San Juan Capistrano True Crime Murder On Cutthroat, Inc. Podcast

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, CA — Edward Shin is a convicted murderer, spending the remainder of his life in prison for killing his business partner — Laguna Beach businessman Chris Smith — and assuming his identity to conceal the crime.

Shin was found guilty of Smith's financially-motivated murder in 2010. Though Smith's blood was found spattered across the pair's San Juan Capistrano office, the body was never found. It only took the Orange County jury one hour of deliberations before convicting him of first-degree murder, with a special circumstance of killing for financial gain.

ABC 20/20's new podcast called Cutthroat, Inc., hosted by Matt Gutman, will review the case with an in-depth interview with Shin from behind bars.

The chilling expose promises to be a win for 20/20. Gutman describes the events that led to the murder, as well as the bizarre identity theft where Shin duped Smith's entire family for a whole year.

"People believed Shin because Smith was a surfer with wanderlust stitched into his DNA, and he had been investing in gold coins," an ABC spokesperson said in a release.

It is now 10 years later. Shin has admitted that he "accidentally" killed Smith, though he denies an intentional murder took place.

Former Orange County Senior Deputy District Attorney Matt Murphy, who tried and won the case, insisted Shin is lying, according to ABC.

What's more, Smith's body has never been found.

In the interview, Gutman asks Shin, point-blank, where Smith's body is. After all, Shin said under oath that he hoped one day to help police find his former partner's remains.

Though he nods affirmation on camera, Shin remains tight-lipped.

"I can't talk about that … because I don't know," Shin told '20/20.' "There is no way I can get into that at this point … I wish I could tell you more, but there's something bigger that I just can't talk about."

What that "bigger" thing is, and other circumstances surrounding the murder and cover-up was the focus of a 14-month interview process by ABC News reporter Matt Gutman.

Gutman spent hours visiting Shin in jail, talking with him over a dozen phone calls, and exchanged letters with him, trying to understand what motivated this murder and to learn where Smith's body may be, ABC said.

The full report will air on "20/20" Friday, Jan. 24 at 9 p.m. ET on ABC.

Subscribe now to "20/20's" podcast about this case, "Cutthroat Inc.," debuting on Feb. 27.

Read:

Suspect Arrested in Killing of Laguna Beach Man

San Juan Capistrano Businessman Found Guilty Of Killing Partner