Los Angeles man convicted in Hollywood studio executive's death
The lawyer argued that Smith had died during a violent, "tragic" fight between the two men and that there had been no intent on her client's part to kill
July 04, 2017
LOS ANGELES: A convicted drug dealer was found guilty on Monday of voluntary manslaughter in the death of a Hollywood studio executive who was missing for more than two years before his remains were found buried in the California desert.
John Lenzie Creech, 44, was convicted by a Los Angeles Superior Court jury after a two-week trial. The jurors had begun deliberating on Friday afternoon.
Prosecutors said during the trial that Creech attacked and beat Gavin Smith, 57, after finding his estranged wife in a car with the film distribution executive at 20th Century Fox.
A Los Angeles County public defender who represented Creech at trial, Irene Nunez, could not immediately be reached for comment following the verdict.
Local KNBC-TV reported that Nunez argued at trial that Smith had died during a violent, "tragic" fight between the two men and that there had been no intent on her client's part to kill.
Smith – also known for playing on UCLA's 1975 national championship basketball team under celebrated coach John Wooden – was reported missing on May 1, 2012, prompting police to issue a missing person bulletin and launch an exhaustive search.
The film studio issued a statement expressing concern about his disappearance, while family members posted a $20,000 reward, saying the 6-foot-6-inch (1.98-metre) ex-athlete with "movie star" looks should be easy to spot.
His son Evan Smith – then a forward for the University of Southern California basketball team – tweeted messages such as "I will not stop until I find my father."
Smith's black Mercedes-Benz was found in February 2013 at a storage facility in the Los Angeles suburb of Simi Valley.
In October 2014, hikers stumbled across a skull and other bones belonging to the missing studio executive in a shallow grave in the Angeles National Forest, 64 kilometres east of Los Angeles.
Creech, who was serving an eight-year prison term for sale of a controlled substance when he was arrested in connection with Smith's death, faces a maximum of 11 years behind bars for his conviction on the voluntary manslaughter charge.
He was ordered back to court on September 19 for sentencing.
