The body of 19-year-old Erin Corwin, who disappeared more than a month ago, has been recovered after investigators found it in an abandoned mine shaft Saturday.
Corwin, who was pregnant at the time of her disappearance, left her home in Twentynine Palms, California, on June 28, and told her husband she was going to Joshua Tree National Park. When she didn't return, he reported her missing. (Video via KGTV)
Now, authorities say her cause of death was homicide, and they've arrested the primary suspect — former Marine Christopher Brandon Lee — in Alaska. (Video via KGTV)
KTVA: "Lee was picked up about a block from the Jewel Lake home where he was staying with relatives ... Authorities say it's likely Lee will spend a couple weeks here in Anchorage, before being sent to California."
Lee moved to Alaska from Twentynine Palms, where he and his wife had lived next door to Corwin and her husband, also a Marine.
Investigators suspect Lee and Corwin had been having an affair, and The Press-Enterprise reports court documents show Lee was worried his wife would find out about the pregnancy.
But Lee had already made headlines well before his arrest.
KMIR: "A man has been arrested in Yucca Valley for possession of what's called a potato gun, and according to media reports, he's an acquaintance of missing Marine wife Erin Corwin."
Lee, referred to in this headline from The Desert Sun as Corwin's lover, was released from jail in early July after posting bail. At the time, it was unclear if he was part of the investigation into Corwin's disappearance.
According to multiple outlets, Lee and Corwin both volunteered at the White Rock Horse Rescue ranch, which still has a picture of Lee on its website.
Lee's wife is also reportedly a person of interest in the case.
