One of the most anticipated murder trials in recent Pueblo history is finally getting underway.
The trial of Donthe Lucas, who police say killed his pregnant girlfriend Kelsie Schelling in 2013, officially began Monday more than three years after Lucas’ arrest and nearly eight years after Schelling’s disappearance in Pueblo.
Jury selection in Lucas’ first-degree homicide trial began at 8:30 a.m. Monday morning at the Pueblo Convention Center. A pool of 600 potential jurors will be reduced to 12 jurors and four alternates over the course of the next week, which is “typical for a trial of this nature,” according to a spokesperson from the Colorado Judicial Branch.
This address reflects on Pueblo during 2020 with the pandemic, job loss, increased COVID-19 cases, moving into vaccine distribution, and other items regarding the city as well as discuss the hope moving into 2021.
The Pueblo Police Department is seeking Jason Martinez, 28, on suspicion of attempted first-degree murder in a November shooting that left one person injured.
Officers were dispatched at approximately 10:48 p.m. Nov. 25 to the 2100 block of East 14th Street on reports of a shooting. Upon arrival, they discovered a victim with multiple gunshot wounds.
Martinez is described as a 5-foot-4 Hispanic male with a thin build. Police say he has a history of using weapons and should be considered armed and dangerous. He also reportedly has a “UNLV” tattoo over his right eyebrow.
Investigators believe Martinez is in Southern Colorado, possibly with his girlfriend, Marissa Valdez, 21. She’s described as 5-foot-6 and weighing 130 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes. She also has a felony warrant related to identity theft.
Pueblo Police Chief Troy Davenport presented the fee increase to Pueblo City Council on Monday night.
Since 2009, the city of Pueblo has received 70 cents each month from phones linked to Pueblo, collected by the state Department of Revenue. Council s change raises the emergency 911 surcharge to $1.72 for each phone per month.
The maximum rate for emergency telephone charges is set by the Colorado Public Utilities Commission, which raised it to $1.72 in July last year due to the rate of inflation and increased statewide costs of providing service. All phone lines in Colorado are impacted, from cell phones to land lines. The surcharge is based on each phone line, no matter the provider. The increased cost is driven largely by the statewide migration to the new Emergency Services IP-Network (ESInet), which is provided by CenturyLink.