GUILTY CA - Erin Corwin, 19, pregnant, Twentynine Palms, 28 June 2014 - #10

[Seajay]

Am I remembering correctly... that Erin told her friend "they were going 2 hours away"??

Correct. She relayed what CL told her, I imagine. After looking at that road up to those mines, maybe it takes 2 hours to get there. It's not that great of a distance but the terrain is so rough that vehicles have to go slow in a lot of the rockier areas.

 

[necco]

I think right now the discussion is playing into motive. Why is she dead? Sure she's dead, but why? Maybe some people don't care why, but others do, and it's a part of their sleuthing experience. We learn from each case we take on as well. We are inquisitive, intelligent, problem-solving type of people. It's in our nature to question and to analyze. That's what we do.

Valid point. Obviously, someone wasn't thrilled with the arrangement, because if everyone was, Erin wouldn't have ended up in that mine. It's a fine line between discussing motive and passing judgement, both on Websleuths and in life. We are likely all guilty of tripping over that line at some point, somewhere.

 

[Seajay]

Snipped by me.

This is a good point. And what kind of woman wants to stay with a man who would kill for her?

If my husband had done what NL's husband did, I would get as far away from him as fast as I could as soon as I found out about it, not help him. I'd be afraid I'd be next on the list. Even if he never had gotten arrested and tried for it, how do you turn your back or fall asleep on a man you know is capable of something like that?

He should have been toast with her as soon as she found out about the affair and pregnancy, let alone the murder. IMO.

 

[moonbeams]

I have complete faith in LE, they will pursue this case in the best way possible. I support them no matter how they charge, who they charge (as I hear they are investigating NL right now)

I pray for comfort for the family of Erin, I also hope CL confesses and this doesn't go to trial. Erin's family has been through enough.

IMO...

Here! Here! A SB Sheriff drove through the neighborhood over the weekend and I wanted to run out in the street, stop him and hug him (and that was before I knew they'd found EC!) lol

 

[moonbeams]

In many cases it isn't about sex at all but an emotional connection to the third person, maybe in a way the spouse isn't providing for them. As you stated, men and women view the loss of an internal baby differently. If she felt that JC didn't understand, wasn't supporting her in a way she needed, then if she found that in CL, that could be the reason for the affair for her. Or if CL was in some way able to take her mind off the miscarriage and make her feel better about herself then I could see her gravitating towards that. IMO.

BBM and MOO This is the reason for the affair that I've read.

 

[Seajay]

Valid point. Obviously, someone wasn't thrilled with the arrangement, because if everyone was, Erin wouldn't have ended up in that mine. It's a fine line between discussing motive and passing judgement, both on Websleuths and in life. We are likely all guilty of tripping over that line at some point, somewhere.

I worry about that line all the time. Lately, that's all I've been focused on is the why of it. We discussed it at length here many times but that was before her body was found, even though we figured that would be the outcome. Why is the last thing I think about when I go to bed and why is the first thing I think about when I wake up. Why did this beautiful, young girl have to die like this, with her whole life ahead of her??? What went wrong? Where there any clues or signs? What did she want out of all this? What did she want out of the affair? What did she want with her husband? What was missing in her life that brought her to the bottom of a 140' mine shaft? What made that young, fresh faced Marine a widower?

 

[BRRI]

I think right now the discussion is playing into motive. Why is she dead? Sure she's dead, but why? Maybe some people don't care why, but others do, and it's a part of their sleuthing experience. We learn from each case we take on as well. We are inquisitive, intelligent, problem-solving type of people. It's in our nature to question and to analyze. That's what we do.

That's not what was going on here. This was "if she didn't cheat and make poor choices, she wouldn't have been killed". That has nothing to do with motive. That's as bad as saying a girl deserves to be raped for walking down the street in a short skirt. Or, in a round about way, saying she got what was coming to her because of her actions and her actions only.

 

[Seajay]

That's not what was going on here. This was "if she didn't cheat and make poor choices, she wouldn't have been killed". That has nothing to do with motive. That's as bad as saying a girl deserves to be raped for walking down the street in a short skirt. Or, in a round about way, saying she got what was coming to her because of her actions and her actions only.

I didn't view it that way but that's ok. I didn't see anyone say she deserved what she got. Maybe I shouldn't speed read. I was seeing concern about where that left Jon in all this. It's all good.

 

[necco]

That's not what was going on here. This was "if she didn't cheat and make poor choices, she wouldn't have been killed". That has nothing to do with motive. That's as bad as saying a girl deserves to be raped for walking down the street in a short skirt. Or, in a round about way, saying she got what was coming to her because of her actions and her actions only.

 

[smc1225]

Not sure if this was posted already.

http://www.desertsun.com/story/news...corwin-christopher-lee/14365341/?sf30074616=1

California law is very clear about the murder of an unborn child, San Bernardino County District Attorney Michael Ramos told The Desert Sun on Wednesday.

In addition to a murder charge for the death of the mother, a murder charge can be filed for an unborn child of just four to six weeks development.

 

[Jambri]

I worry about that line all the time. Lately, that's all I've been focused on is the why of it. We discussed it at length here many times but that was before her body was found, even though we figured that would be the outcome. Why is the last thing I think about when I go to bed and why is the first thing I think about when I wake up. Why did this beautiful, young girl have to die like this, with her whole life ahead of her??? What went wrong? Where there any clues or signs? What did she want out of all this? What did she want out of the affair? What did she want with her husband? What was missing in her life that brought her to the bottom of a 140' mine shaft? What made that young, fresh faced Marine a widower?

Wow I thought I was the only one who woke up and went to bed with this on my mind LoL. Glad to see I am not alone. The only other case that has bothered me to such an extreme was the Natalie Holloway case. The tragedy of this case has really affected me in so many ways.

 

[cluciano63]

Good point about who knew -- everyone close to her it seems, except her mother & her immediate family. I'm guessing she was unsure of sharing the news with her mom until she saw her in person (planned the next week after she disappeared) and had sussed out whether if it was CL's, he was going to stand by her and 'do the right thing', in which case she would be telling her mom instead of "guess what, I'm pregnant again and Jon & are so excited", it was possibly going to be an in-person heart-to-heart with her mom where she admitted to the affair with CL, that she and Jon's marriage wasn't working out, and that she was in love with CL and they were going to be together (his wife was leaving to go back to AK, he was moving offbase/being discharged, and they were going to make a life together)... and CL probably knew her mom was coming and she was excited about "celebrating" her pregnancy with him and then telling her mom when she came in a few days, which was one more factor that precipitated CL acting to plan her murder at the time that he did. Just MOO as always...

I can't quite imagine telling my close friend I am pregnant with another man's child and that we are going to "celebrate", under any circumstances. Just so odd to me.

I am really wondering if she was even pregnant. Maybe she thought or wished she was, by CL and jumped the gun, telling him she was? Frankly, I can't imagine CL being so free as to have unprotected sex, if he was paranoid enough about pregnancies to possibly kill over one. It is all a terrible confusing scenario. You would think BOTH would make sure not to get pregnant. And JC, Imo, only knows what EC told him, apparently.

Wondering if she told CL that very week, since he was preparing to leave, whether she really was pregnant for sure or not. And he pretended to be happy, enough so that she told her friend and figured she would tell her mom at the same time she told them her marriage was over? Or were they going to run away together?

Jmo I just have a part of me feeling she was not pregnant, and that CL believing she was turned out to be his murder motive. LE is, Imo, not saying much about he pregnancy, which in a way leads me to believe they may know she wasn't but do not want to cast a shadow on Erin. They way she was identified so quickly makes me feel like she was in a state where they could examine her. Again-jmo only. Maybe I place too much faith in forensic science.

Just all my of musings...JMOJMOJMOJMOJMO

Also...I think 18+ years of child support was the deciding factor for motive, on top of wrath of spouse and possible loss of access to child.

 

[scorekeeper]

Not sure if this was posted already.

http://www.desertsun.com/story/news...corwin-christopher-lee/14365341/?sf30074616=1

Based on the "timeline to get pregnant" previously posted by necco (thanks!!).....it sounds possible that CL could be charged with 2 murders (if Erin was found to be with child)

 

[shadetree44]

MB said it was a red sedan. He also later said it was not an SUV type of vehicle. It was like a Kia or something maybe. I'll have to go look again for his statements.

MB was very certain it was a red sedan. He stated that more than once asked. There was one in a video outside the apartments. I'm not up on the newer vehicles as they all appear the same to me. If anyone can ID the model in that video, please post. Thanks. The red car and time line will give us a good idea who was there @ 10:30. I have always thought EC was not there during the exchange. Judging by what we know now, I think she was already gone (in the mine) by then. Opinions??

 

[Hippiemomof5]

I didn't view it that way but that's ok. I didn't see anyone say she deserved what she got. Maybe I shouldn't speed read. I was seeing concern about where that left Jon in all this. It's all good.

I agree. I didn't see anyone saying she got what she deserved at all!! Not even a little!! I think the original poster was feeling compassion for JC and how if he knew leading up to EC's death that she was cheating and might leave him, how much more difficult her loss must be to him. Even if he didn't know anything, he's got to be torn to pieces right now and feeling devestated at all of this being publicized, his "dirty laundry being aired" so to speak. None of us are perfect and certainly at 19, we were much more foolish than now, but if the days leading up to EC's death were also painful and full of fighting and uncertainty about the future, it just makes this all seem so much more sad to me.

 

[smc1225]

Based on the "timeline to get pregnant" previously posted by necco (thanks!!).....it sounds possible that CL could be charged with 2 murders (if Erin was found to be with child)

Yep. I think they are just waiting on the autopsy results for confirmation either way. If she was then it definitely sounds like they will go with 2 murder charges.

 

[Dmacky]

If the tire tracks match the maroon jeep, and the witness said that he saw a red car stop and pick her up, I'm thinking that he was talking about the maroon (dark red) jeep...Don't know how the red sedan figures in, but I just believe that he saw the maroon jeep...JMO

That's true the tire tracks did match the jeep's tire tracks.....BUT only after EC's car had moved about 100-150 feet from where MB saw her car that morning.

 

[BRRI]

I agree. I didn't see anyone saying she got what she deserved at all!! Not even a little!! I think the original poster was feeling compassion for JC and how if he knew leading up to EC's death that she was cheating and might leave him, how much more difficult her loss must be to him. Even if he didn't know anything, he's got to be torn to pieces right now and feeling devestated at all of this being publicized, his "dirty laundry being aired" so to speak. None of us are perfect and certainly at 19, we were much more foolish than now, but if the days leading up to EC's death were also painful and full of fighting and uncertainty about the future, it just makes this all seem so much more sad to me.

BBM

<snipped by me>

For one, she made a vow and broke it, that was bad enough, but John forgave her for her indiscretion and then she took it underground (which led to her murder that day) ...for her to conspire to leave JC if CL was the father would be a despicable thing to do.

^ That doesn't sound, even a little, like victim blaming?

 

[moonbeams]

Unfortunately this isn't CSI or Dateline or 48 hours where everything is wrapped up in a neat little package in an hour or two. The results of tests take time. It's only been 2 days since the autopsy.

 

[necco]

Yep. I think they are just waiting on the autopsy results for confirmation either way. If she was then it definitely sounds like they will go with 2 murder charges.

I think they've charged him with just enough to hold him and have him extradited and are waiting for the full autopsy results and the legal wheeling and dealing about jurisdiction and who can charge him with the most before they file additional charges. No sense doing more on the state level if they're going to go federal or vice versa.