Lea Chali Porter
Porter, circa 2014; Porter's wrist tattoo; Christopher Waide
- Missing Since 06/03/2014
- Missing From Westminster, Colorado
- Classification Endangered Missing
- Sex Female
- Race White
- Date of Birth 12/28/1994 (29)
- Age 19 years old
- Height and Weight 5'4, 85 pounds
- Distinguishing Characteristics Caucasian female. Brown hair. Porter's hair was dyed blonde at the time of her disappearance. She has a pierced lower lip and a dotwork tattoo covering her right hand and wrist; a photo of this tattoo is posted with this case summary. She also has a tattoo of Italian words on her lower back.
Details of Disappearance
Porter was last seen in Westminster, Colorado on June 3, 2014. She had traveled from her hometown of Pueblo, Colorado and visited a friend from high school, Christopher Adam Waide.
A photo of Waide is posted with this case summary. Waide stated they got into an argument because she wanted him to buy her drugs, and she got a phone call and left his apartment that night.
Porter has never been heard from again and she hasn't used her cellular phone, her credit cards or her social media accounts since June 3. Her car was found abandoned at Waide's apartment building, but her belongings were gone. She was reported missing on June 5.
On June 12, Porter's brother and boyfriend confronted Waide and recorded him confessing to killing Porter. They called the police, who questioned him and then arrested him.
Waide stated he and Porter had consensual sex, then got into an argument, and he killed her in self-defense after she attacked him with a knife. He said he put her body in a duffel bag and dumped it, and put her wallet, purse and clothes in various dumpsters in the area.
He was charged with first-degree murder, sexual assault and evidence tampering in Porter's case, but the sexual assault charges were later dropped. Authorities believe he killed her after she resisted his advances.
In September 2015, Waide pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced to the maximum term of 48 years in prison. He will have to serve 70% of the sentence before he can be considered for parole.
Investigators believe Porter's body may be in the Allied Waste Services Tower Road Landfill at Tower Road and 88th Avenue in Commerce City, Colorado. A 45-day search of the landfill proved unsuccessful at finding her remains, although her clothes and cellular phone have been recovered. Foul play is suspected in her case due to the circumstances involved.
Investigating Agency
- Westminster Police Department
- 303-658-4360
- 303-658-4237
Updated 4 times since October 12, 2004. Last updated April 28, 2017; date of birth added, distinguishing characteristics updated.