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The upcoming episode 35 of Dateline: Secrets Uncovered season 10 brings forward the harrowing story of Erin Corwin - an extramarital affair gone wrong. Erin Corwin, the wife of ex-marine Jon Corwin, was strangled to death by her lover and neighbor, Chris Lee, at the Joshua Tree National Park on June 28, 2014.
The official synopsis of the Dateline episode highlights the case accurately as it reads,
"After Erin Corwin told her husband she was scouting hiking trails in Joshua Tree National Park, she suddenly vanished -- police quickly uncovered a steamy love triangle and a mystery with a deep pool of potential suspects."
Watch the episode as it re-airs on November 4, 2023, at 9 pm EST on NBC. Meanwhile, let us take a look at five chilling aspects of the Erin Corwin murder case.
Top five chilling details about Erin Corwin's murder
1) Erin Corwin was pregnant at the time of the murder
Erin Corwin and Christopher Brandon Lee were neighbors at the Marine base in Twentynine Palms, California, who often spent time together owing to the families being friends. As time passed, Erin and Chris grew close roughly around the time Erin went through a failed pregnancy and drifted apart from her Marine husband, Jon Corwin.
However, as Chris and Erin started their affair, she discovered on June 22, 2014, that she was pregnant again, but this time with Christopher's child. She was murdered on June 28, 2014.
2) Erin and Chris discussed leaving their partners and marrying each other
Despite their secret affair, Chris's wife Nichole finds out about their relationship and confronts the two lovers. This confrontation made Erin and Chris maintain distance from one another, but soon enough, they were back to discussing leaving their partners.
Chris often spoke about how Erin would make a wonderful stepmother for Liberty. The fact that Erin babysat her often added to the intensity of their affair and their plans.
3) She was strangled to death using a homemade garrote
Cut to two months later, Erin's body was found in an abandoned mine shaft at the Joshua Tree National Park, strangled to death and with a propane tank found on her. The investigation revealed a homemade garrote from Chris's car and Google searches for safe disposal of bodies apart from the matching dates for Chris's trip to the Park.
Chris, along with his family, left for Alaska to start a new life after his time at the Marines ended on July 4, 2014.
4) Chris Lee had a history of violence
Christopher Brandon Lee had a history of violence, which was proven once the trial began in October 2014. In her book Secrets of a Marine’s Wife, Shanna Hogan wrote,
“At first, Chris appeared well-suited for the uniform. But other Marines noticed he often seemed preoccupied with weapons. At least once, he was reprimanded by a commanding officer for using the rifles and rocket launchers like they were toys. Over time, Chris gained a reputation for being rash and reckless.”
The plan Chris had for the June 28 National Park outing was to hunt coyotes with Jon, who could not make it due to his friends staying over.
Chris wanted to bring his .22 Winchester rifle and a propane tank along with him - the latter to explode using gasoline and his rifle in a mine shaft.
5) Chris Lee tried to prove the alleged molestation of his daughter
During the trial, Chris Lee first attempted to plead not guilty. After deliberation, he confessed his crimes with one witness in his defense - himself. He presented a story about his daughter Liberty being molested by Erin Corwin to ensure he was sentenced to charges of charge of involuntary manslaughter.
Chris told the jury that one night, after Nichole had given Liberty a bath, she found her crotch to be red and irritated. His wife accused Erin of causing the ‘suspicious’ rash. However, this claim was never proved true or considered substantial by the court.
Chris has been charged guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced to life without the possibility of parole. He is presently serving time at Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego.
