Gavin Smith's Disappearance & Death Explained: Who Killed The Former Actor

Summary Gavin Smith's disappearance led investigators on a long, winding path to uncover his murder, with key suspects emerging over time.

Despite finding Gavin's car with dried blood, detectives needed a body to confirm his death, leading to a shocking discovery in 2014.

John Creech, suspected of Gavin's murder, was ultimately convicted of involuntary manslaughter, receiving an 11-year prison sentence.

Homicide: Los Angeles episode 5, "A Hollywood Affair," details former actor and 20th Century Fox executive Gavin Smith's mysterious disappearance. His wife, Lisa, noticed he was missing after he did not pick up their son on May 2, 2012. He was last seen leaving a friend's in Oak Park in his black Mercedes the previous evening. However, Gavin Smith and his car were nowhere to be found. It was unusual for Gavin to disappear without a trace, given his vibrant life with his family and career, although Gavin and Lisa were separated then.

Investigators did not immediately assume murder because Gavin Smith was a grown adult who could freely move around, although he did have responsibilities as a father, husband, and executive. After he was missing for over a week, the missing persons department turned the case over to homicide, suggesting that detectives suspected foul play. Homicide: Los Angeles analyzes Gavin's life leading up to his disappearance and how investigators realized his suspicious vanishment most likely ended in murder. However, detectives did not presume Gavin was dead, despite their suspicions, until months after his disappearance.

How Long Gavin Smith Went Missing After His 2012 Disappearance

Gavin Smith Was Missing For Over Two Years

Image Via Netflix

After disappearing on the night of May 1, 2012, Gavin Smith remained missing for over two years. Despite investigators' best efforts, they could not find him—Gavin had vanished without a trace. In the beginning, detectives only had cell phone tower information that pinpointed Gavin's location, but not much else. His last phone call was to a woman named Chandrika Creech, and through investigation, detectives began to suspect Chandrika's husband, John Creech, of murdering Gavin Smith. Creech's phone records and witness statements allowed investigators to find John's accomplices: Jorge Valles, renowned athletic trainer Stan McQuay, and Chandrika's grandmother's helper, Reina Lim.

Timeline of The Investigation Into Gavin Smith's Disappearance Date Gavin Smith disappears. May 1, 2012 Gavin Smith's wife, Lisa, notices his disappearance. May 2, 2012 Missing Persons Department turns the investigation over to Homicide. May 9, 2012 Investigators interview John Creech and discover Jorge Valles in Creech's phone records. June 22, 2012 Investigators discover Stan McQuay's involvement and bring him in for questioning. Summer/Fall 2012 Investigators discover Reina Lim's involvement, leading to the discovery of Gavin's car. February 2013 Gavin Smith is declared dead in absentia. May 2014 A couple and their dog discover Gavin's remains. October 2014

John instructed Valles to eliminate Gavin's phone, parked Gavin's car in McQuay's garage, and had Lim pay for a storage space where Creech parked the car. All of these dominoes cascaded over nine months, with investigators finally discovering the storage space, and by extension, Gavin's car, in February 2013, nine months after Gavin's disappearance. However, despite all the evidence detectives had collected, they still could not find Gavin Smith's body until a couple and their dog discovered human remains in Palmdale in October 2014, over two years after Gavin had disappeared.

Gavin Smith's Confirmed Death Explained

Gavin Smith Was Presumed Dead Before His Body Was Found

When detectives found Gavin Smith's black Mercedes in February 2013, they found a significant amount of dried blood, leading them to determine that Gavin Smith was most likely dead. However, detectives did not have his body until October 2014, when a couple and their dog, hiking in Palmdale, California, discovered human remains. Further analysis from the coroner's office indicated that the bones had to be Gavin Smith's remains because they matched several surgeries he had in recent years. The autopsy report suggested that Gavin was brutally beaten to death. Despite his best efforts to defend himself, Gavin succumbed to the beating.

Who Really Killed Gavin Smith?

John Creech Was Gavin's Ex-Girlfriend's Husband

Image Via Netflix

Once Gavin Smith's were thoroughly analyzed, the detectives needed one last piece of the puzzle before they could charge John Creech with first-degree murder. Detectives brought in his wife, Chandrika Creech. Chandrika was a friend and former affair of Gavin's. Eventually, Chandrika's attorney and the detectives struck a deal that would grant her leniency. Chandrika and Gavin met in 2008 at a rehab center, but they did not begin an affair until a year later. In 2010, they ended their relationship once Lisa found out. However, Gavin and Chandrika resumed their friendship without romantic involvement just weeks before his disappearance.

In January 2015, the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office finally charged Johnny Creech with the murder of Gavin Smith.

On the night of May 1, 2012, Chandrika and Gavin were in his car outside her home, where he sought her friendship and advice for getting back together with Lisa. Chandrika explained how John Creech came out of nowhere, ripped open the car door, and began beating Gavin. Despite Chandrika's best efforts, she could not help him. John beat Gavin until he was unconscious, paused for a moment, then continued to beat him until he was dead. In January 2015, the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office finally charged Johnny Creech with the murder of Gavin Smith.

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The trial began in June 2017 and ended just after three weeks with an unexpected verdict. The jury did not find John Creech guilty of first-degree murder—instead, they found John guilty of involuntary manslaughter. The judge was so disappointed with the jury's verdict that he gave the maximum sentence for this crime, which was 11 years in prison. Homicide: Los Angeles indicates that it was a short amount of time, but the federal government eventually prosecuted and convicted John Creech of drug-related charges, adding 40 years in prison to his sentence.

Source: Variety