00:29:35,256 Speaker 2: a local TV news station. The Smiths called the cops, 418 00:29:35,556 --> 00:29:37,916 Speaker 2: and later deputies confirmed that the woman who'd been in 419 00:29:37,936 --> 00:29:42,926 Speaker 2: the backyard was Mitrice. That's the one official sighting of 420 00:29:42,966 --> 00:29:48,146 Speaker 2: Mitrice Richardson after she left Lost Hills Station. But then 421 00:29:48,626 --> 00:29:52,676 Speaker 2: there's the other story, the unofficial story, the one the 422 00:29:52,716 --> 00:29:55,056 Speaker 2: guy on the edge of his bed told Raven in 423 00:29:55,076 --> 00:29:55,956 Speaker 2: the Lost interview. 424 00:29:55,976 --> 00:29:59,136 Speaker 1: It was 4.30 in the morning. I'm coming down off 425 00:29:59,176 --> 00:30:01,656 Speaker 1: my mountain. I'm off my little hideout. So where do 426 00:30:01,676 --> 00:30:03,976 Speaker 1: you live? I live right down the street. I've lived 427 00:30:04,016 --> 00:30:08,816 Speaker 1: in Montanito all my life. So my folks live here 428 00:30:08,856 --> 00:30:10,056 Speaker 1: early in the morning. 429 00:30:10,406 --> 00:30:13,006 Speaker 2: He says he was heading down into the neighborhood from 430 00:30:13,046 --> 00:30:15,726 Speaker 2: his spot on the mountain in the early morning hours. 431 00:30:15,746 --> 00:30:19,286 Speaker 1: I was coming down at 4.30 in the morning. I 432 00:30:19,306 --> 00:30:22,046 Speaker 1: know because I left about 4.15 for my spot. It 433 00:30:22,066 --> 00:30:23,896 Speaker 1: takes about 10 minutes to 15 minutes to get down. 434 00:30:24,296 --> 00:30:24,636 Speaker 4: Okay. 435 00:30:24,916 --> 00:30:27,696 Speaker 1: And I'm coming down. It was almost at Woodblock and 436 00:30:27,756 --> 00:30:28,416 Speaker 1: Cold Canyon. 437 00:30:28,956 --> 00:30:29,396 Speaker 4: Mm-hmm. 438 00:30:29,716 --> 00:30:31,996 Speaker 1: And it was right at Woodblock and Cold Canyon. There's 439 00:30:32,076 --> 00:30:36,016 Speaker 1: a house with a tennis court right there. And it 440 00:30:36,296 --> 00:30:37,566 Speaker 1: has a big horseshoe driveway. 441 00:30:38,076 --> 00:30:45,956 Speaker 2: That's the Smiths' house. But his story and the Smiths' story, 442 00:30:46,436 --> 00:30:51,216 Speaker 2: they're really different. The time, where Mitrice was on the property, 443 00:30:52,076 --> 00:30:52,756 Speaker 2: they don't line up. 444 00:30:53,776 --> 00:30:56,576 Speaker 1: And in his account, she wasn't quietly resting. She was 445 00:30:56,656 --> 00:31:09,476 Speaker 1: audibly distressed. I could hear her screaming. I could tell 446 00:31:09,496 --> 00:31:10,916 Speaker 1: she was black. It was by her drawl. 447 00:31:11,096 --> 00:31:12,876 Speaker 3: Yeah, the intonation in her voice. 448 00:31:12,896 --> 00:31:16,216 Speaker 1: I didn't know that black people lived in Montanito. I 449 00:31:16,316 --> 00:31:17,116 Speaker 1: lived in Montanito. 450 00:31:17,476 --> 00:31:20,656 Speaker 2: So, he says, he decided to hang out, just to 451 00:31:20,696 --> 00:31:21,596 Speaker 2: make sure she was safe. 452 00:31:22,076 --> 00:31:25,226 Speaker 1: Stayed there for about 30 seconds, and I said, uh, 453 00:31:26,346 --> 00:31:28,186 Speaker 1: come a little bit by this right now. 454 00:31:28,806 --> 00:31:31,046 Speaker 2: But when she didn't seem to be in danger, he 455 00:31:31,106 --> 00:31:32,166 Speaker 2: figured he should move along. 456 00:31:32,566 --> 00:31:35,576 Speaker 1: I did it right. She was screaming loud enough that 457 00:31:35,616 --> 00:31:37,876 Speaker 1: I go, the cows are going to be here soon. 458 00:31:38,756 --> 00:31:40,456 Speaker 1: I better get out of here. So I went home. 459 00:31:41,476 --> 00:31:44,536 Speaker 2: The woman, he says, was a total stranger to him 460 00:31:44,596 --> 00:31:48,786 Speaker 2: at the time. He didn't know she was about to 461 00:31:48,826 --> 00:31:50,446 Speaker 2: become a household name. 462 00:31:50,466 --> 00:31:56,886 Speaker 1: And so I just. I didn't think much of it. 463 00:31:56,926 --> 00:31:59,466 Speaker 1: You know, I didn't know that she'd just been arrested. 464 00:31:59,526 --> 00:32:02,866 Speaker 1: It was the same night. Right. You know, the circumstance 465 00:32:02,946 --> 00:32:03,886 Speaker 1: of the situation. 466 00:32:04,826 --> 00:32:08,546 Speaker 2: He didn't know that deputies and search parties with horses, drones, 467 00:32:08,626 --> 00:32:11,606 Speaker 2: and dogs were going to be pouring into sleepy little 468 00:32:11,646 --> 00:32:15,366 Speaker 2: Montanito looking for her. This young woman who was not 469 00:32:15,486 --> 00:32:18,866 Speaker 2: from Malibu, who he thought didn't really fit in there. 470 00:32:18,886 --> 00:32:24,086 Speaker 1: I go, huh. Yeah, I didn't think much of it. 471 00:32:24,106 --> 00:32:24,636 Speaker 1: I didn't tell her. 472 00:32:30,126 --> 00:32:33,566 Speaker 2: Even though he didn't know any of that, he knew 473 00:32:33,706 --> 00:32:42,136 Speaker 2: something out of the ordinary had happened. The next thing 474 00:32:42,176 --> 00:32:48,376 Speaker 2: that happened? He saw the vultures. So many vultures. Vultures 475 00:32:48,436 --> 00:32:51,296 Speaker 2: are a fact of life in Montanito. But this was 476 00:32:51,376 --> 00:32:54,356 Speaker 2: more than he'd ever seen before. More than he could count. 477 00:32:54,896 --> 00:32:59,266 Speaker 1: But, so I just, I hear this, and a couple 478 00:32:59,286 --> 00:33:02,806 Speaker 1: days later, you know, I hear that she's missing, and that, 479 00:33:02,906 --> 00:33:07,046 Speaker 1: you know, all this stuff's going on, and I, so I, 480 00:33:08,306 --> 00:33:12,716 Speaker 1: I'm up at my spot, like, two days later, and 481 00:33:12,776 --> 00:33:15,196 Speaker 1: I see, and I've seen a lot of vultures in 482 00:33:15,236 --> 00:33:17,756 Speaker 1: my life. I lived out there 50 years, right? Right. 483 00:33:17,816 --> 00:33:23,766 Speaker 1: Never seen a hundred vultures. Just swooned. I've seen like 484 00:33:23,806 --> 00:33:26,466 Speaker 1: a thousand of them. You know, I've never seen that many. 485 00:33:27,166 --> 00:33:29,786 Speaker 1: So when did you see this? I saw this like 486 00:33:30,946 --> 00:33:33,506 Speaker 1: two days after she was missing, or maybe four days 487 00:33:33,586 --> 00:33:36,986 Speaker 1: after she was missing. Mm-hmm. You know, I thought to myself, 488 00:33:37,046 --> 00:33:39,566 Speaker 1: you know, because I've been back here all my life, 489 00:33:39,606 --> 00:33:41,196 Speaker 1: and I'm kind of like a trap, or I'm kind 490 00:33:41,236 --> 00:33:41,916 Speaker 1: of a mountain man. 491 00:33:41,996 --> 00:33:42,336 Speaker 3: Right. 492 00:33:42,436 --> 00:33:46,936 Speaker 1: I thought, I wonder what they're doing up there. You know, 493 00:33:46,956 --> 00:33:49,496 Speaker 1: there's something dead up there. You know, obviously, there's that 494 00:33:49,536 --> 00:33:50,036 Speaker 1: many vultures. 495 00:33:54,616 --> 00:33:57,956 Speaker 2: This story of the Montanito lifer who saw Mitrice the 496 00:33:58,016 --> 00:34:02,836 Speaker 2: morning of her disappearance, it's not out there. The recording 497 00:34:03,016 --> 00:34:05,936 Speaker 2: and all the new information in it got buried under 498 00:34:06,056 --> 00:34:13,036 Speaker 2: so much other information, so much misinformation, conspiracy theories, dead ends, lies. 499 00:34:14,706 --> 00:34:18,346 Speaker 2: It was lost in the leaf litter detritus of the internet. 500 00:34:19,706 --> 00:34:23,246 Speaker 2: But it's kind of like that hyoid bone, tiny and 501 00:34:23,446 --> 00:34:27,756 Speaker 2: super significant. Because this ordinary guy, sitting on the edge 502 00:34:27,776 --> 00:34:31,466 Speaker 2: of his bed, drinking a beer, telling a story, he 503 00:34:31,526 --> 00:34:35,786 Speaker 2: makes what is probably the single most important statement of 504 00:34:36,046 --> 00:34:37,286 Speaker 2: any witness in this case. 505 00:34:39,786 --> 00:34:43,736 Speaker 1: I don't know any of the facts except for that 506 00:34:43,776 --> 00:34:46,496 Speaker 1: DaCosta and I was the last one to see her alive. 507 00:34:50,716 --> 00:34:53,536 Speaker 2: If he was the last one to see her alive... 508 00:34:53,886 --> 00:34:58,826 Speaker 2: Did he know something about her death? This season on 509 00:34:58,866 --> 00:34:59,526 Speaker 2: Lost Hills. 510 00:35:00,836 --> 00:35:03,116 Speaker 4: I know one of them officers had something to do 511 00:35:03,136 --> 00:35:03,406 Speaker 4: with it. 512 00:35:03,576 --> 00:35:06,116 Speaker 1: It's like when I seen the news, it was like, damn, 513 00:35:06,136 --> 00:35:07,936 Speaker 1: that's crazy, because I was like in a cell with 514 00:35:07,956 --> 00:35:08,476 Speaker 1: this woman. 515 00:35:08,656 --> 00:35:12,436 Speaker 3: Somebody said they actually followed her after she left. You 516 00:35:12,456 --> 00:35:13,316 Speaker 3: think you heard. 517 00:35:13,186 --> 00:35:15,286 Speaker 2: Someone talking about how the deputy could give her a 518 00:35:15,346 --> 00:35:15,866 Speaker 2: ride somewhere? 519 00:35:15,926 --> 00:35:18,086 Speaker 1: Yes, yes. It was a male deputy. If I'm going 520 00:35:18,106 --> 00:35:19,786 Speaker 1: to murder anybody, it's going to be a cop. 521 00:35:19,946 --> 00:35:21,006 Speaker 4: I mean, I had to sleep in front of my 522 00:35:21,046 --> 00:35:24,136 Speaker 4: kid's door. because of people coming to kill my kids. 523 00:35:24,376 --> 00:35:26,156 Speaker 1: I was dating her at the time, and she ended 524 00:35:26,216 --> 00:35:28,276 Speaker 1: up going missing. And I was questioned by L.A. 525 00:35:28,316 --> 00:35:30,726 Speaker 2: Homicide as a possible suspect for her disappearance. 526 00:35:30,796 --> 00:35:32,146 Speaker 3: And one of the other guys came up and said, 527 00:35:32,206 --> 00:35:33,486 Speaker 3: what do you know about my trees? 528 00:35:34,106 --> 00:35:37,986 Speaker 1: He knew exactly where she was, which gives me the chills. 529 00:35:38,366 --> 00:35:41,626 Speaker 4: Imagine if this was your kid that was swept up 530 00:35:41,686 --> 00:35:42,246 Speaker 4: and put in. 531 00:35:42,206 --> 00:35:43,186 Speaker 1: A box like this. 532 00:35:46,986 --> 00:35:50,836 Speaker 2: Lost Hills Season 4, Dark Canyon. is written and hosted 533 00:35:50,936 --> 00:35:54,636 Speaker 2: by me, Dana Goodyear. It was reported by me and 534 00:35:54,676 --> 00:35:58,276 Speaker 2: Haley Fox, our senior producer. The show was created by 535 00:35:58,356 --> 00:36:01,776 Speaker 2: me and Ben Adair. Lost Hills is a production of 536 00:36:01,836 --> 00:36:12,666 Speaker 2: Western Sound and Pushkin Industries. Subscribe to Pushkin Plus and 537 00:36:12,686 --> 00:36:16,416 Speaker 2: you can binge the whole season right now, ad-free. Find 538 00:36:16,496 --> 00:36:19,356 Speaker 2: Pushkin Plus on the Lost Hills show page in Apple 539 00:36:19,396 --> 00:36:22,806 Speaker 2: Podcasts or at pushkin.fm slash plus.