Murderer Impersonates Victim Via Email, Leads Family to Believe Son Was Alive
- Posted on September 2, 2011 at 10:46pm by
Liz Klimas
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In December, 32-year-old Christopher Ryan Smith from Laguna Beach, Calif., told his family via email he was going to the Congo and Rawanda, but he never made it. And his family never really heard from him again. In fact, they weren’t hearing from him before then either.
That’s because Smith was murdered, and since June 2010, his killer was sending emails to Smith’s family, leading them to believe their son was still alive.
According to the Los Angeles Times, authorities said Smith never made it out of the country, let alone his own office building:
They say he was killed inside his office in San Juan Capistrano by his business partner, Edward Younghoon Shin, who used Smith’s email account to send the messages.
Shin was arrested earlier this week and charged with Smith’s killing. The charges capped an investigation that began several months ago.
The family is still reeling, trying to understand what happened.
“Those emails were a small part of the trauma he put our family through,” Smith’s father, Steven, said. “It was just horrendous. It went on for months…. [Shin] led us everywhere but the truth.”
Christopher Smith was murdered by his business partner in June 2010. (Photo: Orange County Sheriff's Department)
According to the LA Times, Smith’s family reported him missing, and when they couldn’t find any signs he had been in Africa, they hired and private investigator. In May, the investigator found Shin had embezzled money from a previous employer. In April, the family filed a formal missing person report with the Laguna Beach Police Department. After finding first that Smith had never left the country in December, detectives began the hunt for Shin. They found him Sunday, right before the the plane he was on was about to take off for Canada. He then confessed to killing Smith “for purposes of financial gain.”
According to the Orange County Register, Shin and Smith had been business partners for two years.The Orange Sheriff’s Homicide Department is still trying to find the remains, which were not disclosed by Shin.
Watch the Orange County Register’s account:
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MUDFLAPS
Posted on September 4, 2011 at 2:31pmI think the government should send a stern letter to mr shin. that will really get him.
Report Post »HOn3yB33
Posted on September 4, 2011 at 1:29amThink long and hard before forming a partnership. CPA’s know the facts and partnerships ruin friendships. May the Smith family obtain justice.
Report Post »KrishnaDas
Posted on September 3, 2011 at 8:27pmSo sad. I can’t even imagine how his parents feel. If something happened to my son or daughter, I don’t think I could continue.
Report Post »JustPeachy
Posted on September 3, 2011 at 1:00pmI’m sincerely sorry for the Smith family. May you find closure and peace.
Kudos to the investigators for a job apparently well done!
Report Post »mobynowak
Posted on September 3, 2011 at 12:10pmExplain to me again why torture is so bad?
Report Post »MrHoggLegg
Posted on September 3, 2011 at 10:55amMaybe this country needs to use some 19th Century Justice ✯ If convicted of Murder or some other heinous crime and the death penalty applies ✯ And the jury finds you guilty ✯ You and your defense council have 30 days to mount an appeal ✯ If your council needs more time than 30 days ✯ Your council will be granted an extension to present their case ✯ Of course that will take place after your execution!
Report Post »abbygirl1994
Posted on September 3, 2011 at 2:16amNice business partner… Christopher was a fine looking young man with his whole life ahead of him.. then you look at his murderer and can see pure hatred… and anger that he has been caught. I for one am glad he was.. one less evil entitity on the streets!
Report Post »LIBERTARIAN T38
Posted on September 3, 2011 at 12:06amYou KNOW libs like Encicom are glad a white guy was murdered by a minority…he had it coming for all the evil white people have done…
Report Post »Dangerous Dave
Posted on September 3, 2011 at 1:15amYeah, but the perp is yellow, not black. The brothers despise asians almost as much as whitey. Way too industrious and independent for their liking. Bittersweet at best for the l-i-b-t-a-r-d-s.
Report Post »JustPeachy
Posted on September 3, 2011 at 12:51pmThis isn’t ABOUT race. It’s about GREED. Pure and simple.
Report Post »islandlady
Posted on September 2, 2011 at 11:43pmIf anyone asks, I don’t plan on going out of the country for any reason in the future. Crimes of opportunity are raging as the darkness covers this world. God bless the innocent and keep them safe, especially the children.
Report Post »proud2bmom
Posted on September 2, 2011 at 11:20pmBlaze, do you not have any editors? Spell check? It is Rwanda, not Rawanda. “They hired and private investigator”. Really? I expect these stupid errors in the comments, but not in the actual article. I’ve noticed several of these lately and so far Ms. Klimas was the author of all of them. You can do better — and you should.
Report Post »WhoIsTheCoon
Posted on September 2, 2011 at 11:32pmMaybe, you should volunteer your services. Since you are obviously so great at everything. Surely you NEVER typo. My God seriously I am sure you have never EVER made a mistake in your life. Get off your high horse and go do something with your kids once in awhile. You really make me sick always complaining.
Report Post »Dangerous Dave
Posted on September 2, 2011 at 11:40pmI think I hear your kids crying, Proud2B. Get off the PC and go be a mom.
Report Post »muzikant
Posted on September 3, 2011 at 12:31amyou know the blaze wont read this unless you have some cuss words involved…
Report Post »muzikant
Posted on September 3, 2011 at 12:32amthey will only see your comment if you add some curse words…
Report Post »muzikant
Posted on September 3, 2011 at 12:34amits ok if you complain. just dont sue them for it
Report Post »Dangerous Dave
Posted on September 3, 2011 at 1:10amOn what grounds could Proud2BeAHo sue? The Blaze should sue her for wasting bandwidth.
Report Post »Captain Crunch
Posted on September 3, 2011 at 3:56am@Dangerous Dave
That’s just plane wrong.
Report Post »Sy Kosys
Posted on September 3, 2011 at 7:29amAnd counter-sue you dave for being a d0uche……ease up cowgirl, save it for something a wee more menacing m’kay?
Report Post »Dangerous Dave
Posted on September 3, 2011 at 8:19amMy apologies to all and especially PRoud2bMom. I got carried away and there’s no excuse. Very sorry. It won’t happen again.
Report Post »TomFerrari
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Lets awl dew the write thing adze often adze wee can.
Aisle bet ewe cant sail books ewe right like that.
Report Post »Thee affect of righting bad gifts pour credibility two you’re self.
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Aisle clothes bye asking is it knot grate? Half eye mist any oa
biohazard23
Posted on September 3, 2011 at 12:32pm@TomFerrari, that’s hysterical!!!!
Report Post »Dangerous Dave
Posted on September 2, 2011 at 11:12pmRIP Mr. Smith. Mr. Shin was ordered to pay $700,000 in restitution for embezzlement and he got 3 years of probation?????? He should’ve done at least 10 years of hard time. The criminal justice system in the US is in a state of total collapse. Just what the ******** want.
Report Post »Dangerous Dave
Posted on September 2, 2011 at 11:16pmJust what the l-i-b-t-a-r-d-s want. Why is that censored? I love calling lefties l-i-b-t-a-r-d-s !!!
Report Post »Bill Rowland
Posted on September 3, 2011 at 6:27amDangerousDave – Over crowded prisons, a federal government that is concerned with prisoner rights a murder in most state prisons, is in the general population. Has TV in his cell, is authorized phone calls, and a certain amount of floor space. Stealing from his employer, and a prosecution team that has to many cases so they make deals to clear the calender for high profile cases.
Report Post »So restitution and 10 yrs probation.
Freedombeliever
Posted on September 2, 2011 at 11:07pmI’m glad the guy was caught and confessed. So sad for the family to have been led on this wild goose chase with the false emails. Throw the slimeball in the slammer forever and throw away the key!
Report Post »muzikant
Posted on September 3, 2011 at 12:36amwhy waste taxpayer money? shoot him on the spot! like it used to be in russia. you get a death sentence, next day is execution.
Report Post »db321
Posted on September 2, 2011 at 11:02pmVery sorry for the family. I pray that you get closure. I hope Shin get life with no parole. Great Job Police Investigators.
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