Marine’s missing pregnant wife allegedly had affair with neighbor

A U.S. Marine’s missing pregnant wife was reportedly having an affair with her neighbor who had planned to take her on a hunting trip at the time of her disappearance roughly three weeks ago, according to a search warrant made public this week.

Erin Corwin, 19, was last seen June 28, the same day she was to go on a hunting trip with the neighbor, Christopher Lee, who may have been the father of the child, according a search warrant issued July 8 in San Bernardino County Superior Court.

The search warrant, first reported by KFMB Channel 8, sheds new light on Corwin’s mysterious disappearance, given that sheriff’s officials have so far released little information on the case.

Corwin reportedly told her husband she was heading to Joshua Tree National Park to scout trails for the upcoming visit of her mother. When she didn’t return home the next day, her husband reported her missing.

On June 30, authorities found Corwin’s car abandoned a couple of minutes away from her home. Near her car, detectives found a shoe print and a set of tire marks, which they said matched those on Lee’s vehicle, according to the warrant.

Lee told detectives he went hunting in Joshua Tree on June 28 as planned but did not go with Corwin and returned home the same day.

But according to the warrant, Corwin left with Lee that day, her phone turned off.

Corwin had told her friend that “Lee was worried if his wife discovered Erin was pregnant, Lee’s wife would divorce him and keep him from his child,” the warrant said. When detectives talked to Lee, he reportedly admitted to being “romantically involved with her” but denied any sexual relationship.

The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department declined to discuss the warrant but issued a statement Tuesday calling the release of “such extensive details” an unfortunate development that could affect the outcome of the case.

“The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department has a responsibility to Erin’s family, her loved ones and her unborn child to provide answers regarding her disappearance,” the department said. “It is essential the integrity of the investigation be maintained in order for justice to be served.”

The department has previously said that no one is being investigated in Corwin’s disappearance. But on Tuesday, authorities said they are looking for a possible crime scene for “potential evidence of foul play.”

Investigators have also spoken to numerous people who knew Corwin.

“Although suspicious circumstances have existed from the inception of this investigation, there is still not enough evidence to rule out that Erin Corwin could be voluntarily missing,” the Sheriff’s Department said. “It is crucial all acquaintances be contacted and interviewed, in an effort to solve the case.”

During a search of Lee’s home in Yucca Valley on July 4, investigators arrested him on suspicion of possessing a destructive device, according to the Sheriff’s Department. Days later, he was released after posting bail.

The arrest was separate and not connected to Corwin’s disappearance, sheriff’s officials said.

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