Unfortunately, Schelling's whereabouts remain unknown at this writing. But her loved ones haven't given up in their quest to find her, and they revealed at a news conference yesterday a reason for even greater urgency: When she vanished, she was eight weeks pregnant. Photos, videos and details below.
As noted on the Help Find Kelsie Facebook page, Schelling, who turned 22 during the period when she's been missing, was last seen on February 4. The photos and writings shared at the address portray her as a member of a loving family and a person of deep faith. An example of the latter can be seen in this photo....
...and accompanying text, which reads:Kelsie, being a very spiritual and faith-filled person, maintains a running list of favorite Bible verses. Her Bible, filled with fluorescent highlights and personal footnotes, contains her reflections as she continues to pursue her Faith. She would be overwhelmed with the kindness of people and their efforts to find her. So we'd like to share something of hers with you. Please keep Kelsie in your prayers as we continue to bring her home. We cannot afford to stop searching for a person that has such love for her family and friends, and who is inclusive of all.About ten days after Schelling went missing, the accompanying Help Find Kelsie website notes that her car, a Chevrolet Cruze, was located in the parking lot of St. Mary Corwin hospital in Pueblo. Here's a Google map image showing the location: The following month, the Pueblo Police Department put out photos showing shots of the car circa February 5 and 6 from somewhere else -- the parking lot of an area Walmart. More concerningly, the images depict a male getting into the car and driving it away. Here are the four images shared by the PPD: Earlier this month, Pueblo officers announced that they had searched for Schelling in various parts of the city using canines "specialized in searching for missing persons." But no breakthroughs emerged.
Then, at the news conference yesterday, Schelling's family revealed new information about the pregnancy that motivated her drive to Pueblo, as well as details about her boyfriend.
Continue for more about the search for Kelsie Jean Schelling. Schelling's boyfriend, and the father of her unborn child, has been identified as Donthe Lucas. His Facebook page is loaded with photos of him playing basketball for Northeastern Junior College. Here's an example:
In her statement, shared at the news conference and on view below in its entirety, Laura Saxton, Schelling's mother, revealed that her daughter got confirmation of her pregnancy on February 4. Doctor's records confirm that she was eight weeks pregnant.What happened next? "Cell phone records show that Kelsie sent picture messages of her ultrasound pictures taken that day to family members and also to Donthe and his mother," Saxton stated. "Cell phone records also show that Donthe asked Kelsie to come to Pueblo when she got off of work that night because he needed to speak with her in person.
"We know that Kelsie made it to Pueblo and did meet up with Donthe," Saxton continued. "No one has seen or heard from her since."
Saxton didn't come right out and accuse Lucas of wrongdoing, but she came close. "We are not satisfied with Donthe's original account of the events leading up to Kelsie's disappearance," she said, adding, "We are informed that he has since refused to speak with the Pueblo Police Department."In an attempt to move the investigation forward, Schelling's family is offering a reward of up to $10,000 to anyone who can help lead to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons behind Kelsie's disappearance. Such folks are encouraged to phone the Pueblo Police Department on a special line devoted to Schelling: 1-855-4-KELSIE.
Look below to see two videos -- one from a March press conference, the other 9News coverage of yesterday's event. They're followed by complete statements from Schelling family members and photos of Schelling.
More from our News archive circa February: "Kelsie Jean Schelling, missing Denver woman: Car found, but her whereabouts unknown."
