Christopher Waide pleads guilty to murder of high school friend Lea Chali Porter
The man accused in the disappearance of Lea Chali Porter pleaded guilty Friday to charges of second-degree murder and sexual exploitation of a child.
Christopher Adam Waide pleaded guilty to the charges as part of a plea bargain. He will be sentenced to 48 years, according to the Adam's County District Attorney's Office.
The sexual exploitation of a child conviction stems from more than 20 child porn videos found on his computer.
Porter, 19, was last seen while visiting Westminster, where Waide lives, in June 2014.
Waide and Porter knew each other in high school and had recently connected through Facebook, investigators said. After becoming upset with her boyfriend, Porter left her home in Pueblo and drove up to see Waide in Westminster.
Her car was found abandoned at Waide's apartment building, and Waide initially told police that Porter left his apartment after receiving a phone call on the night of June 3.
Porter's family said her brother and boyfriend confronted Waide and he allegedly confessed to killing her and explained how he did it. Family members recorded the confession and gave it to police.
Porter's body has never been found.