She said the plan, orchestrated by one of her close friends, was to get close to Lucas. COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (CBS4) - Donthe Lucas was found guilty of murdering his pregnant ex-girlfriend Kelsie Schelling in 2013. Kelsie Schelling Self - Goes missing (archive footage) All cast & crew Production, box office & more at IMDbPro Storyline Edit A courageous mother, whose daughter mysteriously went missing, finds justice with the help of another mom she never met; Plot summary Add synopsis Genres Documentary Crime News Certificate Unrated Parents guide Binet said yes, but noted while an individual wanting to disappear might try not to leave a trail, they are most often not very successful.. Love you Donthe.. Saxton still doesnt have all the answers shes searched tirelessly for. Police found Schelling's car in a Walmart parking lot in Pueblo a few days after she was reported missing. However, nothing was found. He said theyd spoken early that morning when Schelling arrived in Pueblo and their interactions continued through the following morning. 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.". She said she first reached out to him on Facebook and they exchanged numbers. 4:34. Schelling was reportedly traveling from Denver to Pueblo to talk to Lucas about the pregnancy. The defenses strategy, though, was to contend how this case was the biggest stretch in Colorado history as there was no body, no crime scene, and no DNA evidence against Donthe. Binet said there were several red flags in Schellings case that led him to believe she was more than just missing. Using cell phone data from Lucas and Schellings phones, the prosecution believes both phones were in the same location as the texts were being exchanged. Walker was called as a blind expert, meaning she was not familiar with the details of the Lucas case but spoke to general trends in domestic violence cases. Daily Briefing Schelling, 21, went missing in 2013 after driving from Denver to Pueblo to see Lucas. Still A Mystery. If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 18007997233. Prosecutors called Ryan Rivera, who testified that when he was in jail with Lucas, Lucas claimed that investigators would never find Schelling's body and that they would never convict him. Kelsie Schelling went missing in Pueblo, Colorado back in February 2013 after she went to tell her boyfriend Donthe Lucas that she was pregnant Schelling's body has never been found but she. Lucas was sentenced to life in prison without parole. On Feb. 4, 2013, Saxton said she called Kelsie's phone several times but didn't get an answer. Get the Android Weather app from Google Play. Shortly before noon, other texts are exchanged between Lucas and Schellings phones, which the prosecution alleges were not actually sent by Schelling. In cross-examination, Lucas attorneys sought to discredit Walkers testimony by pointing out she has testified for prosecutorial bodies about trends in domestic violence more than 75 times in the past, and only testified on behalf of the defense in one prior case. 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. Eric Bravo took over the case with the help of Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) agent Kevin Torres. It was just a special bond that we formed. They asked the family to deliver $50,000 in cash to the same McDonalds in Vancouver, where a man named Marcus wearing a red hat would be waiting. Donthe Lucas in court for Kelsie Schelling's murder. Romantic interest of Lucas' retakes stand: Lauren Suhr, who now lives in Washington but lived in Colorado Springs in April 2016, took the stand virtually again Wednesday morning. Without a crime scene, murder weapon or body, how could the jury be convinced this was murder, and that Lucas was responsible? 20/20 was there when Marcus went to collect the cash in 2015 -- with Lancaster and an undercover reporter using a hidden camera and microphone. Schelling's body hasn't been found. Four days passed after Schelling drove to Pueblo on the night of Feb. 4. Sinnema said Lucas also did not mention dropping Schellings vehicle off at St. Mary-Corwin Medical Center on Feb. 7. Lucas was found guilty of first-degree murder in connection to the death or disappearance of Schelling. I just thought, What if shes been out there and I couldve found her and we havent?. Torres said Lucas never took the car to Denver. Su gemela permanece en grave estado, Ahora puedes vivir en un crucero por US$ 30.000 por ao. Documentary films The Invention of Marxism: How an Idea Changed Everything Christina Morina (Professor of Modern and Contemporary History, Professor of Modern and Contemporary History, Bielefeld University) . Although some initially believed it seemed suspicious that Martinez died just before her testimony, investigators determined the shooting was completely unrelated to the trial. No one had been charged two years after Schelling disappeared and, because authorities had not found a body, it was still classified as a missing persons case. The court then heard from Denver Police Department officer Chad Sinnema, who gathered the initial information for the missing persons report filed by Schellings family Feb. 9. She said she received text messages, but they were curt and short, which was unlike Kelsie. Court rules state that no outside communication can happen inside the courtroom, but we will update this article with new details when they're available. 21-year-old Kelsie Schelling was two months pregnant when she drove from Denver to Pueblo to see her former boyfriend Donthe Lucas. On February 4, 2013, 21-year-old Kelsie Schelling . Feb. 4, 2013, was the last time Schelling was seen. When all this got combined with Donthes former home catching fire just weeks after officers searched it for evidence, he was charged and arrested for his former girlfriends mysterious murder. Yet, in November 2017, he confessed to being the one who had abandoned her vehicle at the St. Mary-Corwin hospital, where it was eventually found. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. 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." PUEBLO, Colo. CBI Investigator Kevin Torres remembers it like yesterday. Laura Saxton Her last confirmed text message was sent to Lucas at 11:18 p.m. Schelling goes to work that evening and she and Lucas continue to argue over text. 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. Binet also said Lucas did not at any point tell him hed dropped Schellings vehicle off at St. Mary-Corwin, nor did he mention that he had used Schellings debit card to withdraw money from her account. She still wants to bring Kelsie home and give her the burial she feels her daughter deserves. She definitely had that phone with her, Lucas said. Now, follow one mother's crusade for justice in this true crime investigation. According to her, Schelling had gotten confirmation of her pregnancy on the day she disappeared. 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. 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. Per Fox 21 News,Lucas purportedly had a strong reaction when he saw Schelling's neighbors hanging up missing flyers, and according to testimony at his trial, went as far as to harass the family of a middle-schooler who had helped aid in distributing them. 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. In addition to this, Schelling's phone records indicated a call was made from her cell to a woman who Schelling reportedly didn't know, and whom Lucas was romantically involved with even though Lucas could not explain the call. From the. Hours later she vanished. How to Build a State? The trial was then scheduled for July 2019, but Lucas' lawyers said they had new scientific evidence and needed more time to review it. So-called jailhouse snitches are often considered to be not credible as jurors often ask what that witness may have received in return for testifying. Suhr said she always knew what she was doing, trying to gather information about Schelling, and never fell in love with Lucas. @KOAA. He reportedly asks what the doctors told her and she replies that everything looked good and that her due date was Sept. 13. Text messages show he first instructed her to go to a specific Walmart on the south side of town. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. He said they got in an argument and he exited her vehicle, but Schelling stayed in Pueblo that night. I still have nowhere to go to take her flowers, to go sit and talk with her, take her balloons on her birthday, go to her on the holidays. ET on ABC. She said that domestic violence does not always escalate from mental and emotional abuse into physical abuse, but said changes in power dynamics such as a new pregnancy could lead to an escalation of abuse. Her last confirmed text message was sent to Lucas at 11:18 p.m. Then, Suhr said something unexpected happened with Lucas: her undercover relationship with him blossomed into romance. The car was moved from that location the following morning, then showed up at St. Mary-Corwin Medical Center Feb. 9. Oh my god, Torres said Sara Lucas replied. Schelling and Lucas met at Northeastern Junior College in 2010. There's no single person other than the defendant in 2017, who's saying that [Schelling] was into drugs and that she was a party girl, McCarthy said. It said, Where are you? However, Kadie, Megan Lancasters sister-in-law, did make her meeting. The first search warrant was executed at the suspects home on Feb. 14a period of 11 days, or 264 hours. At 11:14 p.m., he changes plans and tells Schelling to meet him, where you usually do, seemingly referring to an intersection near his grandmothers home where Schelling had picked him up on previous occasions. The Oscars will air on ABC and can be streamed on ABC.com and the ABC app as well as Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, AT&T TV or FuboTV. In the back of my mind, I always kept that he is potentially a murderer.. After years of waiting for him to go on trial for her disappearance, the disturbing details about Schelling's relationship with Lucas were finally revealed more than eight years later during a Colorado court trial in 2021, with Lucas charged with her murder. His book charts the interlinked ontology and theory of subjectivity constructed by iek at the intersection of German idealism and Lacanian theory. Contests & Promotions, 2023, Pikes Peak Television, Inc. Colorado Springs, CO, USA, Divide mother missing for two years, family begging for any information, One man injured in shooting on Pueblos east side Friday afternoon, El suicidio de un menor argentino conmueve a Espaa. Eric Bravo said. But more importantly, I wanted the jury to hear the defendant, in his own words, say, I lied.. Youre good. If your child will play baseball or softball this spring, youll need to stock up on appropriate clothing and equipment. His trial finally began in February 2021, and he was ultimately convicted of the crime, receiving a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. That man, Donthe Lucas, was convicted for her murder and sentenced to life in prison on Monday. 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. She wanted to see what I was going to do if I was going to leave her, try to help her, a whole bunch of crazy stuff., He said Schelling visited him around 2 a.m.Feb. 5, after shed driven to Pueblo and met him near his grandmothers house. Messages on Schelling's phone showed she texted Lucas that she was pregnant, and his replies indicated he was unhappy. So, lets find out more about where he is today, shall we? After Torres, the prosecution called to the stand Jennifer Walker, the executive director of the Crisis Center a nonprofit organization in Douglas County that address domestic violence. Saxton called Lucas, asking if he knew anything about her daughters disappearance. You ready for a smoke and a pancake?, Hell yeah. Prosecutors said he also admitted to that in 2017. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357). She'd driven down from Denver to Pueblo to meet her boyfriend Donthe Lucas, who had. She reached out to a private investigator, but they were also stonewalled by PPD. 11:55 a.m.: Laura Saxton, Kelsie Schelling's mother, was the first witness called to the stand by prosecutors. Schelling tells Lucas, Im not going to come get you so we can fight all day., He responds: I dont want to fight at all I want to give you this.. At that point I was kind of done, Suhr said. The community organized search efforts to try and find Schelling with her family filing a lawsuit in 2015 against the Pueblo Police Department and the Lucas family. Lucas claimed he and Schelling then went to the South Side Walmart so Schelling could grab some snacks before driving back to Denver. It was the most emotional moment in the courtroom today by far, watching a mother look at these remnants of her daughter. Lucas was sentenced to. Binet asked Lucas if there was any chance Schelling might have left her phone with him. In December 2017, almost four years after Schelling's disappearance, Lucas was charged with her murder. Before 6 p.m., Torres said Schelling texted Lucas, Then step up and make a relationship with me work. I miss all the things that we didn't get to do together., 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. She said she doesn't have her phone, and she said she'll be getting ahold of you.. Kelsie Schelling was eight weeks pregnant when she vanished. It is still an open case. Johnston also uses iek's combination of . Her boss called her not that long ago and offered her her job back.. On Dec. 1, 2017, two weeks after his arrest for the robbery, Lucas was arrested and charged with first degree murder. The homicide trial of Donthe Lucas, accused of first-degree murder in the 2013 disappearance of his pregnant girlfriend, Kelsie Schelling, resumed Monday with the testimony of Colorado Bureau of Investigation Agent Kevin Torres. We know that that's his phone. I was holding onto my dads hand. The story was featured in the international media, including on America's Most Wanted, [2] before her body was found near a lake in Missouri on June 6, 2007. 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. More women ice fishing? Lucas also told police that he and Schelling went to the Walmart to get snacks before she made the drive back to Denver. Prosecutors confirmed that Wilkins and Martinez were the same person. Lol, Torres said Donthe replied. Next on the witness stand was Kathleen Tate, a medical doctor who handled Schellings original OBGYN visit on Feb. 4. In 2011, when Kelsie Schelling enrolled in Northeastern Junior College, she met and began dating Donthe Isiah Lucas. Colorado Bureau of Investigation's Forensic Scientist Collin Knaub takes the stand next and has worked for CBI since 2010. After a few weeks, they met in person. But tragically, Kelsie Schelling went missing soon after she revealed her pregnancy to her partner, Donthe Lucas. He said he wouldnt be surprised if she was out in California already or was on her way there. According to the State Department of Corrections records, because Donthe is to spend the rest of his natural life behind bars, his estimated sentence discharge date is December 31, 9998. In cross examination, Tameler asked Binet if, in his time with the missing and exploited persons unit, hed encountered people who intentionally disappeared to get away from their lives, and if such people tend to make sure they dont leave indicators to where they might be going. 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. Schelling tells him she has responsibilities and cant just skip work. Though they have strong suspicions thats where Kelsie Schelling is, authorities say it would be next to impossible to conduct a systematic search of the landfill for her remains. 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. In partnership with Deputy District Attorney Kyle McCarthy then skipped ahead to the communications exchanged the following day and asked Torres to read from texts that allegedly were exchanged between Donthe Lucas and his mother, Sara Lucas. 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. The. However, due to technical difficulties, nobody in the public or the reporters pool could see or hear what was said or asked. She was like, Stop calling me. Schelling's body has never been found. She used to work out there and she lived there for a while. MORE:Lucas trial day 3: Kelsie Schelling's friends continue testimony, cellphone records discussed. Im not going today, Lucas allegedly responded. There was no deals like that.. After that, she moved to Washington in spring 2017 and never spoke to Lucas again. One minute, he had no involvement. The person you may send to pick up the cash at a particular location may know nothing about what the scam is.. Season 1. 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. At 9:56 p.m., she texts again, saying, Almost there. Lucas pleaded not guilty to the murder charges in August 2018, and the judge set a trial date for 2019. Fixed: Release in which this issue/RFE has been fixed.The release containing this fix may be available for download as an Early Access Release or a General Availability Release. Scheels says, yes! She claimed Schelling was alive. At this point, News5's Colette Bordelon said the prosecution admitted a picture taken of the dash of the car through Saxton. Kelsie Schelling with her mom Laura Saxton. Just wait and see for yourself, you probably wouldnt believe me if I told you anyway, so you can see for yourself.. Authorities reviewed that admission, along with text message records, surveillance video and 60,000 pages of investigative material to determine whether there was enough evidence to prosecute Lucas. We know that that's his thoughts and feelings about it. They quickly learned about Lucas relationship with Suhr, and a crucial bit of information that he had revealed to her. They never found anything on those searches. Saxton never met with Marcus at the McDonalds after Vancouver Police backed out of their involvement, believing it to be a scam. After their talk, he said, he believed Schelling left town. Lucas was arrested on Feb. 15, 2013 for felony identity theft for using Schellings debit card. Back in 2013, Kelsie Schelling felt like she had her whole life ahead of her. Learn more about Dan here. Nevertheless, after just three hours of deliberation, on March 8, 2021, a 12-member jury found him guilty of first-degree murder, and the judge sentenced him to life in prison without the possibility of parole. In September 2016, a stressed and worried mother, Laura Saxton, reached out to him, hoping to reinvigorate the case of her missing daughter, Kelsie Schelling. The white stain in #Schelling's car was negative for saliva. Roxann Martinez was shot and killed at the intersection of E. Kenyon Dr. and S. Wabash St. at 11 p.m. on Feb 25. Though it was likely frustrating and painful for Kelsies family, he believes it led to a successful conviction. In February 2013, Kelsie Schelling was very happy to find out she was eight weeks pregnant, according to ABC News. Asked if he believed Schelling orchestrated her own disappearance, Binet said, No. 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. Donthe Lucas was found guilty of murdering his then-pregnant girlfriend, Kelsie Schelling, in 2013. He said, I heard from Kelsie. The Version table provides details related to the release that this issue/RFE will be addressed. It's still an open case. Around the same time, texts were also being exchanged from Lucas and Schellings phones. Asked by Binet if he had any idea where Schelling might be, Lucas replied, Shes been saying shes going to go back to California and get her job and get back with her ex-boyfriend.. Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. Binet testified Monday he contacted Donthe Lucas on Feb. 10th. (Schelling's family denies claims that she ever engaged in the use of illegal substances, per ABC News). 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. The search for Tibbetts and the . A little bit later, he got back with me. 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.. Saxton still doesn't have all the answers she's searched tirelessly for. Schelling was eight weeks pregnant when her friends and family last heard from her on February 4, 2013, when she visited the likely father of her unborn child. The argument between Schelling and Lucas, according to the exchanged texts as recounted by Torres, continued into the early morning hours of Feb. 4. The homicide trial of Donthe Lucas, accused of first-degree murder in the 2013 disappearance of his pregnant girlfriend, Kelsie Schelling, resumed Monday with the testimony of Colorado Bureau. Saxton got choked up when identifying her daughter's birth certificate, passport, and an expired passport from when #Schelling was "just a little girl." 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. But I guess the relief I had knowing that it was a quick verdict, was that even if it didn't come out in our favor, this question has been decided for the community. I felt like I got to see a side of him that maybe most people didnt, she said. Then you can take her back home., Sara Lucas allegedly responded: What happened? and, Are you OK? to which Lucas responded, Yeah. Dan is a reporter with the 13 Investigates team. Suhr messaged Lucas on Facebook saying she was new to the Pueblo area and that she was looking to meet new people. Read More: Where is Kelsie Schellings Mother Now? Im very grateful that our paths crossed and God took us to this moment.. Michelle Chostner prosecuted the case alongside senior prosecutor Kyle McCarthy, and Alex Baker, an Assistant Attorney General in the Colorado Attorney Generals Office. 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. He asks her to skip work and come to Pueblo to get him and they continue to argue. 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. On Feb. 25, 2021, 31-year-old Roxann Martinez was preparing to testify for the prosecution when she was shot and killed. @KOAA. I mean, who wants that for their child to be the final resting place? Trace #DNA of #Lucas was found inside a pair of gloves and two sweatshirts. 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 various experts on evidence found in her vehicle. 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. "We're doing everything in our power. For Lauras part, the case doesnt end with the verdict. Her. The young woman had driven down to Pueblo on February 4, 2013, to meet with her boyfriend, Donthe Lucas, after sharing the news of her pregnancy, never to be seen or heard from again. Even though Kelsies remains have never been found, shes long since accepted her daughters death. Then, he proposed to her. The Parkview Medical Center, however, did not have any record of Schellings supposed visit. Michelle Chostner, the lead prosecutor in Schellings case, confirmed that investigators interviewed Martinez but could not comment on anything that wasnt admitted in trial. He said that Schelling had called him early that morning from a private number and said he told Schelling she needed to get in touch with her family members because they were worried about her. Ultimately, after hearing the prosecutors say that the most intimate and personal way to extinguish a life is wrapping two hands around a persons neck gripping their trachea, restricting their air, restricting their oxygen, the jury agreed with their arguments. 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. She said shed have to think about it and drove home. Then, in December 2020, the murder trial was set to start on Jan. 25, 2021. 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. 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. Goodnight., Torres said Lucas replied, Oh I know all of that … thanks for stating it for me.. Lucas and Schelling continue to exchange texts throughout the day of Feb. 4, beginning before her OBGYN appointment. Torres said texts showed Schelling eventually agreed to come to Pueblo. Lucas and Schelling seem to allude to a trip Lucas was planning on taking that day, seemingly to Kansas, on which he asked Schelling to accompany him. Kelsie Schelling was over the moon. She texts again at 11:24 p.m., saying Where are you? Obviously it's an important piece of evidence that he moved the car because it shows he's covering up the crime. Well, there certainly were evidentiary problems, Chostner said. Investigators have said he took $400 out of her account on that day. She texts him at 11:18 p.m., saying she has arrived at the meeting spot. 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.
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