Feb. 02--The arraignment for a man accused of killing 20th Century Fox executive Gavin Smith has been delayed until late this month.
Convicted drug dealer John Creech, 42, had been scheduled to be arraigned Monday before the proceeding was pushed back to Feb. 26, court officials said. He faces up to 25 years to life in prison if convicted.
Authorities had been investigating Creech since February 2013 when they got a tip that Smith's car was in a Simi Valley storage locker. The storage locker was linked to Creech.
Creech, who was arrested by Glendale police in a drug bust, pleaded no contest in 2012 to one count of selling and transporting cocaine.
He told a Los Angeles Times reporter he had never met Smith.
But deputies believed there was some relationship between Smith and Creech's wife, whom he met in rehab.
Smith's remains were found Oct. 26 in a shallow grave by hikers in the desert outside Palmdale.
Smith, 57, had not been seen since May 1, 2012, and was legally declared dead May 1, 2014.
He was last seen leaving a friend's home in Ventura County. Family and friends searched for Smith and offered a $20,000 reward.
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UPDATE
2:04 p.m.: This post was updated with the arraignment being postponed.
The original version of this post was published at 8:59 a.m.
