Thursday, Feb. 26, 2015 | 3:46 p.m.
LOS ANGELES — A convicted drug dealer has pleaded not guilty to killing a 20th Century Fox executive whose remains were found in the Southern California desert 2 1/2 years after he vanished.
City News Service reports John Creech entered the plea to a murder charge Thursday. He could face 25 years to life if convicted.
Creech is charged with killing 57-year-old Gavin Smith, who disappeared in Ventura County in 2012.
Hikers found his remains 70 miles away in the Antelope Valley last October.
A law enforcement official has told The Associated Press that Smith had a relationship with Creech's wife after meeting her in drug rehabilitation.
Creech currently is serving an eight-year sentence behind bars on a drug charge.
His attorney, Alex Kessel, says the men fought and Smith acted in self-defense.
Join the Discussion:
Check this out for a full explanation of our conversion to the LiveFyre commenting system and instructions on how to sign up for an account.
Full comments policy