Lost Hills: Dark Canyon

Western Sound and Pushkin Industries

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. Follow us @losthillspod on Twitter and Instagram for a deeper dive into the stories.

  • 37 minutes 40 seconds
    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. 

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    3 July 2024, 4:01 am
  • 35 minutes 9 seconds
    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.

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    1 July 2024, 4:01 am
  • 32 minutes 4 seconds
    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. 

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    26 June 2024, 4:01 am
  • 32 minutes 48 seconds
    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? 

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    24 June 2024, 4:01 am
  • 40 minutes 23 seconds
    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. 

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    19 June 2024, 4:01 am
  • 32 minutes 41 seconds
    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.

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    17 June 2024, 4:01 am
  • 42 minutes 17 seconds
    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. 

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    12 June 2024, 4:21 pm
  • 42 minutes 18 seconds
    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. 

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    10 June 2024, 3:55 am
  • 36 minutes 35 seconds
    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. 

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    10 June 2024, 3:50 am
  • 3 minutes 45 seconds
    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 for privacy information.

    30 May 2024, 9:25 am
  • 22 minutes 6 seconds
    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 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.

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    24 May 2024, 10:00 am
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