Weapon of Choice: 5

Summary

48 Hours: NCIS – Episode 5: "Weapon of Choice" Detailed Summary

Introduction

In the fifth episode of the premiere season of 48 Hours: NCIS, titled "Weapon of Choice," CBS News correspondent Natalie Morales delves deep into the tragic case of Erin Corwin, a 19-year-old Marine wife who disappeared in California’s Joshua Tree National Park. This episode meticulously unpacks the sequence of events, the investigation led by NCIS, and the ensuing trial that sought justice for Erin.

Erin Corwin’s Disappearance and Discovery

Erin Corwin, a young marine wife from eastern Tennessee, vanished in Joshua Tree National Park. Nearly two months later, her body was discovered in an abandoned mine within the unforgiving desert landscape. The discovery sparked immediate suspicions, leading authorities to suspect Christopher Lee, a fellow Marine, as the prime suspect.

Investigation and Arrest of Christopher Lee

After Erin’s body was found, Christopher Lee became the main suspect. Lee had been previously arrested for possession of a potato gun and was released on bail with strict conditions not to leave San Bernardino County. Investigators traced Lee’s movements to Isabel Megley’s horse ranch, but by the time they reached the ranch after Aaron’s body was found, Lee and his family had fled, violating bail conditions.

Beth Ford Roth ([01:03]): "Since Erin's body had been found in a desert mine, authorities were finally able to charge someone for her murder and Chris Lee was suspect number one."

NCIS Special Agent Clifton Randolph Jr. and analyst Ashley de Chalfin extensively searched military databases to locate Lee, who had been honorably discharged from the Marine Corps. Their investigation led them to Anchorage, Alaska, Lee’s hometown, where he was arrested driving his mother’s car. A search of the vehicle revealed incriminating evidence, including blue climbing rope, several knives, and a handmade garrote.

Laura Corwin ([04:04]): "It probably wasn't 30 minutes after I got that phone call saying that it was definitely Erin that I got another phone call saying Chris was arrested in Alaska."

Impact on Erin’s Family

Laura Corwin, Erin’s mother, experienced immense grief upon hearing about her daughter’s death and Chris Lee’s arrest. The Corwin family faced the unbearable weight of their loss, finding solace in a candlelight vigil held at a barn in Oak Ridge where Erin had kept her horse.

Laura Corwin ([05:08]): "Numb. It felt numb. You just go through the motions. You just do what you have to do."

The vigil provided a space for the community and family to grieve collectively, with heartfelt speeches from friends and church leaders. Laura found strength in the support from strangers who empathized with her family's tragedy.

The Trial of Christopher Lee

The legal battle to seek justice for Erin Corwin culminated in a trial that spanned over two and a half years, beginning in October 2016. Chris Lee, who had pleaded not guilty to murder, stood accused of brutally murdering his fellow Marine, Aaron Corwin, driven by jealousy and a desire to conceal his illicit relationship with Erin.

Sean Doherty ([14:53]): "The theory of my case is that Chris Lee was about to discharge from the Marines that he had planned and told his wife that they were going to move their family back to Alaska."

Prosecutor Sean Doherty presented a robust case against Lee, highlighting inconsistencies in Lee’s statements and damning physical evidence. Lee’s initial denials and subsequent admissions during interrogations painted a picture of deceit and desperation.

Beth Ford Roth ([16:04]): "Christopher Lee was forward looking like this the entire time. And I was thinking, I never met Aaron. I can't look at this. The jurors never met her. They can't look at this."

Key evidence included tire tracks matching Lee’s Jeep, DNA found on a soda bottle at the crime scene, and his suspicious online search history related to body disposal methods.

Defense Strategies and Lee’s Testimony

In a surprising move, the defense chose to have Chris Lee testify in his own defense, aiming to humanize him before the jury. Lee admitted to killing Aaron Corwin on the stand, providing his narrative of the events that led to the tragic outcome.

Jason Doherty ([21:35]): "When his name was announced, there was sort of this electricity in the courtroom because no one had any idea that he was going to testify."

Lee’s testimony described a strained relationship, his failed attempt to blow up a propane tank in the mine, and a purported moment of desperation where Aaron confessed to molesting his daughter, which ignited a violent response from Lee.

Christopher Lee ([26:05]): "He claimed he told Aaron, 'when I moved to Alaska, it's over between us,' and that they listened to music for two and a half hours until they reached the point where the mine was."

Despite his efforts to present a sympathetic image, Lee’s narrative was riddled with contradictions and lacked credibility, especially in light of the overwhelming evidence against him.

Erin Corwin’s Character and Community Reaction

The episode emphasizes Erin Corwin’s character, portraying her as a sweet, shy, and naive young woman who loved animals and cherished her family. Her friends and family vehemently rejected the allegations proposed during the trial, defending her innocence and integrity.

Laura Corwin ([32:20]): "And anybody that knows Erin knows that there's no way. There's just no way, absolutely no way Erin would do anything like that."

Conclusion and Ongoing Proceedings

As the trial concluded with Lee’s admission of guilt, the courtroom was left in a state of shock. The Corwin family, especially Laura, who had been preparing for every possible outcome, found a semblance of closure as justice for Erin was within reach.

Natalie Morales ([24:51]): "It was like slow motion. To admit to the crime within a half hour of taking the stand after lying about it for years was just... he was confessing."

The episode wraps up by highlighting the relentless pursuit of justice by both the Corwin family and the NCIS team, underscoring the profound impact of Erin’s loss on her loved ones and the community.

Notable Quotes

• Beth Ford Roth ([07:20]): "Laura was able to see the beauty in strangers empathizing with her. It gave her strength."

• Sean Doherty ([23:12]): "I had a good feeling in this case, just based on how the evidence played out, that he was going to have to testify and he was going to have to either explain away all the circumstantial evidence against him or admit that he did it."

• Laura Corwin ([31:04]): "And anybody that knows Erin knows that there's no way. There's just no way, absolutely no way Erin would do anything like that."

Final Thoughts

"Weapon of Choice" intricately weaves the elements of true crime storytelling with the procedural rigor of NCIS investigations, presenting a comprehensive narrative of Erin Corwin’s tragic demise and the subsequent quest for justice. Through detailed recounting of investigation procedures, court proceedings, and personal testimonies, the episode offers a profound exploration of betrayal, loss, and the relentless pursuit of truth.

Additional Production Credits

The episode was crafted with the collaboration of various professionals, including producer Paula Rosa, senior producers Anthony Batson and Jamie Benson, and executive producer Judy Tygaard, among others. The meticulous research and emotional depth provided by the team ensure a compelling and respectful portrayal of Erin Corwin’s story.

---

Note: All quotes are attributed with their corresponding timestamps as per the provided transcript.

Transcript

[Natalie Morales]

Hey prime members, have you heard? You can listen to your favorite podcasts ad free. Good news. With Amazon Music you have access to the largest catalog of ad free top podcasts included with your prime membership. To start listening, download the Amazon Music app for free or go to Amazon.com adfreepodcast that's Amazon.com ad freepodcast to catch up on the latest episodes without the ads.

[Beth Ford Roth]

This episode is brought to you by Huggy's Little Movers.

[Natalie Morales]

Huggies knows that babies come in all shapes and sizes and their tushies do too.

[Beth Ford Roth]

Huggies has more curves and outstanding active fit.

[Natalie Morales]

Parents know that there's nothing worse than an ill fitting diaper, especially for active wiggly babies. Huggies little Movers are curved to fit all curves so babies feel comfy no matter how much they're moving around. And we all know they're moving around a lot.

[Beth Ford Roth]

They also offer 12 hour protection against.

[Natalie Morales]

Leaks, which is a game changer. Get your baby's butt into the best fitting diaper. Huggies Little Movers, we got you baby.

[Beth Ford Roth]

Since Erin's body had been found in a desert mine, authorities were finally able to charge someone for her murder and Chris Lee was suspect number one. Before finding Aaron's body, police were able to arrest Chris for possession of a potato gun. He had made bail and was told not to leave San Bernardino County. This way authorities could keep tabs on him as they continued to search for Aaron. Investigators knew Chris was staying at Isabel Megley's horse ranch before he was picked up for the potato gun, so they made their way to the ranch after they found Aaron's body. By the time investigators arrived, Chris and his family were gone, breaking the conditions of his bail.

[Natalie Morales]

Christopher Lee and Nikoli did disappear and nobody really knew where they went.

[Sean Doherty]

The family, they were planning to leave the area.

[Natalie Morales]

How were they going to do this? Were they going to move themselves?

[Sean Doherty]

Were they going to contract a moving company?

[Natalie Morales]

We needed to know that information. And so that's when Cliff asked me if I could assist with potentially trying to locate Lee.

[Beth Ford Roth]

In coordination with San Bernardino NCIS Special Agent Clifton Randolph Jr. And NCIS analyst Ashley de Chalfin scoured their military database to gather everything they could on Chris and zeroed in on where he might have gone. But since Chris had just been honorably discharged, getting an exact location proved to be difficult.

[Sean Doherty]

If you move in the military, usually.

[Natalie Morales]

There are contractors that can move you, and those are military records, part of your permanent change of station. However, with outside contracted military moves, it takes a little more digging to locate how someone is going to move.

[Beth Ford Roth]

Once a Marine moves on their own accord, into civilian life, the military no longer keeps track of them. So NCIS personnel sifted through more than just military records.

[Natalie Morales]

Well, if he left 29 palms, how did he leave? We did a little bit of research and found that he had rented a car and appeared to have driven up to Washington State and then crossed over into Alaska.

[Beth Ford Roth]

Eventually, NCIS was able to pinpoint where Chris had gone, back to his hometown of Anchorage, Alaska. Soon after, local authorities arrested Chris after finding him driving his mother's car. While searching the vehicle, they found blue climbing rope, several knives, and a handmade garrote. During all of this, investigators made sure to keep more Erin's mom updated.

[Laura Corwin]

It probably wasn't 30 minutes after I got that phone call saying that it was definitely Erin that I got another phone call saying Chris was arrested in Alaska.

[Beth Ford Roth]

Anchorage, Alaska, is Christopher Lee's hometown. He was a small boy here once, playing in the snow, learning survival techniques like hunting and fishing. As a teenager, he played football in his high school varsity team. Once Chris graduated, he prepared to leave snowy Anchorage to join the honorable Marine Corps. It's also here in Anchorage, Alaska, where Chris Lee was arrested for murder.

[Laura Corwin]

I think he was confident enough that they would never find Aaron's body, that he could just go on with life.

[Beth Ford Roth]

I'm CBS News correspondent Natalie Morales, and this is 48 Hours NCIS. Episode 5 Weapon of Choice.

[Laura Corwin]

Numb. It felt numb. You just go through the motions. You just do what you have to do.

[Beth Ford Roth]

Laura had been preparing to hear the worst for weeks. When she and her husband Bill finally got the call that they found her daughter's body. She did her best to stay strong for her other children.

[Laura Corwin]

You know, it's midnight, and Bill and I discuss, you know, there's no reason to wake them up.

[Beth Ford Roth]

A few of her kids still lived in the house. A few had moved out and started their own families.

[Laura Corwin]

They might as well have a good night's sleep. So we decided we'd wait until the next morning to call them.

[Beth Ford Roth]

The weight of it all was unbearable. A few weeks after they confirmed it was Erin's body in the mineshaft, Laura and her family were able to properly grieve.

[Laura Corwin]

In the middle Of September of 2014, we had a candlelight vigil at the barn where she had kept her horse.

[Beth Ford Roth]

A final goodbye in honor of Erin Corwin's life. The barn was located at the East Tennessee Riding Club in Oak Ridge. It's small, tucked away off the side roads. There were posters hung all over the walls, collages of Erin and her favorite things in life, her animals and her family. It was dusk. Everyone held a candle and sat on the bleachers. Anyone who wanted to share a few words about Erin was invited to do so.

[Laura Corwin]

A couple of her friends spoke. One of the youth leaders from church spoke and the minister that baptized her as a child said the prayer over it.

[Beth Ford Roth]

John, Erin's husband, was there as well, but he didn't say anything. He held his candle, looking stoic beyond her friends and family, Erin's tragedy touched so many.

[Laura Corwin]

There were so many people, hundreds of people there. I hugged so many necks of people I didn't know. The support that we got from complete strangers is just unbelievable.

[Beth Ford Roth]

Laura was able to see the beauty in strangers empathizing with her. It gave her strength. In the midst of her nightmare, the.

[Natalie Morales]

Body of a pregnant Oak Ridge woman has been found. 19 year old Erin Corwin had been missing for nearly two months.

[Sean Doherty]

Friends remembered Erin as a shy teenager who loved animals.

[Natalie Morales]

We need to remember that she's a person first. She's a daughter, a sister, a wife, a friend.

[Beth Ford Roth]

Beth Ford Roth, who covered Aaron's case for public radio, remembers how media outlets all over the country clung to this story.

[Natalie Morales]

When you see a photograph of Erin Corwin, you know why? Because she was a sweet, naive, pregnant Marine wife, a teenager from eastern Tennessee, a family who loved her.

[Beth Ford Roth]

There was the obvious salacious nature of it all, but. But Beth believes it was more than that.

[Natalie Morales]

She's a small town girl, she doesn't have a lot of experience with men and this is a crazy situation that she found herself in. She looked to the wrong person to help her get out of it.

[Beth Ford Roth]

Most of us have fallen for the wrong person when we were young. Most of us have made rash and dramatic decisions in our teenage years, but most of us get to learn and grow from them.

[Natalie Morales]

I think if women are honest with themselves and they look back at how innocent or naive they may have been at that age, it could have been any one of us. But we got to move on. We got to suffer the heartbreak and then move on. And Erin never got that chance. She'll never get that chance.

[Beth Ford Roth]

Police and NCIS had done their part and now it was up to the judicial system to do theirs. It was time to get a conviction and hopefully some justice for Erin. Laur remembers the grueling wait for trial to start.

[Laura Corwin]

It took almost two and a half years for the trial to happen. Started October 2016.

[Beth Ford Roth]

During that time, Chris Lee had been held in a San Bernardino County Jail. He was arraigned and pleaded not guilty to murder. Before the start of the trial, Lore headed back to San Bernardino to be there in person. Her sister accompanied her. Aaron's father, Bill, would not attend.

[Sean Doherty]

I don't think I could have contained myself unable to do that. That would have put more stress on my wife. She had enough stress with going to the trial herself, but to worry about how I would handle it would not be any better.

[Laura Corwin]

I attended every moment of the trial.

[Beth Ford Roth]

The San Bernardino County Superior court is only 60 miles outside of LA and 90 miles outside of 29 Palms. The courthouse itself looks like any major municipal building, massive and old with large imposing pillars at the front. The courtroom looks like a church, rows of wooden pews facing forward toward the bench where the judge presides. Chris walked in wearing a white button down shirt, a blue tie, khakis and a clean shaven face. Chris sat down calmly on the defense side of the courtroom. Lor thought he looked different.

[Laura Corwin]

Chris lost a ton of weight.

[Beth Ford Roth]

Lohr had met Chris years ago during the investigation, so when she first saw Chris enter the courtroom, she was shocked by his appearance.

[Laura Corwin]

I don't know that I would have recognized him if I was just walking down the street and saw him. He almost kind of looked scary.

[Natalie Morales]

The holidays are all about sharing with family meals, couches, stories, Grandma's secret pecan pie recipe, and now you can also share a cart. With Instacart family carts. Everyone can add what they want to one group cart from wherever they are so you don't have to go from room to room to find out who wants cranberry sauce or whether you should get mini marshmallows for the yams or collecting votes for sugar cookies versus shortbread. Just share a cart and then share the meals. In the moments, download the Instacart app and get delivery in as fast as 30 minutes. Plus enjoy free delivery on your first three orders. Service fees and terms apply.

[Beth Ford Roth]

You know that feeling when you're at Ross and you find the best gifts for way less.

[Natalie Morales]

Like brand name sweaters, the coolest kids toys and plush dog beds. Get that feeling with every gift and.

[Beth Ford Roth]

Save 20 to 60% off other retailers prices at Ross. Yes for less Based on court transcripts, there was a long list of witnesses who were called to testify for the prosecution. This included Erin's mom Laur, her husband John, her hometown best friend Jesse and the Malikis, Erin's neighbors who lived downstairs. Lohr's family expected her to report back about the trial daily, but some of the information was so dense, it was hard for her to keep all the facts in her head. During a break in the proceedings, Laura and her sister looked around the room. They noticed a woman sitting behind them, just a few feet away, writing on a notepad fervently. It was reporter Beth Ford Ross.

[Natalie Morales]

That first day, it just poured out of me.

[Beth Ford Roth]

Beth published daily updates from the trial on her blog.

[Natalie Morales]

To sit so close to Erin's family members, she was their daughter, their wife, and then also to sit in the same room with the man who ended her life. And I was filled with so much emotion, I didn't know what else to do, so I wrote it down.

[Beth Ford Roth]

Beth had initially started as a public radio reporter covering the case, but she had become so attached to Erin's story, she decided to continue reporting on it through a personal blog she created called justice for Erin Corwin. Laura's sister approached Beth after court one day and said, thank you. Because of her blog, Laura did not have to retell every of the trial to the rest of the family. Instead, she could just send them over to Beth's website.

[Natalie Morales]

When I was attending the trial and writing the blog, my older sister was following it on the blog. She hadn't heard the story before. And she called me one night after the day of the trial, and she said, oh, my God, Bethy, that could have been me. And I said, I know it could have been me.

[Beth Ford Roth]

Beth attended trial every day. She said in a strange way, the courtroom reminded her of a wedding.

[Natalie Morales]

Instead of the bride's family on one side and the groom's family on the other, it's Laura's family and friends on one side, and on the other side, it's the family friends of Christopher Lee.

[Beth Ford Roth]

The defendant not far from her was the prosecutor.

[Sean Doherty]

My name is Sean Doherty. I'm a deputy district attorney with San Bernardino county, and I was the trial prosecutor on the case of People v. Christopher Lee.

[Beth Ford Roth]

Sean Dougherty has been an attorney for over 20 years and has exclusively worked on homicide cases since 2009. As soon as he heard of Aaron's case, it moved him. Doherty asked to be assigned to the case.

[Sean Doherty]

The theory of my case is that Chris Lee was about to discharge from the Marines that he had planned and told his wife that they were going to move their family back to Alaska.

[Beth Ford Roth]

But there was a hitch.

[Sean Doherty]

As the result of his relationship outside of his marriage with Aaron Corwin, she had become pregnant, and she had told him he was the father, which would interrupt not only his marriage, but his plans. Chris Lee backed himself into A corner. And the only way out was to kill Aaron.

[Beth Ford Roth]

Prosecutor Doherty appeared to have a plethora of evidence at his disposal. He started by showing the video footage from inside the mine where Aaron was found.

[Natalie Morales]

And then it sort of stayed on that image. And it was kind of hard to make out because of the fact that Erin had been there for six weeks in the heat. And jurors were covering their mouths. I was looking down. Aaron's mother was looking down. Even the defense attorney would look up and then look down.

[Beth Ford Roth]

But Beth noticed one person who didn't look away.

[Natalie Morales]

Christopher Lee was forward looking like this the entire time. And I was thinking, I never met Aaron. I can't look at this. The jurors never met her. They can't look at this. At the very least, he had a friendship with her. And he was almost like looking at his handiwork.

[Beth Ford Roth]

With pictures and visuals, Prosecutor Doherty was able to ensure that the jury would see the gruesome end Aaron met.

[Natalie Morales]

They stayed on a photograph of her hand and you could see the nail polish. You couldn't really recognize her, but you saw the finger nail polish. And all of a sudden it was like, oh yeah, she's a 19 year old girl.

[Beth Ford Roth]

Beth kept an eye on Chris Lee through it all.

[Natalie Morales]

He just did not show any emotion that someone who was friendly with Aaron, let alone someone who had an intimate relationship with her, would have had. I couldn't believe it. But then a guilty man doesn't know how an innocent man would act.

[Beth Ford Roth]

Prosecutor Doherty continued on establishing Erin as a sweet young girl who could be easily influenced. Then went through each piece of evidence in great detail. The fact that Chris's story changed multiple times during initial questioning, before Chris was even brought to the station, he was caught lying to the police. When they first asked him questions outside of his apartment building, they inquired about.

[Sean Doherty]

His neighbor, Erin Corwin. And Chris Lee's initial response was, I don't even know her. I know who she is, but that's about it. Later that day, they found out that there in fact was a relationship and he more than knew her.

[Beth Ford Roth]

Once Chris was brought in for questioning, he admitted to the affair with Aaron. In that same interrogation, he would get tangled up in another lie. At first, Chris stated he did not cross paths with Erin at all that day she went missing. He just happened to be in the desert doing his own thing. But then there were the tire tracks found by her abandoned car.

[Sean Doherty]

When investigators looked at those, they looked visually similar to Chrisley's Jeep. They told him that they had that evidence and asked him if he wanted to change his story.

[Beth Ford Roth]

Chris changed his story again.

[Sean Doherty]

He at that point said, I didn't see her that day. I did see her car.

[Beth Ford Roth]

In that same interrogation, Chris was asked if they would find anything suspicious in his search history if they checked.

[Sean Doherty]

And Chrisley indicated that he had been searching for the best way to get rid of a dead body.

[Beth Ford Roth]

During the interrogation, Chris claimed that he and some fellow Marines had a benign conversation about how to dispose of a body. Chris said his Internet search was out of pure curiosity. Chris started to describe the different tactics he had found online. Here's a bit of that recording from the interrogation room. What were the results? When did you find out? Pigs.

[Natalie Morales]

Pigs?

[Beth Ford Roth]

What does it say? Pigs. Do they eat them? Are you serious?

[Natalie Morales]

I've never heard of that.

[Beth Ford Roth]

Chris said one of the best ways of getting rid of a body was feeding it to pigs. Chris continued on with his findings, describing one scenario that was particularly relevant to the trial.

[Sean Doherty]

He also mentioned burning a body with tires or getting a body extremely hot. And then later in the interview indicated that tires can become extremely hot when they're set on fire.

[Beth Ford Roth]

And remember, tires were found in the mine shaft with Aaron's body and a propane tank, the same mine Chris had talked about earlier with friends in town.

[Sean Doherty]

He was excited about having discovered these mines that he felt no one knew anything about.

[Beth Ford Roth]

But it wasn't just tires and a propane tank found in the mine. Authorities also found a soda bottle with DNA evidence.

[Sean Doherty]

And on the mouth of the Sprite bottle was both Chris Lee's DNA and Erin Corwin's DNA.

[Beth Ford Roth]

The matching DNA evidence was especially damning. Bit by bit, all the evidence was mounting up against Chris. For prosecutor Daugherty, there was no way Chris could explain all this.

[Sean Doherty]

All the circumstantial evidence was somehow explainable. It would make him essentially the unluckiest man in the world.

[Beth Ford Roth]

From changing his story to the tire tracks that matched his Jeep to the DNA evidence placing him at the scene of the crime, things were not looking good for Chris. Then the defense decided to do something very unusual. Put their defendant, Chris Lee, on the stand as their one and only witness. Here's Bethford Roth again.

[Natalie Morales]

When his name was announced, there was sort of this electricity in the courtroom because no one had any idea that he was going to testify.

[Beth Ford Roth]

With the defense having only one witness who happened to be the defendant himself, it seemed there was hardly a case to be presented. It didn't make any sense to Beth why they'd bring Chris Lee to the stand.

[Natalie Morales]

The evidence against him was so overwhelming, what could he possibly say? Maybe they're just trying to make him human enough. It was shocking, to say the least.

[Beth Ford Roth]

Beth wasn't wrong. The defense tried to humanize Chris in front of the jury. Chris seemed ready to take the stand.

[Natalie Morales]

He was wearing his crisp white shirt and a blue tie and khaki pants, and his hair was cut short. And he was handsome. And he had a charisma about him that wasn't captured in any photograph I'd seen before.

[Beth Ford Roth]

The defense started to question Chris Lee.

[Natalie Morales]

Asked about his childhood, what his hobbies were to make him seem like, you know, he could be anyone's kid. Although his hobbies were things like blowing things up. They were trying to make him seem like a oh, gosh, golly kind of guy. And he loved his wife and he loved his daughter and he loved his country. And that's the only thing that meant anything to him, was to be a Marine and to protect his country.

[Beth Ford Roth]

The questioning went on like this for a while. Nothing about the actual case, nothing about Aaron. The defense pushed for the jury to sympathize with Chris, the young, patriotic Marine.

[Sean Doherty]

I had a good feeling in this case, just based on how the evidence played out, that he was going to have to testify and he was going to have to either explain away all the circumstantial evidence against him or admit that he did it, but come up with some reason for why he did it.

[Beth Ford Roth]

And that's exactly what happened.

[Natalie Morales]

The defense attorney asked Christopher Brandon Lee, did you kill Aaron Corwin? And Chris said, yes, I did. That was the first time that he admitted he had done it. Weight loss. It needs to be fast and sustainable. Noom GLP1 starts at just $149 and ships to your door in seven days. Take it from Lauren, who lost 22 pounds on Noom.

[Beth Ford Roth]

If I come off of the GLP1, it's not going to automatically make my weight.

[Natalie Morales]

Yo, yo back $149 GLP ones. Now that's Noom Smart. Get started at Noom.com Real NoomUs are compensated to provide their story. Individual results may vary. Not all customers will medically qualify for prescription medications. Compounded medications are not reviewed by the FDA for safety, efficacy or quality.

[Beth Ford Roth]

Bombas makes the most comfortable socks, underwear and T shirts. Warning, Bombas are so absurdly comfortable, you may throw out all your other clothes.

[Natalie Morales]

Sorry, do we legally have to say that?

[Beth Ford Roth]

No, this is just how I talk. And I really love my bombas. They do feel that good. And they do good too. One item purchased equals one item donated.

[Sean Doherty]

To feel good and do good, go.

[Beth Ford Roth]

To bombas.com wondry and use code wondry for 20% off your first purchase. That's B O m b a s.com wondry and use code Wondry at checkout. The courtroom was still reeling from Chris admitting that he killed Aaron. It was at this stage of the trial when everything came out in the open.

[Natalie Morales]

It was like slow motion. To admit to the crime within a half hour of taking the stand after lying about it for years was just. I mean, my hand was shaking. Trying to take notes and trying to stay in the moment and realize this was actually really happening. He was confessing.

[Beth Ford Roth]

There was the truth, according to Chris Lee, and then there was what really happened.

[Natalie Morales]

Christopher Brannon Lee made sure to match his story with the evidence that was found.

[Beth Ford Roth]

According to Chris lee. On Saturday, June 28, Erin met Chris by the Marine base. She climbed into Chris passenger seat. There was a particular place Chris wanted to take Aaron. He had scouted the spot less than a week earlier. But it was a long drive and he wanted to be sure he had the route down because they weren't heading to an official trailhead. They were on their way to a remote abandoned mine. Erin had told her friend Jessie over text she was excited. This all seemed very romantic to her.

[Natalie Morales]

He was planning a trip with Erin. Maybe he told her it was a big surprise, but he actually was going to tell her that they shouldn't be together anymore and he was moving back to Alaska and he was going to stay with his wife.

[Beth Ford Roth]

Chris says he got the breakup over with in the car.

[Natalie Morales]

Basically. He claimed that he told Aaron, when I moved to Alaska, it's over between us, and that they listened to music for two and a half hours until they reached the point where the mine was.

[Beth Ford Roth]

Despite breaking up with Aaron, they continued on with the trip.

[Natalie Morales]

Chris Lee told the jury that he took Aaron out to this area because he wanted to blow up a mine shaft. Which was sort of curious because why would Aaron be excited about accompanying him to blow up a mineshaft? It's not every girl's dream to watch this, you know, hunk a man shoot a propane tank and watch it blow up.

[Beth Ford Roth]

Chris said Erin was not fazed by the breakup. She just wanted to spend time with the person she was in love with.

[Natalie Morales]

It was going to be a chance just for the two of them to spend the day together alone. Aaron didn't get a chance to get out often to use the car. And this was a Chance for her to spend time with him and to be together.

[Beth Ford Roth]

Chris drove to a mine in the desert. He unloaded the car, a propane tank, lighter fluid, a torch.

[Natalie Morales]

When they reached that area, Chris tried to blow up a propane tank. This is his way of explaining why there was a propane tank down in the mine shaft.

[Beth Ford Roth]

According to Chris, he threw the propane tank down the mine and a lit torch so that it would blow up. But it didn't blow. He had forgotten to put the lighter fluid on the torch so it didn't burn hot enough.

[Natalie Morales]

And that was just one more sign for him that his life was not going the way he wanted it to. And he felt desperate. And so he decided to play Russian roulette.

[Beth Ford Roth]

Remember, Chris was supposedly still very depressed. It wasn't abnormal for him to drive around with a gun in the backseat as he liked to hunt and shoot at rattlesnakes and coyotes in the desert. After ending his relationship with Aaron and having failed to successfully blow up the propane tank, allegedly this was the last straw.

[Natalie Morales]

Now, when he first explained all of this, he said he only brought this.22 rifle. Well, there were enough gun experts out there to say, you can't play Russian roulette with a rifle. It has to be a revolver. So suddenly there was a revolver there. So he took the revolver and he told Aaron, I'm going to play Russian roulette. And Erin said, well, I can't watch this. And so she, in 110 degree weather with sandals on, walked into the mineshaft.

[Beth Ford Roth]

There were actually two mines in the area near Chris and Aaron. There was one that was a horizontal mineshaft that was more like a cave. But then there was another mine that was like a deep rabbit hole. Chris said the horizontal mineshaft is the one Aaron walked into and that she.

[Natalie Morales]

Just waited in there and then came back out. When he was unsuccessful with ending his life playing Russian roulette After hearing the.

[Beth Ford Roth]

Gunshot, that's when Aaron walked out into the sun.

[Natalie Morales]

Erin came over to Chris and wanted to go home.

[Beth Ford Roth]

During Chris testimony, Beth was sitting behind Laura in the courtroom.

[Natalie Morales]

I watched sort of the back of her head just trying to imagine what is going through her mind.

[Beth Ford Roth]

Laura's eyes were fixed on Chris as he spoke. Over the course of the trial, prosecutor Sean Dougherty had a feeling that the defense would call into question Erin's character, try to dehumanize her. As they had humanized Chris, Dougherty made sure to prepare lore for something like this.

[Laura Corwin]

Sean had prepared me. He said that he, you know, may put some allegations against Aaron. And I had said from the very beginning that if they're gonna try to dig up dirt on Aaron, they're gonna have to make something up. But I never dreamt they would make up what they made up.

[Beth Ford Roth]

In Chris testimony, Erin became so upset from watching him play Russian roulette that she broke down. He said she told him that she wanted a life with him and his daughter, that the three of them could run away together.

[Laura Corwin]

Chris talks about how he and Aaron went on this ride and everything and how Aaron was talking about them getting together as a family. And he says, well, I'm not going to do that to my daughter. Erin's like, well, but I love her. And he actually said he was jealous of the relationship that Aaron had with his daughter.

[Beth Ford Roth]

And it was at this point in Chris jealousy that he allegedly pieced together the story. He found out something terrible, something that would throw him into a fit of rage, something that had warranted murder.

[Laura Corwin]

Chris asks Erin, or he says he asked her whether or not she had been molesting his daughter. And Aaron, I guess, according to his version, kind of stammered a little bit, and then he got louder and asked her again, and she supposedly said yes.

[Beth Ford Roth]

The courtroom was shocked silent. Beth, sitting in one of the front rows, shook her head in disbelief.

[Natalie Morales]

Chris testified that at that point, two hours from, you know, the nearest phone, no cell reception, 110 degree weather, that pregnant Aaron Corwin, 19, decided to confess that she had molested his daughter. With no way of rescue or no way of responding if he was going to act negatively that she blurted out, this is what I did.

[Beth Ford Roth]

The jury now faced their decision with new, damning information. Did Erin abuse Chris Lee's daughter?

[Laura Corwin]

And anybody that knows Erin knows that there's no way. There's just no way, absolutely no way Erin would do anything like that.

[Beth Ford Roth]

Next time on the final episode of 48 Hours, NCIS. Is there any truth to Chris story? 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 Megan Marcus. 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.

[Natalie Morales]

Your brand deserves better than one size.

[Beth Ford Roth]

Fits all branded clothing Lands End Outfitters create to peril your team will want to wear backed by above and beyond Expertise. Go to business lands end.com pod20 and use code pod20 for 20% off your first product.