Former Marine Arrested for Murder Inquired About Body Disposal

By Ann Rowland

Christopher Lee, 24, a former Marine has been charged with the murder of Erin Corwin, 20 whose body was found Saturday in an abandoned mine shaft near Twentynine Palms, California.  Lee was arrested at his home in Anchorage, Alaska where he lives with his wife and child.  Christopher Lee admitted to police that he did internet searches on how to dispose of a body and a witness told authorities Lee asked him “”what was the best way to dispose of a human body,” according to Fox News.

Corwin’s husband, Marine Cpl. Jonathan Corwin, reported his wife missing on June 29 after she didn’t return home the previous day.  When Erin Corwin left her home on June 28, she told her husband she was going to check out hiking trails in Joshua Tree National Park that she could explore when her mother came to visit.  However, police now believe that Erin was meeting up with Lee. Foot tracks leading to another vehicle were found near her abandoned vehicle.

Erin was pregnant at the time she went missing and during the investigation into her disappearance police discovered that she was having an affair with Lee.  According to court papers, a friend of the murdered woman told police that the child Erin was carrying was Lee’s.  Lee was allegedly worried that his wife would leave him and prevent him from spending time with his child if she found out that Corwin was carrying his child.

The exact nature of the  all the charges that Lee will be charged with are not know n at this time, however murder with allegation of  special circumstances is what he has been charged with by the San Bernardino California D.A.  The special circumstance allegations arise from laying in wait for Erin and will allow them to seek the death penalty.  At this time, it is not known whether or not Lee’s wife has any involvement in the murder or the cover-up.  The Lee’s landlord told police that Mrs. Lee told him that the body would never be found.

Shell casings from a .22 caliber gun were found near Corwin’s body in the abandoned mine shaft.  The head stamp from those casings matched casings that were found in Lee’s car and home.  Once a positive identification of the body was made, charges were filed against lee.  He appeared in court in Anchorage on Tuesday afternoon.

Lee was honorably discharged from the Marines after serving 7 years.