Russian Roulette: 3

Summary

Summary of "48 Hours: NCIS" Episode: Russian Roulette: 3

Hosted by CBS News Correspondent Natalie Morales, "48 Hours: NCIS" delves deep into the harrowing case of Erin Corwin, a 19-year-old Marine wife whose disappearance led to a tangled web of infidelity, betrayal, and tragedy. This detailed summary captures the critical discussions, insights, and conclusions presented in Episode 3, "Russian Roulette."

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1. Introduction: Erin Corwin’s Disappearance and Death

The episode opens with a chilling account of Erin Corwin's disappearance from California’s Joshua Tree National Park and the subsequent discovery of her body in an abandoned mine two months later. This grim revelation sets the stage for a complex investigation intertwining personal relationships and military protocols.

Notable Quote:

Erin Corwin (00:46): "He waited 24 hours to call to say that she was missing."

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2. Initial Investigation: Focusing on John Corwin

Authorities initially suspect Erin’s husband, John Corwin, especially after she disappears. John’s demeanor during the polygraph test raises suspicions, but he surprisingly passes the examination without signs of deception.

Notable Quotes:

Natalie Morales (02:05): "John had passed his polygraph examination, and that confirmed what Aaron's mother Lor already thought."

Lor Corwin (03:05): "I never suspected John. Never crossed my mind."

Despite the polygraph results, Erin’s mother, Lor Corwin, remains unconvinced by theories suggesting Erin might have run away, emphasizing Erin’s lack of intent to leave.

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3. Shifting the Investigation: Enter Christopher Lee

With John Corwin seemingly exonerated, attention shifts to Christopher Lee, a fellow Marine and neighbor. Initial interactions portray Chris as a background figure, but deeper investigation reveals his pivotal role in Erin’s life.

Notable Quotes:

Ashley de Chalfin (02:48): "The sheriff's deputies went upstairs to talk to Christopher, Nicole Lee, and Chris answered the door. He was very nervous."

Christopher Lee (07:53): "My memory is really, really bad because of football and fighting or football explosions."

Chris’s upcoming discharge from the Marine Corps and his struggles with depression emerge as critical factors influencing his interactions with Erin.

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4. The Affair: Erin and Chris’s Relationship Unveiled

As investigations proceed, it becomes evident that Erin and Chris developed a deep, emotional, and physical relationship. Their affair provided mutual support amidst personal struggles, leading to heightened tensions and secrecy.

Notable Quotes:

Christopher Lee (14:10): "I was like, oh, I can fix this. Like broken pieces fix each other."

Natalie Morales (14:44): "Chris told the sheriff's deputies that he was playing Russian roulette multiple times a week. He told them that he had stopped caring about anything, including whether he lived or died."

Ashley de Chalfin (15:25): "It starts as an emotional affair... He was the polar opposite of John, her husband."

Their connection deepened through shared interests and emotional support, culminating in a clandestine affair that neither initially intended to sustain long-term.

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5. The Consequences: Exposure and Fallout

The affair remained concealed until a Valentine's Day party led to its exposure. Ashleen Malicky, a mutual friend, discovered Erin and Chris kissing, which forced the truth into the open. This revelation strained relationships, leading to confrontations and ruptured friendships.

Notable Quotes:

Erin Corwin (18:15): "Saw that Christopher Lee and Erin Corwin were still there on the couch together. And she saw them kissing."

Erin Corwin (19:46): "Nicole went so far as to try to ban Erin from one of the only places where she had the freedom to be herself."

The fallout was severe, with Nicole Lee’s vehement disapproval and the dissolution of previously strong community bonds.

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6. The Discovery: Erin’s Pregnancy and Future Plans

Further investigation uncovered that Erin was pregnant, with indications suggesting Chris Lee might be the father. Erin’s plans to build a future with Chris, including a potential move to Alaska, added layers of complexity to the case.

Notable Quotes:

Erin Corwin (26:37): "Jessica had told us that Erin was three months pregnant and that the baby might have been Christopher Lee's."

Erin Corwin (28:07): "So Erin texted her friend Jesse in Tennessee that Chris was very excited about it, that he wanted to tell everyone."

These revelations pointed toward a potential motive for foul play, suggesting that ensuring the affair's continuation might have been critical to the individuals involved.

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7. NCIS’s Perspective: Military Implications of Adultery

The involvement of NCIS underscores the gravity of extramarital affairs within the military framework. Adultery violates the Uniform Code of Military Justice, carrying severe repercussions such as dishonorable discharge and loss of benefits.

Notable Quotes:

Paul LaRosa (24:18): "Adultery falls within NCIS's jurisdiction to investigate... It can even lead to a dishonorable discharge."

Natalie Morales (24:51): "It's a catch-all intended to, quote, maintain the military's moral fabric."

Chris Lee’s reluctance to admit the affair stems from the fear of devastating legal and personal consequences, highlighting the stringent nature of military regulations regarding personal conduct.

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8. Conclusion: Unraveling Chris Lee’s True Intentions

Despite attempts to end the affair following its exposure, evidence suggests that Chris and Erin continued their relationship in secrecy. Further complications arose with the discovery of Erin’s pregnancy, raising questions about Chris’s true intentions and the underlying motives that may have led to Erin’s tragic end.

Notable Quotes:

Paul LaRosa (29:59): "NCIS agents were now convinced that Erin was in love with Chris. She was serious about their future. But the question remained, was Chris also in it for the long haul, or did he have other plans?"

The episode leaves listeners contemplating the depth of deceit and the catastrophic consequences of failed relationships intertwined with rigid military disciplines.

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Final Thoughts: "48 Hours: NCIS" Episode: Russian Roulette: 3 offers a compelling exploration of personal turmoil within the military context, emphasizing how extramarital affairs can escalate into life-threatening situations. Through meticulous journalism and insightful interviews, the episode unravels a story of love, betrayal, and the quest for truth amidst stringent military regulations.

Transcript

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[Natalie Morales]

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[Paul LaRosa]

Alone in a chilly room in the San Bernardino Sheriff's Department, Corporal John Corwin sat with his feet flat on the floor, back straight, and sensors wrapped around his chest and abdomen. He was hooked up to a polygraph with wires running from his fingers to the machine next to him.

[Erin Corwin]

The first suspect when Erin went missing was her husband.

[Natalie Morales]

John Bethford Roth is a reporter who covered Aaron's disappearance.

[Erin Corwin]

He waited 24 hours to call to say that she was missing. He said it was because watching true crime programs, he believed he had to wait 24 hours. I'm sure authorities always look at the.

[Natalie Morales]

Spouse first, so the authorities called him in. Once hooked up to the polygraph machine, they tracked changes in John's heart rate and blood pressure.

[Paul LaRosa]

48 Hours producer Paul LaRosa heard how that day went.

[Ashley de Chalfin]

The sheriff's deputies and the sheriff's office had a lot of questions for him. They were like, you know, tell us where she went. He didn't know. Tell us what did she have with her? A bottle of Gatorade.

[Natalie Morales]

So far, John seemed to be keeping his cool. He wasn't showing the type of physiological reactions people have when lying, the type of responses that polygraphs are known for exposing like increased sweating, heavy breathing and an elevated heart rate. According to NCIS analyst Ashley de Chalfin, that was enough for the Sheriff's Department to determine that John was telling the truth.

[Advertiser]

When San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department conducted the polygraph examination on Jonathan Corwin, they did not detect any deception.

[Natalie Morales]

John had passed his polygraph examination, and that confirmed what Aaron's mother lore already thought.

[Lor Corwin]

I never suspected John.

[Ashley de Chalfin]

Never.

[Lor Corwin]

Never crossed my mind.

[Natalie Morales]

The authorities floated another theory, one that seemed to come out of left field. Was it possible that Erin had been planning to leave John? Maybe there hadn't been foul play, but instead, she ran away. Erin's mother, however, didn't buy that theory at all.

[Paul LaRosa]

Remember, Lor had planned to visit for her daughter's 20th birthday. Instead, she ended up flying out after Erin disappeared.

[Lor Corwin]

And, you know, when I got to her apartment, all those ingredients for the meals that she wanted me to cook were there. She was pretty excited about mom coming and cooking her favorite meals. Erin was not planning on going anywhere.

[Paul LaRosa]

So that means someone else must have been responsible. With her husband John Corwin ruled out, it was time for the authorities to look at the next suspect on their list.

[Natalie Morales]

I'm CBS News correspondent Natalie morales. This is 48 hours. NCIS Episode 3 Russian Roulette Laur Hevilin arrived in California shortly after she found out that Erin was missing. She knew that the chances of Erin making it out alive were not high. But still, she was her mother. She had to remain hopeful. And she knew that if they did find Erin, the very first thing she would want was her mother. Laur was staying at Aaron and John's apartment, along with John's parents.

[Lor Corwin]

The first night, we all spent the night in the apartment, and the sheriff's department had knocked on the door and they were going to interview us. So we all get up and they just took us individually and just, you know, pretty much asked us about our relationship with Aaron.

[Paul LaRosa]

Despite their jurisdiction over all of San Bernardino county, the Sheriff's department couldn't just walk on to the military base. That's where NCIS came into play.

[Natalie Morales]

Together.

[Paul LaRosa]

They went door to door, taking hours to speak to everyone they needed to. Beth Ford Roth heard the details of those interactions after the fact.

[Erin Corwin]

The sheriff's deputies went upstairs to talk to Christopher, Nicole Lee, and Chris answered the door. He was very nervous. He said he was in a hurry. And the sheriff's deputy asked him, do you know Erin Corwin? And he said, she's my neighbor, but, I mean, we're acquaintances. I know her husband, but yeah, we're not close and he had to go somewhere. He just ended the conversation right away.

[Paul LaRosa]

Up until that point, Christopher Lee appeared to be a background figure in Aaron's life. Someone she knew loosely from babysitting his daughter or would occasionally see at the horse ranch with his wife, Nicole. But as we found out in the previous episode from NCIS Special Agent Sean Nash, Erin had told her best friend Jesse that Chris was planning some kind of surprise for Erin. A trip to Joshua Tree National Park.

[Natalie Morales]

That in itself was not suspicious. It was a pretty normal place to visit while living on the 29 Palms military base. But was it a trip that two acquaintances would make? And without their spouses? San Bernardino sheriffs were not convinced. So they brought Chris back in to get a better sense of who he was and how he had met Aaron. Details that they hadn't been able to suss out in their first quick conversation with him.

[Paul LaRosa]

He entered the sheriff's department. Chris was stocky, with a round face and broad shoulders. He was somber with dark hair and matching dark brown eyes. He sat down. The interview started out slowly. They needed to establish a rapport with him so he would be comfortable sharing information that could help them down the line.

[Natalie Morales]

Okay, some of the follow up questions, stuff that I need to ask you a little bit, just to kind of.

[Christopher Lee]

Close up some of these gaps.

[Natalie Morales]

They talked for a while about his childhood. He grew up in Anchorage, Alaska with a sister and two brothers and played high school football. It was also where he met his wife, Nicole, before he became a Marine and moved to Twentynine Palms. He couldn't recall answers to everything they asked about, though, like past trips or minor things about his own personal life.

[Paul LaRosa]

The police tape you're about to hear is a little hard to understand.

[Christopher Lee]

My memory is really, really bad and fighting or football explosions.

[Natalie Morales]

He said his memory was really bad because of football and his proximity to explosions while serving in the military. Unless he experienced something impactful, Chris generally couldn't remember it. With that in mind, officers moved on to what Chris had been up to lately and his future plans. He was set to be released from active duty on July 6, 2014, just a few days away. The process for being discharged had started months before this. First, Chris, like all Marines, had to take a transition readiness seminar. Then he needed to complete and submit an outbound review, get that review approved, and complete a final physical. Even with all that done, Chris and Nicole still needed to clear out their apartment and ran a U haul to get it all back to Alaska. He'd had a lot going on in the last few months and it was during this long transition period that he'd also met John and Aaron.

[Christopher Lee]

I met her, she moved in before he got back. We didn't really like. It was kind of like, hey, you're the new neighbor, what's up? Didn't really have any interaction with her until John got back from Okinawa.

[Paul LaRosa]

They were neighbors, but he didn't actually interact with Aaron until John came back from his deployment in Japan. It was then that Chris and Nicole started hanging out with them as a couple, along with their downstairs neighbors, Connor and Ashleen Malachi. Chris was already close with Connor and would regularly go out into the desert to go coyote hunting, shoot pellets or race their cars.

[Christopher Lee]

Here's a road back here that Connor makes a really nice racetrack. I like to see how fast I can drive my jeep from the cars.

[Paul LaRosa]

And stuff like that out in the desert. Chris said he liked to see how fast he could race his jeep. When John Corwin returned from his deployment, he became a part of their group. They talked about their jobs and being in the military, had cookouts together and bonded over being far away from their homes with few friends and little to no familial support in California.

[Natalie Morales]

Despite his blossoming friendships and the fact that he would soon be out of the military, Chris was struggling. He had had one six month tour of duty in Afghanistan, but he'd been back for a year and had become depressed. When it became clear he would not be redeployed. He told investigators it was easier there. In Afghanistan, all you have to do is, quote, wake up, stand post, call patrols, simple stuff. With no real life type responsibilities. He came home and had a difficult time adjusting to life after deployment.

[Christopher Lee]

I must say it was like I didn't give anything. I was just kind of falling apart mentally.

[Natalie Morales]

Chris said he was falling apart mentally. It was hard for him to be at home. He and his wife Nicole had gotten used to being away from each other and no longer knew how to communicate. He said they'd argue over minor things like whether she made dinner the right way. When she told him she thought he needed help, he didn't want to listen. There was a tension in the air. He'd be drinking. They'd occasionally blow up at each other.

[Christopher Lee]

It's weird because you're there and you miss someone a lot and you come back and it's like it's not the picture perfect thing you had in mind.

[Natalie Morales]

Beth Ford Roth recalled hearing stories about Nicole while covering the case.

[Erin Corwin]

Nicole was not A well liked lady in that area. She was gossipy. She had sort of a bad reputation about things that may have happened in other housing complexes and relationships. Just gossip. Melrose Place gossip.

[Natalie Morales]

Basically in the house and outside of the house. Nicole was not the most popular person to many people on and around the base. She was abrasive, strict and controlling, telling Chris what he could and could not do, according to multiple people in Erin's life.

[Paul LaRosa]

Her spouse John was also controlling of her spending and her ability to get a job. When she bought a puppy to keep herself company, he made her get rid of it. The greatest solace she could find was at Isabel Megley's horse ranch.

[Natalie Morales]

But even when she was alone and away from John, she still didn't feel free.

[Ashley de Chalfin]

She felt like she was being controlled.

[Paul LaRosa]

That's 48 Hours producer Paul LaRosa.

[Ashley de Chalfin]

They had two cars, but when one car broke down, they only had one car. So sometimes Erin was by herself without a car on this isolated military base.

[Paul LaRosa]

So it meant a lot to Erin that Chris Lee would sometimes drive her along with Nicole to the horse ranch. And as they got to know each other better in the context of the neighborhood and the stable, they realized just how much they had in common.

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[Natalie Morales]

Back in the interrogation room, Chris had finally started sharing information that was useful to the authorities. He had a lot to say about Aaron and John's relationship, Some that was frankly shocking even to investigators. He said Erin was unhappy that she was scared of John. To Chris, it sounded like a cry for help, one that he could do something about. And in the process, maybe she could help him too.

[Christopher Lee]

I was like, oh, I can fix this. Like broken pieces fix each other. So we just kind of started developing a bond that grew stronger. She was like a distraction from everything else that was going wrong in my life.

[Paul LaRosa]

Chris said they were both distractions for each other. Aaron had met someone who was passionate about her interests, who understood how trapped she felt. And Chris had someone to nurture him, to take care of him.

[Natalie Morales]

He told police something else that revealed just how close to the edge he'd been.

[Christopher Lee]

I was playing Russian roulette three, four times a week, not caring about anything.

[Natalie Morales]

Chris told the sheriff's deputies that he was playing Russian roulette multiple times a week. He told them that he had stopped caring about anything, including whether he lived or died. But talking to Aaron, commiserating and playing video games together gave him something to care about, something to live for.

[Christopher Lee]

Over time, you know, we started getting closer, having longer conversations.

[Natalie Morales]

It wasn't difficult for producer Paul LaRosa to piece together how those longer conversations turned into something more.

[Ashley de Chalfin]

It starts as an emotional affair, right? I mean, Aaron's depressed, Chris is depressed. They confide in each other, they bond over their love of horses. He was in a lot of ways what John was not. He was more emotional, he was, he had more character, he had more personality. He was the polar opposite of John, her husband.

[Natalie Morales]

But like many emotional affairs, it didn't just stop there.

[Christopher Lee]

And then we ended up, we kissed a few times at her place.

[Natalie Morales]

They had kissed multiple times at Aaron's place. They had now connected on an emotional and physical level that Erin was missing with John. Chris had started writing poetry for her. He sent loving texts. He told her they were perfect together.

[Paul LaRosa]

Just like Paul. La Rosa Beth Ford Roth could also understand exactly how this affair came to be.

[Erin Corwin]

Having been a 19 year old girl myself, you fall in love like there's no tomorrow. And I believe that Chris said all of the right things that Aaron needed to hear. He was a poet or a self proclaimed poet and he wrote love poetry to Erin. I don't know any 19 year old girl who wouldn't be impressed with that, especially if she feels like her husband is not emotionally there for her at this critical time.

[Natalie Morales]

Soon, instead of Russian roulette, Chris was getting his thrills from Aaron. He'd have an argument with Nicole and immediately text Erin. She was an escape from the real world where he could make believe that he was in a happy place. He could confide anything and everything in.

[Christopher Lee]

Her, you know, because she was a secret. So I could tell her my secrets.

[Natalie Morales]

Because she was a secret, Chris could tell her all of his own secrets. At this point, Erin Corwin and Christopher Lee were having a full blown affair, mentally and physically and had been for months.

[Paul LaRosa]

They were able to keep it hidden at first, but then Beth says things got a little precarious for everyone.

[Erin Corwin]

So it was Valentine's Day of 2014 and the military families all sort of got together. The little military Melrose place got together to watch a movie Moulin Rouge.

[Paul LaRosa]

They met at the Maliki's downstairs apartment. At some point, the party broke up. John went back upstairs. Ashleen Malicky, who had a six month old baby, went to her room to put the baby to bed. Chris and Erin stayed. That's when Ashleen came back out to fix a bottle for the baby and.

[Erin Corwin]

Saw that Christopher Lee and Erin Corwin were still there on the couch together. And she saw them kissing.

[Natalie Morales]

Chris and Aaron had gotten so wrapped up in each other that they had actually kissed out in the open in their neighbor's apartment. They may have been living in a fantasy world, but unfortunately, the consequences of their actions were about to get very real.

[Erin Corwin]

So after Christopher got up and left Ashleen's apartment, Ashleen went over to Erin, who was still on the couch, and confronted her and said, I saw you kissing. What are you doing? You can't. You can't do this. And Aaron told Ashleen that they weren't kissing, that Chris was whispering something to her. He was trying to comfort her. Ashleen knew what she saw. It's kind of hard to mistake passionate kissing with whispering.

[Natalie Morales]

It put Ashleen in an incredibly awkward position. She and her husband Connor were friends with both the Lees and the Corwin's. They saw each other in the apartment complex every day. And now Ashleen couldn't make eye contact with any of them.

[Erin Corwin]

She didn't know why Erin wasn't being honest with her. Because the two had shared a pretty meaningful friendship. And Erin basically left. And that was kind of the end of their friendship.

[Natalie Morales]

Weeks went by, and when it became clear that neither Erin nor Chris was going to own up to what they did, Ashleen could no longer keep quiet.

[Erin Corwin]

Ashleen said that she told Nicole and John and that's how the spouses found out.

[Natalie Morales]

After that, Chris said Nicole went through his phone. She found their texts, came into the bedroom and threw the phone at his head. Things grew increasingly tense within their small bubble. The friendships they once shared were no longer. To make amends. Erin and Chris promised to put an end to their affair. But Nicole had already made up her mind about Erin. Amiable interactions turned into stony silence. Trusts that had previously formed while Erin babysat the Lee's daughter went out the window. Nicole went so far as to try to ban Erin from one of the only places where she had the freedom to be herself. Isabel Megley's horse ranch Nicole came to me and told me that Erin wasn't allowed at the ranch anymore. She has done some unforgivable acts and that she was she told her she couldn't come here. Nicole's anger towards Erin was so dynamic. The words she said I couldn't repeat. She said, I wouldn't care if she died. She said she was unspeakable what she's done, but never would she say what she did.

[Paul LaRosa]

Despite his own tense relationship with Erin, John seemed more understanding of her indiscretion and wanted to work together, to leave it in the past. According to Beth Ford Roth, Erin told.

[Erin Corwin]

John that the affair was over. They went to couples counseling. John was under the impression that things were improving. They were trying to have a child, and John believed that things were going in the right direction.

[Natalie Morales]

Erin's mother, Lor, knew that Erin and John were young and naive, but she believed their relationship was solid. When she came out to California after her daughter was reported missing, she was shocked to find out about the affair that Erin had been carrying on. She'd had no idea. That information, it seemed, was reserved for Jessie, Erin's best friend in Tennessee.

[Lor Corwin]

Erin definitely confided in Jesse in a different way than she confided with me. I know now that Erin had shared about her affair with Chris to Jesse. I feel like she. She knew what she was doing was not right and that I would probably try to talk her out of what she was doing, whereas Jessie was going to be more accepting.

[Paul LaRosa]

For Sean Nash, the NCIS special Agent who interviewed Jesse, this was far from the first time he'd seen something like this play out.

[I]

While I was stationed at Camp Lejeune, there was a lot of 18, 19, 20 year old Marines living aboard the base. We had seen a lot of young Marines get married before they deployed, and then they would leave their spouse for a long period of time. There were a lot of instances where the spouses would be cheating on their deployed husbands or wives. And one of the common themes is the spouse left behind is lonely and will reach out for other people for companionship.

[Natalie Morales]

It's important to understand just how high the stakes are for committing adultery while in the military. Not necessarily for Aaron, but for Chris.

[Paul LaRosa]

NCIS Special agent Clifton Randolph, Jr. Has seen what happens to military members who engage in extramarital affairs.

[Natalie Morales]

To have an extramarital affair is a violation of the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Someone that is found guilty of it will be subject to military criminal prosecution.

[Paul LaRosa]

Adultery falls within NCIS's jurisdiction to investigate. While it's not a criminal offense for civilians, the military doesn't take kindly to cheating. It can even lead to a dishonorable discharge, forfeiture of all pay and allowances, and up to one year of confinement in a military brig. That may seem extreme and old fashioned, but the Uniform Code of Military justice exists to ensure professionalism and discipline within the military.

[Natalie Morales]

A core component of this code is the rule that any action that could discredit the armed forces can be prosecuted. From adultery to bigamy, even writing bad checks. It's a catch all intended to, quote, maintain the military's moral fabric. It's as serious as it sounds and everyone within the armed forces is aware of it. So there's a very good reason why Chris may have first lied about the extent of his relationship with Aaron. A dishonorable discharge would put his entire future at stake, likely revoking his access to VA benefits, unemployment and federal student loans, and severely limiting any post military career opportunities.

[Paul LaRosa]

It would follow him for the rest of his life. And as someone whose discharge from the military was fast approaching, admitting to an affair wasn't something Chris could afford.

[Natalie Morales]

And all of this in response to an affair that only lasted a few months. After all, Aaron and Chris ended things after their spouses found out.

[Paul LaRosa]

But according to Jesse, that's not actually what happened. Beth Fort Roth recounted the full story.

[Erin Corwin]

She was the only one who knew that that relationship was still ongoing. Aaron's spouse John and Chris's spouse Nicole both had found out about the affair and everyone believed it was over. But it wasn't.

[Paul LaRosa]

And from there, things only got more complicated. Not only had they continued their affair in secret, but Special Agent Sean Nash in Tennessee had uncovered another shocking piece of information.

[I]

Jessica had told us that Erin was three months pregnant and that the baby might have been Christopher Lee's.

[Natalie Morales]

Erin was pregnant again, I did not.

[Lor Corwin]

Know that Erin was pregnant.

[Natalie Morales]

Her mother learned about this pregnancy for the first time when she arrived at the Corwin's place in California.

[Lor Corwin]

John knew about the pregnancy. They found out on Father's Day, and they told his dad on Father's Day that she was pregnant.

[Natalie Morales]

Despite knowing about her pregnancy for two weeks, Erin hadn't told her mother anything. She'd been open about her first pregnancy and miscarriage. So why not this one? Erin's lack of communication with her mother left everyone with questions. What else had she been holding back? And depending how far along she was, whose baby was it?

[Paul LaRosa]

With John and his family, Aaron had acted like the baby was his. But with Jesse, Erin was adamant that the baby was actually Chris Lee's.

[Natalie Morales]

At the prospect of having Chris baby, Erin seemed excited and hopeful. Happily ever after with John didn't seem to be in the card. He was too cold, too controlling, too uninterested in her hobbies. But Chris. Chris made her excited. Chris gave her purpose, according to Beth.

[Erin Corwin]

Chris, he made her feel like she was the reason he was alive. She was his reason for living.

[Natalie Morales]

Maybe Chris could be her happily ever after. Police even found information on Erin's laptop about apartments in Alaska. She'd been seriously thinking about their future together.

[Erin Corwin]

So Erin texted her friend Jesse in Tennessee that Chris was very excited about it, that he wanted to tell everyone. He wanted to tell Erin's mother. It was going to be this big announcement that Erin was pregnant, they were in love, and they were going to move to Alaska together because Chris was getting ready to leave the Marines. And that's what Erin thought was happening, and that's what she conveyed to her friend Jesse.

[Paul LaRosa]

Now Chris and Erin's upcoming surprise trip to Joshua Tree made much more sense. It was the perfect place to be alone together. Something that was hard to come by in their apartment complex, where they were constantly under watchful eyes. Erin seemed thoroughly convinced that both of them were in it for the long haul. That much was clear to analyst Ashley de Chalfin.

[Advertiser]

It seemed that Aaron was in love with Christopher Lee because she was willing to take that next step with him in her life. And I don't believe personally that she would have done that if she didn't really care about him.

[Paul LaRosa]

NCIS agents were now convinced that Erin was in love with Chris. She was serious about their future. But the question remained, was Chris also in it for the long haul, or did he have other plans? On the next episode of 48 Hours, NCIS.

[Natalie Morales]

What else was Chrisley hiding?

[T-Mobile Representative]

We're gonna find Aaron.

[Christopher Lee]

Right now. The Marine Corps base is helping us. They're gathering as many soldiers as they.

[T-Mobile Representative]

Possibly can to go out search, checking all these areas.

[Christopher Lee]

We're going to find her.

[Paul LaRosa]

From CBS News and CBS Studios, this is 48 Hours NCIS original reporting by 48 Hours producer Paula Rosa. Anthony Batson is the senior producer for 48 Hours. Jamie Benson is the senior producer for Paramount Audio. Special thanks to 48 Hours executive producer Judy Tygaard, CBS Studios Senior Vice President Rob Luchow, and Paramount Audio Vice President Meghan Markus. Our podcast was written and produced by Jay venables, Isabel Kirby McGowan, Kara Shillin, Max Johnston, Megan Adolski and Ian Enright. Additional reporting at recording by Isabel Kirby McGowan, Jay Venables and Megan Adolski. Our executive producers are Megan Adolski and Ian Enright. Theme and music by Epidemic Sound Original music from Goat Rodeo with additional music from Paramount Final Mix by Rebecca Seidel. Ian Enright is our fact checker. Our production manager is Megan Adolski. I'm Natalie Morales. If you're enjoying this show, be sure to give it a rating and review. It helps more people find it and hear our reporting. If you liked 48 Hours NCIS, check out the rest of our 48 Hours podcasts by searching 48 Hours on your favorite podcast app. Thanks for listening.