Out of Sight: Missing & Murdered

Hey guys, so I just want to explain some burn out I've been experiencing and why there's a delay in the new episode. I apologize for any disappointment and I really appreciate y'all sticking with me. You will be seeing a new episode about Selena very soon and there are many more MMIWP stories to tell.

On August 16 2009, Mitrice Richardson went missing after she was arrested by the LA County Sheriff's Department. Mitrice was a recent college graduate with no previous arrests or history of mental illness. But at the time of her arrest Mitrice was in the midst of a mental health crisis. She was acting strangely at an upscale restaurant in Malibu and tried to walk out without paying the bill. Mitrice's mom begged deputies not to release her daughter until she could be there to pick her up. But that is exactly what happened. Mitrice was released at midnight, alone, with no car, no phone, no wallet, and no way to find her way around in this unfamiliar area. And then, almost a year later, Mitrice was found dead. 

Selena lost three siblings in her short life. This episode is about their stories. Her twin sister Zoey died by suicide at age 11, her brother Preston was shot to death by the police, and her sister Tristen was killed in a hit and run....Dash cam video: https://youtu.be/pa4PRs80rbg..Sources:https://www.ncai.org/about-tribes/demographicshttps://www.montana.edu/news/16534/msu-and-crow-nation-partner-to-address-chronic-illness-using-cultural-strengthshttps://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/fullarticle/347063https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/waterrights/water_issues/programs/bay_delta/california_waterfix/exhibits/docs/PCFFA&IGFR/part2/pcffa_190.pdfhttps://billingsgazette.com/news/state-and-regional/crime-and-courts/billings-officers-justified-in-killing-man-who-drove-at-them-jury-finds/article_b3d84517-c15f-526f-ba12-0b035b0e5f03.htmlhttps://billingsgazette.com/news/state-and-regional/crime-and-courts/inquest-shows-police-fired-74-rounds-in-6-seconds-killing-man-on-billings-south-side/article_5b75b46d-6f2f-58ef-825e-29ea0488bc3f.htmlhttps://billingsgazette.com/news/local/driver-witnesses-left-scene-after-pedestrian-was-hit-killed-west-of-billings-airport-police-say/article_3b18ecc3-f3de-5875-a96b-ec669f50e9fc.html

Black History Month bonus episode 1/4A look into the remarkable life of civil rights trailblazer Alberta Jones and her tragic murder in 1965 which, to this day, remains unsolved.Come say hi on social media:https://www.facebook.com/lawaintorderpod/?ref=pages_you_managehttps://www.instagram.com/lawaintorder

On January 20 2020, many people were pained by the news that Selena Not Afraid was found less than a mile away from the rest stop from which we vanished. Selena was mourned by her numerous loved ones, and by a greater community of people following her story. This episode isn't about Selena's case. Selena's legacy is not the way she died. It's the way she lived, and the heartbreak of such a life cut short.

Hey guys, I'm sorry but no new episode this week. For the quality of the content and my own mental health I need to take a quick breather. The podcast hit 10k downloads this week which has been kind of hard to wrap my head around. I'm so incredibly grateful and I'm happy Selena's story is being heard by more people. But also I'm just a rando from Iowa and this is a bigger platform than I ever expected to have. I really want to do right by Selena's story and, this week, I need a bit more time to do that. Thank you all for understanding, I'll see you next week.

A critical look at the local law enforcement involved in the search for Selena.Megan's Facebook Group Justice for Selena Not Afraid & Family: https://www.facebook.com/groups/554927908572751

A critical look at the local law enforcement involved in the search for Selena.

In a mysterious turn of events, Selena Not Afraid disappeared from a rest stop in rural Montana. Hundreds of people showed up to the rest stop the next day to comb the surrounding fields on foot,  ATV, and horseback. The area was also searched by helicopter and thermal drone. Selena's family and volunteer searchers stayed at the rest stop for weeks. And then, 3 days after the search relocated from the rest stop, Selena was found less than a mile away.

In a mysterious turn of events, Selena Not Afraid disappeared from a rest stop in rural Montana. Hundreds of people showed up to the rest stop the next day to comb the surrounding fields on foot,  ATV, and horseback. The area was also searched by helicopter and thermal drone. Selena's family and volunteer searchers stayed at the rest stop for weeks. And then, 3 days after the search relocated from the rest stop, Selena was found less than a mile away.

On the night of New Years Eve 2019 Selena Not Afraid found herself with an older crowd. Her night involved a house party, going out to a bar, and a couple 911 calls in the early hours of the morning. Since this podcast is not investigative journalism, I don't know the specifics of what happened that night. But, no matter the specifics, Selena faced a lot of danger spending a night out in Billings.

16-year-old Selena Not Afraid started the night of New Years Eve 2019 at home with her mom. When plans changed spontaneously, she decided to go out and see a friend.  Selena's mom had no reason to think that her daughter wouldn't make it home safely. But like far too many other Native American women and girls, Selena went out for the night and the next day was reported missing.For more on MMIW on the Crow and Northern Cheyenne reservations: https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2019/10/23/crow-nation-is-a-place-where-one-could-vanish-and-many-have

When 16-year-old Selena Not Afraid goes missing from a rest stop in rural Montana the community comes together to find her. Searches with helicopters, thermal drones, dogs, and hundreds of volunteers cover a 5 mile radius around the rest stop. Selena's family and volunteer search party stay at the rest stop for weeks. When the search is eventually handed over to law enforcement and Selena's family leaves the rest stop, Selena is found less than a mile away. Police say that Selena wandered off on the day she went missing and froze to death in the place she was found. Searchers who covered that area say that it would have been impossible to miss finding Selena in that spot. We may never know what happened to Selena but her death is not a mystery. Selena and so many other Native American people go missing and get murdered because the law allows it to happen. Because the system is broken and the law ain't order.