Lost Hills: Dark Canyon podcast

Lost Hills: Dark Canyon

Lost Hills investigates the dark side of Malibu, California. Beneath a seductive facade, this city of billionaires, celebrities, and surf bums is hiding something menacing. On September 16, 2009, 24-year-old Mitrice Richardson was arrested by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department for failing to pay her bill at a restaurant in Malibu, CA. After being released from Lost Hills Station shortly after midnight, she disappeared. Eleven months later, her naked, skeletal remains were discovered in a canyon some six miles away.  For nearly 15 years, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, Mitrice’s friends and family, and generations of internet sleuths have tried to crack the case.  To this day, her death remains an unsolved mystery.  The truth lies in the remote Malibu community where Mitrice was last seen. And now, finally, people are starting to talk. Hosted by Dana Goodyear (The New Yorker) and produced by Western Sound and Pushkin Industries. Show artwork copyright Francesca Gabbiani. Subscribe to Pushkin plus to hear the whole season early, and ad free.  Find Pushkin plus on the Lost Hills show page in Apple Podcasts or at  [Pushkin.fm] (https://www.pushkin.fm/join-pushkin) . Follow us [@losthillspod] (https://twitter.com/losthillspod?lang=en) on Twitter and Instagram for a deeper dive into the stories.

Lost Hills investigates the dark side of Malibu, California. Beneath a seductive facade, this city of billionaires, celebrities, and surf bums is hiding something menacing. On September 16, 2009, 24-year-old Mitrice Richardson was arrested by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department for failing to pay her bill at a restaurant in Malibu, CA. After being released from Lost Hills Station shortly after midnight, she disappeared. Eleven months later, her naked, skeletal remains were discovered in a canyon some six miles away.  For nearly 15 years, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, Mitrice’s friends and family, and generations of internet sleuths have tried to crack the case.  To this day, her death remains an unsolved mystery.  The truth lies in the remote Malibu community where Mitrice was last seen. And now, finally, people are starting to talk. Hosted by Dana Goodyear (The New Yorker) and produced by Western Sound and Pushkin Industries. Show artwork copyright Francesca Gabbiani. Subscribe to Pushkin plus to hear the whole season early, and ad free.  Find Pushkin plus on the Lost Hills show page in Apple Podcasts or at  [Pushkin.fm] (https://www.pushkin.fm/join-pushkin) . Follow us [@losthillspod] (https://twitter.com/losthillspod?lang=en) on Twitter and Instagram for a deeper dive into the stories.

 

#57

12. Dig Two Graves

Dana lays out all the evidence, and we await results from forensic testing. We reconnect with Mitrice’s loved ones, as they celebrate what would have been her 39th birthday.  See [omnystudio.com/listener] (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information. ... Read more

17 Jul 2024

42 MINS

42:24

17 Jul 2024


#56

11. The Suitcase

A round of cold calls yields brand new information tying the Person of Interest to Mitrice. We return to the fort in the woods, and make a startling discovery.  See [omnystudio.com/listener] (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information. ... Read more

15 Jul 2024

34 MINS

34:06

15 Jul 2024


#55

10. The Wallypad

The home of a local firefighter is infiltrated by an informant hoping to get more information on the Person of Interest. And a hike planned for Dark Canyon instead leads to the Lost Hills Station. See [omnystudio.com/listener] (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information. ... Read more

10 Jul 2024

30 MINS

30:34

10 Jul 2024


#54

9. Fearful Witness

A 2011 exhumation of Mitrice’s remains leads to a second autopsy. Meanwhile, a woman describes a disturbing encounter in Monte Nido around the time of Mitrice’s death.  See [omnystudio.com/listener] (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information. ... Read more

08 Jul 2024

33 MINS

33:32

08 Jul 2024


#53

8. Rick Trouble

We learn everything we can about our Person of Interest — a longtime member of the Monte Nido community, who went from golden boy to convict to off-the-grid survivalist living in the woods. We check his criminal history and discover a troubling pattern of violence.  See [omnystudio.com/listener] (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information. ... Read more

03 Jul 2024

37 MINS

37:40

03 Jul 2024


#52

7. In the Shit

Looking for a way into Dark Canyon, we follow a former pot grower on a treacherous route, and pay a visit to the Porn Ranch, which borders Dark Canyon. Plus, a retired LASD sergeant reveals that there was a Person of Interest in the case. See [omnystudio.com/listener] (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information. ... Read more

01 Jul 2024

35 MINS

35:09

01 Jul 2024


#51

6. Reconnaissance

Eleven months after her disappearance, Mitrice’s naked remains are discovered in an abandoned pot field in Dark Canyon, just above Monte Nido. Deputies on scene make a controversial decision, sparking conflict with the LA County Coroner. And Mitrice’s recovered clothing goes missing.  See [omnystudio.com/listener] (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information. ... Read more

26 Jun 2024

32 MINS

32:04

26 Jun 2024


#50

Bonus: Get Jim

Three years before Mitrice’s arrest, Mel Gibson was arrested for drunk driving on Pacific Coast Highway. An interview with the arresting officer, James Mee, reveals the power wielded by celebrities in Malibu. Would Mitrice’s story have ended differently if she were rich and famous?  See [omnystudio.com/listener] (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information. ... Read more

24 Jun 2024

32 MINS

32:48

24 Jun 2024


#49

5. So Close

As the months pass with no sign of Mitrice, rumors abound. Law enforcement questions the artist behind a creepy mural. And deputies raid a fort in the wilderness looking for human remains.  See [omnystudio.com/listener] (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information. ... Read more

19 Jun 2024

40 MINS

40:23

19 Jun 2024


#48

4. Hopscotch

Six hours after her release from Lost Hills Station, Mitrice is spotted in the rural community of Monte Nido. Investigators find Mitrice’s footprints, and neighbors report unusual disturbances around the time of her disappearance. See [omnystudio.com/listener] (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information. ... Read more

17 Jun 2024

32 MINS

32:41

17 Jun 2024


#47

3. Call for Help

Mitrice arrives at Geoffrey’s restaurant in Malibu on Sept. 16, 2009, claiming she’s there to “avenge the death of Michael Jackson.” When she walks out without paying, a restaurant staffer calls 911. Deputies bring Mitrice to Lost Hills Station, where Mitrice’s cellmate overhears a worrying conversation.  See [omnystudio.com/listener] (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information. ... Read more

12 Jun 2024

42 MINS

42:17

12 Jun 2024


#46

2. My Light

Investigators search Mitrice’s impounded car and find several journals she wrote in the last months of her life. Never before shared publicly, the journals offer details about Mitrice’s mental state and her complicated love life. We track down an old girlfriend, who reveals Mitrice’s secret struggle.  See [omnystudio.com/listener] (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information. ... Read more

10 Jun 2024

42 MINS

42:18

10 Jun 2024


#45

1. Vultures

As Mitrice Richardson’s disappearance dominates news headlines, the Sheriff’s Department defends its decision to release her with no phone, no wallet, and no ride. Meanwhile, Mitrice’s autopsy raises puzzling questions about a missing bone, and a long-buried interview introduces a new witness.  See [omnystudio.com/listener] (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information. ... Read more

10 Jun 2024

36 MINS

36:35

10 Jun 2024


#44

Coming Soon - Season 4, Dark Canyon

The disappearance and death of Mitrice Richardson remains Malibu, CA’s most baffling unsolved case. It’s been nearly 14 years since her remains were discovered in a remote canyon, and still, no one has been held accountable for her demise. From the beginning, the LA County Sheriff’s Department said Richardson’s case likely couldn’t be solved. And to this day, her death remains a mystery. The truth lies in the remote Malibu community where Mitrice was last seen. And now, finally, people are starting to talk. See [omnystudio.com/listener] (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information. ... Read more

30 May 2024

03 MINS

03:45

30 May 2024


#43

Crash from Death of an Artist: Krasner and Pollock

You’ve heard of artist Jackson Pollock, but you may have never heard of Lee Krasner. Krasner was an artist, Pollock’s wife, and the woman who made him famous. She also changed everything about the landscape of modern art. [Death of an Artist: Krasner and Pollock] (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/death-of-an-artist/id1628639926) is a story about love, power, alcoholism and an ill-timed death. Hosted by curator, author, and broadcaster Katy Hessel, this 6-episode series from Pushkin Industries and Samizdat Audio offers an inside look into two of the greatest artists of the 20th century, and how their vision impacts ours. Listen in your favorite podcast player. See [omnystudio.com/listener] (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information. ... Read more

24 May 2024

22 MINS

22:06

24 May 2024


#42

Ripple from Western Sound: The BP Oil Spill

Hosted by Dan Leone, Lost Hill's composer and sound designer, Ripple is a new investigative show that revisits major stories to judge their lasting impacts. This season investigates the BP Oil Spill — was an environmental disaster prevented or has it been ignored? Subscribe now to [Ripple] (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ripple/id1721209965) .  See [omnystudio.com/listener] (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information. ... Read more

11 Jan 2024

04 MINS

04:20

11 Jan 2024


#41

Black Heroes of Surfing

Textured Waves is a Black female surf collective focused on promoting diversity in the water and teaching Black youth to surf. In this bonus episode, Dana talks to two of the collective’s founding members, Chelsea Woody and Martina Duran, about joy in the ocean, localism, and an accomplished Black surfer from the era of Miki Dora.  See [omnystudio.com/listener] (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information. ... Read more

27 Jul 2023

24 MINS

24:59

27 Jul 2023