DENVER – A witness in the Donthe Lucas murder trial was found shot to death last week, and police are looking for leads and information that could help them solve this case.
As first reported by The Pueblo Chieftain, Roxann Martinez, 31, was found dead on Feb. 25 near the intersection of East Kenyon Drive and South Wabash Street.
On March 2, the Denver Office of the Medical Examiner determined Martinez had died from a gunshot wound. Her death was classified as a homicide.
Jeff Chostner, the 10th Judicial District Attorney in Pueblo County, confirmed Martinez was an endorsed witness in the case who was set to testify that Lucas admitted to killing his girlfriend, Kelsie Schelling. Chostner said he could not comment further about her death because it is under investigation in Denver.
A Denver Police Department spokeswoman told Denver7 Wednesday the department was aware Martinez was a witness in the trial of Donthe Lucas, who is accused of murder in the 2013 disappearance of 21-year-old Kelsie Schelling. His trial is currently underway in Pueblo.
“We don’t think there is a connection,” said DPD’s Christine Downs, “but this is still a very open case.”
Martinez’s cousin, Elvis Martinez, said Wednesday that Roxann had two children and that their family is still in shock.
“It’s just tragic all the way around,” he said. “…I didn’t want to comprehend it, run it through my head. I had to message other people to see if it was real.”
He said that Wednesday morning was the first he had heard that Roxann was a witness in the trial and said he was not aware she had any connections to the case.
She had been living in the Denver area and had two children, Elvis Martinez said.
“We just have to take it one day at a time, see what goes down right here and find the person or people who are involved in this murder.”
Court records indicate Martinez was on parole when she was shot. Anyone with information about this homicide is asked to call Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at (720) 913-7867.
