After Sinnema, the missing persons case was referred to Ted Binet, a DPD detective with the missing and exploited persons unit. Schelling tells Lucas at 11:21 a.m. that shes finished her appointment. Binet asked Lucas if there was any chance Schelling might have left her phone with him. If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction issues, help is available. She used to work out there and she lived there for a while. There was no sign of her in the apartment, and that's when we called the Denver police.. Police decided then that they would write an arrest warrant for the robbery to catch him before he left town. 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. Doctor's records confirmed that she was eight weeks pregnant, with the presumed father being. On Monday, he was sentenced to life in prison. Suhr messaged Lucas on Facebook saying she was new to the Pueblo area and that she was looking to meet new people. Copyright 2021 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. You probably wouldnt believe me if I told you anyway so you can see for yourself.. Get the Android Weather app from Google Play. In February 2013, Kelsie Schelling was very happy to find out she was eight weeks pregnant, according to ABC News. Eric Bravo said. Love you, too.. Lucas said they met up again the following morning and that he brought Schelling to Parkview Medical Center, where she went inside the hospital and emerged a short time later, saying Im not pregnant. Saxton still doesn't have all the answers she's searched tirelessly for. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. However, even when the two moved away to pursue their respective careers, they continued dating up until the moment Kelsie disappeared. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website. MORE: Lucas trial day 2: Friends of Kelsie Schelling speak to a toxic and abusive relationship. 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. Lucas also told police that he and Schelling went to the Walmart to get snacks before she made the drive back to Denver. When all this got combined with Donthes former home catching fire just weeks after officers searched it for evidence, he was charged and arrested for his former girlfriends mysterious murder. But surveillance video showed an entirely different story. She said based on her evaluation, Schelling was, in fact, pregnant at the time of her disappearance. Its been over eight years since Laura Saxtons 21-year-old pregnant daughter Kelsie Schelling vanished. According to Lucas' account,the couple drank alcohol together and used marijuana and cocaine that night, the latter of which Lucas alleged was a surprise gift to Schelling. Then, prosecutors played Lucas interrogation tape for the jury. On Feb. 4, 2013, Saxton said she called Kelsie's phone several times but didn't get an answer. 10:50 a.m.: Opening statements wrapped up from prosecutors and Donthe Lucas' defense. Family photo. Lucas said Schelling told him before she came to Pueblo that she was pregnant and had gone to a doctor for an ultrasound. Weeks passed until police learned they needed to move quickly to catch Lucas. 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. @KOAA, Kelsie Schelling's mother is called to the stand again. D. Reaction to proposed dangerous dog ordinance, Assault weapons ban introduced in Colorado legislature, Commercial fire on South Academy Boulevard, Pueblo man sentenced to 11 years for armed robbery, Challenge course open at Lake Minnequa Park, Best athletic wear for kids joining baseball and, How to watch all the Oscar-nominated movies in style, Best smart home devices for older users, according, Infants death linked to contaminated breast pump,, CAT scan: Pet goes through X-ray machine at Virginia, Man suffers life-threatening injuries in Pueblo shooting, Deputy identified in deputy-involved shooting, CMZoo needs your help winning national award, Hidden Gem: Ice wall near Colorado Springs. By Feb. 7, Saxton said her calls to Schelling were going directly to voicemail. But Lucas claimed when they spoke later, Schelling ended up telling me shes not pregnant. Laura Saxton Her last confirmed text message was sent to Lucas at 11:18 p.m. In an intake questionnaire at the doctor, Tatesaid there was a question asking whether the respondent hasone sexual partner or many. Goodnight., Torres said Lucas replied, Oh I know all of that … thanks for stating it for me.. 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. Kelsie Schelling wouldve turned 30 this year. Schelling's Late Philosophy in Confrontation with Hegel Peter Dews (Emeritus Professor of Philosophy, Emeritus Professor of Philosophy . Lucas said Schelling then dropped him off at his house and left. Schelling, 21, went missing in 2013 after driving from Denver to Pueblo to see Lucas. I dont want to fight at all, I want to give you this, he wrote. 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. Without a crime scene, murder weapon or body, how could the jury be convinced this was murder, and that Lucas was responsible? Attorney Becky Briggs, part of Lucas defense team, grilled Tateabout Schellings medical history and asked Tateabout what was referred to by a medical assistant as a worrisome Pap smear at Schellings appointment. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? Contests & Promotions, 2023, Pikes Peak Television, Inc. Colorado Springs, CO, USA, Divide mother missing for two years, family begging for any information, One man injured in shooting on Pueblos east side Friday afternoon, El suicidio de un menor argentino conmueve a Espaa. Text messages show he first instructed her to go to a specific Walmart on the south side of town. 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. At the end of the day, I said, I think we have enough here to go forward. ET on ABC. Over the course of the following weeks, she became close with Lucas and had the opportunity to speak with him about Schellings disappearance. 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. Before 6 p.m., Torres said Schelling texted Lucas, Then step up and make a relationship with me work. He said they got in an argument and he exited her vehicle, but Schelling stayed in Pueblo that night. Our Colette Bordelon will be there every day and will have coverage both online and over the air. Schelling, Tatesaid, checked the box indicating just one. The car was moved from that location the following morning, then showed up at St. Mary-Corwin Medical Center Feb. 9. PUEBLO, Colo. CBI Investigator Kevin Torres remembers it like yesterday. Im very grateful that our paths crossed and God took us to this moment.. The jury convicted Lucas after approximately four hours of deliberation. 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 he wouldnt be surprised if she was out in California already or was on her way there. But more importantly, I wanted the jury to hear the defendant, in his own words, say, I lied.. Documentary films The Invention of Marxism: How an Idea Changed Everything Christina Morina (Professor of Modern and Contemporary History, Professor of Modern and Contemporary History, Bielefeld University) . 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.. Torres said in the surveillance video showing the cash withdrawal, Schelling cannot be seen in the vehicle. A murder conviction without a body is an instance of a person being convicted of murder despite the absence of the victim's body. Her. Lucas and Schelling seem to allude to a trip Lucas was planning on taking that day, seemingly to Kansas, on which he asked Schelling to accompany him. 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. You can review our Community Guidelines by clicking here. Prosecutors confirmed that Wilkins and Martinez were the same person. 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. He admitted to those text messages, Pueblo Assistant District Attorney Kyle McCarthy said. Severe Weather I have found that if you do it the right way, justice finds its own way. Even though Kelsies remains have never been found, shes long since accepted her daughters death. 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. The clip that I played at the beginning of my closing was his phrase to detectives. It said, "Where are you? Schelling disappeared almost six years ago when she was heading to see Lucas in Pueblo. Then you can take her back home., Sara Lucas allegedly responded: What happened? and, Are you OK? to which Lucas responded, Yeah. I'm never going to recover without getting her back, Saxton said. COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (CBS4) - Donthe Lucas was found guilty of murdering his pregnant ex-girlfriend Kelsie Schelling in 2013. Asked if he believed Schelling orchestrated her own disappearance, Binet said, No. In December 2017, almost four years after Schelling's disappearance, Lucas was charged with her murder. Back in 2013, Kelsie Schelling felt like she had her whole life ahead of her. 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. Saxton also pleaded with police to not stop searching for her daughter's body, so she can have a proper burial. Kelsie Schelling was over the moon. I have no idea about no Megan or no kidnapping or anything like that, the man told 20/20. 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.. Text messages showed the emotionally abusive relationship Kelsie was in. Torres said texts showed Schelling eventually agreed to come to Pueblo. 2023 Cinemaholic Inc. All rights reserved. You dont have to have a happy little family with me. An officer stated that they believed Donthe strangled Kelsie. 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. Great now., Sara Lucas asked Donthe, Shes not pregnant?, He responded: Nothing. 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. It made me sick. Editor's note: A previous version of this story said Rivera testified that Lucas specifically admitted to killing Kelsie Schelling. During the hearings, while the defense called upon no witnesses, the prosecutors invited Kelsies friends, family members, investigators, along with other experts to take the stands and highlight how Donthe could have slain Kelsie. NR | 03.26.21 | 01:20:44 | CC more episodes 42:55 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. After that, she moved to Washington in spring 2017 and never spoke to Lucas again. 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. 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 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. Suhr said she always knew what she was doing, trying to gather information about Schelling, and never fell in love with Lucas. KRDO NewsChannel 13 is committed to providing a forum for civil and constructive conversation. We did not have a body that would've told us location No modus operandi of how she died. On Feb. 25, 2021, 31-year-old Roxann Martinez was preparing to testify for the prosecution when she was shot and killed. Are you still coming (down to Pueblo) after work? Schelling's body has never been found. 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. She called from a private number. Saxtons hope was for answers. 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. 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. He told her that he and Schelling would do drugs together, like cocaine. In the recording, Lucas tells Binet the last time he heard from Schelling was the previous day, Feb. 9. Chostner says there was more evidence to work with in 2017 versus 2013, and enough that gave him the confidence to press charges. 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. Colette Bordelon also spoke to Martinez's cousin, who said he believes her murder does have to do with the trial. By May 2018, a judge said prosecutors had proved probable cause. Waiting for your permission to load facebook comments. I grabbed my mother very tight and held her very close, Kelsies brother, Colby Schelling, said. Asked by Binet if he had any idea where Schelling might be, Lucas replied, Shes been saying shes going to go back to California and get her job and get back with her ex-boyfriend.. In a motion filed by Lucas, he claims the victim's father had a history of violence toward Kelsie and killed . 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. Yet, there was still someone else who said Lucas had confessed vital information: Lauren Suhr. However, Kadie, Megan Lancasters sister-in-law, did make her meeting. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. 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. By taking this avowal seriously, Adrian Johnston nally claries the philosophical project underlying iek's eorts. Their lock to their front gate into the dump had been tampered with., It caught my attention when I grabbed the lock in my hand, and I said, Well, somebody tried to get in here overnight, Guadalupe Maestas, a worker at the landfill, told 20/20. Thats what came to my mind right away.. Then, he proposed to her. Messages on Schelling's phone showed she texted Lucas that she was pregnant, and his replies indicated he was unhappy. 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. In this week's True Crime Daily Podcast: An update to the Colorado cold case murder of missing pregnant woman Kelsie Schelling (1:50). 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. She drove to Pueblo that night to meet him, explaining that he had told her to come. COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (CBS4) -Donthe Lucas was found guilty of murdering his pregnant ex-girlfriend Kelsie Schelling in 2013. You ready for a smoke and a pancake?, Hell yeah. She reached out to a private investigator, but they were also stonewalled by PPD. She said the plan, orchestrated by one of her close friends, was to get close to Lucas. For years, Donthe maintained that he had nothing to do with Kelsies disappearance and had no idea where she could be. I never want to give up on trying to bring her home. she said. Im sorry for hanging up on you … I truly am. Read More: Where is Kelsie Schellings Mother Now? She was happy. As difficult as it was, its not impossible. Kelsie Schelling, 21, vanished in February 2013 shortly after finding out that she was eight weeks pregnant. In December 2019, the judge postponed the trial until May 2020, as a new lawyer joined the defense team. After a few weeks, they met in person. 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. The trial was then scheduled for July 2019, but Lucas' lawyers said they had new scientific evidence and needed more time to review it. Her family also received a message from someone who claimed to know where Lancaster was. He inferred that Schelling had lied about being pregnant numerous times in the past to try to, make me stay with her and keep talking to her or whatever.. 21-year-old Kelsie Schelling was two months pregnant when she drove from Denver to Pueblo to see her former boyfriend Donthe Lucas. So be ready., At 9:19 p.m., Schelling texts Lucas to say that shes in Monument. 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. Tate said Schellings medical records did not indicate she was at any risk of a miscarriage. Laura Saxton and her daughter Kelsie Schelling, who vanished in 2013. I felt like I was [in] pretty deep. I never was.. The 21-year-old from Colorado had already announced to family and friends. When the time came, Saxton even took the stand against her daughters killer. Johnston also uses iek's combination of . S43 E19 Finding Kelsie A young woman goes missing. Her boss called her not that long ago and offered her her job back.. Dont text me. Lucas told Binet he and Schelling had not been on the best terms in recent months, as they wanted different things. It reaches the surface, he said. Torres detailed a text from Lucas to Schelling just before noon that said, Um, yeah you can if you werent scared to get fired. 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. Saxton said the car was given to Schelling when she moved back from California and that there were certain belongings that were kept in the vehicle. Now, follow one mother's crusade for justice in this true crime investigation. Saxton said she remembered asking investigators if these items were in the vehicle when it was recovered and she was told they were not. 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 first search warrant was executed at the suspects home on Feb. 14a period of 11 days, or 264 hours. Donthe Lucas was charged with killing his 21-year-old girlfriend, Kelsie Schelling, who was pregnant at the time. What if she is still out there somewhere? Saxton said. She drove down to see her boyfriend, Donthe Lucas. 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. 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. On Dec. 1, 2017, two weeks after his arrest for the robbery, Lucas was arrested and charged with first degree murder. She gave an emotional and powerful testimony emphasizing to the jury her daughter Kelsie really wanted to have her child. There was no deals like that.. 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. 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. She filed a lawsuit against the Pueblo Police Department in the years after 2013 as the frustration grew from a lack of 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. 13M subscribers Kelsie Schelling goes to see boyfriend, never seen again: Part 3 Schelling left work and headed to Pueblo, Colorado, where her boyfriend Donthe Lucas asked her to meet.
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