Home Scandal and Gossip Donthe Lucas murder trial: Denver star witness set to testify found killed

Donthe Lucas murder trial: Denver star witness set to testify found killed

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Roxann Martinez Denver Colorado
Pictured, Roxann Martinez Denver Colorado woman who had been scheduled prior to her murder at Donthe Lucas - pictured - upcoming murder trial of Keslie Schelling.
 Roxann Martinez Denver Colorado
Pictured, Roxann Martinez Denver Colorado woman murdered.

Emmanuel Chandler sought in Roxann Martinez Denver woman murder. Victim was star witness for upcoming Pueblo murder trial of Donthe Lucas, accused of having murdered missing pregnant woman, Keslie Schelling. 

A Colorado woman who was confirmed to testify as a star witness at a Pueblo murder trial has now herself been murdered according to reports.

Roxann Martinez, 31, was shot to death in Denver last week, February 25 the Denver Police Department stated. Her body was found in the street in the city’s Hampden South neighborhood, KCNC-TV reports.

Denver police are searching for Emmanuel Chandler, wanted for first-degree murder in the shooting death of Martinez. Chandler’s relation to the victim remained unclear. 

Chandler, 29, is a Black male, 6-foot-1, 180 pounds with black hair and brown eyes. Police believe that the murder is the result of a domestic violence related incident.

Star witness for upcoming murder trial

Martinez was scheduled to testify for the prosecution at an upcoming murder trial for the 2013 presumed killing of Keslie Schelling, who was eight weeks pregnant when she vanished, KDVR reports. While Schelling’s body has not been found, she is presumed dead, and prosecutors have fingered her boyfriend, Donthe Lucas, 28, as her killer. He has pleaded not guilty.

Schelling was on her way from Denver to visit Lucas in Pueblo when she was last seen alive. She was reportedly pregnant with Lucas’ child, KKTV reports.

Security footage showed that the pair did meet up at Walmart, but days later, Schelling’s car was found abandoned at St. Mary-Corwin Hospital.

Body never recovered

Lucas told investigators that he would never hurt Schelling, but authorities reportedly found numerous inconsistencies in his story.

The lead investigator from the Colorado Bureau of Investigation theorized that Lucas likely strangled Schelling, which would explain why no murder weapon was found.

District Attorney Jeff Chostner told KDVR that ‘Roxann was endorsed as a prosecution witness’ in Lucas’ upcoming trial. He said he couldn’t comment further, due to an ongoing investigation.

KCNC-TV described Martinez as a ‘star witness’ in the case.

emmanuel chandler denver
Pictured, Emmanuel Chandler Denver, Colorado man wanted for murder of Roxann Martinez who was slated as star witness at Donthe Lucas Pueblo murder trial.

Are the two murders connected? 

Police according to a report via oxygen intimated that Martinez’s death ‘was not’ related to whatever information she may have had regarding Schelling’s death.

‘Investigators are aware of her connection to that trial, but at this time do not think her death is connected to that case,’ a Denver police representative said.

Metro Denver Crime Stoppers is offering a $2,000 reward information in the case. Anyone with information is urged to anonymously contact them at (720) 913-7867.

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