Where is Erin?

Summary

48 Hours: "Where is Erin?"
Host: CBS News | Release Date: November 26, 2024

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Introduction

In the gripping episode titled "Where is Erin?" of CBS News' 48 Hours, host Natalie Morales delves deep into the mysterious disappearance of Erin Corwin, a 19-year-old Marine's wife from 29 Palms, California. This detailed investigation uncovers the complexities surrounding Erin's life, her sudden vanishing, and the extensive efforts undertaken by law enforcement to locate her.

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Erin Corwin's Disappearance

On the morning of June 29, 2014, Erin Corwin vanished without a trace. Erin had recently moved to 29 Palms, a small city in the Mojave Desert, to start a new life with her high school sweetheart and husband, John Corwin, a Marine Corporal stationed at the local Marine base.

Key Events Leading to the Disappearance:

• Last Known Whereabouts: Erin was last seen at Joshua Tree National Park, where she intended to explore hiking routes and take photographs with her mother, Lore Heavilin [02:14].

• Initial Concerns: Erin's parents, Bill and Lore, had not seen her in months, raising immediate concerns about her sudden disappearance [02:01].

• Reporting the Disappearance: John Corwin reported Erin missing after 24 hours of no contact, a delay that raised suspicions among investigators [07:18].

Notable Quote:

Lore Heavilin: "Erin was a very petite 19-year-old, five two, maybe 115 pounds. She was very shy, extremely naive." [04:20]

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Investigative Efforts by NCIS

Given the military involvement, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) was brought in to assist the San Bernardino sheriff's department. Special Agent Clifton Randolph Jr. led the investigation, coordinating with analyst Ashley De Chalfin to piece together Erin's last movements and digital footprint.

Challenges Faced:

• Delayed Reporting: John Corwin's 24-hour delay in reporting Erin missing created initial suspicions about his involvement [07:25].

• Vast Search Area: Joshua Tree National Park spans over a million acres, making the search for Erin daunting [13:18].

• Time Sensitivity: The critical nature of locating Erin within the first 48 hours was emphasized, as prolonged time increases the risk to her safety [35:02].

Notable Quote:

Clifton Randolph Jr.: "No, I never thought that Erin had run away. I didn't think that was even remotely a possibility." [04:59]

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Erin's Background and Personal Life

Erin Corwin, born on July 15, 1994, was adopted by Bill and Lore Heavilin shortly after her birth. Growing up in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, Erin was a quiet, shy individual who found solace in working with animals, particularly horses.

Key Points:

• Early Life: Erin was beloved in her adoptive family and was deeply connected to the East Tennessee Riding Club, where she cultivated her passion for horses [17:58].

• Marriage to John Corwin: Erin and John met in fifth grade and began dating seriously at 15. They married when Erin was barely 18 to secure base housing on the Marine base [21:23].

• Life in 29 Palms: Transitioning from a bustling family home in Tennessee to an isolated apartment in the desert, Erin struggled with loneliness and isolation during John's deployments [24:08].

Notable Quote:

Lore Heavilin: "She was like a calming force, and they knew they could trust her, and they knew that she was the one to respect and listen to." [18:29]

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Life on the Marine Base and Community Involvement

Erin's life on the Marine base was marked by isolation due to frequent deployments of her husband and the vast, secured environment of 29 Palms. However, her relationship with the local community, particularly through Isabel Megley's White Rock Horse Rescue, provided her with a semblance of companionship and purpose.

Key Points:

• White Rock Horse Rescue: Erin volunteered at Isabel Megley's ranch, adopting a horse named Cassie, which became her sanctuary [27:15].

• Friendship with Nicole Lee: Erin befriended Nicole Lee, another Marine's wife, fostering a small but supportive community amidst the desert backdrop [26:18].

Notable Quote:

John Corwin: "Erin was always fighting with John over what John told her to do. And so she would come here and say, at least I'm free." [30:43]

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Challenges in the Investigation

The investigation into Erin's disappearance was fraught with obstacles, including limited initial information, the vast search area, and the pressure to find Erin before it was too late.

Key Points:

• Digital Footprint Analysis: Analyst Ashley De Chalfin meticulously reviewed Erin's social media activity to identify potential leads, friends, and recent interactions [14:42].

• Community Insights: Local residents and volunteers provided critical information, but the tight-knit nature of the community made it challenging to sift through speculation and rumors [32:34].

Notable Quote:

Clifton Randolph Jr.: "She was so trusting and always saw the good in people that she did not see the warning signs. That I'm sure were there." [35:02]

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Insights and Conclusions

The episode "Where is Erin?" highlights the intricate interplay between personal backgrounds, community dynamics, and investigative rigor in solving missing persons cases. Erin's sheltered upbringing, combined with the isolated environment of the Marine base, created a unique set of circumstances that complicated her disappearance.

Key Takeaways:

• Importance of Immediate Action: The critical window of the first 48 hours in missing persons cases cannot be overstated, as delays can significantly hinder the chances of locating the individual [35:02].

• Community Support: The role of local communities and volunteers is invaluable in providing information and support during investigations, even in small, isolated areas [26:21].

• Personal Vulnerabilities: Understanding the personal struggles and vulnerabilities of missing individuals is crucial in directing investigative efforts effectively [35:02].

Notable Quote:

Lore Heavilin: "We really had no clue what happened. It was almost like we were walking in a different world, kind of numb." [33:46]

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Final Thoughts

"Where is Erin?" serves as a poignant reminder of the complexities involved in missing persons cases, especially within military communities. Through meticulous reporting and in-depth interviews, 48 Hours sheds light on Erin Corwin's life, her disappearance, and the relentless pursuit undertaken by those who refused to give up hope.

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For more detailed insights and updates on this case, listen to the full episode of "Where is Erin?" available on CBS News' 48 Hours podcast.

Transcript

[Natalie Morales]

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[Paul LaRosa]

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[Natalie Morales]

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[Paul LaRosa]

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[Natalie Morales]

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[Clifton Randolph Jr.]

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[Lore Heavilin]

Our whole life being turned totally upside down began on June 29, 2014.

[Paul LaRosa]

On a beautiful summer Sunday morning, Laura Heavilin was in her home in Tennessee with her husband Bill. They were getting ready to go to church when they received an awful call.

[Lore Heavilin]

My son in law called probably around 11:00 11:30 on Sunday morning and told us that Erin was missing and I'm like what do you mean Erin's missing?

[Natalie Morales]

Bill and Lohr hadn't seen their daughter Erin in a few months. Erin recently moved out of the Hevlin family home to start a new life in California with her high school sweetheart and now husband John Corwin. They moved to a small city called 29 Palms, a blip in the middle of the Mojave. What brought the Corwin's there was the Marine base. John was a Marine Corporal. Corwin Officially. And Erin was a Marine's wife. They lived on the base in a small apartment, their first home together. Bill and Lore hadn't seen the new place yet when John called. Lohr had been planning a trip out west to visit Aaron later that week.

[Lore Heavilin]

Erin was 19 years old, almost 20. I was going to go out for.

[Natalie Morales]

Her 20th birthday, but then no one knew where Erin was. On the phone, Erin's husband, John Corwin, told Lor that the last place he knew Erin had gone was Joshua Tree National Park.

[Lore Heavilin]

And he told me that she had gone out to Joshua Tree national park the day before to look for places for her and I to go to take pictures and stuff. When I came to visit in a few days, my first immediate thought was Erin got lost. Erin is very directionally challenged.

[Natalie Morales]

Bill Erin's father, worried that Erin wouldn't find her way out.

[Clifton Randolph Jr.]

I mean, Joshua Tree is just the desert. There's nothing there. There's no water. It's not like you're going to find anything. There's no shelter of any type, so you're just exposed to the elements.

[Natalie Morales]

In addition to her lack of hiking experience, Erin was not particularly prepared for the outdoors.

[Lore Heavilin]

She was a very petite 19 year old, five two, maybe 115 pounds. She was very shy, extremely naive.

[Natalie Morales]

Bill and Lore knew their daughter. This didn't sound like her. She wouldn't go on an overnight hike spontaneously. She probably wouldn't go on an overnight hike at all. Erin was a homebody. She stayed inside her comfort zone. The Hevlins thought through what might have happened and quickly discounted some possibilities.

[Clifton Randolph Jr.]

No, I never thought that Erin had run away. I didn't think that was even remotely a possibility.

[Lore Heavilin]

I mean, she just was not a risk taker.

[Natalie Morales]

Worried? Lohr pressed Aaron's husband John for more details. The last time John said he saw Aaron was early the morning before. He said she kissed him goodbye around 7am and he watched her drive off in their car. He went back to sleep. A while later, he got up and spent the day playing video games. By nightfall, Erin still hadn't come home. She was supposed to be back in time for dinner, but John went to bed the next morning. According to John, it had been 24 hours since Erin had driven out of sight. John alerted the authorities. Then he called Lore.

[Lore Heavilin]

He sounded concerned. There wasn't a lot of emotion in his voice. But that's typical John. It's hard to read him, to know what his thoughts are.

[Paul LaRosa]

I'm CBS News correspondent Natalie Morales. This is 48 Hours NCIS, where we take you inside a case NCIS agents say they will never forget. Episode 1 Where is Aaron?

[Natalie Morales]

While his 19 year old wife was missing, John spent most of the day at home.

[Clifton Randolph Jr.]

He started wondering, where's Erin? And tried to get in touch with her but could not by phone. He knows there is not good service in the desert, so he didn't worry too much. But then by nightfall he was worried.

[Natalie Morales]

Paula Rosa is a producer for CBS News. In 48 hours, he reported on Aaron Corwin's disappearance. La Rosa had a lot of experience telling true crime stories. He knew that generally when someone goes missing, the first person investigators turn to when they need answers is the spouse. In this case that was John Corwin.

[Clifton Randolph Jr.]

But he didn't do anything. He didn't call police, he didn't really tell anybody on his base.

[Natalie Morales]

So to the authorities it was initially suspicious that John waited to report Aaron missing.

[Clifton Randolph Jr.]

The sheriff's deputies and the sheriff's office had a lot of questions for him. They were like, tell us where she went, you know, what did she have with her? Why did you wait 24 hours to report her missing? His version of the story is that I thought from watching television shows that you have to wait 24 hours before you can report an adult missing. But that makes you seem suspicious in the eyes of the investigators. Also, he had no alibi per se. I mean he was in his apartment playing video games and he's an unemotional guy. I mean he's not the kind of guy who say my wife is missing. You know, he's like unemotional and very flat affect.

[Natalie Morales]

Once John finally did alert the authorities, the local sheriff's department in San Bernardino immediately opened up an investigation. But they needed help for this specific case.

[Clifton Randolph Jr.]

The sheriff's department can't just go there and start talking to people. They have to go through protocol, right? They have to alert the military. And when they do, the NCIS gets involved.

[Natalie Morales]

Ncis, The Naval Criminal Investigative Service. Most of us may recognize this name from television.

[Clifton Randolph Jr.]

Ncis. Never heard of it. That's embarrassing.

[Natalie Morales]

The television show NCIS follows a cast of characters, including NCIS special agents, field agents, forensic specialists and more, through 21 seasons of scripted primetime television drama. But the NCIS is a real life federal agency.

[Paul LaRosa]

NCIS is sort of like an in house FBI for the Navy. There are only about 1,000 special agents based all over the world in Japan, Singapore, Bahrain, Italy and yes, at the marine base in 29 Palms, California.

[Clifton Randolph Jr.]

They are stationed at the base and they get involved holding the sheriff's Department hand to let them know how the military operates.

[Natalie Morales]

NCIS Special Agent Clifton Randolph Jr. Was.

[Paul LaRosa]

Alerted by the sheriff's department that a Marine's wife was missing.

[Ashley De Chalfin]

The initial story we received was Erin had gone to Joshua Tree national park to look for nice hiking routes for her and her mother, who was coming out later on that week. That was the last time that Corporal Corwin had seen her. Driving in their blue Corolla, away from.

[Paul LaRosa]

The insulation, the Marine base, what Special Agent Randolph called the installation, was the largest Marine Corps base in the world. In addition to housing an NCIS office, there were about 900 families who lived on base by 2013. That included the Corwins.

[Natalie Morales]

However, the base was not exactly busy 48 hours.

[Paul LaRosa]

Producer Paul LaRosa remembered the first time he ever drove by the base.

[Clifton Randolph Jr.]

If you're driving through Twentynine Palms and you make a left somewhere and you just drive for about 30 minutes or less, you'll come to the Marine base, which is huge, but there's a big gate. There's a big gate at the base because there's a lot of security, and we were not allowed out there.

[Natalie Morales]

If you were a resident of the base like Aaron Corwin was, every time you came home, you passed through a large gated entrance with a security checkpoint. From there, a sort of main street led to a small downtown area of buildings, including offices, a mess hall, a library, a small hospital, and even a bowling alley, housing for the military families. Branched off this main area into secluded suburban plots and cul de sacs.

[Ashley De Chalfin]

From where NCIS office is located on the installation is not far from where Aaron Corwin lived with Corporal Corwin, practically a mile, maybe two.

[Natalie Morales]

The rest of the base's immense acreage, almost 71,000 acres in total, was taken up by vast military training areas, including airfields and shooting ranges.

[Clifton Randolph Jr.]

You know, they fire artillery shells there all the time, and they have, you know, people out in the desert and doing all sorts of things.

[Natalie Morales]

In the early 2000s, the majority of units in the Marine Corps deploying to Iraq trained here. Not too far from the base's residential area, there was a sandy stretch protected by mountains named Mini Baghdad. But when Erin moved to the base, her entire world shrunk to those few miles right inside the gated entrance.

[Paul LaRosa]

In such close quarters, Special Agent Randolph said he got to know his neighbors well.

[Ashley De Chalfin]

There could have been a chance that you run into her at the grocery store or you pass her at the gym. I might have come across her and not even know it. But there's that person that needs Your help. And you need to do everything you can to help.

[Paul LaRosa]

In his office, Special Agent Randolph got to work. His first step was to take what the sheriff's department knew and ask himself, what don't we know?

[Ashley De Chalfin]

There was an immediate concern for what could have happened to Erin that she did not return. As soon as he thought she was going to.

[Paul LaRosa]

Special Agent Randolph had questions. What if Erin didn't go where she said she was headed? What if she just got on the highway and drove? But what if she actually was at Joshua Tree National Park? The park is larger than the state of Rhode Island.

[Natalie Morales]

How could they ever comb through nearly a million acres of land?

[Paul LaRosa]

Special Agent Randolph thought through all the possibilities with one main focus.

[Ashley De Chalfin]

Where is Erin? You want to find where Erin is From the moment someone is reported missing. And the last person to see that person being Corporal Corwin, Aaron's husband, you're racing the clock because you don't know the circumstances that are involved in this person's disappearance.

[Natalie Morales]

There was one big problem working against the NCIS agents and Aaron. Time.

[Ashley De Chalfin]

You gotta get on it quick because that person might need you sooner than later. And time is not on your side.

[Paul LaRosa]

So Special Agent Randolph dispatched a team of NCIS experts.

[Isabel Megley]

I provided analytical support to Cliff Randolph in the Aaron Corwin investigation.

[Paul LaRosa]

Analyst Ashley De Chalfin was sent to the 29 Palms Marine Base from another NCIS office on the Camp Pendleton Marine Base, only a few hours away. When she arrived in 29 palms, she met her colleagues, got up to speed on the investigation, and dove right into work.

[Isabel Megley]

I do database checks, regularly review social media, open source information, so whatever's in the news and outlets, and looking for.

[Natalie Morales]

Information, she scrubbed through Erin's social media. It was 2014, and Facebook was all the rage. What was the last thing Erin posted on her profile? When was she last active online?

[Isabel Megley]

Basically going onto the Internet and searching for all potential information that could be of interest in your investigation.

[Paul LaRosa]

Like Special Agent Randolph, analyst De Chalfen.

[Natalie Morales]

Understood what was at risk if she missed any detail that could prove vital.

[Isabel Megley]

I absolutely felt the pressure and the stress surrounding Aaron's disappearance because, as Cliff mentioned, we had limited time and we wanted to find her as soon as possible. So I got to work right away.

[Natalie Morales]

In order to find Erin, the agents needed to learn who Erin was. They needed to understand her. Her personality, her temperament, what she liked and disliked. And they needed to understand her relationships, her marriage and her family. So they picked up from California and headed to Erin's hometown, Oak Ridge, Tennessee.

[Paul LaRosa]

Where Erin's life began.

[Natalie Morales]

Erin was born on July 15, 1994. When she was two weeks old, her.

[Paul LaRosa]

Birth mother placed her in foster care.

[Natalie Morales]

But very soon, Erin found her home.

[Clifton Randolph Jr.]

Erin came to the house when she was 17 days old.

[Lore Heavilin]

She was an incredible, sweet baby. We were blessed to be chosen to be her parents.

[Natalie Morales]

By the time Erin turned three, the Heavlin family officially adopted her. She joined a house full of siblings.

[Clifton Randolph Jr.]

We fostered several children. We adopted five of them, and Erin was the fourth adopted child.

[Natalie Morales]

Bill and Lor also had two biological children. They all live together in a nice house in a small city of oak Ridge, about 25 miles west of Knoxville, Tennessee. It's a hidden city tucked along the black Oak Ridge Mountains, and for much of its history, it was kept a secret. One of its nicknames is the city behind a fence.

[Clifton Randolph Jr.]

Oak Ridge, Tennessee, if you don't know anything about it, was an atomic city. Oak Ridge, Tennessee, did not exist before World War II, and the military built Oak Ridge, Tennessee, for people to develop the atomic bomb.

[Paul LaRosa]

Paul LaRosa visited Erin's hometown, and he noticed a through line from Erin's childhood.

[Natalie Morales]

In Oak Ridge to her future on the Marine base in California.

[Clifton Randolph Jr.]

You couldn't just leave Oak Ridge, Tennessee, and go for a drive out into the country. Everything there was a gate. Everything was controlled. It was sort of a sheltered, closed town.

[Natalie Morales]

And Erin herself was very sheltered. She was homeschooled. So much of her life took place in the family home.

[Paul LaRosa]

On Sundays, the family went to the local church.

[Clifton Randolph Jr.]

It was the family, and it was the church, and it was the horse.

[Natalie Morales]

Ranch, and that's it now, the horse ranch. The East Tennessee Riding Club was Erin's favorite place in the world as a child. According to Lohr, it was like her second home.

[Clifton Randolph Jr.]

Erin spent all her time at the stables, you know, in Tennessee. I mean, you know, her mother famously said she would sleep there if she could.

[Natalie Morales]

Erin's mother, Lore said she was a quiet and shy girl, and sometimes she seemed to be more comfortable around animals than people.

[Lore Heavilin]

Erin loved the animals. Horses, cats, dogs, rabbits, guinea pigs. But they all loved her, too. She was like a calming force, and they knew they could trust her, and they knew that she was the one to respect and listen to.

[Paul LaRosa]

Good boy.

[Natalie Morales]

Shake. Erin could even train cats. This was her leading her cat through.

[Paul LaRosa]

Tricks and lay down one more time.

[Natalie Morales]

Good boy.

[Lore Heavilin]

Erin was an animal whisperer. She could get them to do things that the average person would not be able to.

[Natalie Morales]

So when Erin discovered the East Tennessee Riding Club and began to experience working with horses, she excelled when she first.

[Lore Heavilin]

Started, I assured her we would never get a horse, and we ended up with two. We spent many, many, many, many hours here.

[Natalie Morales]

Another local family, the Corwin's, were also frequent visitors.

[Lore Heavilin]

Erin and John met at the barn.

[Natalie Morales]

They met when erin was in fifth grade. She was 10. John was just a year older.

[Lore Heavilin]

John's younger sister had a horse there also, and Erin went to their house a couple different times.

[Natalie Morales]

In a small city with a sheltered life, Erin found the Corwin family house exciting. She would go and play, but she was always especially shy around John. John seemed shy around Erin, too.

[Lore Heavilin]

John Corwin was a very quiet young man.

[Natalie Morales]

They grew up together slowly and patiently at first, and then once she turned.

[Lore Heavilin]

I think she was 15. And they kind of reconnected and, you know, did a lot of texting and messaging on Facebook and that kind of stuff. And they started dating on her 16th birthday. And John actually asked me if it was okay if he took her out on a date.

[Paul LaRosa]

John was a serious and stoic teenager. His aspirations were always clear to him.

[Lore Heavilin]

When they first started dating, he already knew he was going to be a Marine.

[Natalie Morales]

At 17, John began the process to join the Marine Corps. He took tests for aptitude and strength, and he planned to go to basic training in boot camp the summer after he graduated high school. And meanwhile, despite their young age, Aaron and John became serious fast. They started talking about marriage. Erin, full of excitement, told her mom.

[Lore Heavilin]

We knew how young and naive she was, and we had hoped that they would wait a couple years so that she could get a little bit more maturity under her belt.

[Natalie Morales]

The couple went to John's senior prom together. Erin was barely 18 when he proposed. This may sound a bit early for marriage, but it isn't that uncommon for a military couple. Young Marines who choose to enlist right.

[Paul LaRosa]

After high school will move to whatever location the military assigns them. And for many young Marines, the path ahead includes marriage. Married couples get preference when it comes to securing housing on base.

[Lore Heavilin]

The reason why they wanted to get married was to get on the base housing list, and you had to be married. And they knew John was getting ready to be deployed.

[Natalie Morales]

So John, like many Marines before him, wanted to start this journey with his high school sweetheart. But Lohr wasn't sure Aaron understood the reality of marrying a Marine.

[Lore Heavilin]

We had quite a few conversations on what life as a military wife would be. I tried my hardest to prepare her mentally, emotionally, for what was in her future.

[Natalie Morales]

At 18 years old, John chose the.

[Paul LaRosa]

Marines and Erin chose John.

[Lore Heavilin]

She went to Las Vegas for the Marine ball and they got married while they were in Vegas.

[Natalie Morales]

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[Natalie Morales]

On a beautiful fall afternoon in 2013, Erin was stuck inside unpacking boxes. The tree lined view from her childhood bedroom in Tennessee was replaced with the sandy expanses and cacti of 29 Palms, California. By all accounts, she was still a newlywed. She and John had not yet celebrated a year of marriage. Despite a condo full of boxes, Erin.

[Lore Heavilin]

Was alone and she moved out there, got their apartment all set up before John got home from his deployment.

[Natalie Morales]

John's deployment in Okinawa, Japan continued on for another few months and Erin's new life as a 19 year old Marine's wife began. If she ever felt isolated in Oak Ridge, life on the Marine base challenged her even more. Erin went from living in a house full of siblings to an empty apartment. All she could do was was wait for John to come home.

[Lore Heavilin]

I think Erin was enjoying some aspects of being a Marine wife and other aspects. I think it was harder than what she anticipated.

[Natalie Morales]

Erin tried to develop a routine. She went to the commissary a few times a week to pick up groceries. Otherwise she spent her time watching TV and scrolling Facebook. She texted her friends back in Tennessee often. After a few months, John came Home. But not much changed for Erin.

[Lore Heavilin]

John was not deployed again after she moved out there, but being in artillery, he went out in the field every month for at least five days, sometimes more. And so she would be home alone during those times that he was out in the field.

[Natalie Morales]

She was lonely. But one day, according to her mother lore, things started to improve when Erin made her first friend on base. Erin was busy unloading her saddle out of her car when she bumped into her next door neighbor.

[Lore Heavilin]

Nicole and Erin clicked because of the horses.

[Natalie Morales]

Nicole Lee lived right next door to Erin and John. She was a fellow Marine's wife. And when Nicole saw Erin carrying a.

[Paul LaRosa]

Saddle, she invited Erin to come by the ranch where she kept her horse, the White Rock Horse Rescue. It was just a 40 minute drive from the Marine base. And with Nicole's invitation, Erin was immediately reminded of her favorite place on earth, the riding club in Tennessee. She probably felt a pang of homesickness and excitement.

[John Corwin]

Erin first came here with Nicole to look at horses. Introduced me and said, I want to find a horse. I need a horse. I rode when I was back home. She had a horse and she had to leave it. And so now she was homesick. And so she decided that getting a horse, riding it would give her some pleasure, some happiness.

[Natalie Morales]

Isabel Megley is the founder and CEO of this desert rescue ranch. But she was never tucked away in an office somewhere. Isabel preferred to be outside with the horses and the people who volunteer to take care of them.

[John Corwin]

I rehabilitate rescued horses that have been abused, and then I also take in horses that aren't abused and find them homes. And then I always invite any individual who would like to come and volunteer at the ranch to help me because we have no paid employees.

[Natalie Morales]

48 Hours producer Paul LaRosa met Isabel while he was covering Aaron's story. He reached out to her for an interview, but she never got back to him. He figured they'd visit the horse ranch anyway.

[Clifton Randolph Jr.]

So we go there, and the horses are everywhere, right off the public road. And the ranch itself is absolutely not fancy. I mean, it's very rugged. It's, you know, in a desert community. It's out in the open and, you know, you just see horses running back and forth. There's a few structures that look like they're down on their luck.

[Paul LaRosa]

While LaRosa was videotaping the sights on the ranch, he noticed a small group of people approaching him.

[Clifton Randolph Jr.]

It's sort of a ragtag bunch of young children and young people and this older woman. And I said, are you Isabel Megley, I said, we're from CBS News, blah, blah, blah. I sent you an email. I called you, and she said, oh, yeah, I meant to call you back. I just never got around to it. And I said, well, we're here now, and we want to talk to you. So once we were face to face, she was happy to talk to us. Isabel is a very weathered person. I mean, she's been outside a lot during her life.

[Natalie Morales]

You can tell Isabel was exactly the sort of person Erin knew well, a fellow animal whisperer with a menagerie of pets following her around the land. And when Nicole introduced the two of them, Erin knew exactly how Isabel could help her.

[John Corwin]

And so when she found her horse, Erin was with Cassie. It was like her partner.

[Natalie Morales]

It was decided Erin would volunteer on the ranch. She would pay to adopt a horse and take care of it, and then she'd be able to ride. Many military families from the 29 Palms base enjoyed the ranch. For Nicole, it was a family affair. She'd spend the day at the ranch with her Marine husband, Christopher Lee. Now, that included Erin.

[John Corwin]

So it was like a threesome. So when they would come, they would all take their horses and play with them, and then they would leave together, and they would have a good time, the three of them. It was very rarely the four.

[Natalie Morales]

So where was John?

[John Corwin]

Aaron was not supported by John for this activity because he was not interested in it. He would come here with his motorcycles or his things to play in the dirt, and that's what he would do was she would ride and she'd say, please come over and watch me ride my horse. He said, I'm not interested. So they were never cozy together. I kept waiting, but he was very difficult to interact with.

[Natalie Morales]

Isabel felt she came to know their relationship well.

[John Corwin]

Erin was always fighting with John over what John told her to do. And so she would come here and say, at least I'm free. And she was a different person. The only one he couldn't control was her relationship with the horse.

[Natalie Morales]

Erin would pile in with the Lee.

[Paul LaRosa]

Family for the ride to and from the horse ranch.

[Natalie Morales]

Thanks to them, she could see her horse whenever she wanted. Her relationship with the local community grew while her marriage strained.

[John Corwin]

I'm a very good judge of animals in and people go right along hand in hand with that.

[Natalie Morales]

Isabel welcomed the Marine families onto her ranch, and she observed later, she became a valuable Source for the NCIS agents working to find Erin Corwin. On Monday, June 30, 2014, Erin had been missing for 48 hours. News spread across The Marine base quickly.

[Isabel Megley]

It was big news for such a small area.

[Paul LaRosa]

Analyst Ashley De Chalfin had her eye on Erin's social media. She made note of the people who seemed to be close to Erin, who had recently tagged her in a post, who had commented. She searched through Erin's Facebook friends and looked through their friends to figure out how people knew each other. There was a lot of useful information publicly available. Analyst De Chalfin just had to determine which leads were worth following, what was real and what was speculation. In such a small community, this proved difficult early on.

[Isabel Megley]

Everybody was talking about it, everybody was commenting, commenting on it on social media. People were looking for her. There was buzz on base, and at certain points, it even became like a bad game of telephone.

[Natalie Morales]

Before long, the news about Aaron reached Isabel's horse rescue.

[John Corwin]

The phone rings and Erin Coren's girlfriend called me and said, have you seen Erin? And I said, no, but she went missing. I said, missing? She said, yeah. And then the detectives started coming with. That was an awareness of all the things I had been watching that happened was a key part of the investigation.

[Isabel Megley]

With any missing person, you want to return that person to their family and their loved ones because they care about that person. And from working a case like this, you develop a care for the livelihood of that person. You don't want to see anything bad happen. But in the back of your mind, it's a race against time and you know that you're running out of it.

[Natalie Morales]

For a concerned mother, the waiting game was misery.

[Lore Heavilin]

We really had no clue what happened. It was almost like we were walking in a different world, kind of numb.

[Paul LaRosa]

After the 48 hour mark with no sign of Erin, it was all hands on deck for the NCIS agents.

[Isabel Megley]

As the days go by, it's becoming more and more likely that you're not going to find her alive.

[Paul LaRosa]

NCIS paired up with San Bernardino's search and rescue team. They had three main objectives. To determine a safe plan of action to locate Erin Corwin and to bring her to safety. First, they had to assess the situation based on the story John told. They needed to look for clues. Special Agent Randolph and his team knocked on doors on base, asking if anyone had any information about Erin, any other story to corroborate or contradict her husband's. Was John Corwin telling the truth? This season on 48Hours. NCIS. The search for a missing Marine's wife uncovers secrets that nobody expected.

[Lore Heavilin]

She was so trusting and always saw the good in people that she did not see the warning signs. That I'm sure were there.

[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 Tygard, 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 and 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. If you like this podcast, you can.

[Natalie Morales]

Listen ad free right now by joining Wondery plus in the Wondery app. Before you go, tell us about yourself by filling out a quick [e-mail] survey Dracula, the ancient vampire who terrorizes Victorian London. Blood and garlic, bats and crucifixes.

[Ashley De Chalfin]

Even if you haven't read the book, you think you know the story.

[Natalie Morales]

One of the incredible things about Dracula is that not only is it this wonderful snapshot of the 19th century, but it also has so much resonance today. The vampire doesn't cast a reflection in a mirror, so when we look in the mirror, the only thing we see is our own monstrous abilities. From the host and producer of American History Tellers and History Daily comes the new podcast, the Real History of Dracula. We'll reveal how author Bram Stoker rated ancient folklore, exploited Victorian fears around sex, science and religion, and how even today we remain enthralled to his strange creatures of the night. You can binge all episodes of the.

[Ashley De Chalfin]

Real History of Dracula exclusively with Wondery.

[Natalie Morales]

Join Wondery and the Wonder App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify in the Pacific Ocean, halfway between Peru and New Zealand lies a tiny volcanic island. It's a little known British territory called Pitcairn, and it harbored a deep dark scandal. There wouldn't be a girl on Pit.

[Clifton Randolph Jr.]

Count once they reach the age of 10 that would still average.

[Natalie Morales]

It just happens to all of them. I'm journalist Luke Jones, and for almost two years I've been investigating a shocking story that has left deep scars on generations of women and girls from Pitcairn. When there's nobody watching, nobody going to.

[John Corwin]

Report it, people will get away with.

[Natalie Morales]

What they can get away with. In the Pitcairn Trials, I'll be uncovering a story of abuse and the fight for justice that has brought a unique, lonely Pacific island to the brink of extinction. Listen to the Pitcairn Trials exclusively on Wandery. Join Wondery in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. It was 1983. Power suits and perms were all the rage. Nightclubs pulsed with energy, and from bedrooms to boardrooms, cocaine was the drug of choice. One woman was raking in cash to keep that supply chain moving. Her name was Lainey Jacobs. But Laney had her sights set higher. She dreamed of becoming a Hollywood movie producer. That's how it starts. Before it ends, someone will be shot dead. From Wondery and the team behind the hit series Hollywood and Crime comes a gripping tale of ambition, betrayal, and the dark side of moviemaking. Follow Hollywood and Crime, the Cotton Club Murder on the Wondery app or wherever you get your podcasts. Listen everywhere on December 2, or you can binge all episodes early and ad free on Wondery starting November 11th.