What happened to Kelsie Schelling? Details explored ahead of Dateline: Secrets Uncovered on Oxygen
The upcoming episode of Dateline: Secrets Uncovered is all set to take a look at the murder of Kelsie Schelling, which dates back to 2013. The case did ultimately see a resolution as the perpetrator was punished, but the body of the victim is still not found, leaving her family members dissatisfied with the final outcome.
This case will be the subject of the upcoming episode of Dateline: Secrets Uncovered, which is set to premiere on Wednesday, January 22, 2025, at 8 pm EST on Oxygen. The synopsis for the case reads:
"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 Kelsie."
As Kelsie Schelling's body was never found, it is impossible to determine how she died but authorities allege that her then-boyfriend, Donthe Lucas was behind the murder and did it because he did not want the pregnant 21-year-old woman to have his kid.
The case, however, was far from an ordinary one and it took significant time for the authorities to solve it.
Who is Kelsie Schelling and what happened to her?
Born on February 18, 1991, Kelsie Schelling was a Colorado native who seemingly had her entire life ahead of her. She enrolled at Northeastern Junior College in 2010 and came across Donthe Lucas there. Kelsie dreamed of pursuing psychology while Donthe was an athlete who dreamed of being a professional basketball player.
The two reportedly started dating soon after they met but their relationship was supposedly toxic. Kelsie allegedly confided in her friends about her relationship struggles, with some allegations about Donthe being physically abusive towards her.
In 2012, both Kelsie Schelling and her boyfriend Donthe reportedly decided to quit college. Moreover, Kelsie surprised her family by revealing that she was pregnant. Her mother later revealed how she was supportive of Kelsie's decision to have a child despite her relatively young age.
Meanwhile, Kelsie and Donthe's relationship went on, despite their numerous problems. On February 3, 2013, Donthe Lucas reportedly convinced Kelsie to visit him in his hometown of Pueblo, Colorado, so that he could give her a "surprise gift."
Schelling reportedly left work shortly after this and drove to Pueblo. Text messages later revealed that he first instructed her to go to a specific Walmart and then asked her to come to a location that was close to Donthe's grandmother's house.
On February 5, 2013, Kelsie Schelling reportedly did not show up for work, which rang alarm bells for her colleagues. By February 7, her family members could not reach her on call. Moreover, there were texts from her phone, but it seemed that it was not really her who was texting.
As Donthe Lucas was the last person who had seen her alive, he became the suspect but he claimed that the morning after they met, he took her to the Parkview Medical Center, where he hinted she had a miscarriage. He also told the police that she went to Walmart to get snacks before driving back to Denver. The police found out that this was not true as Kelsie's car was at Walmart but it was a man who was driving it.
It would take years before the mystery behind her death would be unraveled as her body was not discovered. With some offbeat developments, including the involvement of Lauren Suhr, a single mother who wanted to help solve the case, Donthe Lucas was ultimately arrested and charged with the murder.
Even now, after Lucas was sentenced to life in prison, Kelsie Schelling's remains have not been discovered.
The upcoming episode of Dateline: Secrets Uncovered will cover this case in more detail.
