Podcast is great but please stop advertising for Amazon.

I thought it was a very fair-minded review of a very sad case. To those who say race had nothing to do with it, I say “Wake up!!”

the first two episodes came and I loved em’ THIS SHOW IS INCREDIBLE 😍😍😍 The narrator is just so incredible and talented!

Important story. Strong first half, but later deteriorates into conjecture with too many strange, unreliable characters.

So well done. One of the best podcasts covering true crime. This case is especially interesting and frustrating given the inadequate if not neglectful local and state governmental responses.

Brilliantly crafted to blame racism and make lots of conjectures. The host is biased and won’t give this up although there is little real evidence of racism or who really killed this poor woman. Yah, probably the homeless guy but how did he get her body to that spot? And many murders go unsolved. To imply the police dept. has left this a cold case because they’re racist is sad. There is no evidence of anything so sometimes we have to live with that.

This is one of the most interesting, engaging and entertaining podcasts I’ve ever listened to!

Except for Malcom Gladwells pretentious adverts esp the 5 min BMW ads esp the one with his little daughter.

So let me get this straight. It took eight episodes to determine a police force allegedly messed up an investigation in several ways but eventually caught a homeless man who writes a manifesto, carries weapons, and has been behind bars before?This story intrigued me after having spent much time in the area and familiar with many of the locations. The author’s cadence is too slow and the writing takes too long to get to the point, with too many creepy music transitions. In her last episode, the host’s wrap up included “all I can do is guess”. It took eight episodes to “guess” what really happened? She had lots of interviews without a decisive conclusion. I would not recommend.

Listened to the Mitrice episode as this incident occurred only a few miles from my home. That also means I am familiar with Monte Nido, Calabassas and also any connection to Malibu. Of course, esp considering the race of Mitrice, race had to be injected into this podcast as if a South Central resident had wondered into some kind of Deliverance style environment. For those who have no knowledge of the region, Monte Nido is not Malibu. Malibu, and all that it entails is over a mountain range and a considerable distance away both literally and culturally. Also, the comment that “Will Smith is the only Black man who lives in Monte Nido,” is esp grating as Smith actually lives in a remote compound nowhere near central Monte Nido (as well as another home in Hidden Hills) and this indicates that everyone living in this small area is a movie star or prominent White person. Yes, there are very few black people living in Monte Nido. There are also very few Black people living in Westlake Village, Agoura, Calabassas, etc. Of course the narrative becomes that Mitrice died because nobody cares about black people in Monte Nido or anywhere in the vicinity. First of all, just about any LA police agency entity investigation of any prominence has routinely involved incompetence on an an amazing scale, the Manson Family, the Menendez case, and RFK’s assassination for openers and many others less famous routinely botched and mishandled. Secondly, Mitrice’s mother is conveniently let off the hook when she admits that on the night of her daughter’s disappearance she told the police to let her stay in jail and learn a lesson and later when she could have gone to the police station to pick up her daughter, she claims, oh, I had to take care of another child. Also, typically somebody like Mitrice would not have even been detained by the Sheriff’s, they would have been cut loose but it was actually out of concern that she was brought to the station. Eventually, when it was determined that there was no reason to hold her, they let her go, telling her that she could stay either sleep in a open cell or the main lobby. She chose to leave of her own volition, most likely as she was not rational. Did the cops impede the investigation. Of course. Because they knew they would get sued and they were. I could go on, but besides being way too long, much of the remainder of the show dealing with a potential killer was way too conjectural and only added more confusion and not clarity. It’s not like I disliked this show, I think it is worthwhile, it just has too many of the typical now cliche aspects of a certain True Crime podcast that insists on the “Cops are evil. Cops are dangerous. Every White, affluent person is racist to the point of fatal indifference and hate all people of color,” has become such a crashingly predictable and boring perspective. And cut back on the Malcolm Gladwell ads, couldn’t zip thru those fast enough.

Ads make up 12-15min+ of every 30min episodes. Its almost worse than tv. To make it worse they are the same ads over and over. Its mind numbing

The presenter constantly makes claims unsupported by the evidence. She constantly makes claims that ignore the very real concerns presented by the friends and family of Mitrice. It seems like she’s in the pocket of local law enforcement. Very disappointing.

Podcast was really great. I heard a lot of insights I’ve never heard anywhere else. The problem is that the ads are so plentiful and so long that you hear just as many ads as you do content of the podcast.

Check and see if there is a connection between Mitrice Richardson case and Elaine Parks (Live and Die in LA)….Hollywood elitists live in the area; Lost Hills SD cater to the elites; we now know that the elites traffic women and children, and they probably keep the Lost Hills SD well funded.

The ads way outweigh what ends up to be a only a few minutes of actual content in the latest *20 minute* episode of what is said to be an (ultimately underwhelming) update in the case. This overly commercialized podcast lost it’s purpose and listen ability.

Great update

A life insurance trust that makes gifts For the purchase of insurance on the lives of several family members is a very typical estate planning technique. Also, insurance is the hardest asset to collect when death is in suspicious circumstances bc it won’t pay if there’s more than 50% likelihood that there is foul play on behalf of a beneficiary. I think the failure to mention that makes this reporting irresponsible. The year that this happened, the estate tax was imposed on a very low dollar amount and that kind of planning was super common for people as a house could push you over the limit. I’m just not convinced by anything that the reporter said that Fred was guilty. The sad thing is that the child died. I believe that whatever the jury heard was persuasive but that wasn’t discussed at all. Bad podcast.

Thank you for your in depth reporting on Surf Culture icons of the past. I really enjoyed learning more about Kathy Kohner-Zuckerman. Surfing culture has some very dark sides by exposing the truths of some icons of the past we can hopefully move into a more inclusive culture.

This is so well done, and there are so many amazing interviews that the listener gets very vivid images of the characters. The creator is not just a master sleuth, but also an amazing psychological profiler. This is one of my all-time favorite podcasts, and I’ve listened to every episode of every season. Hope there are more to come!

Dana and her crew spent so much time and were dogged in tracking down leads and people who knew people. I remember the case, as I reside in Calabasas and live down the street from the Lost Hills Sheriff Station, so I had an extra layer of interest, but everyone will find this interesting and intriguing and well told.

I really liked seasons 1 & (have not listened to season 3) but am REALLY loving season 4! I first heard Mitrice’s story on the tv show Disappeared and was fascinated and still am. Great reporting and podcasting. Unrelated but the guy who does the ads is soooooo annoying to me. I can’t stand his voice but thankfully am able to skip forwards through those.

Does anyone who endures the lengthy and repetitive ads have any desire to hear one more word from Malcolm Gladwell? It is so awful,and so pervasive that it becomes a feature of the podcast experience itself., hence the docking of two stars for an otherwise riveting podcast.

This podcast is full of misleading information, intended to have the listener believe the podcaster has uncovered new information that is not known by or followed-up on by detectives. This misinformation is far more damaging to the case of Mitrice than it is helpful.

I really liked the start of the podcast that lays out the timeline of Mitrice’s disappearance and strange things about the investigation. But when the podcast spent several episodes speculating that this person did it with literally zero evidence—just stories of drug addicts that say he’s a bad dude so he must have done it. I honestly cannot believe that journalists would publish this.

This is an excellent podcast and very well written. It has the best theme music of all time. I like how I can start an episode on my way to work from Agoura Hills on the 101 and it’s playing the theme music by the time I reach the Lost Hills exit.

I have listened to all 4 seasons of Lost Hills. Goodyear knows how to build and sustain a riveting story. However, especially in Season 2, she succumbs to unfounded conjecture rather than solid evidence. I would expect more from a New Yorker staff writer. Having had a beagle- who I called the Houdini beagle- I absolutely can imagine Fred’s description. A “creepy feeling” is not a guilty verdict and god help our justice system if juries are making verdicts based on such weak and circumstantial evidence.

The police should be ashamed for not investigating properly, and just writing this case off as unsolvable. The Mel Gibson incident makes it very clear where their priorities were! It seems like this guy Rick probably killed Mitriece and maybe we will never know for sure, but thankfully the podcast was at least willing to explore the possibilities that the police just wanted to forget about. The only downside to this podcast is the extensive ads, I don’t know what that’s all about, but it’s very irritating.

Grateful and sad to learn about Mitrice’s story in Season 4. It’s heartbreaking to see how the system failed this bright young woman and her family. I hope the findings of this investigation give her loved ones some peace.

Really enjoyed season 4 but Jesus those Malcolm Gladwell ads… SO BAD

Really well researched and narrated, Dana. I wasn’t into season 3 but loved 1&2, and this one surprised me- I was glued. Can’t understand the Malcolm Gladwell ad hate. Has anyone heard of fast foward? His voice is chill and better than other ads! I’ve heard he’s a nice guy- I don’t get the hate.

It gets very good Updated after finishing, it does end VERY abruptly. It feels like there was more to be found here

I’m normally not one to complain about ads in free podcasts, but getting interrupted every couple minutes by back to back ads from Malcolm Gladwell interferes with the great reporting in this series, especially S4. The podcast is worth it despite the ads, but please find another way (or at least some variety) in handling these ads.

Thorough Investigating. Well told!

Stunning podcast! Empathetic and detailed presentation about tragic events.

Love the reporting and storytelling but cannot stand Malcolm Gladwell and his self-absorbed fakery, especially during ad reads. Literally the only ads I’ve ever skipped. I’m sure he’s part of Pushkin so I bet can’t remove but Jeeze…Dana kicks butt and delivers A+ podcasts!

Truly an exceptional podcast that is well told and really thoroughly researched. I agree with everyone else I don’t care how much money t mobile gave you the Malcom gladwell ads are outrageous.

Season 4- blaming police and racism for the death of a girl in the middle of a mental break, who took off walking in treacherous area. Not everything is everyone else’s fault; sometimes ppl do stupid things that have consequences

I actually really enjoy this podcast and I’m fascinated by S4. However, every few minutes Malcolm Gladwell comes up on an ad and it’s really annoying. I don’t mind ads, but please please switch them up!

I don’t think I can ever dislike anyone else’s voice and inflection more than Malcolm Gladwell’s. The same repetitive loooonnnngggg stretches of ads running 5 times an episode. It’s beyond annoying. And the way he says “amazing” like a smarmy salesman makes me want to puke. This takes away so much from the great job done by Dana Goodyear. I can’t remember ever writing a review more focused on the awful commercials than the reporting, but that’s how bad they are on this one. Have someone else do the ad reads and mix it up a bit. My god, I never want to hear anything about these sponsors again. I’m purposely avoiding them on principle

Pointless, endless, and unfounded speculation with random unimportant tangents that take up entire episodes. Season 4 should have been one single episode, if not abandoned as a project. Bad stuff.

It’s painful to listen to adman Malcolm Gladwell drone on for six minutes of this podcast. The podcast content is just not worth it. Read the room, Pushkin!

The ads are so long. A 30 minute episode has 6+ minutes of ads. I don’t need to hear Malcom Gladwell every episode. It really annoys and takes me out of the story. She’s a great storyteller, Pushkin needs to cool it with the ads.

I’m so tired of podcast acting as if unlikely conspiracies are the only possible solutions It’s exploitative

Season 4 has great story telling and I thought the host did a nice job of interviewing all different people associated to the case-big or small (Geoffrey’s owner, etc). I think that really gave the story shape for those not familiar with the area. The one elephant in the room that I kept coming back to episode after episode was that this was clearly a woman struggling with mental illness and unmedicated. I don’t think it’s fair to conjure up stories about local police and race issues when there wasn’t any evidence to support it. Her own mother did not even alert them to her illness when filing a missing person report. Down playing full blown psychosis for a “depressive mood”. Similar to the story about the girl missing at the Cecil Hotel- educating people about mental illness would have been more helpful than side stories (graffiti and mel gibson) that just derail from what’s important here.

Yet another disappointing true crime podcast that is more fiction than fact. Agreed, law enforcement made some mistakes but that doesn’t mean there is a coverup. It is sad what happened to this young woman but let’s stop with the victim mentality and trying to spin this into a crime story. There is no proof of a crime having been committed so let’s not call this a true crime podcast.

Updating my original review to say S4 was the best told yet. It’s hard to describe how good this podcast is but I don’t think anyone else is doing true crime serials at the level of Dark Hills. Dana Goodyear does a great job immersing you in time and place. I tend to want to look up pictures of people if I’m really sucked into a true story, but I also found myself looking up pictures of Malibu when I listened to this. She gets interesting people who were there to help tell the story and gives them free reign to speculate but doesn’t give over narrative control to them- she keeps the story tracking with her own narration.

Not a true crime fan but this is sensitively done so far. But I cannot bear listening to Malcolm Gladwell peddling/trying to neutralize the evil of the companies he’s shilling for

Blown away by the journalistic ethics, writing and compelling nature of this podcast - keep up the great work!

I have enjoyed every season of List Hills. The stories are woven together in such a way that you can’t wait for the next episode to find out more. Dana‘s writing is so insightful. I love the editing of the interviews and her thoughts and the music. Makes me happy that I actually have a one hour commute to work.

Was looking forward to season four, then quit after 20 minutes. The journalist is more interested in presenting how dirty and bad the cops might be than openly looking into what happened.