Authorities had searched a landfill for 40 consecutive days but did not find Lea Porters body. But they did find a pillowcase containing her cell phone, wallet, ID and her clothes. Although authorities dont believe Waides self-defense story, they were hesitant to take the case to jury without a body.
"We need a body," said Westminster Police Det. Matt Calhoon. "There are very few solved no-body homicides."
Instead, prosecutors offered Waide a plea deal of second degree murder in return for information about where her body is. He accepted and was sentenced to 48 years in prison. He maintained that he put the body in dumpster.
We could not go to a judge and say, We can prove that this man's lying to us. We want you to reject this plea bargain. There's no way we can prove that. Now, if the body's found somewhere else, we can certainly come back and say, Wait in minute, we had a plea bargain. He lied obviously, because the body was found in a different location, Young said.
Waide, now 26, is serving his sentence at Sterling Correctional Facility, where he will be released from prison in 2062.
Lea Porters family doesnt believe Waide and remains determined to find her body.
I want to do it for her, Maxx Porter said. She doesnt deserve to be just tossed away like a piece of trash.
