Anything for Love: Hollywood Executive Murdered by Girlfriend's Husband With Bare Hands
A Hollywood film executive from California disappeared one day, and two years later, his remains were found, revealing an intriguing tale of an extramarital affair and a broken-hearted family.
In 2012, Gavin Smith's family in Los Angeles reported him missing after he failed to pick up his son from school and did not show up for work, The Independent reported.
Gavin Smith, an executive working for 20th Century Fox, had established a name and reputation for himself in his 50s, living in Los Angeles, The Independent reported. He was married to a woman named Lisa and shared three sons with her.
Gavin Smith's family life was in a shambles due to his repeated extramarital affairs. During the time Gavin Smith went missing, he was living with a co-worker, as his wife had caught him red-handed with another woman, the outlet reported.
Gavin Smith met Chandrika Cade in a treatment center in 2008, where he had admitted himself due to painkiller addiction, People reported. Both of them pursued an affair with each other, and Gavin Smith's family found out about it. He promised his family that he would call the affair off.
Gavin Smith and Cade's affair had put the victim's family in contact with Creech, People reported. Evan, Gavin Smith's son, personally met Creech to apologize along with one of his brothers, when the news of the affair broke out. Evan requested his father to close out the affair, and the latter agreed to do so.
On May 1, 2012, Gavin Smith and Cade met up with each other, People reported. Cade's husband, ex-convict, John Creech, tracked the duo down and confronted Gavin Smith. The fight soon turned physical and Creech killed the victim with his bare hands.
On the night of his disappearance, Gavin Smith came back from an event to his friend's house and then ventured out in his vehicle, People reported. The next day he did not pick up his son or show up at work. Lisa reported him missing.
Tara Smith, Gavin Smith's sister, knew immediately something was wrong when she got to know that her brother was nowhere to be found, ABC reported. "As soon as I heard that he had not picked up Austin from school, that’s when I said, ‘There has to be something wrong.’ What that is, I don’t know. I don’t know," Tara Smith shared.
Tara Smith and the entire family launched online campaigns and made media appearances, to get a lead on Gavin Smith's disappearance but to no avail.
In 2013, L.A. County Sheriff’s deputies found a lead in the case, NBC News reported. Authorities were led to the victim's vehicle in a storage unit after they conducted a drug bust that involved Creech. The condition of the car made authorities conclude that Gavin Smith was likely dead.
"The condition of the vehicle in conjunction with cooperating witness statements indicates he was killed," Lt. Dave Dolson said in a press conference, NBC News reported. "At this time, the evidence leads us to believe he was murdered." Creech became the person of interest in Gavin Smith's murder.
On October 26, 2014, Gavin Smith's remains were discovered by a group of hikers, in a shallow desert grave in the Angeles National Forest, approximately 70 miles away from the home where he disappeared, People reported.
In January 2015, murder charges were filed against Creech and a jury indicted him, People reported. Cade became a witness for the prosecution and shared that Creech murdered Gavin Smith by beating him relentlessly.
She also revealed that during the confrontation she fled to her house in her vehicle. Creech went on to conceal the body and the vehicle with the help of his accomplices, the outlet reported.
Creech was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter and sentenced to 11 years in prison, People reported. The prosecutors did not charge Cade and Creech's accomplices who helped him.