'I killed my children'

2008-01-03 12:04

Andale Gross

Independence, Missouri - A father pleaded guilty on Wednesday to killing his two children, whose remains were found hidden in a wooded area three years after they disappeared.

Daniel Porter, 44, was sentenced to life in prison after pleading guilty to two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of 7-year-old Sam and 8-year-old Lindsey. In exchange for the guilty plea, prosecutors agreed not to seek the death penalty.

Porter told the court he agreed to plead guilty for the sake of his children and their mother, not because he feared the death sentence.

"The conscience is a very powerful thing," he said. "I'm surprised I waited this long to confess."

Disappeared after weekend visit

The children disappeared in summer 2004, after Porter picked them up for a weekend visit. The children's remains were found in September.

When he was charged with their deaths in November, Daniel Porter already was serving a 38-year prison sentence for kidnapping the children.

Porter said he took the children into a wooded area under the guise of wanting to show them something. He asked them to put on blindfolds, told them to lie down and shot them in the head, simultaneously, with two .357 Magnum handguns. He said he couldn't explain his actions other than he had first intended to kill himself and wanted to take his children with him. "Other than that, I don't know what the hell happened."

The children's mother, Tina Porter, addressed her ex-husband in court. "I believe you probably want to take it back, but you can't. Everybody got hurt that day," she said.

She held up photos of Sam and Lindsey as she spoke. "Look at 'em. See how beautiful they are," she said, adding that Sam looked so much like his dad.

The last photo she displayed was a grim shot from the day of the memorial for the children.

Daniel Porter said he had felt that his family was falling apart and that it was getting to a point where he might not get to see his kids any more.

- AP