1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:04,480 Speaker 1: On September two thousand, nine year old my Trees Richardson 2 00:00:04,559 --> 00:00:08,080 Speaker 1: disappeared without a trace in the woods near Malibu, California. 3 00:00:08,920 --> 00:00:11,479 Speaker 1: She had been arrested at a beachside restaurant for failing 4 00:00:11,480 --> 00:00:13,680 Speaker 1: to pay a tab and taken too the Lost Hills 5 00:00:13,680 --> 00:00:16,960 Speaker 1: Sheriff station. You know, I mean, she's not from that area, 6 00:00:17,000 --> 00:00:19,880 Speaker 1: and I would hate to wake up to a morning 7 00:00:19,920 --> 00:00:23,599 Speaker 1: report somewhere with her head chopped out. At least in 8 00:00:23,640 --> 00:00:25,959 Speaker 1: the station here to will be separated, so nobody's going 9 00:00:26,000 --> 00:00:29,480 Speaker 1: to be with her, certainly, you know the bus stances, 10 00:00:29,560 --> 00:00:35,159 Speaker 1: you don't have to worry about her safety. This is 11 00:00:35,200 --> 00:00:38,479 Speaker 1: the same sheriff station where Mel Gibson was taken to 12 00:00:38,600 --> 00:00:41,840 Speaker 1: sober up after his drunken rant and then safely driven 13 00:00:41,840 --> 00:00:45,279 Speaker 1: back to his car. There was no courtesy ride from 14 00:00:45,280 --> 00:00:50,600 Speaker 1: My Trees, the young African American non celebrity. They knew 15 00:00:50,800 --> 00:00:53,320 Speaker 1: that she had been released with no car, no money, 16 00:00:53,400 --> 00:00:57,080 Speaker 1: no cell phone, nothing, and in the dead of night. 17 00:00:57,240 --> 00:00:59,040 Speaker 1: Her mom calls the next morning to tell them that 18 00:00:59,080 --> 00:01:00,840 Speaker 1: she never came home, and it's like, oh, well, she 19 00:01:00,960 --> 00:01:03,960 Speaker 1: probably just you know, they were just very nonchalant and 20 00:01:04,000 --> 00:01:09,160 Speaker 1: casual about it. She doesn't know the area. She's never 21 00:01:09,200 --> 00:01:12,839 Speaker 1: been in your area. Well, I think she's suppressed. That's 22 00:01:12,880 --> 00:01:18,440 Speaker 1: what happened. That more than just her Okay, the police 23 00:01:18,480 --> 00:01:21,640 Speaker 1: released her just after midnight, and there was nothing right. 24 00:01:21,840 --> 00:01:26,240 Speaker 1: They had my treats victimized from the moment. They knew 25 00:01:26,319 --> 00:01:29,120 Speaker 1: that she was not in the right state of mind 26 00:01:29,200 --> 00:01:32,200 Speaker 1: she needed to be in, but she needed help. She 27 00:01:32,200 --> 00:01:37,480 Speaker 1: should I went to a hospital. My Trees disappeared into 28 00:01:37,520 --> 00:01:41,440 Speaker 1: the darkness and was never seen alive again. If they 29 00:01:41,480 --> 00:01:46,200 Speaker 1: would put her clothing in the body bag to be buried, 30 00:01:46,760 --> 00:01:50,480 Speaker 1: you know that they're trying to high So I'm like, 31 00:01:50,560 --> 00:01:53,520 Speaker 1: if we tell them, we don't know what they're gonna do. 32 00:01:57,680 --> 00:02:01,920 Speaker 1: I'm Catherine Townsend, a private investor, gator, investigative journalists and 33 00:02:02,000 --> 00:02:05,840 Speaker 1: host of the podcast Helen Gone. In the third season 34 00:02:05,840 --> 00:02:08,920 Speaker 1: of Helen Gone, We're gonna try to find out what 35 00:02:09,080 --> 00:02:12,120 Speaker 1: really happened to My Trees Richardson, the simple mistakes that 36 00:02:12,160 --> 00:02:15,280 Speaker 1: are made at the beginning become these huge problems later downline, 37 00:02:15,520 --> 00:02:19,000 Speaker 1: like because then then the family just doesn't trust the cops, 38 00:02:19,000 --> 00:02:21,000 Speaker 1: and then you have just like every step of the 39 00:02:21,000 --> 00:02:23,560 Speaker 1: way is a problem. From School of Humans and I 40 00:02:23,680 --> 00:02:28,960 Speaker 1: heart Radio, Helen Gone Season three is out October. Listen 41 00:02:28,960 --> 00:02:32,320 Speaker 1: to Helen Gone on the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, 42 00:02:32,560 --> 00:02:40,360 Speaker 1: or wherever you get your podcasts. School of Humans