LOS ANGELES (AP) — Southern California authorities say they've found the car of a 20th Century Fox executive who vanished nearly a year ago and they now believe he is dead.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department says a Mercedes-Benz registered to Gavin Smith was found Thursday at a Simi Valley storage facility.

Authorities say that the storage facility was linked to a man who's jailed on an unrelated drug conviction.

A sheriff's statement says detectives are now investigating the case as a homicide, although Gavin's body hasn't been recovered.

The 57-year-old Smith was last seen in May in Ventura County after leaving a friend's home.

Smith was with Fox's movie distribution department for nearly 18 years and was a branch manager for several theaters.