Donthe Lucas trial for murder of Kelsie Schelling pushed back indefinitely

PUEBLO, Colo. (KKTV) - The murder trial for Donthe Lucas will be pushed back indefinitely.

11 News confirmed with 10th Judicial District Attorney Jeff Chostner there is an issue involving the Colorado Supreme Court. Chostner did not specify what the issue was but said it will overtake the September trial date.

This comes after his trial has already been pushed back four times previously. Lucas’ most recent trial date was scheduled for this month.

Chostner told 11 News the judge “simply vacated the current date, and we will re-set once the case comes back from the Supreme Court, but no one knows when that will be.”

The most recent pushback was because of the COVID-19 pandemic, as jury trials were postponed.

Donthe Lucas is charged with the disappearance of his then-girlfriend Kelsie Schelling. Schelling was pregnant at the time. Schelling went missing in February of 2013 when she was heading to Pueblo from Denver to see Lucas about her pregnancy. Schelling’s body still has not been found.

Originally, the trial was scheduled for April of 2019, but new evidence was found in the case last summer. Lucas was arrested in December 2017 while in jail on an unrelated robbery charge. Lucas pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder in August 2018.

Right now, there is no new trial date scheduled.