On Wednesday, Los Angeles authorities exhumed the remains of Mitrice Richardson, a 24-year-old woman who disappeared in September 2009 after being released in the middle of the night from the Lost Hills-Malibu sheriff's substation. Her partial remains were found in a rugged and remote area 11 months later.
Richardson's remains were exhumed at her family's request with the aim of reburial, CBS Los Angeles reports.
Her parents are suing the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department over its handling of their daughter's case, which has sparked criticism of sheriff's officers.
She was arrested after being unable to pay a dinner bill at a Malibu restaurant, according to the Los Angeles Times, and was released in the dark, early-morning hours. Her family and others have questioned the department's procedures for releasing people at night, as well as whether she should have been held for a mental-health evaluation after customers at the restaurant reported that she had been acting strangely, the newspaper reported.
Read more at CBS Los Angeles.
In other news: Minorities More Likely to Get Tickets, Have Vehicles Searched.