Day Five, Part One - Wife Of Defendant Makes An Appearance

I'll be breaking today's post into two parts. Here's part one...

Court was scheduled to begin at 10 a.m., or "ten-ish" as presiding Judge J. David Mazurek likes to say. Before the jury was allowed in, Nichole Lee, the wife of the defendant, made an appearance in the courtroom. She was with her attorney, who said his client wanted to testify "over my advice." Judge Mazurek told Nichole that while she had been subpoenaed to testify by the prosecution, ADA Daugherty declined to call her. However, defense attorney David Kaloyanides did want Nichole to testify for the defense, and so she was still under subpoena. She had a smile on her face the entire time she stood before the court.

I'm going to describe how she looked, because this was actually an important factor in the morning's events. Nichole's long blonde hair hung loose down her back. She had her husband's dog tags around her neck on a chain. She was wearing a black skirt suit with off-white piping, and matching off-white pumps.

Cut to a few minutes later, after Nichole had left the courtroom. The sound of a woman's voice, raised and angry, could be heard coming from outside the courtroom. I turned around to see Nichole Lee in the vestibule that separates the courtroom and the hallway where the jurors wait to be called in. The bailiff approached the judge and told him he caught Nichole Lee talking to one of the jurors.

Both Daugherty and Kaloyanides were visibly dismayed at hearing this. Both attorneys asked the judge if he would call in the juror Nichole was seen chatting with, and ask what the two women were discussing.

The juror was called in and Judge Mazurek asked her about the topic of the conversation she had with the blond woman outside. Nichole's name was not used. The juror said she had complemented Nichole on her shoes, and Nichole was talking about where she got them. That was it, according to the juror.

Just a side note: all of the jurors wear yellow buttons on their shirts that indicate they are jurors, so it's hard to imagine Nichole didn't know she was speaking to a member of the panel deciding her husband's fate. As Kaloyanides said in open court of Nichole,

"This witness is unpredictable, and I'm not sure (the interaction) was benign."

I'll try to get the second part of this post up within a few hours...

Day Four - Prosecution Calls Five Witnesses

The first witness Deputy District Attorney Sean Daugherty called Monday morning was Paul Anastasia, a engineer medic and firefighter with the San Bernardino County Fire Department. Anastasia was the search and rescue member who recovered Erin Corwin's body on Aug. 17, 2014 from the mine shaft where searchers discovered her body on Aug. 16, 2014.

Anastasia described the air in the mine shaft as not habitable for humans, and the temperature there to be at least 100 degrees. He spent about a half hour in the mine shaft, placing Erin's body in two coroner's bags. Anastasia also noticed what he deemed to be a homemade torch, and made sure to bring it up with him when he left the mine. (In his opening statement to the jury last week, Daugherty said the torch was made, in part, with a t-shirt that contained the DNA of Christopher Lee.)

The second witness was Pedro Ligorria, a member of San Bernardino County's Search and Rescue team. He was a member of the search team that first discovered Erin's body in the mine. Ligorria testified that he found a bullet casing near the collar of the mine, and placed it in a plastic evidence bag using gloved hands.

Erin Corwin/Facebook

The third witness was someone court watchers have seen every day of the trial, because he sits next to ADA Sean Daugherty at the prosecution table. Detective Jonathan Woods works homicide detail for the San Bernardino Sheriff's Department. He is also the case agent for this trial, collecting paperwork and reporting to the District Attorney's office.

Woods relayed how the recovered evidence was examined and bagged by members of Crime Scene Investigation. Crucial pieces of evidence included the propane tank, two 20 liter water cans that had gasoline in the bottom of the containers, and a Sprite bottle.

Woods attended Erin's autopsy. He testified as to how Dr. Frank Sheridan, the Chief Medical Examiner for San Bernardino County, removed a garrote made of paracord and rebar from around Erin's neck. Woods also explained how dental records were needed to positively identify the body found in the mine as Erin Corwin.

San Bernardino County Sheriff's Detective Bryan Zierdt was the first witness to testify after the lunch break. Zierdt described a conversation he had with Nichole Lee in the days following Erin's disappearance. Nichole said her husband Chris kept the .22 caliber rifle Zierdt was inquiring about in a room at Isabel Megli's residence at White Rock Horse Rescue ranch. 

Nichole, daughter Liberty, and Zierdt drove out to White Rock. They entered Megli's residence, and Megli gave Zierdt permission to search one of the rooms. Nichole went right back to the room in question, reached up to a shelf, and took down a case that contained the rifle in question. 

The final witness of the day was Sgt. Mauricio Hurtado with the San Bernardino Sheriff's Department. Back in 2014 he was a detective on the same four-man homicide detail team as Detectives Woods and Zierdt. Hurtado described how CSI specialists processed the scene surrounding Erin Corwin's abandoned car. He testified about the footprints that were seen leaving the driver's side of Erin's car, and towards another vehicle. Hurtado originally believed the tire tracks of that vehicle matched Chris Lee's jeep, but further investigation revealed they did not. 

Hurtado also testified about the searches he conducted of the Lee residence, the Corwin residence, a U-Haul truck rented by the Lees, and Megli's residence. There was one piece of evidence Hurtado described that I had not read about before: a purple latex glove retrieved from the side pocket of a pair of men's camouflage shorts that were found in Megli's living room.

Court continues Tuesday morning at ten.

Day Three - The Prosecution's Case Continues

The first witness today was Joseph Hollifield, the civilian friend of defendant Christopher Lee who took the photographs that ended up being critical in the discovery of Erin Corwin's body. On June 22, 2014, less than a week before Erin disappeared, Lee and Hollifield went out to the same remote mining district that was home to Mine #108 - where searchers found Erin's body in August.

Hollifield dressed in baggy jeans and a brown t-shirt for his court appearance. He admitted when asked by Deputy District Attorney Sean Daugherty that he still considered Chris Lee - and wife Nichole Lee - to be good friends. Key point in his testimony was how Hollifield denied knowing Lee planned to visit the same mining area the week after their June 22nd trip. Daugherty even confronted Hollifield with the undeniable fact he had texted Lee on the day Erin disappeared with the question, "How are the mines?" Hollifield said he didn't know if Lee planned to visit the mines or not. It was just a random text.

Right.

Jon and Erin Corwin/Facebook

The next two witnesses were the San Bernardino Sheriff's deputies who questioned Chris Lee the day after Erin went missing. Both Dep. Danny Millan and Dep. Cathy Tabor described how at first Lee denied knowing Erin as anything more than an acquaintance. Later in in the parking lot of a Vons supermarket, Lee admitted he had a romantic relationship with Erin that involved kissing but not sex. That conversation was tape recorded and played in open court. It was difficult to understand much of what was being said, but one thing that was audible to me was when Chris Lee said with very little emotion that Erin was "a pathological liar." My jaw dropped when I heard that. Both Millan and Tabor reminded Lee many times that he was the one who had lied to them the very first time they interviewed him.

The final two witnesses were involved in the discovery and recovery of Erin's body in the mine shaft. They were Cpl. Robert Whiteside, the program coordinator of the San Bernardino Sheriff's Department's Search and Rescue Unit; and Brenton Baum, an Engineer Paramedic for San Bernardino County.

This was the toughest part of the trial so far, because it involved playing video that showed Erin Corwin's body at the bottom of the mine shaft. I won't go into detail. I will say that from my vantage point in the courtroom, it appeared the defendant never took his eyes off the screen. By his own admission, he was romantically involved with Erin at one point. It was horrifying for pretty much everyone in the courtroom to see what had happened to Erin - but not to the man who once kissed and held her. I suppose a guilty man does not know how an innocent man acts.

Day Two - The Prosecution's Case Continues

Day two of the prosecution's case consisted of just three witnesses, but there was no shortage of bombshell testimony. I will try and cut to the chase in terms of the highlights of each witnesses testimony.

The first witness of the day was Douglas Billings. I would say this man knows caves and mines in the the vast desert near Joshua Tree National Park and Twentynine Palms like a mother knows the freckles on her child's face - and with that much affection. He's been exploring the area since he was a kid, and he's now 53.

Erin Corwin/Facebook

Billings was able to use photographs taken on June 22, 2014 by a civilian friend of the defendant to zero in on the mine where searchers ultimately found Erin Corwin's body.

The next witness was Aisling Malakie. Aisling lived with her husband, Conor, and young son in the apartment directly downstairs from Erin and Jon Corwin in 2013-14. Aisling and Erin were close friends at one point - close enough that Aisling took Erin to the hospital when she suffered a miscarriage.

Aisling also discovered the relationship between Erin and the defendant, and ended up telling the defendant's wife Nichole, and Jon Corwin.

Two points Aisling made that gave me chills:

• She said Christopher Lee talked about murder more times than she could count. She found it odd because, "No one else I knew talked about snapping necks and hiding bodies with coyotes."

• After Erin went missing, Aisling called the Lee residence to let Nichole know that investigators were looking for Chris. According to Aisling, Nichole replied (referring to Erin), "I don't care what happened to that little bitch."

The final witness of the day was Aisling's husband, Conor Malakie. Conor said he considered Christopher Lee to be a close friend. On the day Erin disappeared, Chris made a vague invitation to Conor to go coyote hunting. An hour after Chris Lee left to "go hunting" Conor attempted to get in touch with him. Chris texted Conor to meet him outside Joshua Tree National Park. Conor spent as many as three hours trying to find Chris, but to no avail. All calls and texts to Chris went unanswered. Later that afternoon, when Chris returned home, Conor noticed the propane tank that was in the back of Chris's Jeep earlier that morning was no longer there.

The big moment for me was when Conor explained what happened the morning after Erin disappeared. Conor saw Chris at the apartment complex and asked him if her knew where Erin was. Chris said he didn't. Then Conor asked his very good friend, "Did you do what I think you did?"

Let that sink in. If a young man who had great affection for the defendant immediately suspected he had murdered Erin, I can't help but think the jurors will draw the same conclusion, considering the mountain of evidence the prosecution is in the process of presenting.

Day One - Opening Statements And Prosecution Witnesses

I'm writing as a blogger, and not a journalist, meaning some of my emotions will be tangled up in my coverage of this trial. I can't help it. Sitting so close to the family and friends of Erin Corwin and realizing how much this gentle, trusting, beautiful 19-year-old girl was treasured - it's just near impossible not to feel her loved ones' hearts breaking.

Opening statements started around 11 this morning, after some technical difficulties getting sound for Deputy District Attorney Sean Daugherty's power point presentation. Things finally clicked into place, and Daugherty methodically laid out the evidence to the jury he says he will present during the course of the trial.

In my opinion, the most damning evidence Daugherty told the jury to expect was DNA evidence tying defendant Christopher Brandon Lee to the mine shaft where Erin's body was discovered on Aug. 16, 2014, roughly seven weeks after she went missing on June 28, 2014.

That DNA evidence includes:

• An olive green t-shirt used to make a torch that was found in the mine shaft. Daugherty says Lee's DNA was found on this shirt.

• DNA from both Lee and Erin Corwin was found on a Sprite bottle dumped in the mine shaft. 

During most of his opening statement, and for several of the witnesses, Daugherty had the photo of the People magazine cover that featured Erin and Jon Corwin (see above) up on the overhead projector so it was visible to the entire courtroom. The photo was taken at the Marine Corps Ball the couple attended just hours before heading to Las Vegas to elope.

The defense opted not to give an opening statement, which isn't that unusual.

Erin's mother, Lore Heavilin, was the first witness. The most moving part of her testimony was when she described her last conversation via phone with Erin. Lore was planning to visit Erin the following week, and Erin described to her mom all the home-cooked dishes she wanted Lore to make for her. Lore told Erin the ingredients she would need to buy. When Lore did come out to Erin's apartment, not for the planned visit but because she went missing, Lore noticed Erin had already purchased all those ingredients.

Erin's husband, Jon Corwin, was the second witness to testify. Daugherty asked Jon about his relationship with Erin, Erin's relationship with the defendant, and Erin's relationship with the defendant's young daughter. The defense attorney cross-examined Jon, asking him about Erin's relationship with her younger sister, Trish, who passed away when she was a child. The defense attorney seemed to want to make some connection between Erin's feelings for her sister, and her feelings for the defendant's young daughter. Not sure what he's getting at there.

The last witness of the day was Erin's best friend Jessica Trentham, who relayed text messages from Erin that placed Erin with the defendant the day she went missing. Jessica spoke in a soft voice full of emotion, evident to this courtroom observer how much she loved, and still misses, her dear friend Erin.

Jury Selection Complete In Erin Corwin Trial

Erin Corwin/Facebook

According to a poster very much in the know on Crimewatchers.net, a jury has been seated in the case of The People of the State of California vs. Christopher Brandon Lee:

"We have a jury and 6 alternates. They will have motions tomorrow and Thursday.

"The trial will start Tuesday the 11th."

As this blog explained previously, Monday the 10th of October is Columbus Day, and a court holiday. 

Jury Selection Underway In Erin Corwin Murder Trial

Jury selection is underway at Superior Court of California - County of San Bernardino in the murder trial of The People of the State of California vs. Christopher Brandon Lee.

Lee is charged with first degree murder for allegedly killing Erin Corwin, 19, and dumping her body in an abandoned mine shaft. Corwin was pregnant at the time of her death.

When Will The Murder Trial Of Christopher Brandon Lee Begin?

Erin Corwin/Facebook

I've been contacted several times via Twitter as to when the actual trial will start - meaning the first day of opening statements by the prosecution in The People of the State of California vs. Christopher Lee.

According to what KCDZ 107.7 FM published on its website Sept. 21:

Preliminary jury selection in the murder trial of Christopher Lee started this week, but due to a conflict with the judge’s schedule, the juror panels will be called back to court October 3.

The Twitter feed for Jen's Trial Diaries reports:

#erincorwin trial is postponed till Oct 9th due to judges schedule conflict.

Now, October 9 is a Sunday, and October 10 is Columbus Day - which is a court holiday for San Bernardino County, where the Lee murder trial is being held. My best guess is the jury will hear opening statements on Tuesday, October 11 at the very earliest. If anyone out there has better information, please feel free to comment on this post.

Jury Selection For Erin Corwin Murder Trial Scheduled To Begin Sep. 19

Erin Corwin/Facebook

After numerous starts and stops, it looks like the trial for Christopher Brandon Lee, charged with first degree murder in the death of Erin Corwin, is slated to begin Sep. 19 with jury selection.

I attended the trial readiness hearing for Lee on Sept. 9 in a San Bernardino County courtroom. Lee appeared at the hearing wearing a green jail jumpsuit. His hair was cut short and there was a scruff of beard on his face. His wrists and ankles were shackled.

Lee's attorney, David J. Kaloyanides, and Deputy District Attorney Sean Daugherty both told Judge J. David Mazurek they were ready to proceed with the trial. Mazurek then ordered jury selection to start Sept. 19.

I asked my husband, a former newspaper reporter who has covered a number of high-profile murder trials, how long jury selection would take. He estimated about three to four days.  

According to Christopher Lee, spokesman for the District Attorney (yes, he has the same name as the defendant), alleged murderer Christopher Brandon Lee faces life in prison without parole if he is convicted. 

Judge Orders Body Of Slain Marine Wife Erin Corwin Released To Her Family

First published on Home Post Dec. 3, 2014 | 11:52 a.m. | By Beth Ford Roth
  

Erin Corwin/Facebook

In a San Bernardino County courtroom this week, Judge Rod Cortez ruled that the body of slain Marine wife Erin Corwin could be released to her family - almost four months after searchers recovered her remains in a remote desert mine shaft.

KESQ.com reports Cortez rescinded a previous court order to keep Corwin's remains for further testing.

Marine veteran Christopher Brandon Lee has been charged with Corwin's murder. His attorney, according to the Desert Sun, is considering a change of venue request for his client because of the intense media attention the case has received.

Six weeks after she was reported missing, Corwin's body was discovered on Aug. 16 in a 140-foot mine shaft on Bureau of Land Management land in the Mojave Desert. Dental records were needed to confirm Corwin's identity.

She was last seen alive on the morning of June 28, when Corwin told her husband, Marine Cpl. Jonathan Wayne Corwin, she was heading to Joshua Tree National Park to scout photography locations. 

Cpl. Corwin reported his wife missing the next day.

The couple lived in an apartment at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms. 

Family members of Corwin say she was three months pregnant when she disappeared.

A probable-cause affidavit filed by Detective Cory Emon of the San Bernardino Sheriff's Department indicated Corwin was involved in a romantic relationship with Lee, whom she met at White Rock Horse Rescue.

Erin Corwin's Husband Speaks Out For The First Time Since Wife's Disappearance (Video)

First published on Home Post Aug. 26, 2014 | 1:59 p.m. | By Beth Ford Roth

Jon Corwin (left)

Marine Cpl. Jonathan Corwin, the widower of homicide victim Erin Corwin, is speaking to the media for the first time since his wife went missing on June 28. 

Corwin's body was discovered on Aug. 16 in a 100-foot deep mine shaft southeast of Twentynine Palms in the Mojave Desert. 

Jonathan Corwin spoke with The Desert Sun shortly before the start of a vigil held in Erin's memory at Luckie Park in Twentynine Palms on Monday evening:

“I had some hope, but overall, I expected the worst. It’s basically the only thing you can do after so much time. I have closure now. I know she is in heaven, now. She is in a better place, in no more pain.”

Erin and Jon Corwin

Corwin also talked with KESQ-TV off camera about his favorite memory of Erin. Reporter Natalie Brunell paraphrased what Corwin told her:

He said he'll never forget their high school prom; the first night he saw her all dressed up.

And even though they had known each other since middle school, he remembers there was just something about the way she looked that night.

Marine veteran Christopher Lee has been charged with killing Erin. Lee and his wife Nichole lived next door to the Corwins at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms. 

Corwin told The Desert Sun he knew his wife and Lee once had a brief affair, but believed it had ended. Now, he trying his best to forgive the man he once considered his friend:

"Obviously, I hate the actions that he did. But I feel like, if I let him bring hatred to my mind every time I see him, he is just going to pull me down.

“When I first figured out about the affair, and everything, he was still my next door neighbor. There was a part of me that wanted to go take care of him. But if I did that, I would be in the same boat as him — I would be a bad guy. And that is just not me.”

The Associated Press reports Lee, 24, was arraigned Tuesday afternoon in Joshua Tree Superior Court, where he pleaded not guilty to murder charges.

To watch KESQ-TV's story about the candlelight vigil held for Erin Corwin, click here.

Marine Vet Could Face 2nd Murder Charge In Death Of Erin Corwin's Fetus

First published on Home Post Aug. 21, 2014 | 10:57 a.m. | By Beth Ford Roth

The final results of Erin Corwin's autopsy could determine whether or not Marine veteran Christopher Lee is charged with murder in the death of Corwin's fetus. 

Erin Corwin

Lee has already been arrested and charged with murdering Corwin, 19, who may have been pregnant with his child.

San Bernardino County District Attorney Michael Ramos told the Desert Sun an additional murder charge against Lee is possible if the autopsy can determine whether or not Corwin was actually pregnant, and how far along she was in her pregnancy. 

Ramos said California law allows a murder charge to be filed in the death of an unborn baby just four to six weeks into the fetus's development.

Corwin's sister-in-law, DeeAnna Heavilin, was interviewed by the Desert Sun last month about Corwin's pregnancy:

"We don't know exactly how far along she is with this pregnancy. She only found out about the pregnancy two weeks before she went missing and a doctor hasn't confirmed a due date yet."

As Home Post previously reported, Corwin's body was discovered in an abandoned mine shaft on Aug. 16. 

On June 28, Corwin had told her husband, Marine Cpl. Jonathan Corwin, she was heading to Joshua Tree National Park to scout photography locations. 

Cpl. Corwin reported his wife missing the next day.

The couple lived in an apartment at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms, next door to Christopher Lee and his wife Nichole.

Lee was in an Anchorage courtroom Thursday morning, where he waived his rights against extradition to California to stand trial for Corwin's murder.

Deputy DA Clint Campion of Anchorage told KTUU-TV he expects Lee to be transferred to California within a week:

"I would say (in) the next couple of days. The judge set a hearing for Sept. 8 to make sure he's actually gone."

 

The Evidence That Led To Marine Vet's Arrest In Erin Corwin Case

Originally published on Home Post Aug. 19, 2014 | 9:37 p.m. | By Beth Ford Roth

Erin Corwin/Facebook

San Bernardino County District Attorney Michael Ramos filed murder charges Tuesday against Marine veteran Christopher Brandon Lee, 24, in connection with the death of Erin Corwin.

Ramos said in a news release that the special circumstance of "lying in wait" was attached to the murder charge, making Lee eligible for the death penalty or life without parole:

"The decision regarding which penalty will be sought will be made after a full review of the facts and evidence in the case."

The arrest warrant for Lee, made public by Ramos, sheds light on some of the evidence that led to Lee's arrest Sunday in Alaska. 

Apparently Lee admitted to detectives he searched the Internet for ways to dispose of a human body. But he didn't stop there in his quest for knowledge, according to the warrant:

"A witness... informed detectives that Lee asked him what was the best way to dispose of a human body."

Some of the evidence recovered from the 140-foot mine shaft where searchers found Corwin's body include:

• .22-caliber fired cartridge casings consistent with casings recovered from Lee's car and home.
• Rebar consistent with pieces of rebar detectives found in Lee's car.

Law enforcement officials have made clear the investigation into Erin Corwin's death is ongoing and additional arrests could be made.

Erin Corwin's Body Discovered, Alleged Lover Arrested In Her Death

Originally published on Home Post Aug. 18, 2014 | 12:42 p.m. | By Beth Ford Roth

Searchers discovered the body of missing pregnant Marine wife Erin Corwin on Aug. 16 in a 100-foot mine shaft on Bureau of Land Management land in the Mojave Desert, law enforcement officials announced Monday.

Dental records were needed to confirm Corwin's identity. An autopsy conducted Monday morning concluded the manner of death to be homicide, according to San Bernardino County Sheriff John McMahon.

Christopher Lee mug shot

Christopher Lee, the Marine veteran who police believe was romantically involved with Corwin, was arrested in Alaska on Sunday evening for her murder.

The Desert Sun reports Christopher Lee is being detained in Anchorage on a federal hold awaiting extradition back to California.

San Bernardino County District Attorney Michael Ramos told reporters:

"If Lee does not waive extradition he should be back in our county in four to five weeks.."

For those of you just learning about the case, here's some background:

On the morning of June 28, Corwin told her husband, Marine Cpl. Jonathan Wayne Corwin, she was heading to Joshua Tree National Park to scout photography locations. Cpl. Corwin reported his wife missing the next day.

The couple lived in an apartment at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms. 

Family members of Corwin say she was three months pregnant when she disappeared.

Marine Cpl. Jonathan Corwin and Erin Corwin

A probable-cause affidavit filed by Detective Cory Emon of the San Bernardino Sheriff's Department indicated Corwin was involved in a romantic relationship with Lee, whom she met at White Rock Horse Rescue.

Emon wrote in the affidavit that a friend of Corwin's in Tennessee told detectives that she may have been pregnant with Lee's baby, and not her husband's:

"[The friend] knew Erin and Lee were going on a day trip together on 06-28-14, for a celebration of Erin’s pregnancy."

Yet despite this "celebration," Corwin had confided in her Tennessee friend that Lee was worried his wife would divorce him if she knew of the affair — and would take away their child.

Detective Emon's concluded in the affidavit:

“It is highly likely Erin could have been harmed by an unknown firearm. Sometime after Erin left with Lee, her phone was de-activated (turned off).”

Also in the affidavit, White Rock Horse Rescue Ranch owner Isabel Megli shared with detectives a conversation she had with Christopher Lee's wife Nichole following Corwin's disappearance:

"Nichole made statements to Isabel about the detectives having missed something at their residence when it was searched because detectives did not search the garage.

"Nichole told Isabel that without a body the detectives did not have a case against them and the detectives would never find the body."

There is also forensic evidence that ties Christopher Lee's vehicle to Corwin:

(P)olice found a single set of shoe tracks at Corwin's abandoned vehicle. The tracks led from the driver side door of her Toyota and then disappeared next to a set of tire tracks.

According to The Desert Sun, the court document states that tracks found at the scene are "consistent" with the tire tracks left by Lee's Jeep.

Zoo Fundraiser Held For Family Of Missing Marine Wife Erin Corwin

Originally published on Home Post Aug. 11, 2014 | 7:48 a.m. | By Beth Ford Roth
   

The family of Erin Corwin has had to endure more than six weeks of not knowing what happened to the missing pregnant Marine wife. Friends of Corwin, 20, held a fundraiser at a zoo near her Tennessee hometown to boost her family's spirits.

Erin Corwin

WATE-TV reports friends and supporters from Erin's hometown of Oak Ridge hosted the fundraiser at Little Ponderosa Zoo to raise money the family can use for a reward.

Little Ponderosa Zoo James Cox told WATE-TV:

"We hope somebody will come around and tell the whereabouts of this family's child and get them home. I can't imagine the pain of what they're going through of just not knowing. Just waiting on that phone call and just not knowing.

 "We want to do our part to help them find their child and get her back home safely."

According to the Desert Sun, there are no new updates in the disappearance of Corwin, who was last seen alive by her husband, Marine Corporal Jon Corwin, on June 28.

The couple lived on base at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center in Twentynine Palms. Court documents suggest Erin Corwin may have been having a romantic relationship with neighbor and Marine veteran Christopher Lee. 

The "Locate Erin" Facebook page reports search crews spent the weekend looking for Corwin.

Corwin's friends back in Tennessee explained to WBIR-TV that her love of animals prompted them to hold their fundraiser at a zoo.