Missing Hollywood Executive: Was He Murdered in a Love Triangle? Atty. "The way she describes it it was going to be like a family-to-family situation, and that if she was able to get quote-unquote 'the families together,' then Gavin would back off and Chandrika would back off and there would be no need for John Creech to be angry," said Grace. ", "They could have known what happened to him on May 2nd instead of being in the dark for two years," the judge said, noting that it was "abundantly clear that the only thing that he (Creech) cared about was himself.". John Creech, 39, told Chandrika he was done with her -- in fact, he had fallen in love with an 18-year-old girl still in high school. The Smith Family is a living portrait of all things sand, surf and Southern California sunshine, from the time Gavin Smith met wife Lisa, to the birth of three handsome athletic sons. In finding Creech guilty of voluntary manslaughter, jurors found him not guilty of first- and second-degree murder more serious charges that couldve earned Creech a life-behind-bars sentence. Then the jury hears that Gavin Smith was wielding a deadly weapon that night. The men search for a suitable spot in the hills, but Creech isn't satisfied with the location. Creech faced up to 11 years for the crime. Smith did not play in the 1975 championship game, but he logged minutes in two Final Four games the following season. Femme fatale: Smith allegedly had an affair with Creech's wife, Chandrika (pictured), whom he met in drug rehab in 2009 Hikers discovered the remains about 70 miles away, near Palmdale in rural. "I was quite upset," said Greg Smith. In February 2013, Gavin Smiths car, a Mercedes, was found in a storage facility in Simi Valley, California. ", "I accelerated and started speeding off and heard him say, "'You're next.'". The Los Angeles Times reported afterward that it had obtained documents that indicated Sheriffs deputies felt an unspecified felony related to Smiths disappearance might have occurred there. Powered by. During his illustrious career, Gavin Smith was an executive for 20th Century Fox. Washington CNN Eleven of the "fake electors" who participated in a plan to subvert the Electoral College have asked a judge to disqualify Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis from her. Smith was what Cade described as a "co-leader" or "unofficial coach" at The Matrix in Woodland Hills and the two eventually started a romantic relationship while she was still married to Creech. Gavin Smith, saddled with marital, financial and health issues, has now suddenly vanished in May 2012. ", Cade disagreed, saying she'd never been to the Bahamas and that "(Smith) wanted me to get away from John because of the abuse.". Cade, who was granted immunity by prosecutors in exchange for her testimony, said she didn't go to the police because she was "terrified" of her then-husband. "The individuals that were involved in helping Creech to hide, none of them had prior criminal records," said Grace. Phone Number: (310) 770- LPHB +2 phones. "They find a shallow grave which turns out to be the resting place of Gavin Smith," said Robert Grace. "(Creech) told Gavin to stay away from me and shoved him against the wall," Cade said. You can find out more and change our default settings with Cookies Settings. "It was a little bit out there to believe that this was a murder right at the get-go," said Det. He refused to discuss the case or identify his clients. Odds are, Chandrink lured husband Creech to the rendezvous, and bated Gavin Smith to certain death. All rights reserved, Fertility Clinic Mix-Up Caused Boy to Be Born With Rare Stomach Cancer-Causing Mutation, Parents Say, Two Hospitalized in Critical Condition, Including 3-Year-Old Child, in Fire at Long Beach Home, Fire Engulfs Newly Opened Restaurant in Westchester, 5 Freeway Closed North of LA Due to Snow and Poor Visibility, Snow at Disneyland? She. Despite the separation and the fact Creech was allegedly seeing other women, including an 18-year-old, he had a "double standard" for her. The probation officer who wrote a pre-sentencing report for the judge said that Creech poses a potential threat to the victims family and society, and suggested he serve prison time. Two years later, however, when the romance rekindled again, Creech made good on his threat to kill Smith, Grace said. I believe he went out there to find her in the company of Gavin Smith,'' the judge said, noting that Creech used a telephone app to track down his wife. He could face 25 years to life in state prison if convicted. Evan Smiths voice got louder then turned to a hiss. O'Brien. I don't think it took a big leap to see that person was Gavin Smith, so I believe that he did go out there for the purpose of confronting and dealing with Gavin Smith in this circumstance," the judge added. Creech's attorney countered that her client had made "errors in judgment" by concealing Smith's body and car after lawfully defending himself in a fight that he testified was initiated by Smith. His family and authorities have been unable to locate him either through cellphone records or credit card billings. "She never let us in the house, but we sat down on her porch and we talked to her for a good hour or so, and she admitted to the affair," said Det. "When he finds them, Chandrika is in Gavin's car and they are both seated in the passenger's seat of Gavin's Mercedes-Benz. Fox movie executive Gavin Smith. I told [Gavin], if you want to have this family together, and want to have this family unit that weve cared for my entire life, all of us have, youve got to be better and youve got to be a man. He was very depressed.". The storage facility was rented to a friend of Creech. In this case, he said, the answer is yes. The judge said he was shocked by Creechs argument at trial that he hadnt sought immediate medical help because he worried how hed be perceived as an ex-convict. A lawyer who came to the home, Daniel Teola, told the LA Times this was the second time in a month that deputies had searched the house. Cade said she was aware and "it didn't bother me one bit" because though she loved Smith, she didn't want to be with a married man. Evan recalled when, after Creech learned about the affair in 2010, he and his younger brother went to Creechs house to beg him not to hurt their dad. Warner Bros. Entertainment | KTLA reports that in September 2012, four months after Smith went missing, Creech pleaded no contest to the sale or transportation or sale of drugs. But as it goes with many families, the glow of the happy images can fade with the stress of daily life. Robert Grace. He spares Chandrika his physical rage, but makes a demand. Performance & security by Cloudflare. Creech's attorney countered that the May 1, 2012, confrontation between the two men got physical and her client had to "defend himself" and do a "leg sweep" when Smith came at him wielding something that looked like a hammer and ice pick. Cops make their move, but they don't have to go far to find John Creech. And Chandrika Creech may have known more than she was telling. Smith and Cade met at a drug rehab facility in 2008, the prosecutor said, and began an on-and-off affair that year. Dolson said today that Creech "is still a person of interest." . Previously John Creech had said that he never met Gavin Smith. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. Your IP: Creech, 39, was arrested by Glendale police in 2010 for making a drug drop and pleaded guilty, according to local reports. But Creech's defense attorney told the Hollywood Reporter in 2012 that. "I think everyone was hopeful that maybe he needed a breather and decided to get off the grid for a while," said L.A. County Deputy District Attorney Robert Grace. Creech checks Gavin's pulse. Canoga Park. The family said he had a cellphone charger, shaving kit, and other. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. >> do you want to know the story? Creech testified in his own defense, telling jurors that he took "full accountability" for failing to call 911 after what he described as mutual combat or to seek help for Smith. Smith reportedly met Creechs wife, Chandrika Creech, in some sort of rehab therapy, according to the newspaper, which reported that Creech has denied knowing Smith, despite his wife saying otherwise. Police also confirmed that the married Smith, 57, had met Creech's wife, Chandrika, 39, in rehab in 2009. O'Brien. When you visit this site, it may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. ", Nunez referenced an email in which Smith criticized Cade for staying with Creech for a "lavish lifestyle" of "expensive cars, private schools, trips to the Bahamas, chin implants," according to the defense attorney, but "not once did he say you should leave him because he was abusive. As for Chandrika, cops say she witnessed the murder but knew little else of the aftermath. John Lenzie Creech is brought into the L.A. Superior courtroom of Judge Stephen A. Marcus for sentencing for voluntary manslaughter in the 2012 death of 20th Century Fox executive Gavin Smith. Detectives last year asked for the publics help in identifying whoever was involved in moving Smiths car from the Porter Ranch area to the storage facility on or about May 8 or 9, 2012. (Wikipedia). In November 2014, the Los Angeles Times reported that Creech has been named as a person of interest. Times crime writer Richard Winton tweeted that Smith knew Creechs wife. Gavin was devastated by the broken bond with his sons. Sheriff's personnel begin interrogation roundups for everyone they believed knew about or assisted in Gavin Smith's murder and cover-up. Not guilty of first-degree murder; not even second-degree murder; but guilty of voluntary manslaughter. All Rights Reserved. But the last few years of Gavin's marriage to wife Lisa had become a challenge. Smith's affair with Creech's wife began in 2008 and broke off the following year after Smith was confronted by his own wife, the prosecutor said. Gavin Smith, a 57-year-old former UCLA basketball player, has not been seen since leaving a female friends home off Kanan Road in eastern Ventura County between 9 p.m. and 10 p.m. on May 1, 2012, in his black, 2000-model Mercedes- How does a muscular, 6' 7" movie exec with dazzling looks and a blinding smile go unnoticed? Smith's Car Was Found in Creech's Storage Unit. Ad Choices. NBC reporter Andrew Blankstein tweeted that Creech is in prison serving eight years on drug charges. Venice Evan Smith, 28, remembers a childhood filled with basketball, surfing and movie screenings with his dad, Gavin, a Hollywood studio executive and former UCLA Bruins basketball player. Bobby Grace argued that the drug dealer had deliberately killed Smith after catching him in the passenger seat of his car with Creechs wife, Chandrika Cade. Supervisors Janice Hahn and Holly Mitchell commemorate the signing of State legislation to return the land to the closest living heirs of the Charles and Willa Bruce. John Creech, they believed, could be a man with deadly potential. And cellphone records putting the accused killer and victim together the night of the murder. ET on USA Network. "I think it was self-preservation. And all you cared about was yourself," said L.A. County Superior Court Judge Stephen Marcus. Century City-Westwood News 2023 Telepictures Productions Inc. O'Brien. 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Creech had other plans for Gavin's blood-stained Mercedes. When Smith's wife found out, she drove with two of her sons to Creech's house, where Creech told Smith's two sons, "You saved your father's life by coming here today," according to the prosecutor. Smith, a former UCLA basketball player who worked on distributing films such as Titanic and Avatar, left a friends home between 9 p.m. and 10 p.m. on May 1 without telling anyone where he was going. Give this man the maximum today for savagely ripping my dad out of my life, Smith told a judge in a downtown Los Angeles courtroom. The three-justice panel from California's 2nd District Court of Appeal rejected the defense's contention that a Los Angeles Superior Court judge had erred in barring Creech's attorney from questioning the victim's widow, Lisa Smith, about certain character traits of her slain husband, which the defense contended could have assisted the defendant with his claim that he had acted in self-defense. A Los Angeles jury convicted John Creech, 44, of voluntary manslaughter in the beating death of Gavin Smith, a 20th Century Fox executive. Detectives also learn that her husband John Creech, a drug dealer and avid bodybuilder, was angry about his wife's tryst with the charismatic Gavin Smith. When Smiths wife, Lisa, stood behind a lectern, her hands shook and she took deep breaths to quiet her sobs. The suspect has been named as John Creech. By the time John Creech went to trial for the murder of Fox executive Gavin Smith, Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney Robert Grace was ready to pack his own punch on the accused killer. She joined the paper in 2012 and has written about criminal justice, immigration and gentrification. In partnership with There was the DNA on Gavin's Mercedes belonging to Creech. Chandrika says that John Creech catches them in a lip-lock and becomes unhinged. ", "I was extremely frustrated by their verdict," said Det. 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