Viswa Vanapalli
The sudden vanishing of 57-year-old Gavin Smith in May 2012 left his loved ones with many questions. But as searches turned up empty, they feared the worst. Sadly, they would turn out to be right when Gavin’s remains were found more than two years later in a desert in Antelope Valley, California. Investigation Discovery’s ‘The Perfect Murder: Jump Shot‘ as well as Netflix’s ‘Homicide: Los Angeles: A Hollywood Affair’ deals with his murder and the ensuing trial. His wife, Lisa, was a constant fixture throughout the search for her husband, making sure she was present during court proceedings.
Despite Their Issues, Lisa Smith Knew Gavin Cared For Their Family
Lisa and Gavin lived in West Hills, California, with their three sons. By all means, they were the picture of a perfect family, but the couple’s relationship was not without its pitfalls. They were dealing with some personal problems. He had a painkiller addiction owing to years of medication from when he’d broken his back during his previous career as a stuntman. He went to rehab as part of his recovery in 2008, where he met Chandrika Cade-Creech. He began an on-again-off-again affair with her shortly after. Therefore, with Lisa knowing the truth about his affair with Chandrika and another woman, he was out of the family home and temporarily living with a friend at the time of his disappearance. Lisa later stated, “I was the love of Gavin’s life. He adored me. Our family was exactly what he wanted to have. He just got lost.”
On the morning of May 1, 2012, Lisa spoke with Gavin regarding picking up one of their sons for school the next day. At the time, she had been taking care of her mother, who was dealing with cancer. The family reported him missing on May 2 when Gavin failed to show up as planned. Soon, it was apparent that his going missing was not intentional since he genuinely loved his family. His drug issues and his affairs were then looked at more closely by the investigators.
Lisa said of Gavin back in 2012, “I love my husband. The not so pretty aspects, I would have preferred to be kept to myself… he didn’t mean for this to happen. For him to disappear off this earth… I’m devastated. I’m a mess. My hair’s falling out. I’m losing weight trying to support my family. I was quiet out of respect for my family and respect for the investigation.” The search for Gavin proved to be unsuccessful, and in May 2014, he was declared dead by the authorities.
Though little did officials know that within months, in October 2014, Gavin’s decomposed remains would be found in a shallow grave in Antelope Valley. John Lenzie Creech, a convicted drug dealer and Chandrika’s husband, was then charged with his murder. While he was acquitted of first and second-degree murder, he was convicted of voluntary manslaughter.
Gavin Smith’s Wife is Now Settled in Hawaii
Lisa was present at John’s sentencing hearing and hoped the judge would hand him down the maximum sentence of 11 years to life in prison. She said, “He wouldn’t man up to what he did. Eleven years isn’t enough, but I understand that’s the maximum you can give him.” In an earlier statement, Lisa also said that she believed Gavin’s death was a result of premeditated murder carried out by John.
Coming to Lisa’s current standing, according to the last reports, she relocated to Keaau, Hawaii, alongside all three of her sons shortly after the court proceedings came to a close. She had seemingly had enough of the public attention and was determined to refocus on just raising her boys in the best possible manner without any prying eyes. As for her professional standing, while this animal enthusiast and proud mother has preferred to keep details regarding the same well away from the limelight too, it appears as if she is now leading a stable life surrounded by her loved ones.
Read More: Where is John Lenzie Creech Now?
