Her body was found inside the old Ralph Waldo Emerson High School, located in the 700-block of East 7th Avenue, on Tuesday night. Initially, investigators asked for help in identifying her body.
The Lake County coroner said Richardson had been strangled and had minor trauma to her body. Her last known address was in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood. Gary police say she was not reported missing.
On Thursday night, Richardson's family said they believe one of their relatives may know something about what happened. Police said they are looking to speak to someone in the Richardson family.
"Please, please, turn yourself in, man," said Timothy Williams, victim's cousin.
Police discovered her body after receiving an anonymous call about a suspicious person inside the abandoned school, which was once listed on the National Register for Historic Places. Neighbors have complained that the school has not been secured and has been a magnet for crime.
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"When you have abandoned structures, they serve as an opportunity to cover or conceal crime. The crime may not have occurred here, but to the extent that they facilitate concealing crime, it's a problem," said Gary Mayor Karen Freeman-Wilson.
Gary has 7,500 vacant residential properties and hundreds of commercial ones, including 20 empty schools. Last year Darren Deon Vann was arrested for killing several women. All of their bodies were found in abandoned buildings.
"The city is not something we created, it's urban blight, it has to do with economics - not having jobs, mills closing, this was one of the most flourishing areas when they first built this community," said Geneva Osawe, a Gary resident.
Osawe lives steps away from Emerson School. She is one of a handful of residents left in this once-flourishing neighborhood. She does not blame the city for leaving so many buildings empty.
"Let's be realistic, what can you do when resources are short?" she said.
With the help of federal and state funds, Freeman-Wilson is working on demolishing abandoned residential properties, but she says there is no money to get rid of commercial buildings, including closed schools.
"It makes for a safety hazard in community, but it also makes for a huge, huge eyesore," Freeman-Wilson said.
A vigil was held for Richardson at the school Thursday night as the Lake County Metro Homicide Unit continues to investigate. No one is in custody.