AI Summary
5 min readOn June 28, 2014, 19-year-old Erin Corwin left her apartment on the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center in 29 Palms, California, to scout scenic spots in Joshua Tree National Park for a planned birthday trip with her mother, Laura Hevelin. She told her husband, 21-year-old Marine John Corwin, she would return by 4 p.m., but she never did. By the next morning, John reported her missing, sparking a search that uncovered tangled relationships, an affair, and eventually a body hidden in a remote mine shaft.
The Search Begins and Early Suspicions
John's repeated calls to Erin's phone went to voicemail, and neighbors provided conflicting information. Chris Lee, a Marine living next door with his wife Nicole and daughter, initially denied knowing Erin well, but a downstairs neighbor revealed Chris had an affair with her months earlier, which had strained building friendships. When confronted, Chris admitted the affair but claimed it ended, blaming his depression and Erin's alleged lies about spousal abuse. He said he hadn't seen her that day.
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What you'll learn
- 1 (01:00) **Episode Introduction** - Host Delia introduces Erin Corwin's 2014 murder in Joshua Tree National Park and recommends Shanna Hogan's book
- 2 (02:58) **Erin's Disappearance** - Erin leaves home at 7am June 28 to scout Joshua Tree spots for mom's visit, fails to return by 4pm
- 3 (04:27) **Initial Investigation** - Deputies interview John, canvass neighbors; learn of Chris Lee's prior affair with Erin from downstairs neighbor
- 4 (06:16) **Park Search Launches** - Ground teams, aircraft, and Marines scour Joshua Tree; Facebook page "Locate Erin" created for tips
- 5 (07:32) **Car Discovered** - Toyota found locked and dusty 5 miles outside park near base back gate, spotted Saturday morning by witness
- 6 (10:24) **Home Searches and Affair Confirmation** - Warrants yield Alaska apartment note and love note in Erin's things; Chris's apartment has missing .22 rifle scope
- 7 (11:34) **Corwins' Backstory** - Young Tennessee sweethearts elope in 2012; move to 29 Palms base in 2013 amid financial woes and miscarriage
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Show Notes
When a pregnant teenager vanished after heading to Joshua Tree National Park, time was of the essence to figure out where she was and who might have wanted her dead. Turns out, a violent marine who had a life full of secrets held all the answers.
- If you’d like to learn more about Erin and see the beautiful person she was while she was alive, visit the Remembering Erin Corwin Facebook page, or join the Justice for Erin Corwin Facebook group.
View source material and photos for this episode at: parkpredators.com/the-unspeakable
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