Ive been here over an hour just waiting., Schelling didnt show up to work on Feb. 5, and a worried co-worker tried calling her. 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. Her boss called her not that long ago and offered her her job back.. She reached out to a private investigator, but they were also stonewalled by PPD. Kelsie Schelling wouldve turned 30 this year. Thankfully I had a great team. Love you Donthe.. Donthe Lucas was charged with killing his 21-year-old girlfriend, Kelsie Schelling, who was pregnant at the time. Dateline's new documentary series "The Last Day" premiered this week with an episode about the killing of 20-year-old Iowan Mollie Tibbetts. 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. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357). 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. One minute, he had no involvement. Schelling left work shortly after 8:40 p.m. and drove two hours to see Lucas in Pueblo. 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. 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. The person sending the messages says I know where Megan is. If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction issues, help is available. She was like, Stop calling me. Donthe Lucas (credit: Pueblo Police Dept. Laura Saxton Her last confirmed text message was sent to Lucas at 11:18 p.m. Re-examine a current true crime case where unanswered questions remain and the mystery is still unraveling. The white stain in #Schelling's car was negative for saliva. Some of her friends testified to the physical abuse, and cell phone data showed Kelsies phone was in the same area as her killers in the days after authorities believed she had been killed. 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. Love you, too.. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. On Feb. 4, 2013, Saxton said she called Kelsie's phone several times but didn't get an answer. Lucas said Schelling told him before she came to Pueblo that she was pregnant and had gone to a doctor for an ultrasound. Enter the email address you signed up with and we'll email you a reset link. PUEBLO, Colo. (KKTV . Lucas had pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder charges. On Monday, he was sentenced to life in prison. Scheels says, yes! The messenger claimed they needed $50,000 in cash to help Schelling escape. 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 was feloniously killed when Donthe Lucas committed first-degree murder, second-degree murder, or manslaughter against Kelsie and Sara Lucas and Lucas acted as. I wont tell you about my appointment. Her. Late in the afternoon on March 8, a Pueblo County jury issued a guilty verdict in the trial of Donthe Lucas, who'd been charged with killing his pregnant girlfriend, Denver's Kelsie . After 13 days of trial, the defense surprised many when they announced they would not call any witnesses and immediately rested their case. After that, she moved to Washington in spring 2017 and never spoke to Lucas again. Schelling's Late Philosophy in Confrontation with Hegel Peter Dews (Emeritus Professor of Philosophy, Emeritus Professor of Philosophy . Schelling, 21, went missing in 2013 after driving from Denver to Pueblo to see Lucas. As difficult as it was, its not impossible. 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. Saxton was the first witness to testify. First published on March 8, 2021 / 11:59 PM. Her mother, Laura Saxton, also knew about their tumultuous alliance. As he told Sinnema, Lucas told Binet the last time hed seen Schelling was Tuesday, Feb. 5. I lied from the jump. You probably wouldnt believe me if I told you anyway so you can see for yourself.. They alleged that when she left Lucas at the Walmart, she was going to meet up with a drug dealer. Then, at 11:10 p.m., he told her to go to another location near his grandmothers house. Suhr said she always knew what she was doing, trying to gather information about Schelling, and never fell in love with Lucas. Colette Bordelon also spoke to Martinez's cousin, who said he believes her murder does have to do with the trial. It was tense because the time was ticking away, and the tires were turning on the road, Chostner said. In the following days, her parents and friends said Schellings texts continued to contain uncharacteristic punctuation and curt responses. Once the money was exchanged, then this courier person would go and get Kelsie and bring her back to the McDonalds, Saxton said of the instructions she received. Police found surveillance video showing Lucas driving her car at an ATM 12 hours after Schelling arrived in Pueblo. During the trial, investigators had revealed troubling information about Schellings possible whereabouts. It reaches the surface, he said. As freshmen, while she was a psychology student, he was an athlete who dreamed of being a professional basketball player. Colorado Bureau of Investigation's Forensic Scientist Collin Knaub takes the stand next and has worked for CBI since 2010. 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. Regardez le Salaire Mensuel de Michael Jackson Bad 25 Documentary en temps rel. 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. Laura Saxton, Schelling's mom, took the stand again and testified that Schelling's car was never in California. 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. [That was] where he seemingly intended to board a flight to Tucson, and the concern was once he got to Arizona that he may take other efforts to meet friends in Mexico.. Family photo. Now that she is gone, Ive had to turn into a fighter, Saxton told 20/20.. I've been here over an hour just waiting." Schelling didn't show up to work on Feb. 5, and a worried co-worker tried calling her. Just wait and see for yourself, Lucas allegedly says in the texts. 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. Wish you would have told me you knew it was very likely to happen so I could be prepared. 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. 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. If you would like to share a story idea, please submit it here. On the day she reportedly disappeared, GPS on her phone showed it traveled to the same location in Pueblo as Lucas' phone. From the. Severe Weather CBS4 was on scene in 2017 when investigators dug up the yard of a home where Lucas used to live. Torres said Lucas never took the car to Denver. It is still an open case. 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. I was holding onto my dads hand. This all eventually came to a head in February 2013, after Schelling seemingly vanished without a trace even though the investigation turned up activity on Schelling's cell per her phone records, along with footage of Lucas withdrawing $400 from his girlfriend's account in the days after her disappearance, per ABC News. Sinnema said Lucas told him that Schelling returned later that morning, again to discuss their relationship. The car was moved from that location the following morning, then showed up at St. Mary-Corwin Medical Center Feb. 9. 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. 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. She said shed have to think about it and drove home. Circumstantial evidence is every bit as good as any other kind of evidence, said Jeff Chostner, the district attorney for Pueblo County, We were able to put this case together through circumstantial evidence. Pueblo Police Capt. Watch the full story on "20/20" FRIDAY at 9 p.m. Schelling's family has set up a website called HelpFindKelsie.com and are reportedly offering a $10,000 reward for any information that leads to an arrest. Lately shes been like threatening to leave to California. I felt like I was [in] pretty deep. 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. 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. Didnt expect to feel like this now.. 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. Kelsie's father Doug Schelling received a strange text from his daughter when he tried to check on her. Its been over eight years since Laura Saxtons 21-year-old pregnant daughter Kelsie Schelling vanished. She said she received text messages, but they were curt and short, which was unlike Kelsie. Saxton also pleaded with police to not stop searching for her daughter's body, so she can have a proper burial. In August of 1995, a local film crew in Arlington, Texas was doing a documentary on single mothers in welfare trying to get jobs. 0:00. Sinnema testified that Lucas never mentioned: leaving Schellings vehicle at Walmart; meeting Schelling on a side-street of his grandmothers home; Schelling staying in his home that night on Manor Ridge Drive; or using Schellings debit card. That man, Donthe Lucas, was convicted for her murder and sentenced to life in prison on Monday. The search for Tibbetts and the . Circumstantial and forensic evidence are prominen Text messages show he first instructed her to go to a specific Walmart on the south side of town. In the back of my mind, I always kept that he is potentially a murderer.. I do not.. 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. Saxtons hope was for answers. 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. The next day, Schellings father tried to get in touch with her and received a strange text waving him off. The Pap smear was abnormal, Tatesaid, seemed to show that Schelling might be at risk for cervical cancer and could possibly have had human papillomavirus (HPV), warranting a follow up evaluation. Sinnema said Lucas also did not mention dropping Schellings vehicle off at St. Mary-Corwin Medical Center on Feb. 7. Roxann Martinez was shot and killed at the intersection of E. Kenyon Dr. and S. Wabash St. at 11 p.m. on Feb 25. Schelling tells Lucas at 11:21 a.m. that shes finished her appointment. The defense in Lucas' trial rested on Monday without calling any witnesses. 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. Give Light and the People Will Find Their Own Way, Opening statements in murder trial begin in case of Kelsie Schelling's disappearance, Donthe Lucas murder trial will begin Wednesday, Long-awaited murder trial to begin in the case of Kelsie Schelling's disappearance, Previous coverage: The Kelsie Schelling Case. He said they got in an argument and he exited her vehicle, but Schelling stayed in Pueblo that night. She said based on her evaluation, Schelling was, in fact, pregnant at the time of her disappearance. She texts him at 11:18 p.m., saying she has arrived at the meeting spot. 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. KOAA News5 on your time, streaming on your Roku, FireTV, AppleTV and AndroidTV. 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. What if she is still out there somewhere? Saxton said. 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. 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. Privacy Policy | 4:34. 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. 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. I love you very much and you know it. Colette Bordelon reports that the District Attorney has confirmed to her that Martinez was going to testify for the prosecution this week that Lucas confessed to her that he killed Schelling. 17 Jan 2023 Amber: The Girl Behind the Alert (2023 film) . She claimed Schelling was alive. Lucas was sentenced to. Prosecutors confirmed that Wilkins and Martinez were the same person. OK. It was just so emotional for everybody, for both sides, Saxton said. 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. While this text was being sent, Torres said Schellings phone was pinging off of a cell tower within the area of Canon National Bank, where Donthe Lucas was seen on camera withdrawing $400 from Schellings bank account while driving her 2011 Chevy Cruze. She also said Schellings medical paperwork indicated that she self-reported discontinuing her birth control in October 2012. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. Roxann Martinez, 31, was found dead on Feb. 25 from a gunshot wound and her death has been classified a homicide. A murder conviction without a body is an instance of a person being convicted of murder despite the absence of the victim's body. Though Schellings family got the verdict they wanted, they were still unable to bring her home for a proper burial. I mean, I could barely function.. Copyright 2021 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. Then, Suhr said something unexpected happened with Lucas: her undercover relationship with him blossomed into romance. 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. Laura Saxton and her daughter Kelsie Schelling, who vanished in 2013. They never found anything on those searches. The defense pushed a narrative that Schelling was addicted to drugs. She met Donna Whitson, single Continued. He was sentenced immediately after the verdict by the judge to life in prison without parole. Shortly before noon, other texts are exchanged between Lucas and Schellings phones, which the prosecution alleges were not actually sent by Schelling. Great now., Sara Lucas asked Donthe, Shes not pregnant?, He responded: Nothing. Then, prosecutors played Lucas interrogation tape for the jury. (Schelling's family denies claims that she ever engaged in the use of illegal substances, per ABC News). Schelling and Lucas met at Northeastern Junior College in 2010. Asked about the conversation he allegedly had with Schelling the prior day, Feb. 9, when she called him from a blocked number, Lucas said the conversation was very short and consisted of Schelling yelling at him and telling him not to leave her voicemails. 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. But more importantly, I wanted the jury to hear the defendant, in his own words, say, I lied.. Prosecutors told jurors that Lucas was trying to get Schelling to Pueblo and sent her a text message saying he had a surprise for her. This led them to believe Lucas had murdered Schelling, and disposed of her body there, though her remains have never been found. She said she told her she loved her. Torres said in the surveillance video showing the cash withdrawal, Schelling cannot be seen in the vehicle. We interviewed our tech expert, Jaime Vazquez, to learn more about accessible smart home devices. I will support you whether Donthe is in the picture or not in the picture. Obviously it's an important piece of evidence that he moved the car because it shows he's covering up the crime. In December 2019, the judge postponed the trial until May 2020, as a new lawyer joined the defense team. However, 20/20 learned that in March 2013, a woman named Roxann Wilkins reached out to Schellings mother through the Facebook page, saying she used to date Lucas and he had confessed to her that he killed Schelling and where her body was. Please keep your comments respectful and relevant. ). the Alert is a 2023 documentary on Peacock. 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. 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. Now, follow one mother's crusade for justice in this true crime investigation. After their talk, he said, he believed Schelling left town. He comes off so lost and hurt. Former FBI agent and ABC News contributor Brad Garrett said Marcus story aligns with how many other scams work. 1 In February 2013, Kelsie Schelling was very happy to find out she was eight weeks pregnant, according to ABC News. There was no sign of her in the apartment, and that's when we called the Denver police.. Waiting for your permission to load facebook comments. We know that that's his phone. Dont text me. Schellings friends said they remembered her relationship with Lucas was often tumultuous, with the two constantly fighting and making up -- then the unthinkable happened. 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. Donthe was found at DIA. Over the course of the following weeks, she became close with Lucas and had the opportunity to speak with him about Schellings disappearance. If The Economic Update with Tatiana Bailey Ph. Ryan Rivera, a former Pueblo County Jail inmate and a friend of Lucas, also testified. In December 2017, almost four years after Schelling's disappearance, Lucas was charged with her murder. Then, in December 2020, the murder trial was set to start on Jan. 25, 2021. There were some clothes, Kelsies car, and the defendants backyard, but the key pieces of evidence were cell phone data. Back in 2013, Kelsie Schelling felt like she had her whole life ahead of her. . Silly, she was so silly., I miss being silly with her, Saxton added. On February 4, 2013, 21-year-old Kelsie Schelling . Asked if he believed Schelling orchestrated her own disappearance, Binet said, No. Learn more about Dan here. Dont worry about me. Love you, Sara Lucas said. Yet, there was still someone else who said Lucas had confessed vital information: Lauren Suhr. 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." He told her that he and Schelling would do drugs together, like cocaine. I felt like he did genuinely develop feelings for me and did genuinely fall in love with me. You dont have to have a happy little family with me. Suhr said she never fell in love with Lucas and never saw him again, only reaching out to him to tell him she was ending their relationship. I just get mad and I dont want to fight with you. Dont worry. So, lets find out more about where he is today, shall we? A little bit later, he got back with me. They began to suspect the text messages werent coming from Schelling at all. By taking this avowal seriously, Adrian Johnston nally claries the philosophical project underlying iek's eorts. 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. And even if it's not the answer I wanted, the community heard it and they know what happened., The jury reached a unanimous decision on their first vote, a juror later revealed to 20/20.. Lucas said Schelling then dropped him off at his house and left. Still A Mystery. In the recording, Lucas tells Binet the last time he heard from Schelling was the previous day, Feb. 9. That's direct evidence.. Just wait and see for yourself, you probably wouldnt believe me if I told you anyway, so you can see for yourself.. 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. Donthe took that away from me.. I miss all the things that we didn't get to do together., 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. @KOAA. Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Community Guidelines | KRDO Jobs | FCC Applications |, KRDO FCC Public File | KRDO FCC Applications, Breaking News Before 6 p.m., Torres said Schelling texted Lucas, Then step up and make a relationship with me work. 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. 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. After a few weeks, they met in person. The argument between Schelling and Lucas, according to the exchanged texts as recounted by Torres, continued into the early morning hours of Feb. 4. Sinnema said Lucas told him that he and Schelling went to Parkview Medical Center later that day and that Schelling emerged from the hospital a short time later saying she was no longer pregnant. The prosecution asserts Kelsie was killed sometime between midnight the night of Feb. 4 and before 3 a.m. the morning of Feb. 5. A jury. She wanted that baby. (1) 2021 TV-14. Without a crime scene, murder weapon or body, how could the jury be convinced this was murder, and that Lucas was responsible? I never was.. "We're doing everything in our power. COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (CBS4) - Donthe Lucas was found guilty of murdering his pregnant ex-girlfriend Kelsie Schelling in 2013. In a motion filed by Lucas, he claims the victim's father had a history of violence toward Kelsie and killed . 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. 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. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. At this point, News5's Colette Bordelon said the prosecution admitted a picture taken of the dash of the car through Saxton. But Lucas claimed when they spoke later, Schelling ended up telling me shes not pregnant. We wont speak of it again. You couldn't see what kind of vehicle, you couldn't tell who was in the car, Pueblo police Capt. 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. Schellings car was discovered more than a week after her disappearance without a trace of the young expectant mom. Chostner says there was more evidence to work with in 2017 versus 2013, and enough that gave him the confidence to press charges. I never want to give up on trying to bring her home. she said. COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (CBS4) -Donthe Lucas was found guilty of murdering his pregnant ex-girlfriend Kelsie Schelling in 2013.
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