A cold case involving the disappearance of a pregnant 21-year-old in 2013 was cracked years later when a woman posed as the prime suspect's girlfriend to gather information.
Kelsie Schelling, who was expecting a baby with her on-again, off-again boyfriend Donthe Lucas, was last seen in Pueblo, Colorado, in February 2013. Lucas had asked Schelling to drive from Denver to Pueblo for a surprise. She made the nearly two-hour trip, texted Lucas upon arrival, and was never seen again. Her body has never been recovered.
Lucas provided conflicting accounts to investigators. He initially told police he took Schelling to a hospital the morning after they met, suggesting she had a miscarriage, but the hospital had no record of her visit. He also claimed they stopped for snacks at Walmart before driving back to Denver, yet security footage showed only one person, believed to be Lucas, exiting the vehicle. Schelling's car was discovered abandoned at a different hospital about a week and a half later.
Though questioned, Lucas was not immediately charged. The case went cold for several years until 2016, when Lauren Suhr learned about it.
Suhr, a single mother, reached out to Lucas on Facebook, presenting herself as new to Pueblo and looking to meet people. Their communication began, and according to Suhr, Lucas spoke openly about Schelling's disappearance, denying involvement and stating Schelling was his best friend. However, he also reportedly became emotionally distressed during these conversations.
What started as a friendship evolved into a romantic relationship. Suhr stated that Lucas appeared to develop genuine feelings for her, showing a vulnerable side. Despite this, Suhr maintained that she never fell in love with him, always suspecting his potential involvement in Schelling's disappearance.
Their relationship lasted about a year, ending when Suhr declined Lucas's marriage proposal. Following their breakup, she had no further contact with him.
Suhr's information became crucial to the investigation. She informed the police that Lucas had lied about his whereabouts on the night of Schelling's disappearance. While Lucas had previously told law enforcement he was with Schelling in her car, Suhr revealed he had confessed to her that he moved the car himself.
In 2017, Lucas was arrested on an unrelated robbery charge. During this time, he admitted to police that he had picked up Schelling's car and left it at the hospital. He was subsequently charged with first-degree murder.
Lucas's trial began in February 2021. Suhr did not testify. After 13 days of proceedings, the jury found Lucas guilty of first-degree murder in connection with Schelling's death or disappearance. He received a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.