Christopher Lee, 24, will soon be on his way back to California.
Lee waived extradition Thursday morning in an Anchorage courtroom, two days after challenging his return to California, where he’s accused of the murder of his alleged mistress, 19-year-old Erin Corwin.
San Bernardino County sheriff’s deputies said they found her body last weekend in a California mine shaft.
She had been pregnant, possibly with Lee’s child, law enforcement officers said. Investigators said they believe Lee killed Corwin to hide the pregnancy from his wife and Corwin’s husband.
The couples lived next door to each other while Lee had been assigned to a U.S. Marine unit in Twentynine Palms, California.
Corwin vanished June 28 after leaving home for a planned trip to Joshua Tree National Park. Investigators said they believe Corwin went to meet Lee.
Deputies said they found fired .22-caliber casings and rebar near Corwin’s body. The head stamp from the casings matched those found in Lee’s car and home.
While the investigation into Corwin’s disappearance unfolded, Lee returned to Anchorage in July after receiving an honorable discharge from the Marines.
Investigators arrested Lee August 17 near the Jewel Lake home where he had stayed since his return.