The body of Gavin Smith, a 20th Century Fox executive in distribution and father of three sons, was ositively identified by the Los Angeles County coroner on Wednesday, according to authorities. After being missing for more than two years, Smith's remains were found by hikers in a remote area.

The body was found Oct. 26 in a rural area of Palmdale, spokeswoman Nicole Nishida of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said.

Smith was 57 years old when he vanished on May 1, 2012. He was legally declared dead on May 1, 2014.

Nishida said that the manner and cause of death are still pending.

After his disappearance, several searches were conducted to find Smith and his family even posted a $20,000 reward. Earlier this year, Los Angeles police told the Los Angeles Times that investigators "have physical evidence of his death."

Smith was last seen leaving a friend's house in Ventura County. In February 2013, his Mercedes-Benz vehicle was found in Simi Valley at a storage facility following a tip. When officials found his car, they connected the storage locker to James Creech, who was sentenced to eight years in prison for unrelated drug charges. Creech said at his sentencing that he had never met Smith.

The Sheriff's Department said at the time that the condition of the Benz and witness accounts led them to suspect Smith had been killed. They had "a good idea" of a motive, but declined to comment further.

However, Sheriff's Lt. Dave Dolson alleged there was some connection between Smith and Creech's wife, who met while in rehab. He would not comment if their relationship was romantic.

Despite Creech's criminal record, which included a conviction for moving cocaine between drug producers and lower-level street dealers, authorities said they do not think Smith was involved with drugs.

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