PUEBLO The Pueblo murder trial of Donthe Lucas, who is accused of murdering his pregnant ex-girlfriend 21-year-old Kelsie Schelling in 2013, continued Wednesday following testimony from. During the interview, Lucas admitted to moving Schelling's car specifically, driving it from the Walmart where they were supposed to meet to a nearby medical center where it was later found. Months turned to years without answers. She said she feels some relief that Lucas won't be out on the street to manipulate any more women., Saxton hopes that people remember Kelsie Schelling as a little girl with a really big heart, a really big smile, a really big laugh, beautiful eyes, [and a] lover of animals, lover of children. It was just a special bond that we formed. In August of 1995, a local film crew in Arlington, Texas was doing a documentary on single mothers in welfare trying to get jobs. Hours later she vanished. Without a crime scene, murder weapon or body, how could the jury be convinced this was murder, and that Lucas was responsible? Though Schellings family got the verdict they wanted, they were still unable to bring her home for a proper burial. They found out that hed withdrawn $400 from her bank account. In May 2016, just after 20/20 covered Schellings case, Pueblo Police Capt. At 11:29 a.m. on Feb. 5, Torres said Lucas texted his mother, Going to make sure she didnt leave anything in the house. They planned to meet but at the last minute, Wilkins told Saxton she was in the hospital and could not come. Saxton said she remembered asking investigators if these items were in the vehicle when it was recovered and she was told they were not. By taking this avowal seriously, Adrian Johnston nally claries the philosophical project underlying iek's eorts. A jury. He has this way about him that makes you feel so sorry for him. It said, Where are you? 11:55 a.m.: Laura Saxton, Kelsie Schelling's mother, was the first witness called to the stand by prosecutors. Eighteen hours later, an unknown man is seen getting in the car and driving away. Donthe Lucas, 28, was found guilty on Monday in the killing of his missing girlfriend, Kelsie Schelling, according to the Denver Post. kelsie schelling murder, mollie tibbetts murder, true crime series. As he told Sinnema, Lucas told Binet the last time hed seen Schelling was Tuesday, Feb. 5. This article has been updated, and we apologize for the error. Get the Android Weather app from Google Play. Lately shes been like threatening to leave to California. Sara Lucas says she only met her son's girlfriend. He was the first person who listened to me like I wasnt a crazy person, said Laura Saxton, Kelsies mother, He gave me hope when I didnt have any.. Follow below: 4 p.m.: In a bombshell revelation, prosecutors called a former Pueblo County Jail inmate who claims that Donthe Lucas said investigators would never find Kelsie Schelling's body. There were some clothes, Kelsies car, and the defendants backyard, but the key pieces of evidence were cell phone data. It's still an open case. -- It's been over eight years since Laura Saxton's 21-year-old pregnant daughter Kelsie Schelling vanished. You can review our Community Guidelines by clicking here. Leave me alone, Lucas said. By Feb. 7, Saxton said her calls to Schelling were going directly to voicemail. Prosecutors also argued Lucas constantly used Schelling for money, her apartment in Denver and her car, claims the defense didnt deny. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Prosecutors said he also admitted to that in 2017. It was years before he went to trial for Schellings murder. Investigators have said he took $400 out of her account on that day. As freshmen, while she was a psychology student, he was an athlete who dreamed of being a professional basketball player. In most scams, they're compartmentalized, Garrett said. One minute, he had no involvement. So, lets find out more about where he is today, shall we? Schelling's body has never been found. New5's Colette Bordelon reports that the District Attorney has confirmed that Martinez was going to testify for the prosecution this week that Lucas confessed to her that he killed Schelling. Schelling left work shortly after 8:40 p.m. and drove two hours to see Lucas in Pueblo. The clip that I played at the beginning of my closing was his phrase to detectives. Police found surveillance video showing Lucas driving her car at an ATM 12 hours after Schelling arrived in Pueblo. After their talk, he said, he believed Schelling left town. Tate testified that after her appointment concluded, Schelling scheduled her follow-up appointment for March 4, 2013, but never showed up. Its hard to explain, Torres said, Its definitely a person, emotional bond. / CBS Colorado. Apart from that, there is also CCTV footage that shows him driving Kelsies car and withdrawing $400 from her bank account the morning after she vanished. It was the most emotional moment in the courtroom today by far, watching a mother look at these remnants of her daughter. In the texts, Lucas implies Schelling had asked him to come to her OBGYN appointment the following day the day of her disappearance saying he wanted to go with her and noting it seemed like Schelling wanted him to go. Either make things work with me or walk away.. (Schelling's family denies claims that she ever engaged in the use of illegal substances, per ABC News). She wanted that baby. Torres said in the surveillance video showing the cash withdrawal, Schelling cannot be seen in the vehicle. We know that that's his thoughts and feelings about it. Youre good. By May 2018, a judge said prosecutors had proved probable cause. In closing arguments, lead prosecutor Michelle Chostner ensured the jury had a clear understanding of the time Kelsies killer had to get rid of evidence or to clean things up. Lucas Defense: This is a reach the biggest reach in Pueblos history.. On February 4, 2013, 21-year-old Kelsie Schelling . Laura Saxton fought tirelessly for justice in the case of her missing pregnant daughter. Didnt expect to feel like this now.. Emails the messenger had sent proved to be untraceable and an FBI analysis of their Facebook page revealed they used an IP address in Russia. Let me get her out of here. I know that that is a long shot than anybody [sic] would even try to help us with that., Saxton said the thought of her daughters body being left there is just the worst possibility to me, because he discarded her like garbage. The first search warrant was executed at the suspects home on Feb. 14a period of 11 days, or 264 hours. Donthe Isiah Lucas pleaded not guilty to the charge against him in 2018. On the day she reportedly disappeared, GPS on her phone showed it traveled to the same location in Pueblo as Lucas' phone. 3 p.m.: Laura Saxton, Kelsie Schelling's mother, recalled the last time she saw her daughter, which was eight years ago as of Tuesday. She said based on her evaluation, Schelling was, in fact, pregnant at the time of her disappearance. Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Community Guidelines | KRDO Jobs | FCC Applications |, KRDO FCC Public File | KRDO FCC Applications, Breaking News I moved the car, Chostner said. YouTube: Body parts found in suitcases, luggage tags lead to suspected killer; Kelsie Schelling update - TCDPOD, TRUE CRIME DAILY: THE PODCAST covers high-profile and under-the-radar cases SUBSCRIBE: APPLE PODCASTS / SPOTIFY / STITCHER / GOOGLE PODCASTS / YOUTUBE. Schelling, 21, went missing in 2013 after driving from Denver to Pueblo to see Lucas. In February 2013, Kelsie Schelling was very happy to find out she was eight weeks pregnant, according to ABC News. The prosecution also used surveillance video of Lucas alone at the Walmart and cell phone data showing his location indicated he had been driving in Schellings car after she vanished. Its really hard to find words to use for it, because its so awful. She said the plan, orchestrated by one of her close friends, was to get close to Lucas. Kelsie Schelling's childhood rocked with emotional fallout from family split: Part 1Schelling's parents got divorced and she lived with her mother, Laura Sax. The defense points out that Suhr was lying to Lucas the whole time, and tried to have her admit she was having sex with him in exchange for information. Her family also received a message from someone who claimed to know where Lancaster was. In an intake questionnaire at the doctor, Tatesaid there was a question asking whether the respondent hasone sexual partner or many. Kelsie's mother Laura Saxton can barely hold back the tears. Although some initially believed it seemed suspicious that Martinez died just before her testimony, investigators determined the shooting was completely unrelated to the trial. Oh my god, Torres said Sara Lucas replied. They asked the family to deliver $50,000 in cash to the same McDonalds in Vancouver, where a man named Marcus wearing a red hat would be waiting. Since the trial is over, and Kelsie still hasn't been found I've just felt very, very lost and very empty, Saxton said in the week following the trial. There was no sign of her in the apartment, and that's when we called the Denver police.. Geo resource failed to load. Terms of Use | I had no clue anybody was supposed to be exchanging nothing for a human being If I did know, I would not have been involved in this situation," the man told "20/20.". Editor's note: A previous version of this story said Rivera testified that Lucas specifically admitted to killing Kelsie Schelling. Donthe was found at DIA. I wont tell you about my appointment. PUEBLO, Colo. (KDVR) After numerous delays in the trial of the man accused of killing Kelsie Schelling in 2013, Donthe Lucas was found guilty by a jury in in a Pueblo courtroom. [3] Overview [ edit] In this week's True Crime Daily Podcast: An update to the Colorado cold case murder of missing pregnant woman Kelsie Schelling (1:50). Around that time, Torres said, is when Schellings car was parked at the South Side Walmart, as evidenced by surveillance video of the parking lot. She said she doesn't have her phone, and she said she'll be getting ahold of you.. Severe Weather Suhr also testified that Lucas would break down and cry whenever he talked about Schelling he had nothing to do with her disappearance. She drove down to see her boyfriend, Donthe Lucas. Lucas, according to Torres recap of the text exchange, replied, Cool, then said he wished Schelling didnt have to work that evening. Dont text me. Without a body or any direct evidence that tells us something happened to her, [changing the case] to a homicide, it may happen one day, but right now we haven't had any evidence to reclassify it, former deputy Pueblo police chief Andy McLachlan said. So be ready., At 9:19 p.m., Schelling texts Lucas to say that shes in Monument. I just get mad and I dont want to fight with you. Cadry -- that was the name she was going to give the child, Colby Schelling said. Their argument continued through texts beyond 4 a.m. MORE:Lucas trial day 1: Former inmate testifies Lucas admitted guilt to the murder, Later that morning, Torres read texts from Schelling to Lucas that said, Im sorry for hanging up on you over and over. Police found Schelling's car in a Walmart parking lot in Pueblo a few days after she was reported missing. However, Lucas' defense team called the trial "the biggest reach in Pueblo's history," saying that prosecutors didn't have a weapon, cause of death, location of the murder, or location of the body. How to Build a State? But more importantly, I wanted the jury to hear the defendant, in his own words, say, I lied.. I felt like I was [in] pretty deep. It's not guilty. So it's a strong message.. KOAA News5 on your time, streaming on your Roku, FireTV, AppleTV and AndroidTV. Then, he proposed to her. But tragically, Kelsie Schelling went missing soon after she revealed her pregnancy to her partner, Donthe Lucas. For a full recap of Day 10 in the trial, click here. Sa fortune s lve 2 000,00 euros mensuels But soon, Kelsie started confiding in her friends that her boyfriend was physically abusive and exhibited other toxic behavioral traits. If its really what happened Im so sorry you had to go through that alone, Lucas said in a text to Schelling. He reportedly asks what the doctors told her and she replies that everything looked good and that her due date was Sept. 13. The car was moved from that location the following morning, then showed up at St. Mary-Corwin Medical Center Feb. 9. But surveillance video showed an entirely different story. Asked if he believed Schelling orchestrated her own disappearance, Binet said, No. In 2011, when Kelsie Schelling enrolled in Northeastern Junior College, she met and began dating Donthe Isiah Lucas. There are no cameras allowed in the building and no live reporting from the courthouse. Suspecting foul play, police accelerated the investigation. It reaches the surface, he said. One text from Schellings phone to Lucas at 11:56 a.m., said After u get that money pick me up and stay out of my life!, Another, sent at 11:59 a.m., said, You can bring my car to Denver tonight. His book charts the interlinked ontology and theory of subjectivity constructed by iek at the intersection of German idealism and Lacanian theory. She definitely had that phone with her, Lucas said. The person sending the messages says I know where Megan is. I dont feel right. A recording of their conversation was introduced as evidence. And even though investigators were unable to locate her body or a crime scene, by late 2017, they had managed to gather enough evidence to charge Donthe for her murder. But Tate said they would never perform a biopsy on a pregnant woman and said even if Schelling did have HPV, its a common diagnosis about 15 percent of women have HPV at any given time. The argument between Schelling and Lucas, according to the exchanged texts as recounted by Torres, continued into the early morning hours of Feb. 4. Saxton rallied the Pueblo community and led her own searches for her missing daughter around the city. Binet asked Lucas if there was any chance Schelling might have left her phone with him. Schelling,. Though Lucas had also previously denied having Schelling's cell phone, a comparison of his own cell phone records to hers later helped police uncover video evidence at a landfill that matched Lucas' general location at the time, per ABC News. Schelling's body hasn't been found.Opening statements were set to begin just after 8 a.m. Wednesday, and KRDO's Dan Beedie is in the courtroom gathering information as the trial takes place. She drove to Pueblo that night to meet him, explaining that he had told her to come. Tate said Schellings medical records did not indicate she was at any risk of a miscarriage. While in jail for this offense, Lucas told an inmate about his involvement with Kelsie Schelling, saying no one would ever find her body (via KRDO). He said, I heard from Kelsie. PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) -- Years after Donthe Lucas' arrest following the disappearance of his pregnant girlfriend, Kelsie Schelling, jurors are hearing the case against him in court Wednesday.Lucas is accused of killing Schelling and has been charged with first-degree murder. There's no body, no murder weapon, no crime scene. At 1:28 a.m., Schelling tells Lucas, I wont tell you anything about the baby. When the time came, Saxton even took the stand against her daughters killer. The search for Tibbetts and the . Schelling tells Lucas at 11:21 a.m. that shes finished her appointment. Combien gagne t il d argent ? The burden of proof is on the government, former Pueblo public defender Lisa Wayne told 20/20. So it's simply messaging in a very strong way to the jury, They haven't done it. Emmanuel Chandler, then 29, turned himself in for the crime and has not yet entered a plea.. No one but the investigators knew what Martinez was planning to say in her testimony. Her friend was also in communication with Schelling's mom, Laura Saxton. ABCs 20/20: Kelsie Schelling, as the title suggests, is an episode that chronicles the 2013 disappearance and murder of 21-year-old Kelsie Schelling from Denver, Colorado. Please keep your comments respectful and relevant. The Denver Police Department has said that they don't believe her death was connected to the trial. Johnston also uses iek's combination of . Schelling didnt show up to work on Feb. 5, and her worried co-worker Savannah Heggie tried calling her. OK. For years, Donthe maintained that he had nothing to do with Kelsies disappearance and had no idea where she could be. On Feb. 4, 2013, Saxton said she called Kelsie's phone several times but didn't get an answer. They quickly learned about Lucas relationship with Suhr, and a crucial bit of information that he had revealed to her. Dateline's new documentary series "The Last Day" premiered this week with an episode about the killing of 20-year-old Iowan Mollie Tibbetts. But their star witness, who would have allegedly testified that Donthe confessed the killing to her, couldnt make it to court as she was shot to death just days before. You ready for a smoke and a pancake?, Hell yeah. Kelsey Ann Smith (May 3, 1989 - June 2, 2007) was an Overland Park, Kansas teenager who disappeared on June 2, 2007 and was murdered that evening. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. I was holding onto my dads hand. Romantic interest of Lucas' retakes stand: Lauren Suhr, who now lives in Washington but lived in Colorado Springs in April 2016, took the stand virtually again Wednesday morning. That Saturday morning, Saxton said her whole world just unraveled., All of her friends started contacting us saying, We've been trying to reach Kelsie and we can't reach her, Saxton said. No blood was found on two knives collected. From the moment she realized Schelling was missing, Saxton led the fight to find her daughter. They instructed Saxton to bring the money to a specific McDonalds restaurant in Vancouver, Washington, and to hand deliver it to a person named Marcus who would be wearing a red hat. Saxton testified that she wasn't happy with the Pueblo Police Department's investigation, saying they weren't willing to coordinate with her on searches to try and find Kelsie. Saxton said she told Lucas that she didn't care if they were together or apart, but she told him "there is a child involved now." It was tense because the time was ticking away, and the tires were turning on the road, Chostner said. I have no idea about no Megan or no kidnapping or anything like that, the man told 20/20. I had no clue anybody was supposed to be exchanging nothing for a human being If I did know, I would not have been involved in this situation.. If your child will play baseball or softball this spring, youll need to stock up on appropriate clothing and equipment. First published on March 8, 2021 / 11:59 PM. Text messages showed the emotionally abusive relationship Kelsie was in. Synopsis:Kelsie Schelling disappears one night after leaving work, leading family and investigators on a four-year hunt to find the pregnant 21-year-old; cell phone records reveal what happened to . Lucas was found guilty of first-degree murder in connection to the death or disappearance of Schelling. The theory would explain the lack of a murder weapon. Torres, continuing his testimony from Friday, began the fourth day of the trial by detailing alleged text exchanges between Lucas and Schelling on the night of Feb. 3 and the day of her disappearance Feb. 4, breaking them down minute-by-minute and hour-by-hour as the conversation unfolded. 21-year-old Kelsie Schelling was two months pregnant when she drove from Denver to Pueblo to see her former boyfriend Donthe Lucas. But at 11:10 p.m., Lucas had still not arrived at Walmart. Kelsie Schelling disappearance: Second witness says she became intimate with Donthe Lucas They continued to press Lucas about the vehicle, and he several times denied moving it after parking it. One year since the disappearance of Colorado woman Kelsie Schelling, her family continues to grow desperate to find her and is asking the public for help. After Sinnema, the missing persons case was referred to Ted Binet, a DPD detective with the missing and exploited persons unit. He admitted to those text messages, Pueblo Assistant District Attorney Kyle McCarthy said. S43 E19 Finding Kelsie A young woman goes missing. Torres said Lucas never took the car to Denver. Updated June 10, 2022 ABC's '20/20: Kelsie Schelling,' as the title suggests, is an episode that chronicles the 2013 disappearance and murder of 21-year-old Kelsie Schelling from Denver, Colorado. According to Lucas' account,the couple drank alcohol together and used marijuana and cocaine that night, the latter of which Lucas alleged was a surprise gift to Schelling. We wont speak of it again. You dont have an obligation to me. 0:00. Schelling disappeared almost six years ago when she was heading to see Lucas in Pueblo. She wanted to be a mom.. Now that she is gone, Ive had to turn into a fighter, Saxton told 20/20.. It was now up to the jury to make a decision. At 1:34 p.m., Lucas sends another text saying, sorry again about the loss, telling Schelling he will soon be going up to Denver to drop off her car. She confirmed for us Donthe admitt[ed] it was him in the Walmart surveillance video that [he] had dropped Kelsie's car off and then returned the next day and picked it up, Torres said. Therefore, after many delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he stood trial for the same in early 2021. However, nothing was found. We received the information from the Pueblo landfill that there was some video evidence of a vehicle being there. I plan to make things work. Colette Bordelon also spoke to Martinez's cousin, who said he believes her murder does have to do with the trial. One of the crucial pieces of evidence was Lucas text messages, which the prosecution argued showed his intent and plan to lure her to Pueblo. DENVER A woman found dead in Denver's Hampden South neighborhood on Feb. 25 was scheduled to testify in the murder trial of Kelsie Schelling, the Pueblo County District Attorney's Office . She received a Facebook message from a person who claimed to be a woman but wanted to remain anonymous, and claimed to have information about Schellings disappearance. She said they dated for a year when, on his porch, he started hyperventilating and crying. Torres detailed a text from Lucas to Schelling just before noon that said, Um, yeah you can if you werent scared to get fired. Morning Forecast At 1:10 p.m., Lucas texts Schelling, saying that he will drop off her vehicle and asks if he should, leave the keys in the visor?. PUEBLO, Colo. CBI Investigator Kevin Torres remembers it like yesterday. 4:34. Weeks passed until police learned they needed to move quickly to catch Lucas. Suhr said she always knew what she was doing, trying to gather information about Schelling, and never fell in love with Lucas. You heard from Detective Kevin Torres how important the first 48 hours of an investigation are, and this defendant had 264, Chostner told the jury in closing arguments. Binet said there were several red flags in Schellings case that led him to believe she was more than just missing. The man claimed he was lured online into a supposed jewelry venture, and that he was told to pick up the money and wire it to someone hed never met. On Feb. 3 2013, text message records show Lucas had tried to convince Schelling to drive from Denver to his hometown of Pueblo, Colorado, to receive a surprise gift. After all, this way, there would be no physical evidence left behind. Even thinking about it now that we have the guilty verdict, [there is] just so much still to do to find Kelsie and bring her back to the family.. "We're very thankful for this outcome, but in the end I didn't get Kelsey back, and that's what I wanted more than anything," said Schelling's mother, Laura Saxton shortly after the verdict was read. In a separate incident reported in 2017, a man claimed that Lucas, aided by family members, attacked him over $1000 he claimed Lucas' family stole, perABC News. I'm never going to recover without getting her back, Saxton said. Resolved: Release in which this issue/RFE has been resolved. Those charges were later dropped when investigators found out that she would sometimes give him permission to use her bank card, and he was released. Kelsie Schelling (credit: CBS) When she disappeared in February 2013, Schelling was pregnant and was reportedly travelling from Denver to Pueblo to talk to Lucas about it. I never want to give up on trying to bring her home. she said. The jury convicted Lucas after approximately four hours of deliberation. However McCarthy said, there was no deals made about charges he would get to plead to, time he would get to serve. A man in Pueblo reported that Lucas and his family members had attacked him in front of the Lucas family home and stolen $1,000 from him. When police questioned Lucas, he told them that the morning after they met, he took Schelling to the Parkview Medical Center and hinted she had a miscarriage there. Kelsie Schelling disappeared after driving down from Denver to Pueblo on February 4th, 2013. Her boss called her not that long ago and offered her her job back.. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357). During the holiday season in 2012, Schelling surprised her family with news that she was pregnant. The lead investigator on the case from the Colorado Bureau of Investigation believes Schelling was strangled by Lucas after he lured her down to Pueblo. Lucas was sentenced to life in prison without parole. She also informed us that Donthe admitted to her to being the one on the video dropping Kelsie's car off at [the] hospital.. MORE:Lucas trial day 3: Kelsie Schelling's friends continue testimony, cellphone records discussed. Eric Bravo said. It was discovered during the trial Wednesday morning that an upcoming witness in the trial was found shot to death last week in Denver. 1 In February 2013, Kelsie Schelling was very happy to find out she was eight weeks pregnant, according to ABC News. Roxann Martinez, 31, was found dead on Feb. 25 from a gunshot wound and her death has been classified a homicide. OK. Initially, their relationship seemed idyllic. In December 2017, investigators believed they finally had enough evidence to charge Lucas with the first-degree murder of Schelling, even though her remains have, as of this report, not been recovered. On 4 February, Kelsie got confirmation of her pregnancy from her doctor and sent the scan pictures to Lucas. He just says, If I hear from her, I'll let you know, Saxton said. Re-examine a current true crime case where unanswered questions remain and the mystery is still unraveling. Dont worry. Then, at 11:10 p.m., he told her to go to another location near his grandmothers house.