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.
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.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Jan 30, 2023 • 10min
From Deep Cover: Never Seen Again
Sharing a preview of Deep Cover: Never Seen Again the story of two young women, living on opposite sides of the country, who went missing at almost the exact same time. Seven years later, their stories collided when one woman resurfaced – posing as the other. A small-town detective became obsessed with the case, convinced that one of them was a spy. Twenty years later, that woman is telling her tale. Listen to Deep Cover and hear the entire story at [https://link.chtbl.com/hillsdeepcover]See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Apr 29, 2022 • 24min
The Returning Mother
Fred's first wife, Jeanne, started flying for United in the 1960s, at the height of the glamorous jet age. The job was adventurous and fun, and it inducted Jeanne into a tight-knit sorority of fellow flight attendants—a group of women who would be first shocked, then haunted by her unexplained death. In this Season 2 bonus episode, a flight attendant who worked with Jeanne the day of her drowning shares new details about Jeanne’s last flight and final hours.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Feb 4, 2022 • 29min
Actor Rob Lowe on growing up in “the MILF capital of the world”
Rob Lowe moved to Malibu in 1976, when he was 12. The Malibu of his youth was crazy. He saw Fonzie jump the shark, at Paradise Cove. He saw Nick Nolte at the grocery store. He saw coke—at a 7th-grader’s birthday party. The kids were running wild and the parents were running wilder. His mind was blown, never to recover. In this Season 2 bonus episode, Lowe takes us on a trippy trip down memory lane. You can hear more from Rob Lowe on his podcasts: “Literally! With Rob Lowe” and “Parks and Recollection.” This episode comes out for free on February 4th and is available now for Pushkin+ subscribers. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Dec 29, 2021 • 44min
10. Lifelines
Fred’s daughters share a trove of correspondence, and wrestle with unanswered questions about Jeanne’s death. The fight for Fred’s release continues. And a trip to Bird Rock brings resolution, at last. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Dec 27, 2021 • 40min
9. Prejudicial Effect
Fred’s trial is the longest and most expensive in Santa Barbara history, and the dory plays a starring role. Stan Roden, the DA, wants to send Fred to the gas chamber at San Quentin. At the heart of the trial are two conflicting sets of autopsies. Which expert is to be believed? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Dec 22, 2021 • 31min
8. Three Freds
Fred hires a high-powered defense attorney and a team of private eyes, and starts pushing back on the detectives’ narrative. He’s got an explanation for everything: his real-estate holdings, his income, and all those insurance policies. But can the detectives explain why their witnesses are walking back statements? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Dec 20, 2021 • 33min
7. Love or Money
After Fred’s arrest, detectives start looking into his finances. How does a civilian employee of the Navy afford a beachfront home, on a gated road in Malibu, and a brand-new $150K sailboat? Also, they learn that the Roehlers owned large insurance policies. Could that be the motive the cops are looking for? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Dec 15, 2021 • 35min
6. Cold Pricklies
The sheriff’s department orders a new set of autopsies on Verna and Doug, to be conducted in secret. Now, there’s enough evidence to arrest Fred. Meanwhile, detectives talk to his neighbors, coworkers, and friends. Some say he’s a charming, dedicated family man, while others whisper of a dark side and a hair-trigger temper. Also, one of Doug’s best friends remembers life in the Roehler household. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Dec 13, 2021 • 33min
5. Who Would You Take?
Shortly after Jeanne’s death, Fred starts seeing Verna, one of Jeanne’s closest friends. It’s a whirlwind romance, and soon they’re merging families. The timeline of their relationship stokes Malibu gossip, and, later, piques the interest of detectives. Was it just a coincidence that Verna’s first husband had died unexpectedly, too? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Dec 8, 2021 • 33min
4. The Shallow End, Part 2
It’s 1976 and Jeanne is in thrall to Lifespring, a self-improvement group, or, some would say, a cult. She is manifesting her future—without Fred. This alternative reality never arrives. Instead, Jeanne dies. And the similarities to Verna’s death are eerie. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
