The Economic Update with Tatiana Bailey Ph. I didn't want to get in any deeper than I had already gotten into.. 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 . After all, this way, there would be no physical evidence left behind. Sara Lucas says she only met her son's girlfriend. 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. Therefore, after many delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he stood trial for the same in early 2021. She wanted to be a mom.. A jury. Now that she is gone, Ive had to turn into a fighter, Saxton told 20/20.. Family photo. 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. Her friend was also in communication with Schelling's mom, Laura Saxton. Re-examine a current true crime case where unanswered questions remain and the mystery is still unraveling. You dont have to marry me. 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. The defense argued it was a missing persons case. 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. For that reason, little DNA evidence was presented. Sinnema said Lucas told him that Schelling returned later that morning, again to discuss their relationship. 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 co-worker received a text message, supposedly from Schelling, saying she wasnt having the baby anymore because it was growing in the wrong place.. Saxton said she remembered asking investigators if these items were in the vehicle when it was recovered and she was told they were not. [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. 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. Saxton said she asked him to track the number and that he said he would, but, of course, he never did, Saxton said. It was scary. . He was sentenced immediately after the verdict by the judge to life in prison without parole. Laura Saxton fought tirelessly for justice in the case of her missing pregnant daughter. Kelsie Schelling wouldve turned 30 this year. 21-year-old Kelsie Schelling was two months pregnant when she drove from Denver to Pueblo to see her former boyfriend Donthe Lucas. Great now., Sara Lucas asked Donthe, Shes not pregnant?, He responded: Nothing. Schelling tells Lucas at 11:21 a.m. that shes finished her appointment. OK. Four days passed after Schelling drove to Pueblo on the night of Feb. 4. Lucas said Schelling told him before she came to Pueblo that she was pregnant and had gone to a doctor for an ultrasound. CBS4 was on scene in 2017 when investigators dug up the yard of a home where Lucas used to live. They asked the family to deliver $50,000 in cash to the same McDonalds in Vancouver, where a man named Marcus wearing a red hat would be waiting. 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. 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. Schelling, 21, went missing in 2013 after driving from Denver to Pueblo to see Lucas. 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. Binet said there were several red flags in Schellings case that led him to believe she was more than just missing. 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. He just says, If I hear from her, I'll let you know, Saxton said. A recording of their conversation was introduced as evidence. However McCarthy said, there was no deals made about charges he would get to plead to, time he would get to serve. Asked if he believed Schelling orchestrated her own disappearance, Binet said, No. 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. 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. 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. 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. Asked about the conversation he allegedly had with Schelling the prior day, Feb. 9, when she called him from a blocked number, Lucas said the conversation was very short and consisted of Schelling yelling at him and telling him not to leave her voicemails. Some of Schellings close friends also testified that Lucas was abusive. Read More: Where is Kelsie Schellings Mother Now? At 11:14 p.m., he changes plans and tells Schelling to meet him, where you usually do, seemingly referring to an intersection near his grandmothers home where Schelling had picked him up on previous occasions. 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. After 13 days of trial, the defense surprised many when they announced they would not call any witnesses and immediately rested their case. Feb. 4, 2013, was the last time Schelling was seen. On the day she reportedly disappeared, GPS on her phone showed it traveled to the same location in Pueblo as Lucas' phone. He told her that he and Schelling would do drugs together, like cocaine. Su gemela permanece en grave estado, Ahora puedes vivir en un crucero por US$ 30.000 por ao. She said they dated for a year when, on his porch, he started hyperventilating and crying. Her beloved daughter disappeared less than two weeks before her 22nd birthday on February 4, 2013. March 8, 2021 / 11:59 PM She said she doesn't have her phone, and she said she'll be getting ahold of you.. Saxton still doesn't have all the answers she's searched tirelessly for. 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 . He admitted to those text messages, Pueblo Assistant District Attorney Kyle McCarthy said. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website. We received the information from the Pueblo landfill that there was some video evidence of a vehicle being there. Schelling didnt show up to work on Feb. 5, and her worried co-worker Savannah Heggie tried calling her. I'm never going to recover without getting her back, Saxton said. Roxann Martinez, 31, was found dead on Feb. 25 from a gunshot wound and her death has been classified a homicide. 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. Silly, she was so silly., I miss being silly with her, Saxton added. 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. Prosecutors also argued Lucas constantly used Schelling for money, her apartment in Denver and her car, claims the defense didnt deny. She texts again at 11:24 p.m., saying Where are you? Its been over eight years since Laura Saxtons 21-year-old pregnant daughter Kelsie Schelling vanished. 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. For a full recap of Day 10 in the trial, click here. Schelling tells him she has responsibilities and cant just skip work. Criminal defense attorney Danielle Iredale joins host Ana Garcia. Schellings family offered $50,000 for information about her disappearance and set up a Facebook page called Help Find Kelsie.. Warner Bros. Entertainment | 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. There should be every effort made to go in there and pull her out of there if that's where she ended up being, Saxton 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. At 9:56 p.m., she texts again, saying, Almost there. Get the Android Weather app from Google Play. Eric Bravo took over the case with the help of Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) agent Kevin Torres. 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. But tragically, Kelsie Schelling went missing soon after she revealed her pregnancy to her partner, Donthe Lucas. We did not have a body that would've told us location No modus operandi of how she died. Lately shes been like threatening to leave to California. 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. 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. 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.. Michelle Chostner prosecuted the case alongside senior prosecutor Kyle McCarthy, and Alex Baker, an Assistant Attorney General in the Colorado Attorney Generals Office. 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. Binet said yes, but noted while an individual wanting to disappear might try not to leave a trail, they are most often not very successful.. At 1:28 a.m., Schelling tells Lucas, I wont tell you anything about the baby. I dont want to fight at all, I want to give you this, he wrote. There were some clothes, Kelsies car, and the defendants backyard, but the key pieces of evidence were cell phone data. Geo resource failed to load. 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. Our Colette Bordelon will be there every day and will have coverage both online and over the air. Though it might have taken four years for Donthe Lucas to be arrested and charged for the murder of Kelsie Schelling in December 2017, there were a number of observations made by those who knew the couple that raised a few flags. Chostner says there was more evidence to work with in 2017 versus 2013, and enough that gave him the confidence to press charges. 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.. He said Schelling wanted a relationship but thats not what he wanted. Months turned to years without answers. 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. It was just so emotional for everybody, for both sides, Saxton said. Well, there certainly were evidentiary problems, Chostner said. A Kelsie Schelling opust domov a u se nikdy nevrt lo o hroznou nehodu, nebo nco dsivjho? At this point, News5's Colette Bordelon said the prosecution admitted a picture taken of the dash of the car through Saxton. By May 2018, a judge said prosecutors had proved probable cause. One minute, he had no involvement. He said Lucas confessed to the killing. 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. Help Find Kelsie/Facebook. By Feb. 7, Saxton said her calls to Schelling were going directly to voicemail. 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. 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. Terms of Use | Then, he proposed to her. Im very grateful that our paths crossed and God took us to this moment.. She said she told her she loved her. 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. Just wait and see for yourself, you probably wouldnt believe me if I told you anyway, so you can see for yourself.. 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. 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.. OK. Eight years after his girlfriend went missing, a Colorado man has been convicted of first-degree murder in her death. 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. 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). Schelling's body hasn't been found. There are no cameras allowed in the building and no live reporting from the courthouse. Her family also received a message from someone who claimed to know where Lancaster was. The car was moved from that location the following morning, then showed up at St. Mary-Corwin Medical Center Feb. 9. Daily Briefing Combien gagne t il d argent ? Schelling replied that she did want Lucas to accompany her to the doctor until I realized thats the last place you wanted to be.. Cadry -- that was the name she was going to give the child, Colby Schelling said. Police say her death does not appear to be related to the trial, but instead a possible result of domestic violence. The defense in Lucas' trial rested on Monday without calling any witnesses. Lucas also told police that he and Schelling went to the Walmart to get snacks before she made the drive back to Denver. COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (CBS4) -Donthe Lucas was found guilty of murdering his pregnant ex-girlfriend Kelsie Schelling in 2013. Lucas was arrested on Feb. 15, 2013 for felony identity theft for using Schellings debit card. 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. 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. Schelling's body has never been found, but she is presumed dead. 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. I never was.. He said he wouldnt be surprised if she was out in California already or was on her way there. Dont worry about me. Schelling goes to work that evening and she and Lucas continue to argue over text. However, due to technical difficulties, nobody in the public or the reporters pool could see or hear what was said or asked. Donthe Lucas, 28, was found guilty on Monday in the killing of his missing girlfriend, Kelsie Schelling, according to the Denver Post. Schelling was reportedly traveling from Denver to Pueblo to talk to Lucas about the pregnancy. That was dumb and I apologize. She said Tuesday in 2016 she was trying to gather information from Lucas about Schelling. Just had to make sure I was right. She regularly made the 220-mile drive from her home in rural Yuma, Colorado, to Pueblo. The UN and the Colonial World: International Trusteeship and Non-Self-Governing Territories; 2. They dated on and off while there, and after two years, they both decided to leave the school. Police found Schelling's car in a Walmart parking lot in Pueblo a few days after she was reported missing. Suspecting foul play, police accelerated the investigation. 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. Saxton got choked up when identifying her daughter's birth certificate, passport, and an expired passport from when #Schelling was "just a little girl." She used to work out there and she lived there for a while. They began to suspect the text messages werent coming from Schelling at all. 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. 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 Saxton called Lucas, asking if he knew anything about her daughters disappearance. 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. I lied from the jump. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The clip that I played at the beginning of my closing was his phrase to detectives. ET on ABC. Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. Kelsie's mother Laura Saxton can barely hold back the tears. the Alert is a 2023 documentary on Peacock. 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. 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. 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. 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. No blood was found on two knives collected. Donthe Lucas was charged with killing his 21-year-old girlfriend, Kelsie Schelling, who was pregnant at the time. Schelling and Lucas met at Northeastern Junior College in 2010. 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. 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. She had just seen her unborn child on an ultrasound, and she sent that photo to her on-again/off-again boyfriend. Kelsie Schelling was eight weeks pregnant when she vanished. 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. I was holding onto my dads hand. 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. I have to go to the doctor. 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. 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. Walker said domestic violence, broadly speaking, addresses patterns of coercive control where one person in a relationship maintains power over the other. We didn't have any of that.. I dont feel right. 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Over the course of the following weeks, she became close with Lucas and had the opportunity to speak with him about Schellings disappearance. After a few weeks, they met in person. More women ice fishing? Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | Community Guidelines | KRDO Jobs | FCC Applications |, KRDO FCC Public File | KRDO FCC Applications, Breaking News 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. Hours later she 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. She said shed have to think about it and drove home. She texts him at 11:18 p.m., saying she has arrived at the meeting spot. Please enter valid email address to continue. Colette Bordelon also spoke to Martinez's cousin, who said he believes her murder does have to do with the trial. This article has been updated, and we apologize for the error. They quickly learned about Lucas relationship with Suhr, and a crucial bit of information that he had revealed to her. But at 11:10 p.m., Lucas had still not arrived at Walmart. 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. / CBS Colorado. 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. 1998 - 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. | All Rights Reserved. "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. Season 1. Pueblo Police Capt. Dateline's new documentary series "The Last Day" premiered this week with an episode about the killing of 20-year-old Iowan Mollie Tibbetts. Petrvvajc zhada epizoda 4. sezna 4. 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. 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). It was tense because the time was ticking away, and the tires were turning on the road, Chostner said. Youre good. Police say that Lucas cell phone data shows he couldve been at the landfill that night. 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. Learn more about Dan here. You dont have an obligation to me. She gave an emotional and powerful testimony emphasizing to the jury her daughter Kelsie really wanted to have her child. Lucas, according to Torres recap of the text exchange, replied, Cool, then said he wished Schelling didnt have to work that evening. 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. (viaABC News). Lol, Torres said Donthe replied. Her phone, according to Torres and Eicher, was also never recorded as having left Pueblo. Weeks passed until police learned they needed to move quickly to catch Lucas. 0:00. Im not going today, Lucas allegedly responded.
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