DA expected to grill former Marine on his defense of pregnant woman’s murder

A shocking admission from former Twentynine Palms Marine Christopher Brandon Lee, 27, in San Bernardino last week. He claimed he strangled Erin Corwin, 19,and pushed her down a mineshaft in the high desert. Lee said he did it because Corwin, the pregnant wife of his friend, a fellow Marine, confessed she molested his 6-year-old daughter.

Leah Sanson, a reporter for the Hi-Desert Star, sat through the testimony, along with Corwin’s family.

“Erin’s family, there was gasps from them,” Sanson said. “I don’t think they knew saw it coming. They may have found out earlier in the morning that was going to be his defense, but I’m not sure they knew the severity of what he was about to say.”

Sanson said it was heartbreaking to hear, and there were tears from the jurors in the courtroom.

“It was very hard to sit there and listen to him describe every little detail,” recounted Sanson.

Lee is back on the stand Tuesday for more cross examination from prosecutors.

“After he admitted that he did kill Erin, the D.A. wanted to hone in on that fact,” said Sanson. “The assistant D.A. actually brought a lifesize doll, and a homemade garrote, and asked Lee to show the jury what he did to Erin, and for a minute and a half and said, you could have stopped now, every 30 seconds.”

The San Bernardino County Assistant D.A. also has Lee’s wife Nicole, and their daughter on standby as rebuttal witnesses.

” I think it will be more hardball (from the prosecution),” said Sanson, “and ask (Lee), what really went through his mind and why he did it, so that the jury sees it wasn’t just involuntary manslaughter, it wasn’t just a spur of the minute thing, he had a plan and he was going to do it.”

The San Bernardino County Assistant District Attorney also has Lee’s wife Nicole and their daughter on standby as potential rebuttal witnesses Tuesday.