March 31, 2020
The body of Gannon Stauch, an eleven-year-old boy from Colorado Springs, was found in Florida two months after he went missing. Gannon’s stepmother, Letecia Stauch, was arrested on March 2 and faces thirteen charges pertaining to his death, including first-degree murder.
Gannon went missing from his home in Colorado Springs on Jan. 27. According to an article published by the Gazette, Letecia claimed the child stayed home from school on the Monday he went missing and she last saw him leaving their home to visit a friend.
During the investigation into Gannon’s disappearance, a neighbor came forward with a security tape that appeared to show video footage of Letecia and Gannon leaving the house together in a pickup truck. When the vehicle returned hours later, Letecia was alone.
Volunteers spent weeks searching in and around El Paso County for evidence linked to Gannon’s disappearance before his remains were finally located near Pace, Florida.
Details of Gannon’s death have not been released, but the crimes Letecia is charged with specifically include crimes of violence for the alleged use of a firearm, a blunt instrument, and a knife or other sharp object.
In addition to numerous crimes of violence, Letecia is also being charged with murder in the first degree, child abuse resulting in death, and tampering with a deceased human body. If found guilty, Letecia will be sentenced to life in prison without parole.
Gannon will be buried in South Carolina, according to his biological mother.
According to the Denver Post, a memorial will be held for Gannon, but a specific date has yet to be set as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.