A San Fernando man was found guilty today of killing a former Fox executive whose remains were later discovered in the Angeles National Forest, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office announced.

Jurors found John Creech, 44, guilty of voluntary manslaughter. Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Stephen Marcus ordered Creech to return for sentencing on Sept. 19 in Department 102 of the Foltz Criminal Justice Center.

Deputy District Attorney Bobby Grace with the Major Crimes Division prosecuted the case.

Gavin Smith, 57, was last seen on May 1, 2012. Evidence presented at trial showed that Creech found his estranged wife with Smith at a park in the victim's car. Creech brutally beat Smith, a former UCLA basketball player, while the defendant's wife pleaded for him to stop, the prosecutor said.

Nearly a year later, Smith's car was found at a Simi Valley storage facility connected to Creech. Smith's remains were discovered on Oct. 26, 2014, in a shallow grave in the Angeles National Forest.

Creech faces a possible maximum sentence of 11 years in state prison. Case BA434207 was investigated by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

Los Angeles County District Attorney / Case BA434207 / July 03, 2017