"Kelsie Schelling was feloniously killed when Donthe Lucas committed first-degree murder, second-degree murder, or manslaughter against Kelsie and Sara Lucas and Lucas acted as. It was now up to the jury to make a decision. Though Lucas denied his involvement in anything to do with Schelling in what eventually became a criminal case, things took a turn in 2017 after local authorities brought him in for questioning, per The Pueblo Chieftain. Her boss called her not that long ago and offered her her job back.. I would like to have known what she finally settled on as a career, if she ever would've got married, had more kids, all those things, Saxton said. Help Find Kelsie/Facebook. But soon, Kelsie started confiding in her friends that her boyfriend was physically abusive and exhibited other toxic behavioral traits. You can use the money and fill the car up…. They found out that hed withdrawn $400 from her bank account. She met Donna Whitson, single Continued. Unresolved: Release in which this issue/RFE will be addressed. Saxtons hope was for answers. 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. ET on ABC. Well, there certainly were evidentiary problems, Chostner said. Prosecutors told jurors, "This is not a missing persons case it is a homicide case," before saying that they are certain they'll be able to prove she was killed. 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. 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. The suit criticized the way the investigation was handled but was ultimately dismissed. 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. In February 2013, Kelsie Schelling was very happy to find out she was eight weeks pregnant, according to ABC News. He said he wouldnt be surprised if she was out in California already or was on her way there. Her mother, Laura Saxton, also knew about their tumultuous alliance. OK. 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. Laura Saxton and her daughter Kelsie Schelling, who vanished in 2013. KRDO NewsChannel 13 is committed to providing a forum for civil and constructive conversation. I dont feel right. At the end of the day, I said, I think we have enough here to go forward. 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. 0:00. She questioned her daughters boyfriend Donthe Lucas on the phone herself, organized community searches as the case went cold and followed up on leads through the Help Find Kelsie Facebook page -- including one that claimed the young expectant mother was still alive. 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. Our Colette Bordelon will be there every day and will have coverage both online and over the air. While in custody, Lucas admitted to police that he picked up Schellings car and dropped it off at the hospital. 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. After that, she moved to Washington in spring 2017 and never spoke to Lucas again. Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Community Guidelines | KRDO Jobs | FCC Applications |, KRDO FCC Public File | KRDO FCC Applications, Breaking News However, even when the two moved away to pursue their respective careers, they continued dating up until the moment Kelsie disappeared. Get the Android Weather app from Google Play. ). Terms of Use | Text messages showed the emotionally abusive relationship Kelsie was in. Saxton got choked up when identifying her daughter's birth certificate, passport, and an expired passport from when #Schelling was "just a little girl." Schelling's Late Philosophy in Confrontation with Hegel Peter Dews (Emeritus Professor of Philosophy, Emeritus Professor of Philosophy . But at 11:10 p.m., Lucas had still not arrived at Walmart. 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 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. Forget Im pregnant, seriously., Just before 3 a.m., according to Torres testimony, Schelling texted Lucas, You dont have to be in a relationship with me. Text messages show he first instructed her to go to a specific Walmart on the south side of town. The prosecution asserts Kelsie was killed sometime between midnight the night of Feb. 4 and before 3 a.m. the morning of Feb. 5. Suhr said during her testimony that Lucas characterized Schelling as a "best friend" because she basically paid for everything. Eight years after his girlfriend went missing, a Colorado man has been convicted of first-degree murder in her death. Chostner says there was more evidence to work with in 2017 versus 2013, and enough that gave him the confidence to press charges. It said, Where are you? 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. I never was.. Goodnight., Torres said Lucas replied, Oh I know all of that … thanks for stating it for me.. 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. We interviewed our tech expert, Jaime Vazquez, to learn more about accessible smart home devices. Police found surveillance video showing Lucas driving her car at an ATM 12 hours after Schelling arrived in Pueblo. 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. The Version table provides details related to the release that this issue/RFE will be addressed. The person sending the messages says I know where Megan is. Police found Schelling's car in a Walmart parking lot in Pueblo a few days after she was reported missing. 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. 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. For a full recap of Day 10 in the trial, click here. MORE: Lucas trial day 2: Friends of Kelsie Schelling speak to a toxic and abusive relationship. 11:55 a.m.: Laura Saxton, Kelsie Schelling's mother, was the first witness called to the stand by prosecutors. Asked if he believed Schelling orchestrated her own disappearance, Binet said, No. Around the same time, texts were also being exchanged from Lucas and Schellings phones. In partnership with No blood was detected in #Schelling's car. Lucas, according to Torres, directs her to go to Walmart. I never want to give up on trying to bring her home. she said. 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. Now that she is gone, Ive had to turn into a fighter, Saxton told 20/20.. Stop acting like you cant do it. Since meeting in 2010 as students at a junior college in Colorado, Kelsie Schelling and Donthe Lucas purportedly had a fraught relationship, one which allegedly turned abusive on the part of Lucas, according to Schelling's friends and relatives (via Fox 21 News). Opening statements were set to begin just after 8 a.m. Wednesday, and. Kelsie Schelling was only 21 years old when she vanished. I deliberated on it and I looked at the practicalities of it, Chostner said. Prosecutors confirmed that Wilkins and Martinez were the same person. 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. Love you, too.. First published on March 8, 2021 / 11:59 PM. She was like, Stop calling me. There was no sign of her in the apartment, and that's when we called the Denver police.. The defense also had Walker confirm that she could not tell the jury whether the trends she discussed were present in Lucas and Schellings relationship and could not say if any specific acts of domestic violence took place between them. Weeks passed until police learned they needed to move quickly to catch Lucas. A Kelsie Schelling opust domov a u se nikdy nevrt lo o hroznou nehodu, nebo nco dsivjho? I mean, I could barely function.. That man, Donthe Lucas, was convicted for her murder and sentenced to life in prison on Monday. The 21-year-old from Colorado had already announced to family and friends that she was expecting, and she and her parents had even begun picking out baby names. Youre good. Colette Bordelon also spoke to Martinez's cousin, who said he believes her murder does have to do with the trial. Michelle Chostner, the lead prosecutor in Schellings case, confirmed that investigators interviewed Martinez but could not comment on anything that wasnt admitted in trial. It was the most emotional moment in the courtroom today by far, watching a mother look at these remnants of her daughter. Lucas insisted to the man, who later testified about the incident in court, that he wouldn't be convicted of that crime but in the end, it seemed to seal his fate. She regularly made the 220-mile drive from her home in rural Yuma, Colorado, to Pueblo. 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. Kelsie Schelling with her mom Laura Saxton. Four days passed after Schelling drove to Pueblo on the night of Feb. 4. I felt like he did genuinely develop feelings for me and did genuinely fall in love with me. She said shed have to think about it and drove home. Oh my god, Torres said Sara Lucas replied. Lucas claimed he and Schelling then went to the South Side Walmart so Schelling could grab some snacks before driving back to Denver. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The next day, Schellings father tried to get in touch with her and received a strange text waving him off. 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. The defense in Lucas' trial rested on Monday without calling any witnesses. Schelling didnt show up to work on Feb. 5, and her worried co-worker Savannah Heggie tried calling her. By May 2018, a judge said prosecutors had proved probable cause. Investigators have said he took $400 out of her account on that day. Schelling and Lucas met at Northeastern Junior College in 2010. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? Kelsie's father Doug Schelling received a strange text from his daughter when he tried to check on her. Then, Suhr said something unexpected happened with Lucas: her undercover relationship with him blossomed into romance. Binet asked Lucas if he had any idea where Schelling might be, to which Lucas replied: Honestly, Im not too sure. 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. However, due to technical difficulties, nobody in the public or the reporters pool could see or hear what was said or asked. Lucas told Binet he and Schelling had not been on the best terms in recent months, as they wanted different things. 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. A murder conviction without a body is an instance of a person being convicted of murder despite the absence of the victim's body. Police say her death does not appear to be related to the trial, but instead a possible result of domestic violence. In 2011, when Kelsie Schelling enrolled in Northeastern Junior College, she met and began dating Donthe Isiah Lucas. Plus, a baggage claim sticker leads to an arrest after human remains were found in two suitcases on the side of a Denver road in December (30:07). I knew once her car was found that something horrible had happened, because there's just no way that she would've gone somewhere and left her car, Saxton said. As difficult as it was, its not impossible. Thus, today, at the age of 28, Donthe Isiah Lucas, or inmate 190792, is incarcerated in the Centennial Correctional Facility in Canon City. Learn more about Dan here. For that reason, little DNA evidence was presented. 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. After 13 days of trial, the defense surprised many when they announced they would not call any witnesses and immediately rested their case. Lucas also admitted to Suhr that he was the person seen in the Walmart surveillance footage and that he moved the car to St. Mary-Corwin Medical Center. Schellings friends said they remembered her relationship with Lucas was often tumultuous, with the two constantly fighting and making up -- then the unthinkable happened. It was just so emotional for everybody, for both sides, Saxton said. He was sentenced immediately after the verdict by the judge to life in prison without parole. 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. But it soon became clear that Schelling had disappeared without a trace and no one knew where she was. @KOAA, Kelsie Schelling's mother is called to the stand again. Saxton said she remembered asking investigators if these items were in the vehicle when it was recovered and she was told they were not. No blood was found on two knives collected. Shortly before noon, other texts are exchanged between Lucas and Schellings phones, which the prosecution alleges were not actually sent by Schelling. Saxton said the messenger told her Lucas had sold her daughter into sex trafficking. NR | 03.26.21 | 01:20:44 | CC more episodes 42:55 Police could not definitively say he was Lucas. This verdict came after the prosecutors shined a light on Donthes relationship with Kelsie and argued that he lured her to Pueblo to kill her after learning about the pregnancy. She reached out to a private investigator, but they were also stonewalled by PPD. From the moment she realized Schelling was missing, Saxton led the fight to find her daughter. Enter the email address you signed up with and we'll email you a reset link. Schelling, Tatesaid, checked the box indicating just one. If its really what happened Im so sorry you had to go through that alone, Lucas said in a text to Schelling. Though it was likely frustrating and painful for Kelsies family, he believes it led to a successful conviction. RELATED:Opening statements in murder trial begin in case of Kelsie Schelling's disappearanceDonthe Lucas murder trial will begin WednesdayLong-awaited murder trial to begin in the case of Kelsie Schelling's disappearancePrevious coverage: The Kelsie Schelling Case_____, KOAA News5 on your time, streaming on your Roku, FireTV, AppleTV and AndroidTV.News5 App | First Alert 5 Weather App | Youtube | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter. Eric Bravo took over the case with the help of Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) agent Kevin Torres. Donthe took that away from me.. Saxton rallied the Pueblo community and led her own searches for her missing daughter around the city. COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (CBS4) - Donthe Lucas was found guilty of murdering his pregnant ex-girlfriend Kelsie Schelling in 2013. They began to suspect the text messages werent coming from Schelling at all. That's direct evidence.. It was tense because the time was ticking away, and the tires were turning on the road, Chostner said. Saxton called Lucas, asking if he knew anything about her daughters disappearance. Hear from those closest to the victims, including family, friends, local journalists and law enforcement. 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.