Ed Shin is a first-generation Asian American, born to South Korean immigrants. Chris Smith—White, the son of a firefighter and a schoolteacher. Ed and Chris were co-workers at Lead Generation Technologies—LGT, an advertising company. Motivated by money, they planned to leave LGT and partner together to hatch 800XCHANGE, an LGT competitor. Chris left first. Ed’s departure from LGT soon followed but not before he embezzled over $700,000. LGT management soon discovered Ed’s skim and he was subsequently prosecuted and convicted. To avert imprisonment, he was ordered to repay the $700,000 he had stolen. 

Allegedly, Chris refused to cosign an agreement allowing Ed to use capital from their newly formed 800XCHANGE business to pay the restitution, so Ed killed Chris. He then forged Chris’ signature on a document giving Ed full ownership of the company. To explain Chris’ sudden disappearance, Ed explained to police that Chris had decided to sail off into the sunset to pursue other interests. For several months, Ed sent Chris’ family email and text messages—purportedly from Chris. Six months later, the messages stopped, prompting Chris’ parents to file a missing person report, which triggered an investigation. 

A year had passed, and when questioned by law enforcement, Ed explained that although he might have caused Chris’ death, it was an accident. Not murder. However, forensic evidence revealed a different story. Ed was subsequently arrested, convicted of first-degree murder, and given a life sentence without the possibility of parole. Chris has yet to be found.

Was greed the motivation for the murder, as the prosecutor claimed, or was there an ulterior motive? And, since Chris was never located (dead or alive), was Ed’s conviction the end of this story?

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“Gaining Face” is a term familiar to many Asians. It refers to shame. When someone “gains face,” it’s because he or she had previously lost honor, respect, pride, or dignity. To “lose face,” one must have done something to forfeit that honor. The term, “saving face” implies that it can be saved—to lessen embarrassment and shame.

Somewhere down the line, Ed lost respect for himself. He became a liar, thief, compulsive gambler, and adulterer. The resulting shame, along with his apparent addictions, may have sent him spiraling down in a deadly direction—at the very least, he made poor, life-costing decisions. Ed lost face when he was arrested for killing Chris and subsequently convicted of the murder. But can he gain it back?