Well, there certainly were evidentiary problems, Chostner said. 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. The messenger claimed they needed $50,000 in cash to help Schelling escape. 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. Schelling,. But more importantly, I wanted the jury to hear the defendant, in his own words, say, I lied.. At 1:28 a.m., Schelling tells Lucas, I wont tell you anything about the baby. Its going to be OK, Saxton said she told her daughter. Schelling and Lucas met at Northeastern Junior College in 2010. Lucas pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder in August 2018. Schelling's Late Philosophy in Confrontation with Hegel Peter Dews (Emeritus Professor of Philosophy, Emeritus Professor of Philosophy . Then you can take her back home., Sara Lucas allegedly responded: What happened? and, Are you OK? to which Lucas responded, Yeah. 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. Scheels says, yes! 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. Schelling, 21, was eight weeks pregnant at the time of her disappearance, according to news reports. (1) 2021 TV-14. For years, Donthe maintained that he had nothing to do with Kelsies disappearance and had no idea where she could be. The texts exchanged indicate Lucas and Schelling were constantly arguing throughout the night of Feb. 3, both in text and in short phone conversations in which Schelling seemed to continually hang up on Lucas. On Monday, he was sentenced to life in prison. Editor's note: A previous version of this story said Rivera testified that Lucas specifically admitted to killing Kelsie Schelling. Its hard to explain, Torres said, Its definitely a person, emotional bond. They alleged that when she left Lucas at the Walmart, she was going to meet up with a drug dealer. I have found that if you do it the right way, justice finds its own way. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. @KOAA. By taking this avowal seriously, Adrian Johnston nally claries the philosophical project underlying iek's eorts. We interviewed our tech expert, Jaime Vazquez, to learn more about accessible smart home devices. Suhr messaged Lucas on Facebook saying she was new to the Pueblo area and that she was looking to meet new people. There were some clothes, Kelsies car, and the defendants backyard, but the key pieces of evidence were cell phone data. It said, "Where are you? The website gives the following. Experts testify Tuesday on various evidence found in Schelling's car - KOAA 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. 4:34. The suit criticized the way the investigation was handled but was ultimately dismissed. Chieftain reporter Zach Hillstrom can be reached at zhillstrom@chieftain.com or on Twitter @ZachHillstrom, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. If its really what happened Im so sorry you had to go through that alone, Lucas said in a text to Schelling. Jury finds Donthe Lucas guilty of first-degree murder in death of Suspecting foul play, police accelerated the investigation. It was scary. For Lauras part, the case doesnt end with the verdict. On the day she reportedly disappeared, GPS on her phone showed it traveled to the same location in Pueblo as Lucas' phone. 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. Laura Saxton and her daughter Kelsie Schelling, who vanished in 2013. Schelling, and Hegel. On Feb. 25, 2021, 31-year-old Roxann Martinez was preparing to testify for the prosecution when she was shot and killed. Lauren Suhr, a young single mother who didnt know Kelsie Schelling or her family, was so moved by Schellings story that she decided she would try to get information on Schelling, on her own initiative, from Donthe Lucas. Now, follow one mother's crusade for justice in this true crime investigation. She also informed us that Donthe admitted to her to being the one on the video dropping Kelsie's car off at [the] hospital.. According to her, Schelling had gotten confirmation of her pregnancy on the day she disappeared. When Suhr was back on the witness stand Wednesday, she said Lucas proposed to her, who took the ring, but said she would have to think about it. The Pueblo landfill said there was evidence of a car at the dump and Lucas' cell phone data suggest he could have been there the night of Feb. 4, 2013. The first search warrant was executed at the suspects home on Feb. 14a period of 11 days, or 264 hours. 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. He believes her murder does have to do with the #DontheLucas trial, even though Denver police have said they believe there's no connection. In the back of my mind, I always kept that he is potentially a murderer.. After that, she moved to Washington in spring 2017 and never spoke to Lucas again. His book charts the interlinked ontology and theory of subjectivity constructed by iek at the intersection of German idealism and Lacanian theory. Pueblo Police Capt. At 1:10 p.m., Lucas texts Schelling, saying that he will drop off her vehicle and asks if he should, leave the keys in the visor?. I miss all the things that we didn't get to do together., 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. Binet testified Monday he contacted Donthe Lucas on Feb. 10th. The defense argued it was a missing persons case. 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. Laura Saxton fought tirelessly for justice in the case of her missing pregnant daughter. 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Feb. 4, 2013, was the last time Schelling was seen. We know that that's his thoughts and feelings about it. Tate said Schellings medical records did not indicate she was at any risk of a miscarriage. Then, prosecutors played Lucas interrogation tape for the jury. Kelsie Schelling was only 21 years old when she vanished. Daily Briefing Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Dan is a reporter with the 13 Investigates team. Schelling, 21, went missing in 2013 after driving from Denver to Pueblo to see Lucas. They planned to meet but at the last minute, Wilkins told Saxton she was in the hospital and could not come. 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. You can review our Community Guidelines by clicking here. Lucas was found guilty of first-degree murder in connection to the death or disappearance of Schelling. You dont have to marry me. Though Schellings family got the verdict they wanted, they were still unable to bring her home for a proper burial. Prosecutors also argued Lucas constantly used Schelling for money, her apartment in Denver and her car, claims the defense didnt deny. "We're very thankful for this outcome, but in the end I didn't get Kelsey back, and that's what I wanted more than anything," said Schelling's mother, Laura Saxton shortly after the verdict was read. Kelsie Schelling, 21, vanished in February 2013 shortly after finding out that she was eight weeks pregnant. The jury found Lucas guilty of first-degree murder in a verdict that was delivered just after 4 p.m. Monday. 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. Eric Bravo took over the case with the help of Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) agent Kevin Torres. 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. She met Donna Whitson, single Continued. 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). Kelsie Schelling with her mom Laura Saxton. 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. That man, Donthe Lucas, was convicted for her murder and sentenced to life in prison on Monday. Criminal defense attorney Danielle Iredale joins host Ana Garcia. 21-year-old Kelsie Schelling was two months pregnant when she drove from Denver to Pueblo to see her former boyfriend Donthe Lucas. A murder conviction without a body is an instance of a person being convicted of murder despite the absence of the victim's body. 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. Without a crime scene, murder weapon or body, how could the jury be convinced this was murder, and that Lucas was responsible? I was holding onto my dads hand. 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. 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. Powered by WordPress.com VIP. Lucas was sentenced to. Eighteen hours later, an unknown man is seen getting in the car and driving away. 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. : The UN in Libya; 3. I ethically believe that Donthe Lucas killed Kelsie Schelling, and I think we have the evidence to prove it.. Saxton got choked up when identifying her daughter's birth certificate, passport, and an expired passport from when #Schelling was "just a little girl." One of the crucial pieces of evidence was Lucas text messages, which the prosecution argued showed his intent and plan to lure her to Pueblo. 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.. 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 . She said Tuesday in 2016 she was trying to gather information from Lucas about Schelling. But soon, Kelsie started confiding in her friends that her boyfriend was physically abusive and exhibited other toxic behavioral traits. Thankfully I had a great team. Kelsie's father Doug Schelling received a strange text from his daughter when he tried to check on her. He said Lucas confessed to the killing. Torres is largely credited for compiling the case to arrest him. I wont tell you about my appointment. Get the Android Weather app from Google Play. 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. 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. Apparently she had a miscarriage yesterday.. 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. 11:55 a.m.: Laura Saxton, Kelsie Schelling's mother, was the first witness called to the stand by prosecutors. 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. 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. Mom fights to bring pregnant daughter's killer to justice 8 years after If 2023 Telepictures Productions Inc. He comes off so lost and hurt. After Sinnema, the missing persons case was referred to Ted Binet, a DPD detective with the missing and exploited persons unit. In this week's True Crime Daily Podcast: An update to the Colorado cold case murder of missing pregnant woman Kelsie Schelling (1:50). A case 8 years in the making: The team that solved Kelsie Schelling's The argument between Schelling and Lucas, according to the exchanged texts as recounted by Torres, continued into the early morning hours of Feb. 4. He also told Suhr that a man he did not know picked Schelling up the last time he saw her. 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. Chostner says there was more evidence to work with in 2017 versus 2013, and enough that gave him the confidence to press charges. You ready for a smoke and a pancake?, Hell yeah. Synopsis:Kelsie Schelling disappears one night after leaving work, leading family and investigators on a four-year hunt to find the pregnant 21-year-old; cell phone records reveal what happened to . Over the course of the following weeks, she became close with Lucas and had the opportunity to speak with him about Schellings disappearance. Learn more about Dan here. 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. Her boss called her not that long ago and offered her her job back.. Then in October 2015, Saxton had a new possible lead. Donthe Lucas Found Guilty In 2013 Murder Of Kelsie Schelling - CBS News 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. JDK-8141210 : Very slow loading of JavaScript file with recent JDK Our Colette Bordelon will be there every day and will have coverage both online and over the air. You dont have to have a happy little family with me. I mean, I could barely function.. 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. Kelsie Schelling disappeared after driving down from Denver to Pueblo on February 4th, 2013. Lucas told Binet he and Schelling had not been on the best terms in recent months, as they wanted different things. Unresolved: Release in which this issue/RFE will be addressed. She said the plan, orchestrated by one of her close friends, was to get close to Lucas. At 9:56 p.m., she texts again, saying, Almost there. It was discovered during the trial Wednesday morning that an upcoming witness in the trial was found shot to death last week in Denver. Hear from those closest to the victims, including family, friends, local journalists and law enforcement. 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. On Feb. 5, Lucas said the two of them were together, but video from the Walmart cameras show only one person, who police believe was Lucas, getting out of the car. The. Lol, Torres said Donthe replied. Saxton said the messenger told her Lucas had sold her daughter into sex trafficking. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357). Sara Lucas says she only met her son's girlfriend. 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. He said he wouldnt be surprised if she was out in California already or was on her way there. During the holiday season in 2012, Schelling surprised her family with news that she was pregnant. Saxton called Lucas, asking if he knew anything about her daughters disappearance. Waiting for your permission to load facebook comments. 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. 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. The person you may send to pick up the cash at a particular location may know nothing about what the scam is.. Suhr also testified that Lucas would break down and cry whenever he talked about Schelling he had nothing to do with her disappearance. Goodnight., Torres said Lucas replied, Oh I know all of that … thanks for stating it for me.. I mean, who wants that for their child to be the final resting place? 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. However, nothing was found. 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. Leave me alone, Lucas said. Then, he proposed to her. If your child will play baseball or softball this spring, youll need to stock up on appropriate clothing and equipment. Kelsie Schelling was only 21 years old when she vanished. Suhr testified that Lucas had admitted to her that he was the mysterious figure seen picking up Schellings car after it sat overnight in a Walmart parking lot and that he had also dropped the car off at the hospital. As a mom, I couldnt even begin to fathom knowing that your childs out there or not out there, Suhr told 20/20 in an exclusive interview. 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. Schelling's body hasn't been found. She definitely had that phone with her, Lucas said. In late 2017, there was another huge development. Follow below: 4 p.m.: In a bombshell revelation, prosecutors called a former Pueblo County Jail inmate who claims that Donthe Lucas said investigators would never find Kelsie Schelling's body. Doctor's records confirmed that she was eight weeks pregnant, with the presumed father being. KRDO NewsChannel 13 is committed to providing a forum for civil and constructive conversation. Either make things work with me or walk away.. How to Build a State? 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. Walker said domestic violence, broadly speaking, addresses patterns of coercive control where one person in a relationship maintains power over the other. From the. 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. Police could not definitively say he was Lucas. Lucas was sentenced to life in prison without parole. Please enter valid email address to continue. 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. Schelling's body has never been found, but she is presumed dead. 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. Schelling, 21, went missing in 2013 after driving from Denver to Pueblo to see Lucas. I moved the car, Chostner said. ET on ABC. They found out that hed withdrawn $400 from her bank account. But surveillance video showed an entirely different story. COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (CBS4) - Donthe Lucas was found guilty of murdering his pregnant ex-girlfriend Kelsie Schelling in 2013. Didnt expect to feel like this now.. Copyright 2021 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. I'm never going to recover without getting her back, Saxton said. Resolved: Release in which this issue/RFE has been resolved. I felt like he did genuinely develop feelings for me and did genuinely fall in love with me. 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. It's a sad situation that didn't have to end up like this if he had just let her come home.. Its been over eight years since Laura Saxtons 21-year-old pregnant daughter Kelsie Schelling vanished. It was just a special bond that we formed. We did not have a body that would've told us location No modus operandi of how she died. But it soon became clear that Schelling had disappeared without a trace and no one knew where she was. Trace #DNA of #Lucas was found inside a pair of gloves and two sweatshirts. Movie Reviews and Spoilers - Page 2 of 12 - Reviews and spoilers for She was happy. 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. Donthe Lucas. 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. There was no sign of her in the apartment, and that's when we called the Denver police.. If you would like to share a story idea, please submit it here. Suspect in death of woman scheduled to testify in Kelsie Schelling However McCarthy said, there was no deals made about charges he would get to plead to, time he would get to serve. 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.. Kelsie Schelling Murder: Donthe Lucas Trial Set To Begin Monday Pueblo County District Attorney Jeff Chostner said investigators received a tip Lucas may be trying to skip town. March 8, 2021 / 11:59 PM It was years before he went to trial for Schellings murder. I know that my testimony could potentially help take him down, and that was realistically why I wanted to testify, she said. Ive never had that phone.. Just wait and see for yourself, Lucas allegedly says in the texts. At 11:29 a.m. on Feb. 5, Torres said Lucas texted his mother, Going to make sure she didnt leave anything in the house. Eric Bravo took over the case with the help of Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) agent Kevin Torres. 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. At this point, News5's Colette Bordelon said the prosecution admitted a picture taken of the dash of the car through Saxton. 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. I never was.. 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. 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. An officer stated that they believed Donthe strangled Kelsie. But tragically, Kelsie Schelling went missing soon after she revealed her pregnancy to her partner, Donthe Lucas. 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.".