Page 8 - Kill Gavin Smith News Today

>> we felt the vehicle was still out there somewhere. >> reporter: so find the car and maybe find out what happened to gavin. and nine months after gavin vanished, they finally got the break they were looking for. >> i said, im here to talk to you about your daughter and he started crying and he said, she saw everything. >> coming up. >> she was very nervous and startled. >> a new witness and a game changer of a clue. >> i kissed my partner on the cheek, it was pretty exciting. it was a big piec...

>> reporter: but they didnt meet chandy in there. they met her husband, his name was john. john creech. not pleasant. >> when they came out, they were both crying. >> reporter: they told their mom creech threatened to kill gavin if he didnt stay away from chandy. though 17 months later he vanishes after calling chandy, lisa had a very bad feeling. >> everything changed right then for me. >> reporter: detectives were suspicious, too, remember, chandy told them she didnt see gavin that night. but ...

You dont normally have key witnesses who dont come forward until years later. >> reporter: in january, 2015, nearly three years after gavin smith disappeared, creech was charged with first degree murder. he had pleaded not guilty. and chandy, well -- >> we didnt know if she set it up or she had something to do with it. >> coming up, an under cover sting and chandy is the target. >> and i was like, stop it. screaming my head off. >> then a stunning moment in the courtroom. >> i wanted to get away...

Verdict. >> we the jury in the above entitled action find the defendant john creech not guilty of the crime of first-degree murder of gave insmith. >> not guilty of first-degree murder. but the jury wasnt done. >> guilty of the crime of voluntary manslaughter. >> a verdict, guilty of voluntary manslaughter, in other words, they believe john creech killed gavin smith in a moment of blind passion. >> i was devastated by the verdict. i am still devastated by the verdict. because he did absolutely p...

>> reporter: and you must have had a reason for knowing that. >> thats what i assume. >> reporter: it turned out lisa did know something, just not what tara expected. there were secrets which lisa and gavin kept hidden. >> he adored me, our family was exactly what he wanted to have. it just got lost. >> reporter: lost. it all started in the early 80s even before she met gavin when he was a stunt man on the tv series "remington steele," he played a shooting victim, falling from a second story win...

Like a solid case, the phone evidence, the cover up, the truly appalling crime scene in gavins car. but did it add up to first degree murder? gavin smith had been dead five years. >> he was killed in his mercedes benz in an act of almost stunning brutality by the defendant john creech who is sitting here in the courtroom. this became gavin smiths tomb. >> reporter: what happened wasnt merely an outburst of rage, said the prosecutor, no, creech had been plotting for two years, ever since he found...

But made no connection between that and something she noticed about her boyfriend john creech. >> i discovered he had scrapes on his hands and on his arms. >> she didnt think he had anything to do with the disappearance. >> reporter: but when detective obrien heard about creechs scrapes, he immediately thought of gavin smiths wounds. he needed to talk to john creech again, and he found him in jail serving eight years on a cocaine charge. his second conviction for dealing drugs. not exactly an up...

Waiting to unleash a surprise. testimony from the defendant himself. heres keith morrison. >> how to defend a man like john creech. well, said defense attorney irene nunez, it was all very simple. creech never intended to kill gavin smith. this was was a case of self-defense. >> he had to defend himself against this intruder, an intruder into his marriage. >> reporter: and, she said, only one person could tell that story. >> who is the first witness that you want to call on behalf of the defense...

Plotting for two years ever since he found out about chandy and gavin. after that day back in december 2010, when at their mothers request, gavins sons met with john creech at his house. >> we just wanted to make sure that my dad was not in harms way. >> were you sobbing and crying? >> yes. >> and what were you saying to the defendant? >> i was just begging him not to harm my family. >> reporter: but they testified creech told them that they did the right thing. >> he ended up saying that we sav...

Hospital. he was setting out to recruit help for his cover-up. so first person he calls is jorge. >> he was the first of a series of friend who told an incredible tale. >> did you ask any of these people at central question, what were you thinking? >> they all ultimately said that they were trying to help johnny. >> because hes such a nice man. >> because he was a nice guy. >> nice? when creech showed up at jorges house that night, he was driving gavins black mercedes and jorge saw something in ...