Man pleads guilty in 2004 death of girl, 12

INDIANAPOLIS – A man who had asked prosecutors to seek the death penalty against him in the slaying of a 12-year-old girl instead faces life in prison after pleading guilty to her murder.\nJeffrey Voss, 42, waived his right to any appeals to reduce the sentence in the agreement Tuesday with prosecutors. His sentencing was set for April 20 in Marion Superior Court.\nVoss pleaded guilty to murdering Christina Tedder, who vanished Dec. 24, 2004, near her mother’s apartment on Indianapolis’ east side as she was walking to a convenience store.\nSix days later, Voss led authorities to her body, frozen in a creek about 15 miles outside the city. He told police he abducted the girl and strangled her with a vacuum cord.\n“He’s not going to suffer enough for me,” said the girl’s mother, Michelle Tedder. “I’m satisfied, because it’s taken way too long. Way too long.”\nProsecutors sought the death penalty. He wrote a letter in 2005 to Marion County Prosecutor Carl Brizzi that said he would agree to a plea to be executed.\nVoss’ father said after the hearing that he had urged his son to accept a life sentence.\n“He’s very sorry for what he did, and he doesn’t know why he did what he did,” Melvin Voss said.\nJudge Grant Hawkins asked Voss whether the plea deal, including no chance to be released from prison, was in his best interest.