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

In August, the county Board of Supervisors reinstated a $20,000 reward in the Richardson case.

The Cal State Fullerton graduate disappeared without a trace after leaving the Malibu-Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station around midnight on September 17, 2009. Earlier that evening, Richardson was dining at Geoffrey’s in Malibu, where he exhibited strange behavior and did not pay the $89 bill. by guests and staff.

Richardson’s behavior at the restaurant was never included in police reports. However, it was later revealed that he had bipolar disorder and may have been suffering from a mental breakdown and trouble sleeping, according to detectives.

He was given the option to voluntarily remain at the station until daylight hours or until transportation arrived, according to the sheriff’s report. Choosing to leave, Richardson was released with no personal belongings; His wallet and phone were inside the impounded Honda Civic where he apparently lived.

His release sparked anguish among family members who believed a mental evaluation or psychiatric intervention was warranted. But a report by the Los Angeles County Office of Independent Review concluded that deputies acted appropriately that night.

Despite Richardson’s erratic behavior, sheriff’s deputies at the station had “no legal justification to deprive him of his liberty.” report.

Months of searching and waiting resulted in a grim discovery in August 2010. skeletal remains discovered In Malibu Canyon. Dental records later confirmed that the remains belonged to Richardson. Although his death has not been ruled a homicide, his family has insisted in the past that he was the victim of a murder.

“One thing I know about my daughter is that she is not a natural young lady,” said her mother, Lattice Sutton. said TTimes in 2010. “He doesn’t like the bugs in the bushes. This is not a place where he can wander around alone. “I have stated before that my daughter was killed.”

The family reached a $900,000 settlement with the county in 2011 after both parents filed lawsuits against 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 on Richardson’s whereabouts. The reward money was re-determined after his body was found in 2010. This amount also increased in 2021 and 2022.

Police ask anyone with information about the incident to call the LAPD at (213) 486-6900 or the sheriff’s department at (323) 890-5500.