Schelling trial delayed

     The trial of Donthe Lucas in the Kelsie Schelling disappearance case has been moved back from April to a new start date of July 30.
     A motions hearing was held in court in Pueblo this month, but even that was not completed as Judge Thomas Flesher accepted the request from Lucas’ defense team to continue the hearing.
     Lucas is charged with first-degree murder in relation to the February 2013 disappearance of Schelling, who was 21 at the time. Lucas has pleaded not guilty. Schelling is the daughter of Doug Schelling of Holyoke and Laura Saxton of Yuma.
     According to reports from other news outlets at the motions hearing in Pueblo, the defense said they would not be ready for the original trial date of April 2 because of several witnesses the prosecution has added to their list.
     “We already had plenty of preparation to do in terms of the number of witnesses,” Guillermo Garibay, one of the attorneys for Lucas, was quoted as saying during the hearing. “Now, we’re close to 200 witnesses, so that’s the reason.”
     Also some evidence, such as hair analysis, is still in possession of the Colorado Bureau of Investigation. The defense still needs to examine that evidence.
     “It’s delayed our being able to examine the evidence, which is part of trial preparation,” Garibay said.
     Not all the motions reviewed were ruled on by Judge Flesher. A change of venue request from the defense is still awaiting a decision. Garibay is quoted as saying he expects a fair ruling but has not been encouraged that the change in venue will be granted based on Flesher’s comments so far.
     “You hope that you would get a ruling on each motion, and that didn’t happen,” Saxton is quoted as saying. “So then, we’re still left hanging out there. It’s still another unknown that we have to deal with, and that’s all we’ve been dealing with for six years are unknowns.”
     The week for Saxton was trying enough before the Feb. 7 motions hearing. Monday, Feb. 4, packed into a short period of time.”
     For the first time, Lucas spoke in the courtroom. He responded simply to the judge’s questions on if he understood the trial continuance and if he waived his right to a speedy trial. He responded in the affirmative to both.
     “I appreciated the fact that he had to stand up before everyone and actually utter some words for a change,” Saxton said.
     The hearing was supposed to cover two days. However, with a large number of motions delayed to a later date, it was completed in about two hours. Two more days of motions hearing have been set for April 25-26.
     “I guess it’s good that it moved fast, but I wish we could have kept going on down further and used up this two days efficiently,” Saxton said. “It feels very inefficient to me.”
     This month, Schelling’s mother and father doubled their standing reward for the location of their daughter’s remains from $50,000 to $100,000 in honor of the month of her disappearance as well as her birthday.
     “My goal has always been that we get the answer that leads us to Kelsie,” Saxton said.
     To submit a tip, call 855-4KELSIE, go to the Help Find Kelsie Facebook page, visit helpfindkelsie.com or email helpfindkelsie@gmail.com.