Her boss called her not that long ago and offered her her job back.. 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. Moreover, only a day earlier in Denver, Schelling's doctor had told her that the baby was healthy. The co-worker received a text message, supposedly from Schelling, saying she wasnt having the baby anymore because it was growing in the wrong place.. Lucas Defense: This is a reach the biggest reach in Pueblos history.. Therefore, after many delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he stood trial for the same in early 2021. Suhr also testified that Lucas would break down and cry whenever he talked about Schelling he had nothing to do with her disappearance. Law enforcement finally turned Schellings missing persons case into a criminal case. 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.. 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. 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. At the end of the day, I said, I think we have enough here to go forward. I told you Id give you everything you need when you get here so u dont need that job.. I felt like he did genuinely develop feelings for me and did genuinely fall in love with me. 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. -- It's been over eight years since Laura Saxton's 21-year-old pregnant daughter Kelsie Schelling vanished. She claimed Schelling was alive. He just says, If I hear from her, I'll let you know, Saxton said. : The UN in Libya; 3. Season 1. Warner Bros. Entertainment | The lawsuit was dismissed, and shortly after, Torres took the reins of the case, meeting Saxton in September 2016. Saxton still doesn't have all the answers she's searched tirelessly for. Kelsie Schelling wouldve turned 30 this year. 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. Daily Briefing 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. I moved the car, Chostner said. Four days passed after Schelling drove to Pueblo on the night of Feb. 4. 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. Criminal defense attorney Danielle Iredale joins host Ana Garcia. That was dumb and I apologize. However, nothing was found. Lucas was sentenced to. I'm never going to recover without getting her back, Saxton said. She drove down to see her boyfriend, Donthe Lucas. By May 2018, a judge said prosecutors had proved probable cause. Colorado Bureau of Investigation's Forensic Scientist Collin Knaub takes the stand next and has worked for CBI since 2010. We know that that's his phone. Then, prosecutors played Lucas interrogation tape for the jury. Love you Donthe.. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. It reaches the surface, he said. Her. This led them to believe Lucas had murdered Schelling, and disposed of her body there, though her remains have never been found. Emmanuel Chandler was arrested for Martinez's death. 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). Then in October 2015, Saxton had a new possible lead. @KOAA, Kelsie Schelling's mother is called to the stand again. 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. Enter the email address you signed up with and we'll email you a reset link. If the offender is used to having the victim take care of them and be focused on them and dancing around to be sure the offender is doing OK, if now, suddenly, thats not happening, that can lead to an escalation, Walker said. 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. Feb. 4, 2013, was the last time Schelling was seen. She also informed us that Donthe admitted to her to being the one on the video dropping Kelsie's car off at [the] hospital.. We also spoke to Martinez's cousin exclusively. 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. But tragically, Kelsie Schelling went missing soon after she revealed her pregnancy to her partner, Donthe Lucas. She was happy. Schelling's body has never been found. In a motion filed by Lucas, he claims the victim's father had a history of violence toward Kelsie and killed . It is still an open case. Schellings car was discovered more than a week after her disappearance without a trace of the young expectant mom. 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. I grabbed my mother very tight and held her very close, Kelsies brother, Colby Schelling, said. That's just 100% clarification that some dirt bags out there are trying to get money off of these poor families.. The 21-year-old from Colorado had already announced to family and friends. Thus, today, at the age of 28, Donthe Isiah Lucas, or inmate 190792, is incarcerated in the Centennial Correctional Facility in Canon City. Walker said there are several different ways domestic violence offenders controls their victims -- through financial abuse, leveraging family dynamics, such as the presence of children, threats and intimidation and withholding emotional support. Text messages show he first instructed her to go to a specific Walmart on the south side of town. @KOAA. There was no deals like that.. I didn't want to get in any deeper than I had already gotten into.. 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. Her friend was also in communication with Schelling's mom, Laura Saxton. Back in 2013, Kelsie Schelling felt like she had her whole life ahead of her. 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. The UN and the Colonial World: International Trusteeship and Non-Self-Governing Territories; 2. 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. It made me sick. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website. Her last confirmed text message was sent to Lucas at 11:18 p.m. 1 In February 2013, Kelsie Schelling was very happy to find out she was eight weeks pregnant, according to ABC News. No one.. I deliberated on it and I looked at the practicalities of it, Chostner said. She was reportedly on her way from Denver to Pueblo to discuss the pregnancy with Lucas. She called from a private number. Schelling, 21, went missing in 2013 after driving from Denver to Pueblo to see Lucas. Ryan Rivera said that Lucas once told him while they were about to play a game of cards that investigators would never find Schelling's body. Ad Choices, Benjamin Satterthwaite; Kelsie Schelling; Donthe Lucas, Criminal defense attorney Danielle Iredale, Body parts found in suitcases, luggage tags lead to suspected killer; Kelsie Schelling update - TCDPOD. Its getting harder to come back, I dread the trips but I know I have to do it, she said. He was within 20 minutes of getting on a plane for Tucson, Arizona, when he was arrested.. During the trial, investigators had revealed troubling information about Schellings possible whereabouts. After all, this way, there would be no physical evidence left behind. Just wait and see for yourself, you probably wouldnt believe me if I told you anyway, so you can see for yourself.. In partnership with The white stain in #Schelling's car was negative for saliva. Lucas was arrested on Feb. 15, 2013 for felony identity theft for using Schellings debit card. Schelling,. Get the Android Weather app from Google Play. Though it was likely frustrating and painful for Kelsies family, he believes it led to a successful conviction. There were some clothes, Kelsies car, and the defendants backyard, but the key pieces of evidence were cell phone data. He admitted to those text messages, Pueblo Assistant District Attorney Kyle McCarthy said. Unresolved: Release in which this issue/RFE will be addressed. 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. On the day she reportedly disappeared, GPS on her phone showed it traveled to the same location in Pueblo as Lucas' phone. 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. Later, when Schelling's car was recovered, Lucas' DNA and a strand of his mother's hair were discovered inside. The theory would explain the lack of a murder weapon. I dont want to fight at all, I want to give you this, he wrote. She said she first reached out to him on Facebook and they exchanged numbers. 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. 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.". He said theyd spoken early that morning when Schelling arrived in Pueblo and their interactions continued through the following morning. 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 Economic Update with Tatiana Bailey Ph. Severe Weather Lucas appears to have asked Schelling to come down to Pueblo after she got off work the evening of Feb. 3, and expresses disappointment she will not drive down. Though Schellings family got the verdict they wanted, they were still unable to bring her home for a proper burial. (1) 2021 TV-14. Prosecutors also argued Lucas constantly used Schelling for money, her apartment in Denver and her car, claims the defense didnt deny. You can use the money and fill the car up…. Johnston also uses iek's combination of . 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. Saxton got choked up when identifying her daughter's birth certificate, passport, and an expired passport from when #Schelling was "just a little girl." I just get mad and I dont want to fight with you. Schelling was eight weeks pregnant when her friends and family last heard from her on February 4, 2013, when [] PUEBLO, Colo. CBI Investigator Kevin Torres remembers it like yesterday. 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). Schelling, 21, went missing in 2013 after driving from Denver to Pueblo to see Lucas. Eric Bravo took over the case with the help of Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) agent Kevin Torres. We wont speak of it again. Schelling's body has never been found. The person you may send to pick up the cash at a particular location may know nothing about what the scam is.. Suhr said the plan was basically just to kind of befriend him, get to know him, try and meet him, see what his family was like, see if I could get him to talk about anything.. It's a sad situation that didn't have to end up like this if he had just let her come home.. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Then, in December 2020, the murder trial was set to start on Jan. 25, 2021. Lucas, according to Torres recap of the text exchange, replied, Cool, then said he wished Schelling didnt have to work that evening. Our Colette Bordelon will be there every day and will have coverage both online and over the air. Now that she is gone, Ive had to turn into a fighter, Saxton told 20/20.. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? 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). 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. Morning Forecast Im very grateful that our paths crossed and God took us to this moment.. The messenger claimed they needed $50,000 in cash to help Schelling escape. Even though Kelsies remains have never been found, shes long since accepted her daughters death. Editor's note: A previous version of this story said Rivera testified that Lucas specifically admitted to killing Kelsie Schelling. Roxann Martinez, 31, was found dead on Feb. 25 from a gunshot wound and her death has been classified a homicide. 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. Schelling tells him she has responsibilities and cant just skip work. Her mother, Laura Saxton, also knew about their tumultuous alliance. She'd driven down from Denver to Pueblo to meet her boyfriend Donthe Lucas, who had. Donthe Isiah Lucas pleaded not guilty to the charge against him in 2018. The jury found Lucas guilty of first-degree murder in a verdict that was delivered just after 4 p.m. Monday. I called Doug, her dad We all drove up to Denver that day, went into the apartment. At this point, News5's Colette Bordelon said the prosecution admitted a picture taken of the dash of the car through Saxton. Kelsie Schelling was only 21 years old when she vanished. For Lauras part, the case doesnt end with the verdict. 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. 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. The Version table provides details related to the release that this issue/RFE will be addressed. 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. In February 2013, Kelsie Schelling was very happy to find out she was eight weeks pregnant, according to ABC News. Lucas claimed he and Schelling then went to the South Side Walmart so Schelling could grab some snacks before driving back to Denver. The person sending the messages says I know where Megan is. In the following days, her parents and friends said Schellings texts continued to contain uncharacteristic punctuation and curt responses. March 3 Fugitive Finder: Pueblos most wanted, Increase in Shigella cases, drug-resistant infections, Remembrance ceremony for Divide woman missing since, Disneyland fan sets record for most consecutive, Biden had cancerous lesion removed, no further treatment, Brothers convicted of killing groom hours after wedding, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Hear from those closest to the victims, including family, friends, local journalists and law enforcement. The prosecution argued that Lucas didnt want his pregnant girlfriend to have their unborn baby, so he plotted and killed her before it could happen. But Lucas claimed when they spoke later, Schelling ended up telling me shes not pregnant. 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. Messages on Schelling's phone showed she texted Lucas that she was pregnant, and his replies indicated he was unhappy. Read More: Where is Kelsie Schellings Mother Now? In late 2017, there was another huge development. Kelsie Schelling, 21, vanished in February 2013 shortly after finding out that she was eight weeks pregnant. But surveillance video showed an entirely different story. Michelle Chostner prosecuted the case alongside senior prosecutor Kyle McCarthy, and Alex Baker, an Assistant Attorney General in the Colorado Attorney Generals Office. Lucas pleaded not guilty to the murder charges in August 2018, and the judge set a trial date for 2019. 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. Hours later she vanished. 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. He comes off so lost and hurt. Love you, Sara Lucas said. 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. An officer stated that they believed Donthe strangled Kelsie. If its really what happened Im so sorry you had to go through that alone, Lucas said in a text to Schelling. 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. 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. It was the most emotional moment in the courtroom today by far, watching a mother look at these remnants of her daughter. She said Tuesday in 2016 she was trying to gather information from Lucas about Schelling. On February 4, 2013, 21-year-old Kelsie Schelling . 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. 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. Michelle Chostner, the lead prosecutor in Schellings case, confirmed that investigators interviewed Martinez but could not comment on anything that wasnt admitted in trial. She did say that he called once from jail, but they ultimately never spoke again. Text messages showed the emotionally abusive relationship Kelsie was in. More women ice fishing? 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. 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. He said Schelling wanted a relationship but thats not what he wanted. If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction issues, help is available. Lol, Torres said Donthe replied. Petrvvajc zhada epizoda 4. sezna 4. Laura Saxton, Schelling's mom, took the stand again and testified that Schelling's car was never in California. Kelsie Schelling with her mom Laura Saxton. Her phone, according to Torres and Eicher, was also never recorded as having left Pueblo. But at 11:10 p.m., Lucas had still not arrived at Walmart. Leave me alone, Lucas said. He said they got in an argument and he exited her vehicle, but Schelling stayed in Pueblo that night. COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (CBS4) -Donthe Lucas was found guilty of murdering his pregnant ex-girlfriend Kelsie Schelling in 2013. 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. She said the plan, orchestrated by one of her close friends, was to get close to Lucas. 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. Binet said there were several red flags in Schellings case that led him to believe she was more than just missing. Kelsie Schelling was only 21 years old when she vanished. For that reason, little DNA evidence was presented. Former FBI agent and cellular software expert Scott Eicher testified Friday that cell phone records showed Schellings movements that night -- her phone, Eicher said, left the area of her employment in Denver, traveled south on Interstate 25 and eventually arrived in Pueblo. 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. 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 texts him at 10:20 p.m., saying shes arrived and Lucas replies that hell be there shortly. Schelling and Lucas met at Northeastern Junior College in 2010. Now, follow one mother's crusade for justice in this true crime investigation. Investigators have said he took $400 out of her account on that day. Watch the full story on "20/20" FRIDAY at 9 p.m. Megan Lancaster, then 25, had disappeared just months after Schelling. I love you very much and you know it. I just thought, What if shes been out there and I couldve found her and we havent?. We wanna bring her home with us, her and Cadry both. Youre good. After their talk, he said, he believed Schelling left town. Suhr said Lucas had lied to police when he claimed he was with Schelling in her car after the evening of Feb. 4, 2013 -- he had moved her car himself, Suhr said. 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. Sinnema said he spoke to Lucas that evening and Lucas told him Schelling had come to see him in the early morning hours of Feb. 5. Suhr said she always knew what she was doing, trying to gather information about Schelling, and never fell in love with Lucas. 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. Saxton also pleaded with police to not stop searching for her daughter's body, so she can have a proper burial. We received the information from the Pueblo landfill that there was some video evidence of a vehicle being there. I never want to give up on trying to bring her home. she said. In December 2017, almost four years after Schelling's disappearance, Lucas was charged with her murder. I have found that if you do it the right way, justice finds its own way. Her. "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. Eric Bravo said. Ryan Rivera, a former Pueblo County Jail inmate and a friend of Lucas, also testified. We did not have a body that would've told us location No modus operandi of how she died. The defense pushed a narrative that Schelling was addicted to drugs. Lucas said Schelling then dropped him off at his house and left. 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. It was like standing on the precipice of a cliff and looking down, Chostner said. Strangely enough, around the same time, the family of another missing woman 1,200 miles away in Portsmouth, Ohio, had been receiving similar messages. 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). Tatesaid her evaluation of Schelling showed no indication of prior pregnancies, miscarriages of abortions. 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. She also said Schellings medical paperwork indicated that she self-reported discontinuing her birth control in October 2012. The car was moved from that location the following morning, then showed up at St. Mary-Corwin Medical Center Feb. 9. 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. From the moment she realized Schelling was missing, Saxton led the fight to find her daughter. But it soon became clear that Schelling had disappeared without a trace and no one knew where she was. Saxton said the messenger told her Lucas had sold her daughter into sex trafficking. He believes her murder does have to do with the #DontheLucas trial, even though Denver police have said they believe there's no connection. Testimony in the trial is set to resume Tuesday, with Schelling's older brother, Colby Schelling, on the witness stand. Donthe Lucas, 28, was found guilty on Monday in the killing of his missing girlfriend, Kelsie Schelling, according to the Denver Post. 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.
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