Case Closed

The trial for the murder of Erin Corwin was over. After deliberating for only 15 minutes, the jurors had come to a unanimous decision: Christopher Lee was guilty. As the decision was announced in the courtroom, Erin’s family and friends felt relieved. The days of gruesome testimony and reliving what had happened had come to a close. For Erin’s family and friends, it was time to move forward. We ch...

Christopher Lee’s trial for the first degree murder of Erin Corwin was finally underway, after years of legal maneuvering and delays by the defense. Erin’s friends and family had gone on the stand, and authorities had testified on the evidence the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department had collected. An expert said there was a 1 in 16 billion chance that DNA samples found in the mineshaft wher...

This week, we'd like to tell you about another true crime podcast you might like: Unsolved. More often than we'd like to believe, people get away with murder. On the podcast Unsolved, hear these real-life mysteries. Subscribe here, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts. Shanna Hogan's Secrets of a Marine's Wife is out everywhere now. You can also listen to the second season of Case Clos...

“That was like a bloody glove, finding that garrote.” Erin Corwin's story was gaining national attention and media interest. Meanwhile, detectives were still focused on gathering enough evidence before the trial began. As notable witnesses finally took to the stand to testify, Erin's friends and family wondered if the case against Christopher Lee would end in a conviction. Shanna Hogan's Secrets o...

Hundreds of volunteers and law enforcement officers spent eight weeks and over 5,000 hours searching for Erin Corwin. In the end, the discovery of Erin’s body at the bottom of a mineshaft in Joshua Tree National Park was a big deal — and not just because the search had been so difficult. Without a body, it would have been almost impossible to convict Erin’s killer. And shortly after she went missi...

"I was determined — see, I’m the kind of person where I get sent on a mission and I don’t give up. I won't stop until I find her." When Erin Corwin went missing, it became clear to the detectives investigating the case that there was foul play — and there was one suspect who quickly rose to the top of their list. But before we get into how exactly Erin died and who killed her, we’re going to skip...

Erin Corwin had settled into life on the Marine base in Twentynine Palms, California. She and her husband Jon had befriended their neighbors, the Malakies and the Lees, and the three couples had become very close, spending most of their time together. But by the next spring, the relationships between the trio would be changed forever — and by June, Erin would be dead. You can preorder Shanna Hogan...

"Nobody comes to Twentynine Palms on purpose. And they're all there for the same reason." Erin Corwin had left her family behind and moved to California to join her husband, Jon, on the military base in Twentynine Palms, a remote town in the Mohave Desert. What was Erin's life like there? Who were the new friends she made? And where did it all go so wrong? You can preorder Shanna Hogan's Secrets o...

On the last day of her life, Erin Corwin awoke around dawn. She was going to Joshua Tree National Park, where she said she was scouting trails for an upcoming visit with her mother. She took her cell phone, kissed her husband goodbye, and headed off for the day. But Erin would not come back from her trip alive. Who was Erin Corwin? How did she go from being a sheltered teen from a small town to a...

A true story of marriage, obsession, and murder. This season on Case Closed, a deep dive into the disappearance of 19-year-old Erin Corwin. New episodes on Tuesdays, beginning January 29th.