Warner Bros. Entertainment | At that point I was kind of done, Suhr said. Saxton was the first witness to testify. Her phone, according to Torres and Eicher, was also never recorded as having left Pueblo. Donthe Lucas (credit: Pueblo Police Dept. It's not guilty. So it's a strong message.. 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. Either make things work with me or walk away.. 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. I deliberated on it and I looked at the practicalities of it, Chostner said. 4:34. They quickly learned about Lucas relationship with Suhr, and a crucial bit of information that he had revealed to her. Prosecutors told jurors that Lucas was trying to get Schelling to Pueblo and sent her a text message saying he had a surprise for her. Schelling left work shortly after 8:40 p.m. and drove two hours to see Lucas in Pueblo. Schelling replied that she did want Lucas to accompany her to the doctor until I realized thats the last place you wanted to be.. Saxton got choked up when identifying her daughter's birth certificate, passport, and an expired passport from when #Schelling was "just a little girl." Torres is largely credited for compiling the case to arrest him. She was reportedly on her way from Denver to Pueblo to discuss the pregnancy with Lucas. "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. Her mother, Laura Saxton, also knew about their tumultuous alliance. Laura Saxton and her daughter Kelsie Schelling, who vanished in 2013. 2023 Telepictures Productions Inc. Its been over eight years since Laura Saxtons 21-year-old pregnant daughter Kelsie Schelling vanished. Opening statements were set to begin just after 8 a.m. Wednesday, and. However, nothing was found. (viaABC News). 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. Get the Android Weather app from Google Play. She drove to Pueblo that night to meet him, explaining that he had told her to come. 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. You couldn't see what kind of vehicle, you couldn't tell who was in the car, Pueblo police Capt. 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.. Colette Bordelon also spoke to Martinez's cousin, who said he believes her murder does have to do with the trial. Text messages showed the emotionally abusive relationship Kelsie was in. Kelsie Schelling was eight weeks pregnant when she vanished. We're working on getting clarification on that issue. 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. As freshmen, while she was a psychology student, he was an athlete who dreamed of being a professional basketball player. 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. 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 dont have an obligation to me. However, Kadie, Megan Lancasters sister-in-law, did make her meeting. You can use the money and fill the car up…. A murder conviction without a body is an instance of a person being convicted of murder despite the absence of the victim's body. I never want to give up on trying to bring her home. she said. NR | 03.26.21 | 01:20:44 | CC more episodes 42:55 Eric Bravo took over the case with the help of Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) agent Kevin Torres. 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. We interviewed our tech expert, Jaime Vazquez, to learn more about accessible smart home devices. Police say her death does not appear to be related to the trial, but instead a possible result of domestic violence. Great now., Sara Lucas asked Donthe, Shes not pregnant?, He responded: Nothing. The trial was then scheduled for July 2019, but Lucas' lawyers said they had new scientific evidence and needed more time to review it. Love you Donthe.. That's just 100% clarification that some dirt bags out there are trying to get money off of these poor families.. Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Community Guidelines | KRDO Jobs | FCC Applications |, KRDO FCC Public File | KRDO FCC Applications, Breaking News Lucas, according to Torres recap of the text exchange, replied, Cool, then said he wished Schelling didnt have to work that evening. For a full recap of Day 10 in the trial, click here. Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. Lucas said that he would help support the baby, according to Saxton. Even though Kelsies remains have never been found, shes long since accepted her daughters death. I will support you whether Donthe is in the picture or not in the picture. I plan to make things work. Schelling's body has never been found. MORE:Lucas trial day 3: Kelsie Schelling's friends continue testimony, cellphone records discussed. 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 I guess the relief I had knowing that it was a quick verdict, was that even if it didn't come out in our favor, this question has been decided for the community. 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. 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. [He said] that [she] was his best friend and he had nothing to do with it, and then he would just shut down and start crying hysterically and get upset, Suhr said. By May 2018, a judge said prosecutors had proved probable cause. So be ready., At 9:19 p.m., Schelling texts Lucas to say that shes in Monument. 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. In partnership with Geo resource failed to load. How to Build a State? Laura Saxton fought tirelessly for justice in the case of her missing pregnant daughter. The clip that I played at the beginning of my closing was his phrase to detectives. On February 4, 2013, 21-year-old Kelsie Schelling . At this point, News5's Colette Bordelon said the prosecution admitted a picture taken of the dash of the car through Saxton. But tragically, Kelsie Schelling went missing soon after she revealed her pregnancy to her partner, Donthe Lucas. 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. Saxton said she remembered asking investigators if these items were in the vehicle when it was recovered and she was told they were not. And even though investigators were unable to locate her body or a crime scene, by late 2017, they had managed to gather enough evidence to charge Donthe for her murder. Im sorry for hanging up on you … I truly am. Emmanuel Chandler was arrested for Martinez's death. They planned to meet but at the last minute, Wilkins told Saxton she was in the hospital and could not come. Though Schellings family got the verdict they wanted, they were still unable to bring her home for a proper burial. MORE: Lucas trial day 2: Friends of Kelsie Schelling speak to a toxic and abusive relationship. Torres said in the surveillance video showing the cash withdrawal, Schelling cannot be seen in the vehicle. After that, she moved to Washington in spring 2017 and never spoke to Lucas again. The car was moved from that location the following morning, then showed up at St. Mary-Corwin Medical Center Feb. 9. At 9:56 p.m., she texts again, saying, Almost there. Kelsie Schelling was only 21 years old when she vanished. Saxton still doesnt have all the answers shes searched tirelessly for. Kelsie Schelling with her mom Laura Saxton. Still A Mystery. 11:55 a.m.: Laura Saxton, Kelsie Schelling's mother, was the first witness called to the stand by prosecutors. 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. Just wait and see for yourself, Lucas allegedly says in the texts. A recording of their conversation was introduced as evidence. 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. 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.. 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 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. On Feb. 25, 2021, 31-year-old Roxann Martinez was preparing to testify for the prosecution when she was shot and killed. Lucas was sentenced to life in prison without parole. 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. Testimony in the trial is set to resume Tuesday, with Schelling's older brother, Colby Schelling, on the witness stand. 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. Lucas pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder in August 2018. Circumstantial and forensic evidence are prominen She said she doesn't have her phone, and she said she'll be getting ahold of you.. -- It's been over eight years since Laura Saxton's 21-year-old pregnant daughter Kelsie Schelling vanished. PUEBLO, Colo. CBI Investigator Kevin Torres remembers it like yesterday. When the time came, Saxton even took the stand against her daughters killer. 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. The jury found Lucas guilty of first-degree murder in a verdict that was delivered just after 4 p.m. Monday. She regularly made the 220-mile drive from her home in rural Yuma, Colorado, to Pueblo. Criminal defense attorney Danielle Iredale joins host Ana Garcia. I know that my testimony could potentially help take him down, and that was realistically why I wanted to testify, she said. Daily Briefing I have found that if you do it the right way, justice finds its own way. Per Fox 21 News,Lucas purportedly had a strong reaction when he saw Schelling's neighbors hanging up missing flyers, and according to testimony at his trial, went as far as to harass the family of a middle-schooler who had helped aid in distributing them. 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. The defense also had Walker confirm that she could not tell the jury whether the trends she discussed were present in Lucas and Schellings relationship and could not say if any specific acts of domestic violence took place between them. Updated June 10, 2022 ABC's '20/20: Kelsie Schelling,' as the title suggests, is an episode that chronicles the 2013 disappearance and murder of 21-year-old Kelsie Schelling from Denver, Colorado. 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. Schelling, and Hegel. Then you can take her back home., Sara Lucas allegedly responded: What happened? and, Are you OK? to which Lucas responded, Yeah. 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. Now, follow one mother's crusade for justice in this true crime investigation. Lucas said Schelling then dropped him off at his house and left. Saxton still doesn't have all the answers she's searched tirelessly for. Copyright 2021 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. Lucas said hed informed Schelling during their visit that he did not want to be in a relationship with her. The next day, Schellings father tried to get in touch with her and received a strange text waving him off. 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. 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. The lawsuit was dismissed, and shortly after, Torres took the reins of the case, meeting Saxton in September 2016. We know that that's his phone. I felt like I was [in] pretty deep. She also said Schellings medical paperwork indicated that she self-reported discontinuing her birth control in October 2012. Schellings family offered $50,000 for information about her disappearance and set up a Facebook page called Help Find Kelsie.. Kelsie Schelling disappearance: Second witness says she became intimate with Donthe Lucas They continued to press Lucas about the vehicle, and he several times denied moving it after parking it. . I love you very much and you know it. Some of Schellings close friends also testified that Lucas was abusive. 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. 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. We did not have a body that would've told us location No modus operandi of how she died. Her beloved daughter disappeared less than two weeks before her 22nd birthday on February 4, 2013. Deputy District Attorney Kyle McCarthy then skipped ahead to the communications exchanged the following day and asked Torres to read from texts that allegedly were exchanged between Donthe Lucas and his mother, Sara Lucas. 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). Lucas and Schelling continue to exchange texts throughout the day of Feb. 4, beginning before her OBGYN appointment. Her body has never been found. The white stain in #Schelling's car was negative for saliva. 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. During the trial, investigators had revealed troubling information about Schellings possible whereabouts. She met Donna Whitson, single Continued. Her mother said she wonders what would have become of her life. She said the plan, orchestrated by one of her close friends, was to get close to Lucas. 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 various experts on evidence found in her vehicle. Kelsie Schelling's childhood rocked with emotional fallout from family split: Part 1Schelling's parents got divorced and she lived with her mother, Laura Sax. Just wait and see for yourself, you probably wouldnt believe me if I told you anyway, so you can see for yourself.. You probably wouldnt believe me if I told you anyway so you can see for yourself.. She filed a lawsuit against the Pueblo Police Department in the years after 2013 as the frustration grew from a lack of answers. Lucas also admitted to Suhr that he was the person seen in the Walmart surveillance footage and that he moved the car to St. Mary-Corwin Medical Center. Schelling's family has set up a website called HelpFindKelsie.com and are reportedly offering a $10,000 reward for any information that leads to an arrest. On Monday, he was sentenced to life in prison. Terms of Use | That was dumb and I apologize. Donthe Lucas was charged with killing his 21-year-old girlfriend, Kelsie Schelling, who was pregnant at the time. It's a sad situation that didn't have to end up like this if he had just let her come home.. She said based on her evaluation, Schelling was, in fact, pregnant at the time of her disappearance. In the recording, Lucas tells Binet the last time he heard from Schelling was the previous day, Feb. 9. I moved the car, Chostner said. Donthe Isiah Lucas pleaded not guilty to the charge against him in 2018. 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. "We're doing everything in our power. She definitely had that phone with her, Lucas said. She gave an emotional and powerful testimony emphasizing to the jury her daughter Kelsie really wanted to have her child. Donthe took that away from me.. There was no deals like that.. 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.. Privacy Policy |
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