10:50 a.m.: Opening statements wrapped up from prosecutors and Donthe Lucas' defense. Privacy Policy | The burden of proof is on the government, former Pueblo public defender Lisa Wayne told 20/20. So it's simply messaging in a very strong way to the jury, They haven't done it. We didn't have any of that.. 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. Youre good. Her last confirmed text message was sent to Lucas at 11:18 p.m. OK. Family photo. Though it was likely frustrating and painful for Kelsies family, he believes it led to a successful conviction. Kelsie's father Doug Schelling received a strange text from his daughter when he tried to check on her. Torres said texts showed Schelling eventually agreed to come to Pueblo. Strangely enough, around the same time, the family of another missing woman 1,200 miles away in Portsmouth, Ohio, had been receiving similar messages. Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. Dont text me. You couldn't see what kind of vehicle, you couldn't tell who was in the car, Pueblo police Capt. Schelling, 21, was eight weeks pregnant at the time of her disappearance, according to news reports. 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. 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. Schelling replied that she did want Lucas to accompany her to the doctor until I realized thats the last place you wanted to be.. Some of Schellings close friends also testified that Lucas was abusive. Walker said domestic violence, broadly speaking, addresses patterns of coercive control where one person in a relationship maintains power over the other. 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. 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. She still wants to bring Kelsie home and give her the burial she feels her daughter deserves. 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. Asked if he believed Schelling orchestrated her own disappearance, Binet said, No. As freshmen, while she was a psychology student, he was an athlete who dreamed of being a professional basketball player. In 2011, when Kelsie Schelling enrolled in Northeastern Junior College, she met and began dating Donthe Isiah Lucas. She reached out to a private investigator, but they were also stonewalled by PPD. On Feb. 4, 2013, Saxton said she called Kelsie's phone several times but didn't get an answer. It was now up to the jury to make a decision. Visit the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website or contact SAMHSA's National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357). Saxton said the messenger told her Lucas had sold her daughter into sex trafficking. It was just so emotional for everybody, for both sides, Saxton said. 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. Kelsie Schelling Self - Goes missing (archive footage) All cast & crew Production, box office & more at IMDbPro Storyline Edit A courageous mother, whose daughter mysteriously went missing, finds justice with the help of another mom she never met; Plot summary Add synopsis Genres Documentary Crime News Certificate Unrated Parents guide Chieftain reporter Zach Hillstrom can be reached at zhillstrom@chieftain.com or on Twitter @ZachHillstrom, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. 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. I moved the car, Chostner said. Ive never had that phone.. The Version table provides details related to the release that this issue/RFE will be addressed. Schellings friends said they remembered her relationship with Lucas was often tumultuous, with the two constantly fighting and making up -- then the unthinkable happened. Emmanuel Chandler was arrested for Martinez's death. There were some clothes, Kelsies car, and the defendants backyard, but the key pieces of evidence were cell phone data. Daily Briefing 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. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. 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. Then, Suhr said something unexpected happened with Lucas: her undercover relationship with him blossomed into romance. 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. 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. She wanted to see what I was going to do if I was going to leave her, try to help her, a whole bunch of crazy stuff., He said Schelling visited him around 2 a.m.Feb. 5, after shed driven to Pueblo and met him near his grandmothers house. DENVER - A Pueblo County jury found Donthe Lucas guilty Monday of first-degree murder in the 2013 death of his girlfriend, Kelsie Schelling, after just a few hours of deliberations. Schelling's Late Philosophy in Confrontation with Hegel Peter Dews (Emeritus Professor of Philosophy, Emeritus Professor of Philosophy . 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.. As difficult as it was, its not impossible. While in custody, Lucas admitted to police that he picked up Schellings car and dropped it off at the hospital. I never was.. 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. 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. Torres said in the surveillance video showing the cash withdrawal, Schelling cannot be seen in the vehicle. If He has this way about him that makes you feel so sorry for him. She claimed Schelling was alive. Suspecting foul play, police accelerated the investigation. Then, at 11:10 p.m., he told her to go to another location near his grandmothers house. Im not going today, Lucas allegedly responded. But Lucas claimed when they spoke later, Schelling ended up telling me shes not pregnant. Schelling tells Lucas at 11:21 a.m. that shes finished her appointment. Yet, there was still someone else who said Lucas had confessed vital information: Lauren Suhr. Police found Schelling's car in a Walmart parking lot in Pueblo a few days after she was reported missing. In the recording, Lucas tells Binet the last time he heard from Schelling was the previous day, Feb. 9. 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. The prosecution asked Binet if Lucas had told Sinnema in their Feb. 9 conversation about Schelling calling him from the private number that same day. Lucas and Schelling continue to exchange texts throughout the day of Feb. 4, beginning before her OBGYN appointment. The suit criticized the way the investigation was handled but was ultimately dismissed. A jury. Then, prosecutors played Lucas interrogation tape for the jury. In closing arguments, lead prosecutor Michelle Chostner ensured the jury had a clear understanding of the time Kelsies killer had to get rid of evidence or to clean things up. Geo resource failed to load. 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. Last month, a woman considered as the star witness to be called by the defense was murdered in Denver. Binet testified Monday he contacted Donthe Lucas on Feb. 10th. No blood was found on two knives collected. Kelsie's mother Laura Saxton can barely hold back the tears. He said, I heard from Kelsie. On Feb. 25, 2021, 31-year-old Roxann Martinez was preparing to testify for the prosecution when she was shot and killed. 21-year-old Kelsie Schelling was two months pregnant when she drove from Denver to Pueblo to see her former boyfriend Donthe Lucas. Terms of Use | 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. Her friend was also in communication with Schelling's mom, Laura Saxton. Criminal defense attorney Danielle Iredale joins host Ana Garcia. But soon, Kelsie started confiding in her friends that her boyfriend was physically abusive and exhibited other toxic behavioral traits. Text messages show he first instructed her to go to a specific Walmart on the south side of town. 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. The messenger claimed they needed $50,000 in cash to help Schelling escape. CBS4 was on scene in 2017 when investigators dug up the yard of a home where Lucas used to live. Just wait and see for yourself, you probably wouldnt believe me if I told you anyway, so you can see for yourself.. From the. Lucas, according to Torres recap of the text exchange, replied, Cool, then said he wished Schelling didnt have to work that evening. A man in Pueblo reported that Lucas and his family members had attacked him in front of the Lucas family home and stolen $1,000 from him. In May 2016, just after 20/20 covered Schellings case, Pueblo Police Capt. Her body has never been found. Binet asked Lucas if there was any chance Schelling might have left her phone with him. She confirmed for us Donthe admitt[ed] it was him in the Walmart surveillance video that [he] had dropped Kelsie's car off and then returned the next day and picked it up, Torres said. Megan Lancaster, then 25, had disappeared just months after Schelling. I lied from the jump. He comes off so lost and hurt. 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. Suhr also testified that Lucas would break down and cry whenever he talked about Schelling he had nothing to do with her disappearance. Johnston also uses iek's combination of . She said she told her she loved her. Lucas was sentenced to life in prison without parole. Opening statements were set to begin just after 8 a.m. Wednesday, and. Either make things work with me or walk away.. Donthe Lucas, 28, was found guilty on Monday in the killing of his missing girlfriend, Kelsie Schelling, according to the Denver Post. Donthe Lucas was found guilty of murdering his then-pregnant girlfriend, Kelsie Schelling, in 2013. She wanted to be a mom.. She gave an emotional and powerful testimony emphasizing to the jury her daughter Kelsie really wanted to have her child. We're working on getting clarification on that issue. Lol, Torres said Donthe replied. 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. 17 Jan 2023 Amber: The Girl Behind the Alert (2023 film) . This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. A little bit later, he got back with me. We received the information from the Pueblo landfill that there was some video evidence of a vehicle being there. She was happy. 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. The defense in Lucas' trial rested on Monday without calling any witnesses. Editor's note: A previous version of this story said Rivera testified that Lucas specifically admitted to killing Kelsie Schelling. She called from a private number. Just wait and see for yourself, Lucas allegedly says in the texts. Eric Bravo took over the case with the help of Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) agent Kevin Torres. Donthe Lucas was charged with killing his 21-year-old girlfriend, Kelsie Schelling, who was pregnant at the time. I still have nowhere to go to take her flowers, to go sit and talk with her, take her balloons on her birthday, go to her on the holidays. Weeks passed until police learned they needed to move quickly to catch Lucas. Born February 18, 1991, the 21-year-old from Denver, Colorado, was eight weeks pregnant when she decided to visit her boyfriend, Donthe Lucas, at the Home of Heroes in Pueblo. There are no cameras allowed in the building and no live reporting from the courthouse. Kelsie Schelling disappeared after driving down from Denver to Pueblo on February 4th, 2013. He said that Schelling had called him early that morning from a private number and said he told Schelling she needed to get in touch with her family members because they were worried about her. 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. In August of 1995, a local film crew in Arlington, Texas was doing a documentary on single mothers in welfare trying to get jobs. Laura Saxton and her daughter Kelsie Schelling, who vanished in 2013. 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. Lucas claimed he and Schelling then went to the South Side Walmart so Schelling could grab some snacks before driving back to Denver. So be ready., At 9:19 p.m., Schelling texts Lucas to say that shes in Monument. Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Community Guidelines | KRDO Jobs | FCC Applications |, KRDO FCC Public File | KRDO FCC Applications, Breaking News No one.. An officer stated that they believed Donthe strangled Kelsie. The person sending the messages says I know where Megan is. 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. Before 6 p.m., Torres said Schelling texted Lucas, Then step up and make a relationship with me work. Schelling was reportedly traveling from Denver to Pueblo to talk to Lucas about the pregnancy. 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.. He testified to various tests he ran on around 45 items of evidence. Feb. 4, 2013, was the last time Schelling was seen. Though Schellings family got the verdict they wanted, they were still unable to bring her home for a proper burial. Tatesaid her evaluation of Schelling showed no indication of prior pregnancies, miscarriages of abortions. Didnt expect to feel like this now.. 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. They alleged that when she left Lucas at the Walmart, she was going to meet up with a drug dealer. I grabbed my mother very tight and held her very close, Kelsies brother, Colby Schelling, said. Leave me alone, Lucas said. I mean, I could barely function.. 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. 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. I just thought, What if shes been out there and I couldve found her and we havent?. DENVER A woman found dead in Denver's Hampden South neighborhood on Feb. 25 was scheduled to testify in the murder trial of Kelsie Schelling, the Pueblo County District Attorney's Office . A murder conviction without a body is an instance of a person being convicted of murder despite the absence of the victim's body. 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. Over the course of the following weeks, she became close with Lucas and had the opportunity to speak with him about Schellings disappearance. 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. Schelling, Tatesaid, checked the box indicating just one. 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. In partnership with Hours later she vanished. 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. It said, "Where are you? Donthe took that away from me.. KOAA News5 on your time, streaming on your Roku, FireTV, AppleTV and AndroidTV. However, Kadie, Megan Lancasters sister-in-law, did make her meeting. Laura Saxton, Schelling's mom, took the stand again and testified that Schelling's car was never in California. Colette Bordelon also spoke to Martinez's cousin, who said he believes her murder does have to do with the trial. Obviously it's an important piece of evidence that he moved the car because it shows he's covering up the crime. Schelling's body hasn't been found. However, even when the two moved away to pursue their respective careers, they continued dating up until the moment Kelsie disappeared. She drove down to see her boyfriend, Donthe Lucas. Initially, their relationship seemed idyllic. His book charts the interlinked ontology and theory of subjectivity constructed by iek at the intersection of German idealism and Lacanian theory. After their talk, he said, he believed Schelling left town. Re-examine a current true crime case where unanswered questions remain and the mystery is still unraveling. But tragically, Kelsie Schelling went missing soon after she revealed her pregnancy to her partner, Donthe Lucas. 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. 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. Circumstantial and forensic evidence are prominen @KOAA, Kelsie Schelling's mother is called to the stand again. 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. 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. Schelling's body has never been found. It was discovered during the trial Wednesday morning that an upcoming witness in the trial was found shot to death last week in Denver. The Economic Update with Tatiana Bailey Ph. Scheels says, yes! 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.
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