Lost Hills: Dark Canyon
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Description
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.
59 Episodes
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Lost Hills, reported, written and hosted by Dana Goodyear.Coming March 16th from Western Sound and Pushkin Industries Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
1After Tristan Beaudette’s murder, other victims come forward telling similar tales. . . of a sniper in Malibu who has been shooting at campers and at moving cars for the past 18 months. Always in the dark of night, at 4AM.The cops say they can’t connect the crimes, but then they arrest a drifter: 42-year-old Anthony Rauda, who lives under a tarp behind the Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station. Is he the killer, or a scapegoat? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
A devastating fire rips through Malibu, burning Anthony Rauda’s campsite, Malibu Creek State Park, and any evidence the cops might have missed. Rauda appears in court, and a tentative link is established between him and the murder. Meanwhile, Cece Woods, a popular Malibu blogger, casts doubt on the case against Rauda as she crusades against the Lost Hills station — why didn’t the authorities warn the public before someone died? She smells a coverup.Footage of the Henry Stern Town Hall meeting provided by KBUU-FM Malibu. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Three months after his arrest, Anthony Rauda is charged with the murder of Tristan Beaudette, all the other shootings, as well as a series of strange burglaries involving junk food from commercial buildings around the periphery of the park. He pleads not guilty.Erica Wu, Tristan Beaudette’s widow, opens up about her husband, and files a $90 million dollar lawsuit against the county, the state parks system, and the sheriff’s department for failing to warn the public about the danger in the park.In an election upset, Alex Villanueva, Cece Woods’s candidate, becomes the new sheriff of LA County, and Cece hopes he’ll bring change to Lost Hills.Meanwhile, new information emerges about the cops involved in the Rauda investigation. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The cops went from saying that they couldn’t connect the crimes to saying that one person, Anthony Rauda, had done them all. Is that even possible?When officials at California State Parks refuse to answer questions, a hiker in Malibu Creek State Park reveals the location of Rauda’s camp.And Jimmy Rogers, victim of Near MIss #1, describes being awakened just before dawn by an explosion . . . aimed at his head. He says the cops told him vital information about the so-called missing shotgun. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Who is Anthony Rauda?He’s more than a drifter. He’s an aspiring musician and a writer, with a long history of mental-health struggles and an extensive criminal record. He's a committed survivalist, attempting to live completely off the grid and without assistance. He’s been arrested repeatedly with antique firearms and gunpowder.And he hates the Lost Hills cops. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Lost Hills Station is embroiled in scandal. But the new captain is determined to set the story straight.He says there were major errors in the investigation, and points a finger at two respected Lost Hills detectives: Sgt. Tui Wright and Lt. James Royal.Ian Kincaid, a shooting victim, describes overhearing a private conversation at Lost Hills Station.As her relationship with Sheriff Villanueva deepens, Cece Woods feels her power in Malibu grow. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
As the judge questions Anthony Rauda’s competency to stand trial, the prosecutor lays out her case. There’s still no weapon for the first five shootings, and no clear motive.But a look at Rauda’s writing reveals a secret connection to the crime.And a close examination of a photograph taken by a citizen investigator at Rauda’s camp gives rise to a stunning discovery: potentially critical evidence that law enforcement overlooked. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Two hikers who stumbled on Rauda’s camp before the Beaudette murder lament a missed opportunity to stop the crime before it happened.Sgt. Wright and Lt. Royal file whistleblower lawsuits against the sheriff’s department, and Sgt. Wright shares damaging information.Erica Wu prepares to move, and, after nearly three years, scatters some of Tristan Beaudette’s ashes.With Anthony Rauda in custody, will peace return to Malibu? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
On the night that Tristan Beaudette was killed while camping with his daughters, the campground at Malibu Creek State Park was full of families. Just across the access road from Beaudette’s tent, Stacey Sebourn was in a tent with her eight-year-old daughter and her daughter’s best friend. Sebourn provides a harrowing first-hand account of her experience. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Since Lost Hills debuted, two sources have come forward with new information about Anthony Rauda: a new, alleged victim and his half-sister. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In January 1981, Verna Johnson-Roehler and her young son, Doug, drowned while boating thirty miles off the coast of Malibu. Verna’s husband, Fred Roehler, was the sole survivor and only witness. Initially, the deaths were ruled accidental. But a phone call from a Malibu neighbor changed everything. Was Fred a monster, masquerading as the perfect Malibu dad? Or was an innocent man convicted by his gossiping neighbors? Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Fred, Verna, and their four young children are the happiest-looking family in Malibu. It’s a Brady Bunch story, a blended family living by the beach. But when they take their 50-foot sailboat, Perseverance, to the Channel Islands, tragedy strikes, and Verna and Doug mysteriously drown. Fred’s story—that it was all a terrible accident—has a problem. And her name is Lady. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Ventura County Medical Examiner determines Verna and Doug’s deaths to be accidental drownings, so Fred moves forward with funeral plans. But the cremations are halted after a family friend calls in a tip to the sheriff’s department. Fred receives some unexpected visitors. . . and they want to know what happened to his first wife. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Fred’s first wife, Jeanne, a flight attendant for United Airlines, is glamorous, outgoing, the life of the party. But there are tensions in the marriage and they’re mounting. Jeanne tells her sister she’s had enough. She’s in love with someone else. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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this episode just cuts off at the end
the Hell and Gone podcast already brilliantly covered this case. wish you told a different story
In this episode, 2 little sections are repeated - the 2nd one right near the end - and the episode stops in the middle of a word. Editing??
Is it just me or are these episodes not uploaded correctly, and skip and cut short allot. This clip is only 36 mins long, but ok Spotify the full episode is 41mins
People who are factually based, like engineers, will share ALL of the information so that everyone is on the same page.
I just recently found this Heart wrenching Story yesterday,I can't stop thinking about Tristen,his Little girl's & Wife 💔❤️🩹🫶🙏 && all those affected && Near misses!!! smh. So sad..... my heart goes out to all. & to think a lot could have been done before the disaster hit.........so mind boggling. and Diane you do an amazing job thanks for the light on the story!
Rule number one to discrediting someone's character: Label them a conspiracy theorist.
What! The last few minutes won't play! I've done all the troubleshooting and tried another device... this sucks... 12 eps and can't finish the last few minutes. Bummer.
interesting topic. I searched the Internet for fun and came across your site. Great post. Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge! https://lol-beans.io
Love the dude with the cafe cause I’m a bee keeper In AZ and I love how people are realizing how amazing bee🐝 are and how everything they do and make is for us. Thanks for that part in this..
what is "est"?
This is certainly an interesting piece of information and anecdote, but this is another example of this show has an occasional bad habit of picking and choosing when to be good journalists vs entertainment sensationalists. This sometimes frustrates me as a listener of true crime--when reporting on something doesn't have a clear purpose for conclusion. It isn't nearly close to the worst I've heard, there people fat more flagrant with disrespecting someone else's tragedy-- but it still rubs me the wrong way. Here's a possibility that came to my mind as I listened: If the iPads had been used by staff at Muse for administrative purposes and THEN coincidentally taken from the school by Rauda, this former Muse teacher's info could have easily been pre-loaded onto the iPad for numerous and highly plausible reasons. Reasons that have nothing to do with Rauda. I used to work at a private school. I cannot think of a clear definite reason why her info was on there, but it doesn't seem so outrageo
Oh my gosh, the ending is gut wrenching and beautiful. I appreciate that this podcast focused more on Tristan's family in the final end. I really am in awe of Erica's ability to pick her family up after something so horrific. Grief of losing someone to more common events if death is bad enough, to lose someone this violently...I don't think I could handle it. (btw, Rauda was so obviously the perp. Any shadow of doubt this podcast tried really hard to manufacture in the beginning, or hold onto to well near the middle/end was really frustrating. That was a clear twist to gain listeners and wring out entertainment value or stretch out the story. It's good to question things, especially with law enforcement, but come on. The cops were obviously negligent and shitty, Rauda was deranged and shitty and that's the whole story. No need to pretend this is "serial" and question if Rauda was indeed the perp well after obvious evidence is presented.
Listen, I get that Erica is going through a traumatic experience, but I had to skip over most of her interview because I couldn’t listen to that high def sniffling. Drove me crazy!
a bunch of knuckleheads?
this is a really boring story about a murder, and the lady doing the podcast has a horrible voice.
E5, one does NOT knock on a strangers door without first introducing themselves. I'm constantly dismayed by the complete and utter lack of common courtesy - even more so when so called 'educated' people are the lackluster taters!! Too many couldn't write their way out of a paper bag either! 😪 🙄
Wouldn't recommend this podcast. There is so little solid information over the series, and a lot of meandering into to pointless content. It could have been done in 2 episodes. Despite it stretching out content so much, at times it also fails to pont out / scrutinise obvious things, like claims in the suspects letter which we know aren't true (e.g. not being in Malibu). There are much better True Crime and investigative podcasts out there.
This gets pretty pathetic once the psychics are brought in and absolutely everything is blamed on the cops.
She clearly states she never saw the shooter.. She's an ear-witness at best.