PORTLAND, OR — Christopher Lovrien, 56, entered a guilty plea in the 1999 death of Mark Dribin in Multnomah County Circuit Court on Friday. Despite his plea, Lovrien voiced strong objections to the court proceedings, according to The Oregonian.
Lovrien, facing a 20-year prison sentence with time served for manslaughter, expressed dissatisfaction with the legal process. He claimed that financial constraints prevented him from hiring a private attorney, which he believed would have led to a different outcome.
The case, which remained unsolved for two decades, involved the disappearance of Dribin, last seen alive on July 1, 1999. Prosecutors were unable to determine the exact events of the night Dribin disappeared. Lovrien, who admitted to being a meth dealer, recounted meeting Dribin at an adult bookstore in the early hours of July 4, 1999. The encounter allegedly led to Dribin inviting Lovrien to his home.
The investigation revealed signs of a struggle at Dribin’s residence, including a large kitchen knife and evidence of blood cleanup. Dribin’s vehicle was later found abandoned near a rehab clinic parking lot, close to Lovrien’s residence at the time.
This guilty plea marks a significant development in a case that has puzzled investigators for years. Lovrien also remains a suspect in another ongoing murder investigation.