FOR MONTHS, a dead man's family was deceived by phony emails from his killer.
Ultimately, investigators uncovered Ed Shin's deception and his role in Chris Smith's homicide.
When did Chris Smith go missing?
On June 4, 2010, Chris Smith vanished but police weren't alerted to his disappearance until months later.
During the time he went missing, Smith's family received a string of emails from the deceased businessman.
While it appeared to be sent from Smith, the emails painted a story about how he sold his lead company The 800 Exchange to his business partner Ed Shin.
He also apparently explained how he found love with a Playboy model and left the US to travel the world on his yacht.
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In the months following his disappearance, he seemingly shared the details of his sailing adventures as he traveled South America and Africa.
"I finally found what I love, moving around and seeing the whole world. I can’t believe I almost trapped myself," one message said.
On December 26, 2010, Smith's family received one final email.
The message appeared to reveal: "I've withdrawn all my funds and will not be on record with the US anymore.
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"It was always my intention to move when I had the opportunity and when given the chance I took it, I'm happy where I am now."
In March 2011, Smith's family filed a missing persons report in Orange County.
What happened to Chris Smith?
On August 28, 2011, Smith's business partner Ed Shin was arrested in relation to his death.
During July of the same year, police made a breakthrough in Smith's case when private investigators discovered his blood in the office suite he shared with Shin.
Digital analysts also discovered the emails were not sent from Smith and were sent from a computer within the US.
Investigators concluded it was Shin who was impersonating Smith and corresponding with the late man's family.
On December 7, 2018, Shin was convicted of first-degree murder with special circumstances and sentenced to life in prison without parole.
Despite law enforcement pinpointing Shin as the murderer, Smith's remains have never been found.
During the trial, Shin testified he paid a third party to dispose of his business partner's body.
"I can't talk about that…because I don’t know," the prisoner said during his interview with ABC's 20/20.
He also claimed he didn't intend to kill Smith but an argument at their office space turned deadly when they got into a physical altercation about Shin's questionable business practices.
"I wasn’t trying to kill him but we got in a fight. I was in total panic.
"No one’s ever going to believe me. These cops aren’t going to believe me."
Where is Ed Shin now?
Shin remains incarcerated at Wasco State Prison.
Regarding the location of Smith's remains, he still maintains his naivety about where they could be.
"You have to think about it. If someone's willing to give up his life to protect a secret, there's a reason.
"There is no way I can get into that at this point…I wish I could tell you more but, there's something bigger that I just can't talk about."
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