There was Something Big going on there. Had no idea what we were getting into. Reminds me of indiana jones. One wrong turn and it could be your last. This really cant be happening. We didnt realize there would be a predator. Reporter they say if youre feeling down, its time to saddle up. With a little love, trust, and respect, these majestic creatures can emerge as loyal and gentle companions. For both horse and rider, theres nothing like it. She transformed into this awesome horse handler. And she knew what she was doing and what she was talking about. Reporter if only romantic relationships were that simple. This is the story of a young woman, so gentle, so vulnerable. She may have understood what makes horses tick, but humans . A different beast indeed. This doesnt happen to people we know. It just doesnt. It was crushing. I cried. I cried for days. I still cry when i think about it. Not really sure what type of person it takes to do that. Reporter oak ridge, tennessee, nestled along the beautiful clinch river, is an unassuming place with a big story. Atomic capital of the world, oak ridge, tennessee. Home of manhattan project. They call it the secret city for its part in the manhattan project, which produced the first atomic bomb. Oak ridge still prides itself on being a community that values science and education. And its a good place to raise a family. This is where Erin Heavilin grew up. When erin was three weeks old she joined our family as a foster child. She was a tee tiny little thing. She i think she was five pounds, three ounces when we got thats thats small. And all we thought she was the sweetest little thing. Our oldest girls were 16 and they carried her around. She was, like, their little doll . Yeah, they loved her. Reporter lore and her husband officially adopted their little doll when she was three. Erin grew into a shy little girl, reserved around those she didnt know. But with the horses she cared for at the east tennessee riding club, that was a different story. When i think of erin with horses, i think of her as a bigger shes very confident. She knows exactly what she wants, and what shes going to do. But with people, she was much meeker. Much quieter, calmer. Reporter horses would always be erins first love, but as she entered her teen years, a certain young man caught her eye. His name is jon corwin. What was it about you that could kind of break through to erin . Because her mom says how shy she was. And she was better with horses than people. So what was it about you . Guess its my charming personality. I i have no idea. It still surprises me today. Really . Yes. I guess, i was always able to talk to her, and figure out what she was feeling. Reporter erins parents had strict rules about when she could start dating. Jon was sure to get their blessing first. Thats very chivalrous of you to go to her parents. Its the way i was raised. You should always get the parents permission before anything. Reporter after graduating from high school, jon joined the marines. He asked erin to marry him when she was just 18yearsold with an unusual proposal. There was no champagne, but there was a cup of sprite. My hands were clammy and everything, nervous as heck. And so i go grab the st sprite. And i put the ring on top of it. And ask her to marry me. The ring was around the straw . Did she see it right away . No. I told her, hey, look at your drink. And what did she what was her reaction, when she finally looked down . She was crying tears of joy, ecstatic, and just screaming, yes, yes, yes. I would love to. Reporter erins mom had heard that being a military wife comes with sacrifice. Im a marine corps wife, myself. And i know that it can be a very lonely life for people. And its not easy. Did you try to warn her oh, yes. And did she listen . I know, mom. I know, mom. You know, and of course when i was 18 i knew also. You know, you probably couldnt tell me a whole lot. Reporter the couple decided to elope to las vegas and tied the knot after an annual formal celebration, known as the marine corps ball. Okay, so my husband and i have had a lotta fun at marine balls. However, i never thought about getting married at one of them. Why did you guys decide to get married there . Because we were young. It was vegas. I honestly didnt plan on a lotta things. It was more like spurofthemoment type deal. And thats how we lived. Reporter jon was assigned to the Twentynine Palms marine base out in the california desert. In september 2013, erin packed up for her move to join him. Her mom saw her off at the airport. Shes very directionally challenged. And she had two layovers. And im like, when you get off that plane you ask somebody where you need to go. And you let me know as soon as you get there. What emotions were you feeling letting your baby go to start her new life . It was scary for me. You know, i knew that it was gonna be harder than she ever dreamt. Reporter like any parent, lore worried about her daughter finding her place in this new life. Shes very shy. And i did have concerns about her making friends. We felt like base housing would be safer for her. Because her husband was out in the field so often. Reporter it wasnt long before jon and erin learned they were expecting a baby. She was very excited. I was excited for her. Reporter sadly, her excitement was shortlived. In early 2014, she suffered a miscarriage. Wanting desperately to be a mother, erin vowed to try again. Around four months later, in june of that same year, during a visit to the hospital for nausea, the couple got good news. Erin was pregnant again. She decided to wait to surprise her mom with the news. Lore already had a trip planned to visit the following month. We had, you know, plans of, like, just going for walks. We were gonna go to san diego to go to sea world and san diego zoo. But mostly just spend time together. You both mustve been really wanting, needing this trip . Absolutely. Reporter in anticipation of her mothers visit, erin told her husband she was going to scout out some good hiking locations at nearby Joshua Tree National park. She had woke up and gotten dressed, and gave me a kiss goodbye and said, hey, im headin out for the day, and i love you. I told her, i love you, too. And i rolled back over and went to sleep. Reporter a routine goodbye, or so it seemed. Until erin corwin vanished without a trace. What happened to erin . John calls, and he said, erins missing. I was just so stressed and worried. John was concerned, but he was withdrawn. When you have a spouse whos not extremely frantic, youve got to question why arent they super upset . We had a lot of questions for jon. Machines dont have emotions. But the rare few can inspire them. With a naturally aspirated 5liter v8 engine, and a 10speed directshift transmission. The firstever lexus lc. Experience amazing. Studying to be a dentist and she gave me advice. She said dad. Go pro with crest prohealth. 4 out of 5 dentists confirm these crest prohealth products. Help maintain a professional clean. Crest prohealth. Really brought my mouth. To the next level. Go pro with crest prohealth the extra crispy colonel. My extra crispy, twenty dollar fillup feeds a family of four. Its crunchy juicy and oh so tasty. Kfc. Its extra crispy good. Be the you who doesnt cover your moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. Be the you who shows up in that dress. Who hugs a friend. Who is done with treatments that dont give you clearer skin. Be the you who controls your psoriasis with stelara® just 4 doses a year after 2 starter doses. Stelara® may lower your ability to fight infections and may increase your risk of infections and cancer. Some serious infections require hospitalization. Before treatment, get tested for tuberculosis. Before starting stelara® tell your doctor if you think you have an infection or have symptoms such as fever, sweats, chills, muscle aches or cough. Always tell your doctor if you have any signs of infection, have had cancer, if you develop any new skin growths or if anyone in your house needs or has recently received a vaccine. Alert your doctor of new or worsening problems, including headaches, seizures, confusion and vision problems these may be signs of a rare, potentially fatal brain condition. Some serious allergic reactions can occur. Do not take stelara® if you are allergic to stelara® or any of its ingredients. Most people using stelara® saw 75 clearer skin and the majority were rated as cleared or minimal at 12 weeks. Be the you who talks to your dermatologist about stelara®. Reporter 19yearold erin corwin couldnt wait. Her mom would soon be making her first trip to see erin and her husband jon at their new home in Twentynine Palms, california, at the marine base in the middle of the Mojave Desert. Around 7 00 in the morning, erin said goodbye to jon and told him she was coming here to Joshua Tree National park to scout out hiking trails for her mothers upcoming visit. Reporter jon expected her home that afternoon, but she didnt show. He tried her phone. No answer. Did you keep calling . Called her throughout the night. How many times would you say you tried to call her or text her . At least 50 times. I was just so stressed and worried. Reporter hours passed and by the next morning, jon was frantic. John calls. And he said, erins missing. Reporter lore heavilin got the call back home in tennessee. He said, she left yesterday morning and i havent seen her since. My first question was, how much water did she have with her . Youre thinking this is, like, maybe a hiking situation . Well, you know shes gotten this is the child that has no sense of direction. You know, so im assuming shes lost. Reporter jon reported his wifes disappearance to the local police station. San Bernardino CountySheriffs Department was soon notified. Detective Trevis Newport obviously we were concerned. Can we find her before something, you know, horrible, before she meets a horrible end . You dont know if shes being held somewhere. We dont know if shes stranded in the desert still. Reporter lores phone rang again. This time it was a deputy. He had another idea about what might have happened to erin. One of his first questions was, do you think shes driving home . To tennessee . Yes, and so maybe shes just left. Yes. And i about laughed because i know how much she hates to drive, has no sense of direction, and theres absolutely no way she would give up a trip to sea world laugh and the zoo. Reporter back at Twentynine Palms, jon rounded up some of his marine buddies and headed into the national park. Its a vast expanse of nearly 800,000 acres of rugged rock formations, twisted joshua trees, and desolate open desert, where summer temperatures climb well past 100 degrees. We literally drove around Joshua Tree National park all day, trying to find any signs, any clues of where she mightve been. Do you see anything any signs of her, her car, a cl piece of clothing, anything . Nothing. Reporter theres a certain protocol detectives follow when investigating a missing person. Start small and close to home, that inner circle of friends and family, the ones who know the person best. So, when jon corwin reported that his wife erin had disappeared. It was natural. Theyd look at him. So, like, with any investigation you start closest to the source of the missing person. So we had a lot of questions for jon. Reporter investigators learned that once childhood sweethearts erin and jon settled in Twentynine Palms, things were far from perfect. Their relationship wasnt intertwined. We knew that it was a relationship that was probably starting to dwindle. Reporter there was her miscarriage in early 2014. Jon says it was heartbreaking, and erin had trouble coping. She became very enclosed and depressed and would stay at home. And im definitely not the one that actually speaks out on his emotions. Ive always kept them bottled up my whole life. She felt like i didnt care about it. And i did and it actually hurt me a whole lot. It really took a toll on our relationship. Reporter and erins mom, lore, knew that the young married couple also had money problems. We gave each of our kids a certain amount of money when they got married. And they kept just buying things. And then, all of a sudden i think that huge chunk of money was not there. You struggled with finances . Definitely. The pays not that great. But we had food on the table. We just didnt have any money for extracurriculars. Was that hard for erin . I know there was an issue with her credit card. Yes, it was hard. We ended up racking up debt. I ended up having to take away the card. Times were lean . Yes, very lean. Reporter they were grownup problems for a couple barely out of high school. Erin shared her worries with her friend abby. Its just hard to transition from being on your own to being married. And sometimes a hard hand is what you need. And i think thats what jon was teaching her. And she didnt like it. Reporter detective newport and his colleague jonathan woods wondered about jons behavior when his wife didnt return home why did he wait a whole day to call police . It was a little suspicious that he waited till the next day to report her as missing. Reporter jon said he explained to the investigators. He thought that was how these things worked. You see these common things on television now. You cant report a missing person until 24 hours after theyve been missing. And i truly believed that. Reporter made sense, maybe. But, detectives noticed something. Jon was kind of withdrawn. He was concerned, but he was withdrawn. And at at times we wondered, is it his . You know. His military background . You know, when you have a spouse whos not extremely frantic you youve got to question, you know, why why arent they super excited . Why arent they super upset . Reporter jon had gone into the park to search for his wife, sign of a concerned husband, or Something Else . Well, obviously as an investigator you have to wonder, is this person trying to put themselves there . Is this person trying to give us the reason why they would be there where the last person was seen, or was possibly contacted . You were seriously looking at him . Yes. I did think, maybe jon. And i think thats normal. It doesnt make it right, but i think that its normal human response to think the spouse. Reporter but really, they might have been getting ahead of themselves. Erin was missing and could well have run off on her own. There was no reason yet to believe any harm had come to her, much less that jon was responsible. There were other people to talk to, and a new place to explore, a sanctuary for erin right here in the desert. One that that would prove to be full of clues and secrets. They were laughing and going on. Anything flirtatious . Giggly. I had never seen her like that. Erin, the shy young wife. Exactly what kind of secret was she keeping . You have a spouse who is missing, and there might be some infidelity involved. Quick. Copy that. Walgreens makes it easy when summer needs a little help. Your Summer Base Camp is just around the corner so you can get in, out and back to those summer shenanigans. Walgreens. At the corner of happy healthy®. Opening night jitters. We take a deep breath and stand together. Courage. We have a fragrance for that. Glade® sc johnson livestreat the airport. E sport, binge dvrd shows, while painting your toes. On demand laughs, during long bubble baths. Tv on every screen is awesome. The allnew Xfinity Stream app. All your tv at home. The most on demand, your entire dvr, top networks, and live sports on the go. Included with xfinity tv. Xfinity the future of awesome. Fortunately theres a bedples dwhere you both get what yous . Want every night. Enter sleep number and the semiannual sale going on now. Sleepiq technology tells you how well you slept and what adjustments you can make. She likes the bed soft. Hes more hardcore. So your sleep goes from good to great to wow only at a sleep number store. Now its our lowest price ever on our temperature balancing i8 bed, save 700. Ends sunday. Go to sleepnumber. Com for a store near you. Award winning interface. Award winning design. Award winning engine. The volvo xc90. The most awarded luxury suv of the century. Visit your volvo dealer to take advantage of our midsommar sales event offer. They discovered that erin had been lonely when she first moved to the base, but quickly bonded with other military families. It was like ,kinda like Melrose Place in there. That is a perfect description of that apartment complex. Everybodys friends. Everybodys door is ten foot away from the next couples door. Reporter erin and jon grew close with their fellow marine corps neighbors. Including nichole and chris lee, a couple originally from alaska. Chris and nicole, and john and erin cooked out together all the time. I was happy, you know, that she had this. Reporter erin and nichole shared a common passion for horses. I was excited when erin and nicole met, because nicole was into horses. And i knew erin needed the horses. Reporter nichole introduced erin to the white rock horse rescue ranch and its owner, isabel megli. Youre not very far away from Twentynine Palms, the Marine Corps Base. No. 45 minutes. So, is this not only a kind of a sanctuary for the animals, but maybe a little bit for the marine corps wives . Yeah. Reporter isabel started the ranch in 2004. The spouses come to the ranch when their husbands or their fiances or boyfriends are out in the field. They have nothing to do, most of em dont work. And they get very lonely. Loneliness is probably the biggest problem that they have. This is where erin had her horse. Yes. Named cassie. Cassie. And that was very special to her. Come here cassie. Come here. Hi. So youre erins horse. She picked a horse that i would never have chosen for her. Why . What was what was with the horse . The horse was standoffish. It didnt like anybody and sh it liked her. This horse was so bonded to her. And we couldnt believe it. Reporter before long, erin and jon, chris and nichole, were spending more and more time at the ranch together. Wed go shooting, go out in the desert and shoot our guns. And wed go up to the horse ranch and typical shenanigans. I had a little dune buggy that wed all go take offroading, while the girls were doin their horse stuff. Reporter isabel said when the couples were together, chris was always the life of the party. At the ranch chris was very funny, he was a real soft individual when he talked about his daughter, his wife, his family. But he also had the ability to be very stern. Reporter the ranch was clearly an escape for chris, who struggled after returning from deployment in afghanistan. There was something t