Overview of The Deck: Kelsey Schelling (10 of Spades, Colorado)
This episode of The Deck from Audiochuck examines the 2013 disappearance of Kelsey Schelling, a 21-year-old Colorado woman who vanished after driving from Denver to Pueblo to meet her boyfriend, Dante Lucas. Though prosecutors later secured a murder conviction without Kelsey’s body, the central mystery remains unsolved: where is Kelsey Schelling?
What Happened to Kelsey Schelling
- Kelsey was described by her mother, Laura Saxton, as lively, caring, spirited, and deeply loving.
- In late 2012, she moved back to Colorado after time in California, got a job, and reconnected with on-and-off boyfriend Dante Lucas, a former basketball player from Pueblo.
- In early 2013, Kelsey learned she was pregnant. Her family believed she was excited to become a mother, even though the timing was unexpected.
- After text exchanges and conflict with Dante about the pregnancy, Kelsey drove from Denver to Pueblo late on February 4, 2013, to meet him.
- After that night, she was never seen again.
Key Evidence and Investigation
Cell phone and text data
Investigators used phone records to reconstruct Kelsey’s last known movements:
- She texted Dante while driving to Pueblo and again while waiting for him.
- Her phone remained active in Pueblo after her disappearance.
- Several later texts sent from her phone sounded out of character, suggesting someone else may have been using it.
Surveillance footage and ATM activity
Video evidence became central to the case:
- Dante’s timeline changed multiple times during police interviews.
- Surveillance showed Dante driving Kelsey’s black Chevy Cruze and using her debit card at an ATM to withdraw about $400.
- The car was later seen at a Walmart near his grandmother’s house, and then eventually abandoned at St. Mary-Corwin Medical Center in Pueblo.
Forensic and location clues
Later searches and analysis added more circumstantial evidence:
- A DNA match linked Dante to a hair found in Kelsey’s car.
- Cadaver dogs alerted to floor mats in the trunk, leading investigators to believe Kelsey may have been dead in the trunk of her own car.
- Soil found in the vehicle was consistent with areas west/southwest of Pueblo, including the Beulah region.
- Investigators also focused on a nearby landfill, after evidence suggested the car may have been driven in that direction.
Dante Lucas’s Changing Story
Dante repeatedly shifted his account of what happened:
- He said Kelsey came to Pueblo, they argued, and she left.
- At one point, he claimed they went to a hospital for a pregnancy test, but investigators found no record of such a visit.
- Later, he admitted in a conversation with a woman he was dating that he had driven Kelsey’s car and had lied about it.
Trial, Conviction, and Sentence
- In 2017, investigators arrested Dante first on an unrelated robbery case, then charged him with Kelsey’s murder.
- His murder trial began in 2021.
- After less than three hours of deliberation, the jury found him guilty of first-degree murder.
- He received life in prison without parole, plus an additional sentence for the robbery-related case.
- His conviction was upheld on appeal in 2024.
What Remains Unresolved
Even with a conviction, the most painful question is still unanswered:
- Kelsey’s body has never been found.
- Laura Saxton said the conviction brought some justice, but not closure.
- Investigators believe the missing piece may lie somewhere in the broad area west and southwest of Pueblo, possibly connected to the landfill or Beulah route.
- Without her remains, the case remains officially a cold case/death investigation in the sense that her final resting place is still unknown.
Key Takeaways
- The case was built almost entirely on circumstantial evidence: phone records, surveillance video, DNA, car recovery, and inconsistent statements.
- Dante Lucas’s story repeatedly changed, while the physical evidence increasingly pointed back to him.
- The conviction answered who was likely responsible, but not where Kelsey is.
- The episode emphasizes the emotional reality for families: a conviction can bring justice, but not necessarily healing when a body is never recovered.
How to Help
If you have information about Kelsey Schelling’s disappearance, contact:
- Colorado Bureau of Investigation Cold Case Line: 303-239-4244
- Pueblo Crime Stoppers: 719-542-7867