CA CA - Mitrice Richardson, 24, Malibu, 17 Sep 2009

[hollyblue]

I don't remember this link being posted before.

http://www.jasmynecannick.com/blog/?p=7946

It seems she had been living in her car on and off & might not have slept for 5 days, per her father. There's a lot more info on her at this site.

Interesting link. Doesn't this sound a little like the Koecher case? Wonder if this was the case if the GGM relayed this info to her mother, about living out of her car or she could have been staying at others' homes off and on too. Logical for someone her age. But I am curious if the mother had talked to her within the prior week and her feelings on her demeanor at that time.

 

[hollyblue]

This video/audio is so incredibly jarring for me to hear. I've been watching this case all along, but I just never heard the entirety of these tapes. I'm so very ticked off about this. How horrible....a complete lack of communication.....and how dare they say that she wouldn't be released only to release her!!
I'm stunned. Her mother said she would drive straight down and get her versus having her released in an area she didn't know. They assured her that Mitrice wouldn't be released. If only her mother could have picked her up! http://sites.google.com/site/findmitrice/police-recordings

My question is where is the audio tape of the mother's call when she found out Mitrice had been released? I'm thinking this was the third call she had made. Unless she was switched to different people over the time of the call and it has been edited.

From this audio, I didn't get she was assured MR would not be let go, but he did say she would be separated and safe..approx 2:00>. He also said Mitrice would call her, which he had no right to promise that. That would be up to MR and she never did. The mother also said she was highly intoxicated, highly depressed, in a depressive state, and took no medications. I think the mother was upset and didn't really listen to what was said and assumed....unless something was said in a part of that tape that we have not had access to.

I'm curious if the mother requested...from LE....that she be held just to teach her a lesson. You can request this if she is a minor --but not an adult. THAT request would be the mother trying to step on her own adult child's civil liberties.

If that was a legit sighting of her in the backyard...why didn't she ask for help or for them to call someone for her? What a travesty to have so many times to have someone to take her by the hand or her ask for help and it did not happen.

 

[hollyblue]

I wanted to show map of mileage. If you click on icons, there is link with relevant information.

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=e...43,-118.703156&spn=0.191364,0.307274&t=h&z=12

She could walk this, but I'd like to know what kind of shoes she had on and if she still was in possession of them at the house sighting. I'm not too fond of the dark either, and I wouldn't have ventured out there, but then I wouldn't have left the station until morning either. What are the chances of someone hearing of the sighting and they had her ---- then took her to the area of the sighting to throw things off? Want to check some things out, BBL.

 

[RubyRed]

Wondering if scent dogs were ever brought in to that porch to verify her being there? Seems I remember reading (trying to get caught up here) they did and her scent was not found in that area.

I wouldn't put much weight in dogs not finding her scent. Lately with several cases dogs do not seem to be finding the missing or deceased person even though they are in the area the dog is searching.
jmo

 

[Paulette]

Interesting link. Doesn't this sound a little like the Koecher case? Wonder if this was the case if the GGM relayed this info to her mother, about living out of her car or she could have been staying at others' homes off and on too. Logical for someone her age. But I am curious if the mother had talked to her within the prior week and her feelings on her demeanor at that time.

Her father found her diaries & journals in the car after he retrieved it from storage. He read them and it was probably the 1st time he realized how deeply troubled she was.

We know Steven was in constant contact with his family & church - but Matrice may not have seen her family for months. They may not have known the real situation.

 

[hollyblue]

Deputies Acted 'Reasonably and Appropriately' in Releasing Richardson, Report Says

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department followed policy in releasing the young woman from its custody, the Office of Independent Review finds.

http://calabasas.patch.com/articles...ppropriately-in-releasing-mitrice-report-says

 

[Paulette]

Deputies Acted 'Reasonably and Appropriately' in Releasing Richardson, Report Says

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department followed policy in releasing the young woman from its custody, the Office of Independent Review finds.

http://calabasas.patch.com/articles...ppropriately-in-releasing-mitrice-report-says

When asked if she had any mental problems, she said no. That clearly flies in the face of a talk she'd had with the teacher where they discussed that she was bipolar.

I think she assumed she'd be taken to a psych ward if she answered truthfully. If I thought they were going to commit me I'd answer no too!

That's a daunting thought isn't it? I wonder how many people say "Yes, I'm having mental problems, please commit me for my own good."

 

[Fairy1]

When asked if she had any mental problems, she said no. That clearly flies in the face of a talk she'd had with the teacher where they discussed that she was bipolar.

I think she assumed she'd be taken to a psych ward if she answered truthfully. If I thought they were going to commit me I'd answer no too!

That's a daunting thought isn't it? I wonder how many people say "Yes, I'm having mental problems, please commit me for my own good."

Personally, I'm going to consider that article a bit one-sided, for now. That being said, I would venture to say very few folks who are mentally unstable would admit to it and volunteer to be locked up. We should all be able to count on cooler heads to prevail, particularly when they are LE and - I assume - trained to handle such situations.

Mitrice was already locked up and safe. They had been in contact with her mother, who offered to come out and pick her up.

Seems to me, the "policies" need to be reviewed and, hopefully, modified. I realize there are many who believe LE would have been villified either way. But if they had kept Mitrice there overnight or released her only to her mother, she would, most likely, be alive today. And we never would have heard about this beautiful, young woman. I would be fine with that and, under the circumstances, I would not have found fault with the way the situation was handled.

 

[rossva]

I respectfully disagree. Had LE kept Mitrice there over night or held her till her mother arrived, we would have heard how this beautiful, young woman and the ACLU had filed a huge law suit for having her civil liberties violated. True, she would still be alive, it's a tradgedy she isn't.

But if they had kept Mitrice there overnight or released her only to her mother, she would, most likely, be alive today. And we never would have heard about this beautiful, young woman. I would be fine with that and, under the circumstances, I would not have found fault with the way the situation was handled.

 

[Natal]

Seems to me, the "policies" need to be reviewed and, hopefully, modified. I realize there are many who believe LE would have been villified either way. But if they had kept Mitrice there overnight or released her only to her mother, she would, most likely, be alive today. And we never would have heard about this beautiful, young woman. I would be fine with that and, under the circumstances, I would not have found fault with the way the situation was handled.

If they had kept her unduly without cause, or notified other people of her release without her consent, they would have been violating her civil rights.

LE doesn't appear to have done anything wrong, it was Mitrice who wandered off on her own and died. While that may be tragic it isnt an excuse to start searching for someone, anyone, to blame. Sometimes these things just happen, it doesn't HAVE to be someone's fault.

 

[hoppyfrog]

<snip> it was Mitrice who wandered off on her own and died. <snip>

We don't yet know the circumstances of her death. We don't know if she "wandered off on her own and died," if she was in an accident, if she took her own life, or if she was murdered.

We don't know.

 

[krista]

If they had kept her unduly without cause, or notified other people of her release without her consent, they would have been violating her civil rights.

LE doesn't appear to have done anything wrong, it was Mitrice who wandered off on her own and died. While that may be tragic it isnt an excuse to start searching for someone, anyone, to blame. Sometimes these things just happen, it doesn't HAVE to be someone's fault.

Either way, Mitrice is dead, so I don't mean to belabor this point, but I just have to respond to this, Natal.

My issue isn't that they released Mitrice. She's a grown woman who said she had no mental problems. Clearly they had no right to keep her. They even--allegedly--offered to let her stay in the lobby. I find no fault in releasing a grown woman from jail.
My problem is that they SPECIFICALLY told her mother that they WOULD NOT release her until the following morning. Her mother specifically stated that she would not know where she was or how to get around.....she said that Mitrice would be lost in that city, that the city was dangerous, and that she would be worried for Mitrice's safety were she released. Mitrice's mother mentioned SPECIFICALLY that she would drive down THAT NIGHT and pick Mitrice up from the jail if they planned on releasing her that evening. The officer on the phone said that she wouldn't be released. People TRUST LE.....and I think that she believed him---rightfully so---that he wouldn't let her daughter be released until the following day, that her daughter wouldn't be placed in the exact place and situation she so feared. Was this just him talking to fill space, was he being nice (if not truthful). All he would have to do is tell Mitrice's mother that Mitrice would be released that night.....that he wasn't sure when she'd be released, etc.

Further, Mitrice was released with NO money, identification, or vehicle. I think--in that circumstance--LE have an obligation to 'protect and serve'. NOTHING about allowing a 21 year old girl to walk around in a strange city without money, id, or a vehicle is classified as 'protecting and serving' Mitrice!

 

[hollyblue]

Wow...I was just reading the hand written arrest report. When LE administered the Field Sobriety and other tests, Mitrice only had a pulse rate of 42 beats per minute! That seems very abnormal - ESPECIALLY when you consider that at the time her pulse was taken she was being questioned by police. Very odd! Mine would be over 100! Normal resting pulse rate is 60-90 BPM.

I'd love to read it, can you provide link? TIA

 

[Montjoy]

We don't yet know the circumstances of her death. We don't know if she "wandered off on her own and died," if she was in an accident, if she took her own life, or if she was murdered.

We don't know.

There seem to be two potential moments of culpability here -- chronologically, the first was whether M'trice should have been released as she was, and the second was whether anyone had direct responsibility for murder.

Regarding the second -- we will have to wait on and hope for a diligent autopsy and investigation of the discovery site.

As for the first -- it is a sticky situation. The person who released her did take some steps to ensure that it was her choice to leave. Were these steps adequate? It would seem not. Was the person releasing her qualified to judge whether she was safe? Perhaps not -- though I would be reluctant to blame that on the particular officer involved. But the fact remains that she was not afforded the same treatment as some other people arrested by the PD (hello, Charlie Sheen) are given.

Were I in the position of M'trice's family, I would think that I would be inclined to open a lawsuit against the PD, and not for the money. At the very least, I think the PD needs to reconsider their policies on who gets a ride home, or not. Hell, I could imagine it being almost a reward to be the officer who gets to drive Charlie Sheen home, even though he could easily pay for a stretch-Hummer with a few bills pulled out of a Marcoliani sock. If the concern is for a celeb's privacy -- well, why should that even factor into it?

 

[Kenon]

Gypsy Road, I would like to read that too. Where did you find that? If you don't mind. Thank you in advance. Yeah usually when your scared your pulse and blood pressure go up high.

 

[Gypsy Road]

I'd love to read it, can you provide link? TIA

It's here in this link, just scroll down to the LE report.

http://www.bringmitricehome.org/Report.jpg

http://www.bringmitricehome.org/The-Facts.html

Now earlier someone mentioned that her pulse could have been normal because the cop did a 30 second reading. And if you take that number and multiply it by 2 - you would get a reading that is in normal range. However, the officer wrote "...my initial reading on a 30 second count was 42 beats per minute (b.p.m.), I waited approximately 10 minutes later and my reading was 38 b.p.m. on a 30 second count." So I'm not sure - maybe she was in normal range?

 

[Montjoy]

Chances are good that unless she was either extremely sedated (which doesn't seem to be the case) or an olympic cross-country skier (likewise), that her heart rate was measured as beats per 30 secs rather than bpm(inute).

 

[MandiJayne]

When asked if she had any mental problems, she said no. That clearly flies in the face of a talk she'd had with the teacher where they discussed that she was bipolar.

I think she assumed she'd be taken to a psych ward if she answered truthfully. If I thought they were going to commit me I'd answer no too!

That's a daunting thought isn't it? I wonder how many people say "Yes, I'm having mental problems, please commit me for my own good."

The truth is that if she knew she had a diagnosis but was stable and under treatment, she may have been able to be rational enough to recognize and discuss her diagnosis and treatment with her professor. Another issue is that when a person with a mental illness is in either a manic, hypomanic or otherwise unstable situation, THEY DO NOT THINK THEY HAVE PROBLEMS. They feel SOO good that they do not want the medications. Being manic feels amazing (or so I'm told). They are much more creative, much more confident, and feel invincible. Medication removes their false euphoric state and sometimes even makes them feel depressed or feel that they have lost their artistic or creative abilities. There is no "great drug" out there that works for everyone in the same way and many patients with chronic mental illness cycle on and off drugs numerous times throughout their illness. In an acute psychotic phase, the last person to know that the ill person is ill is the ill person.

She may not have been lying to the officer, but rather giving them her delusional version of the truth.

Mental illness is horrible because of the stigma that is attached to it and the lack of available good care. Walking the tightrope between a patient who needs care but is still "competent" and a patient who requires care because of incompetence is a slippery slope for practitioners and so many many people who could be much more productive, healthy, safe members of society are able to slide by without forced care because they can tie their shoes and remember to eat on their own. (Simplified, but hopefully you understand what I mean.) I'm not an advocate of mandatory medication because that dehumanizes the individual and their God-given right to freedom, but where exactly should we draw the line and on which side do you err?

 

[MandiJayne]

There seem to be two potential moments of culpability here -- chronologically, the first was whether M'trice should have been released as she was, and the second was whether anyone had direct responsibility for murder.

I think the biggest culprit here is an overall lack of humanity and decency on the part of many people beginning at the restaraunt and ending when she walked out the door at the police department.

First, 89 dollars on a bill that was volunteered to be paid. Maybe California is different, but I can call Pizza Hut here in NC and give my credit card number and they will deliver pizzas to my children at home when I am at work or otherwise unable to be at home to feed them. They don't refuse because I don't fax them a signature. (You can pay for nearly everything on the planet with a credit card WITHOUT a signature.) Why did they feel it so necessary to send someone to jail for less than 90 dollars and not just attempt to take the credit card from her grandmother?

Were the owners or managers criminally responsible? Of course not, but when you look at another human being in the eyes and make judgments on situations that are so obviously bizarre without wondering what may be going on behind it or without feeling anything other than aggravation or disdain, then maybe the next person you should look in the eyes should be yourself.

Secondly, it may be procedure to release (dump) a beautiful young woman out on the streets in the dark in the middle of nowhere without money or a phone and WAY far from home at the PD. So, officially that alone does not make them criminally culpable. However, morally there are so many things they could have done.

Since when do we not care about another living, breathing human? I just cannot fathom being a civil servant with no spirit of servitude. I've worked in medicine for many years and I know that we tend to get hardened to the drug seekers and the malingerers and people who use the ERs like a doctor's office, etc.; however, if you allow yourself to pass judgment on everybody who comes in the doors based on the patients you have seen before, then somebody who really needs your help is going to receive inadequate or inappropriate treatment for their illness. Each case is individual and if someone has become so hardened or so burned out by their job that everybody is bad and you have no generalized concern for a HUMAN, then it's time to find a new profession. Following the book is not an excuse for not following or having a conscience.

Small seemingly inconsequential decisions made by numerous people that night equalled the death of this beautiful young woman. Sad, sad, sad. There were so many people whose path she crossed that night who had the ability to be a hero, unfortunately none of them were up to the task.

 

[MandiJayne]

However, the officer wrote "...my initial reading on a 30 second count was 42 beats per minute (b.p.m.), I waited approximately 10 minutes later and my reading was 38 b.p.m. on a 30 second count." So I'm not sure - maybe she was in normal range?

I wonder if he didn't even think about the actual meaning of b.p.m. If he was giving a 30-second reading, then the accurate way to document would have been 38 beats not b.p.m., but of course LEO's are not medical professionals, so I feel pretty sure that was a mistake. It would be exceptionally abnormal for her to be severely mentally agitated and so completely physically sedate. My guess is we will never be able to get an accurate answer on that oddity.