Marine’s pregnant wife, missing near Joshua Tree, a ‘sweet, sweet soul’

The search for a Marine’s 19-year-old pregnant wife, who disappeared more than a week ago after leaving her home in Twentynine Palms, continued over the weekend with help from at least 50 search-and-rescue workers, officials said.

Erin Corwin, who is three months pregnant, was last seen leaving her home about 7 a.m. June 28, apparently headed to Joshua Tree National Park, according to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department. Members of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department were also assisting in the search.

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FOR THE RECORD

An earlier version of this story said the car was found Wednesday. In fact, it was found Monday, and officials announced the discovery Wednesday.

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Her sister-in-law DeeAnna Heavilin told the Los Angeles Times that the family is grateful to the search-and-rescue workers who have been volunteering their time and the law enforcement officers who have been working long hours to look for Corwin.

“It’s been very special to us to see how people have been taking time out of their lives,” said Heavilin, the wife of Corwin’s oldest brother. “It gives you a whole new look at humanity to see people who don’t know Erin and, after all this is over, will never meet her even if she comes home -- there are just too many people to personally thank.”

“Erin is one of those people that if this were another Marine wife out there or another young girl out there ... she would be trying to figure out how she could help,” she said. “She’s really young, really innocent. She’s just a kind-hearted, trusting, sweet, sweet soul.”

Corwin’s Toyota Corolla was found in Twentynine Palms on Monday, but the car held no indication of which way she was going or her current whereabouts, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department said.

Heavilin told the Riverside Press Enterprise that before Corwin moved to Twentynine Palms last fall, she had never lived more than a mile away from her parents in Oak Ridge, Tenn. When she vanished, she had been preparing for a birthday visit from her mother -- the two had bought tickets to SeaWorld, Heavilin said.

Corwin has spent her time in Southern California volunteering at a horse rescue, Heavilin told The Times. She had a job in Tennessee, but in this phase of her life, she was thinking about being a stay-at-home mom.

Heavilin told WBIR-TV in Tennessee last week the family hopes Corwin simply lost her way in the park. “She’s just really timid and she has a terrible sense of direction,” Heavilin said. “We were all scared for her to travel home on her own because she had to go through airports by herself and it can be kind of overwhelming if you don’t have a good sense of direction.”

Air and ground crews began searching for Corwin after her husband reported her missing June 29. Crews have focused their search at Joshua Tree National Park and surrounding areas.

Homicide detectives are also investigating her disappearance.

Corwin was described as 5 feet 2 and 120 pounds with brown hair and blue eyes.

Anyone with information about Corwin is asked to call the San Bernardino County sheriff’s Specialized Investigation Division at (909) 387-3589 or sheriff’s dispatch at (909) 387-8313. To remain anonymous, call the WeTip hotline at (800) 782-7463.

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