‘I am innocent’: Letecia Stauch claims mental illness in newly released letter

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- Letecia Stauch, the southern Colorado woman accused of murdering her 11-year-old stepson Gannon Stauch, is claiming she is "not mentally well" and is being held in jail wrongfully, despite clearing two mental competency evaluations.

In a letter just obtained by KRDO, Stauch wrote to Judge Gregory Werner back in February of 2021 asking to represent herself because she believed her legal team at the time was "in cahoots" with the prosecution.

Stauch said in the letter that she believes the doctor who performed one of her competency evaluations was "clearly an actress and friends with the D.A." She said she was diagnosed with a condition, which is redacted from the letter, back in 2016 and received treatment for it. She also claims a South Carolina school district let her medically resign from her position with the district due to "ongoing reality breaks".

Stauch claims she tried to get her previous legal team to consider her medical records from South Carolina, and that she had to pay a "firm" to get access to those records.

The letter goes on to mention that she didn't believe her former attorneys were taking enough steps to obtain evidence in her case.

"Since March 2020, I asked my attorneys to preserve the Gamestop footage, to locate the Texas Police Officer whom I spoke with, and to get the Cruise passenger list. Instead, they spent months contacting my family for mitigation," Stauch writes, adding that she believes her attorneys shared information with her family that they weren't supposed to, leading to disputes.

Then, Stauch mentions that she has a biological son and believes that others involved with the crime are walking free.

"I will not put myself or others in danger running the defense against my biological son when the system is letting two men run free who are involved. One is a prominent member of an 'independent business.' They used the NGRI (to get a hearing) knowing I’m Not Guilty to cover up their lack of representation. Although, I had “bouts of insanity” and still do, I did not murder or abuse anyone nor would that be a defense because it’s my understanding that you actually did do it. However, I will protect my bio son and I will protect the drugs and violence documented from my stepson," Stauch wrote.

Tune in to KRDO News Channel 13 tonight at 5:00 p.m. for a full report on the newly released letter from Stauch.

Here is the full letter: