John Creech, a 44-year-old convicted drug dealer, was found guilty Monday of killing 57-year-old former Fox executive Gavin Smith, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office announced.
Smith went missing after he was seen leaving a female friend’s house in Ventura County on May 1, 2012. His black Mercedes Benz was found in a storage unit in February 2013, and investigators homed in on Creech after he was found to be connected with the unit.
“Evidence presented at trial showed that Creech found his estranged wife with Smith at a park in the victim’s car,” according to a statement provided by the District Attorney’s office. “Creech brutally beat Smith, a former UCLA basketball player, while the defendant’s wife pleaded for him to stop, the prosecutor said.”
Smith was officially declared dead in May 2014.
As TheWrap previously reported, Smith’s body was discovered on Oct. 26 in a rural area of Palmdale, California. His remains were found in a shallow grave by a man walking with his dog, authorities said, and subsequently identified as the 57-year-old executive.
Deputy District Attorney Bobby Grace with the Major Crimes Division prosecuted the case.
Creech will return for sentencing September 19. He faces a maximum sentence of 11 years in prison.