A student from China unexpectedly pleaded guilty in a Canadian court on Tuesday to the second-degree murder of a nine-year-old Toronto girl, whose abduction in 2003 triggered a worldwide search.

Min Chen in an undated photo. The student from China unexpectedly pleaded guilty on Tuesday to the second-degree murder of nine-year-old Cecilia Zhang, whose abduction in 2003 triggered a worldwide search. [Reuters]

Canadian media reported that Min Chen, now 23, made his plea on the first day of his trial into the abduction and murder of Cecilia Zhang. He was sentenced to life in prison.

The girl vanished from her bedroom in the middle of the night in October 2003 and her remains were found six months later in a wooded area just outside Toronto, two days shy of her 10th birthday.

The cause of death was asphyxiation and the motive was money, according to media reports of a statement of facts presented to the court.

Chen said he wanted to continue his education in Canada but his money was running out and his student visa was about to expire. He said he planned to kidnap the girl and demand a ransom, but smothered her when he pressed a towel over her face to keep her silent.

Investigators, baffled by the absence of a ransom request for the schoolgirl's safe return, launched a massive search, while tips and donations poured in from as far away as Hong Kong and China.

Cecilia Zhang, the nine-year-old Toronto girl, whose abduction in 2003 triggered a worldwide search [file photo]

The story captured nationwide attention and beyond when it was reported on "America's Most Wanted" television show.

Chen was charged in July 2004 with the murder. Police said he had met the Zhang family through a former boarder, also a visa student from China, at their home. The young woman was at first a suspect in the case but was later cleared.

Chen is ineligible for parole for 10 to 25 years and must submit DNA to a database of criminal offenders.